What to Eat in La Réunion

Why You’ll Want to Eat Local in La Réunion

I didn’t go to La Réunion for the food but I came back talking about it constantly. The island’s Creole cuisine isn’t fancy or overly complex, but it’s full of deep, honest flavour. It’s built on local ingredients like coconut, turmeric, sugar cane, and fresh herbs and it’s cooked with care.

If you want to eat well in La Réunion, this guide will show you what to try, where to find it, and how to avoid the tourist traps.

Traditional Dishes of La Réunion

🔥 Cari

The base of Réunionese cuisine. Usually chicken (cari poulet), fish, or pork, simmered in turmeric, garlic, thyme, and tomatoes. Served with rice and lentils. Every household has a different version.

🌶️ Rougail

Spicy tomato-based sauce that comes with almost every meal. Some versions are raw, others are cooked. Try rougail saucisse (with sausage) or rougail morue (with salt cod).

🍚 Bol Renversé

Rice, sautéed vegetables, meat or egg, and a soy-based sauce. It’s Chinese-influenced, simple, and somehow always hits the spot.

🦆 Vanilla Duck

Local duck, slow-cooked with Réunion vanilla pods. Rich, fragrant, and unexpected. I had this on my birthday and it's unforgettable.

🍢 Samosas & Bonbons Piments

Found everywhere. Crispy, hot, filled with veggies or meat. Perfect snack between hikes or market visits.

🍮 Desserts

Try fresh lychees (in season), gâteau patate (sweet potato cake), or anything with coconut milk and vanilla.

Must-Try Drinks

• Rhum arrangé. Infused rum. Every household and bar has their own version.

• Fresh cane juice. Best at markets or roadside stalls.

• Local beers. Bourbon ("Dodo") and Fischer are popular, especially ice cold after a hike.

Where to Eat Creole Food in La Réunion

Family-Owned Gîtes

You’ll often get the best meals in rural gîtes, where hosts cook with ingredients from their gardens. My best dinners were in the mountains.

Shared Table Experiences

Places like Ferme Auberge Eva Annibal serve home-cooked dishes at communal tables. We swapped trail tips with strangers over wild boar and rougail.

Where to Eat in Saint-Denis

• Snack bars on Rue de Paris are cheap, fast, and good.

• Marché du Chaudron or Petit Marché for hot food stalls and snacks.

• Ask your host for recommendations — Google reviews won’t help you here.

What to Avoid

• Restaurants with menus in five languages and laminated photos

• Tourist areas during lunch rush

• Buffet-style "Creole nights" that feel too generic.

Tips for Eating Local

• Most places don’t take cards so carry small cash.

• Expect to wait. Things run on island time.

• Don’t ask for substitutions. Eat what’s served. It’s better that way.

• Be open. If the dish sounds strange, it’s probably delicious.