The Best Rarotonga Restaurants And Cafes

We always enjoy visiting Rarotonga, perfect for family time and relaxing. One thing we love is trying to find the best Rarotonga restaurants and cafes.

There is a range of places to eat, from food trucks, markets, and burger spots right to your ocean-view restaurant and all-inclusive shows with buffets. 

While we certainly have our favourites, there are plenty of great spots around the island to explore and sample the delights of the local cuisine.

Often when we visit we are on a budget, so our list meets all the needs for families who like great food but that it doesn’t break the bank. 

Below are our top Rarotonga restaurants and cafes that won’t leave you panicking at the sight of the bill when it’s time to pay. 

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All our favourite spots are perfect for the whole family no matter what age. 

Muri Night market 

We spent a couple of nights here, food prices are around $15 and no one was disappointed with their choice. There is a large range of food to choose from, all cooked right in front of you.

A personal favourite was Island Crepes, I know it’s a pudding but at the end of the night, it’s worth it. While there are lots of favours I recommend Strawberries and Custard.

Can’t beat the Island Crepes (Strawberry and custard)… The boys loved IT!!

The variety of food on offer is excellent, here you can order wok-fried noodles, a range of curries, seafood, BBQ meals, pizzas and more.

The night market is open from 5 pm to 7 pm. Make sure you get there at 5 pm because once they run out you will be disappointed. We learnt this the hard way, arriving just before 7 pm.

Muri Night Market

Only 4 stalls weren’t sold out however the food from those stalls was still amazing.

It’s a relaxed atmosphere, you can either order takeaways or sit around one of the many covered picnic tables.

TIP: Remember your NZ dollars as stalls are cash only

Location: Muri beach
Opening Hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings from 5 pm

Vili’s Burger Joint

This spot is perfect for a quick bite on the go. The burgers are filling, and the best on the island. If you don’t eat one from here you’ve missed a treat.

Vili’s offers a selection of beef, chicken and even something for us vegetarians. You can even order a pizza if you fancy.

As always Vili’s burger’s is one popular place and they serve the best burgers

All the burgers and pizzas are at a reasonable price too.

What we liked about Vili’s was its layout with plenty of amusing signs to make you giggle. Make sure you read the sign directly under where you order. 

One of Vili’s best burgers

Location: Matavera 
Opening Hours: Tuesday-Friday 11.30 am-9 pm and Saturday -Sunday 12.30 pm- 9 pm. Closed on Mondays.

Charlie’s Cafe and Bar

This is a great little spot just south of Muri and a restaurant not to be missed. The food here is plentiful in fact I couldn’t even finish my fish sandwich because it was that big.

The view across the lagoon at Charlie’s is pretty amazing too. It’s a very chilled atmosphere and it is the perfect spot to spend a few hours relaxing.

The family relaxing and unwinding at Charlie’s restaurant

As I said the sandwiches are huge and freshly made and offer a range of fillings.

However, they also serve burgers, fisherman’s platters, pizzas (great for the kids), crumbed fish tacos, and salads just to name a few.

We also tried the island-infused fruit smoothies and they were sooooo good!

Get there at opening time as it’s very popular and there can be long wait times. But it is worth it. 

Charlie’s Cafe and Bar is open throughout the day and offer a happy hour from 4-6, it’s a great spot to watch the sunset and listen to live music.

Location: 5 minutes south of Muri beach
Opening Hours Monday-Friday : 2 pm – 9 pm Saturday : 12 pm – 5 pm

LBV Cafe

This is a great cafe set in an old renovated house with a wrap-around verandah for seating and a play area on the grass at the back for the kids.

LBV Cafe: Great food and Coffee, perfect place to relax and unwind

This is where we picked up our coffee most mornings of the week. 

There are a variety of delicious baked goods, the donuts were a massive hit with our kids. We enjoyed the croissants. The staff here are friendly and helpful

LBV Cafe offers a full breakfast and lunch menu and is very popular with locals and tourists alike.

This spot was one of our favourite cafe for breakfast

LBV Cafe, looking into the kitchen area

Location: Muri Beach 
Open 7 days

Delicious Cafe

Opposite LBV Cafe, set a bit closer to the road but the food is great and you definitely want to stop here.

There is a selection of homemade cabinet food including yummy carrot cake and Brownes. For those who need more, there is also a wonderful breakfast and lunch menu, all freshly cooked.

One of my favourites was the salad bowls, with fresh ingredients, nothing beats roast pumpkin & chickpea salad with falafel however for the meat eaters you can get salmon, chicken, or bacon. 

A great cup of coffee to start the day…Cook Islands style

Connie tried the raw cleansing beetroot, carrot & walnut salad and that was pretty tasty too. These salad bowl ingredients change regularly however, whatever you pick you won’t be disappointed. 

Location: Ara Tapu, Muri Beach 
Opening Hours: Sunday to Friday 7.30 am – 3 pm, closed Saturdays.

Trader Jacks

This spot is in town and right on the water. Great views as the sun set and it is a place you must have either lunch or dinner at. We chose to have dinner and as a large group, they were very accommodating. 

The menu is extensive; fresh seafood dishes, beef, chicken, sashimi and sushi as well as the kid’s favourite… pizza.

The food here was amazing, most of us opted for the fish which there are a few varieties to choose from. Portion sizes were big too.

Trader Jacks, can’t beat that view

Drinks again were reasonable and they even brew their own lager. At the end of the night, not one person had a pudding as everyone was full.

But if you can stretch it the warm sticky date pudding looked good.

Tip: Always book a reservation so you won’t be disappointed.

Trader Jack’s, lunch is service

Location: Ara Tapu, Avarua District
Opening Hours: 
Restaurant: Monday-Saturday – Lunch 11:30 am – 2:30 pm Dinner 5 pm – 9 pm
Vaka Bar Hours: 11 am – Till Late – Closed Sunday
Pizza Shack 11.30 am-9 pm

The Mooring Fish Cafe 

This is a great spot and is located right in the heart of Muri beach. Everyone comes here for the sandwiches and they are tasty.

They also serve Fish and Chips Fresh Off The Boat and Tuna Tacos.

The Mooring Fish Cafe

All the sandwiches are served with homemade sauces on fresh slabs of soft Turkish bread.

This spot has a casual relaxed vibe and the staff here are awesome, very friendly and always smiling.

The prices here are great and you’ll certainly leave with a full belly.

The Mooring Fish Cafes fish sandwich, our kids loved them

Location: Opposite the Muri Night Markets 
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10.30 am until 3.30 pm and Sunday 12 pm until 4 pm, closed Saturdays.

Final Thoughts

There are well over 50 Rarotonga restaurants and cafes across the island. And like always, some remain, some go and some change names.

The Rarotonga restaurants and cafes in our list are the places we love and visit over and over again.

The great news is that these spots won’t break and bank and will leave you wanting to return for more.

Trader Jacks, great spot, great food, good times

We can’t wait to return to Rarotonga and visit these eateries again and know doubt look for new places to add to our list.