From Breadfruit to Fafa: Mastering Bora Bora’s Vegetarian Cuisine

In Bora Bora, the staple starch is breadfruit — roasted, fried, or mashed — and the leafy green fafa (a local spinach relative) turns up in everything from soups to side dishes. These two ingredients form the backbone of a vegetarian cuisine that reaches far beyond the resort salad bar. Over the past several years, the island has built a dining scene where plant-based eaters can work through a seven-course tasting menu at a lagoon-side resort or grab a three-dollar samosa from a food truck on Matira Beach. This guide covers the restaurants, the dishes, and the practical realities of eating vegetarian in Bora Bora, whether you are staying in an overwater bungalow or a guesthouse in Vaitape.

Bora Bora is a small island in the South Pacific, part of French Polynesia, roughly 5,000 miles from the continental United States. Getting food here is expensive — dining costs are on par with New York City, Los Angeles, and Honolulu. A nice dinner for two with appetizer, main, wine, coffee, and shared dessert runs $130–$175 USD in Bora Bora. But the cost does not mean limited options. The restaurants below cover the full range: high-end resort dining, independent French-Polynesian restaurants, casual pizzerias, and roadside snack stands that all accommodate plant-based eating.

Note: Prices and hours listed are sourced from travel guides and restaurant listings. Confirm current menus and pricing directly with each restaurant before booking.

Lagoon Restaurant by Jean-Georges

The Lagoon Restaurant at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort pairs overwater views of Mount Otemanu with glass floor panels that let you watch sharks and tropical fish swim beneath your table. It offers both à la carte selections and tasting menus, with a focus on Polynesian flavors and an extensive wine program. Seasonal ingredients include Taha’a vanilla, freshly caught local fish, Tahitian coconut, and artisanal cheeses. The kitchen highlights products from across French Polynesia — pure cocoa from the Tuamotu Archipelago by Maison Meroia, and fresh coconut oil from Julie Hooa of Bora Bora. For vegetarian diners, the kitchen can adapt many of its dishes, and the tasting menu typically includes vegetable-forward courses alongside the seafood.

Check current menus and reservations at the Lagoon Restaurant. The St. Regis is on its own motu (islet), so access requires a resort ferry or private boat transfer.

Maere at The Westin Bora Bora

Maere — the name translates to “surprise” in Tahitian — is the signature restaurant at The Westin Bora Bora Resort & Spa. It overlooks the lagoon and rotates between three different menus each night: Anau (highlighting the fisherman’s catch with dishes like dried swordfish with exotic fruit caviar, Tahitian blue shrimp with lime and fresh coconut milk, grilled tuna steak with banana purée and lemongrass salsa, and dark Polynesian chocolate cream pot), Penza (Italian-themed with butternut gnocchi, confit osso buco, cappelletti stuffed with morels and housemade ricotta, and limoncello-infused baba), and Macao (Asian street market inspiration with red tuna sashimi, green mango salad, lacquered mahi mahi with kimchi, crisp yuzu tart, and silky Japanese matcha ice cream). Crucially, one of those three menus is a dedicated vegetarian menu — so on any given night, a vegetarian tasting experience exists alongside the seafood and meat options. Dinner is a multi-course affair beginning with an array of small bites. The wine selection is extensive. See Maere’s current menus and book a table.

Le Corail at InterContinental Thalasso Spa

Le Corail sits at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa on Motu Piti Aau. It serves French cuisine and is explicitly noted as a good vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Bora Bora. The signature offering is a seven-course degustation menu, which the kitchen can prepare as a fully plant-based progression. This is one of the few resort restaurants in Bora Bora where a vegan tasting menu is a standard option rather than a special request you have to negotiate. Contact +689 40 60 76 00 to inquire about the current degustation menu and dietary accommodations.

Noa Noa Restaurant

Noa Noa is the restaurant at the InterContinental Bora Bora Le Moana Resort, serving French, Polynesian, and seafood cuisine. It is explicitly listed as a vegetarian and vegan restaurant option in Bora Bora. While the menu leans heavily on the lagoon’s catch, the kitchen provides plant-based alternatives for each course. Noa Noa sits right on the water, and its location within Le Moana means it is accessible to guests staying on the main island rather than on a separate motu. No phone number is listed in current sources, so check with the resort directly for reservations and current menu details.

La Villa Mahana

La Villa Mahana, in Vaitape at B.P. 941 Amanahune, is a French restaurant with a healthy-eating bent, explicitly noted as a good vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Bora Bora. It seats only 14 guests per night, and reservations are required — you cannot walk in. The restaurant is headed by a French chef and decorated with French art. The limited seating means the kitchen can tailor dishes to dietary needs more precisely than a larger resort restaurant. Contact +689 40 67 50 63 to reserve. If your schedule is tight, book this one as far ahead as possible — it is one of the smallest dining rooms on the island.

The Lucky House – Fare Manuia

The Lucky House – Fare Manuia sits at Matira Point near Matira Beach and the InterContinental. It serves French, Polynesian, Italian, pizza, and European food, and is explicitly noted as a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Bora Bora. It functions as a sports bar and is significantly more affordable than the high-end resort restaurants — a useful option when you want a meal that does not require a tasting-menu commitment. Contact +689 40 67 68 08 for hours and menu.

Roulotte Matira and Snack Matira

For the cheapest vegetarian meal on the island, head to Roulotte Matira at Matira Point — a snack bar and affordable eatery that serves vegetarian samosas. It is about as far from the white-tablecloth resort experience as you can get, and that is exactly the point. Contact 67 67 29 for current hours. Nearby, Snack Matira on the Circle Island Road in Vaitape is a good-value snack restaurant also tagged as plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan friendly. Contact +689 40 67 77 32.

Far Niente Ristorante at St. Regis

Far Niente Ristorante, at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, offers high-end Italian and European cuisine and is explicitly noted as a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Bora Bora. The caprese appetizer — fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil — is a reliable vegetarian starter. Contact +689 78467846 to reserve. As with all St. Regis dining, access requires a resort ferry.

Bam Boo Restaurant

Bam Boo is on Motu Ome’e (Bp 506) and serves sushi and Japanese food. It is explicitly noted as a vegetarian and vegan restaurant in Bora Bora. While sushi menus typically center on raw fish, Bam Boo offers vegetable rolls and plant-based options alongside the fresh sashimi it is known for. Contact +689 40 60 78 88.

Additional Resort Options

Te Pahu Restaurant at the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort offers good vegan and vegetarian options, with a breakfast buffet that sources high-quality local produce. The breakfast buffet alone makes it worth a stop if you are staying elsewhere — the spread typically includes fresh tropical fruit, pastries, and made-to-order egg dishes. Contact the St. Regis directly for dinner reservations. At the Four Seasons Bora Bora, two restaurants cater to plant-based diners: Arii Moana (French and seafood, with vegetarian options) and Vaimiti (Thai, Japanese, Asian fusion, and sushi mixed with Polynesian cuisine, also with vegetarian options). Both are on Motu Tehotu. Contact Arii Moana at +689 40 60 31 70.

Casual and Takeaway Options

Beyond the resorts and independent restaurants, Bora Bora has several casual spots tagged as plant-based, vegetarian, and vegan friendly. Aloe Cafe in Vaitape (Centre Commercial le Pahia) opens at 6:30 a.m. and sells bakery items, pastries, and warm pain au chocolat — a reliable breakfast stop for vegetarians. Contact +689 40 67 78 88. Iaorana Gelato in Vaitape (Residence Mautara) serves gelato plus snack menus with burgers, pizzas, panini, and bakery items — useful for a quick lunch. Contact +689 89 50 42 52. Matira Pizza in Matira – Tahana is an Italian pizza house that is affordable compared to high-end resort dining. Contact +(689)341613. Otoamana in Nunue 2 is a Polynesian-cuisine lunch snack place with cheap eats, tagged as plant-based friendly.

For self-catering, small grocery stores on Bora Bora sell soft drinks, fresh baguettes, cheeses, croissants, pastries, snacks, and juices at prices near North American levels. Bread and French wine are subsidized by the government, so they are notably cheaper than in the U.S. Grabbing baguette, cheese, and a bottle of wine for a room-based lunch is a legitimate money-saving strategy in a destination where a nice dinner for two runs $130–$175.

What to Eat: Breadfruit, Fafa, and the Local Vegetarian Kitchen

Breadfruit (uru in Tahitian) is the island’s staple starch. It appears roasted whole over an open fire, fried into chips, or mashed into a purée similar to mashed potatoes but with a denser, slightly sweet flavor. Fafa is a local green leafy vegetable similar to spinach, often cooked with coconut milk and served as a side or incorporated into soups. These two ingredients are the foundation of Bora Bora’s vegetarian cooking — they turn up at resort restaurants, at local snack stands, and in home cooking. A vegetarian poisson cru (the national dish of raw fish marinated in lime and coconut milk) substitute is sometimes available using heart of palm or avocado in place of the fish; ask at any restaurant that serves the traditional version.

Practical Tips for Vegetarian Dining in Bora Bora

Food in French Polynesia is expensive — on par with NYC, LA, and Honolulu. A nice dinner for two in Bora Bora runs $130–$175 USD, including tax and a 20% service charge that is already added to the bill. Tipping is not customary and is not expected, though it is welcome for exemplary service. Some travelers bring small gifts from home (a book about their hometown, for example) as a tip alternative.

Hotel restaurants charge higher prices than local restaurants outside hotels. Local establishments range from family-owned eateries to elegant French gastronomic restaurants serving poisson cru, and they often cost the same as or less than a hotel meal plan. If you are staying at a resort, consider eating at least a few meals off-property to save money and get a more authentic taste of the island.

Breakfast inclusion in your hotel package is recommended. Full-board or half-board dinner plans generally do not save money and limit your menu choices. The exception is the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort and Thalasso Spa half-board dinner plan, which is considered good value. Most hotels in French Polynesia are not truly all-inclusive for meals, activities, and drinks — The Brando is the notable exception. Nearly all hotels include free activities, and packages booked through operators like Venture Tahiti typically include full breakfast.

Transportation between motus involves ferries and taxis, and resorts arrange transfers for their guests. If you are staying on the main island (Vaitape or Matira area), you have easier access to independent restaurants. If you are on a resort motu, factor in the cost and time of ferry transfers when planning off-property meals.

Before You Go: Bora Bora Vegetarian Dining

Do I need to reserve every meal in advance?

Only for the smallest venues. La Villa Mahana seats just 14 and requires a reservation. Resort restaurants like Maere and the Lagoon Restaurant also strongly recommend booking. Snack Matira, Roulotte Matira, and Matira Pizza generally do not require reservations.

Can I find vegan options beyond salads?

Yes. Le Corail offers a seven-course vegan degustation menu. The Lucky House, Bam Boo, and Far Niente all explicitly accommodate vegan diets. At resort restaurants, the kitchen can usually adapt dishes — but confirm when booking rather than assuming.

How much should I budget per day for vegetarian food?

A budget day (breakfast from Aloe Cafe, lunch from Snack Matira or grocery store supplies, dinner at The Lucky House) runs roughly $40–$60 per person. A splurge day (resort breakfast, resort lunch, tasting-menu dinner) runs $100–$150 per person. Most travelers land somewhere in between.

What is the one dish I should not miss?

Breadfruit prepared any way you can find it — roasted, fried, or mashed. It is the ingredient that defines Bora Bora’s vegetarian cooking and rarely appears outside the South Pacific.

Eating Vegetarian in Paradise

Bora Bora’s vegetarian dining scene is broader than its reputation suggests. The same island that built a global image around overwater bungalows and raw fish also serves seven-course vegan tasting menus, street-side samosas, and breadfruit in forms that range from rustic to refined. The key is knowing where to look — and understanding that the best meal is often the one that costs the least and comes from the smallest kitchen. For more guidance on eating well across the island, see our guide to Bora Bora’s off-resort dining scene.

References

Gamin Traveler. “Best Restaurants in Bora Bora.” GaminTraveler.com, 2024. ↗

Venture Tahiti. “Dining in Bora Bora and Tahiti.” VentureTahiti.com. ↗

Yu, Kaila. “4 Unforgettable Fine Dining Experiences in Bora Bora.” Forbes, 2026. ↗

For more on Bora Bora’s culinary landscape, check out our deep dives into iconic Polynesian dishes, the island’s best breakfast spots, and budget-friendly eating strategies.