More Neiafu Eateries (Vava’u, Tonga)

September 22 -November 14, 2012

Aside from the Big Three (my own name for the favorites I’ve already talked about), there are some other places in town worth mentioning.

The first is the Wine Bar or Rooster Bistro (it goes by both names). It’s the fanciest place in town (although that doesn’t mean much in that no place here is fancy) and owned by a Swiss chef. He makes an amazing blue cheese ravioli, a spicy chicken dish that is actually spicy, and rosti, a traditional Swiss breakfast dish that consists of grated potatoes formed into a skillet-sized patty and fried or baked with onions, bacon, and spices. Gunther tops his version with a fried egg.

The second place to mention is the mysterious Lobster House. It is mostly hidden, hard to find and attached to a defunct hotel. The restaurant is open off and on, no one really knows when, and they don’t advertise themselves at all. We only happened to stumble across it one day. We never did get there for lobster but had a really nice breakfast there while watching a surprisingly entertaining soccer match on their TV.

Next, I’ll mention Mango Cafe. It’s got a great location right on the waterfront and is a lovely place. Sadly, though, they need to work on their food. We only went there once during our entire time there so maybe we’re judging it unfairly, but then again we’ve heard others say the same thing.

Next up is Sunset Grill. This is another place we only tried once. The problem wasn’t the food: we had a seafood quesadilla that was terrific! It was the fact that this quesadilla took forever to get (and the restaurant was near empty) while the owner schmoozed with his buddies at the bar. The Sunset Grill is a good place to go have cold beer (the coldest in town, we were told) but sadly not a place to eat even though the food is great. (Again, it wasn’t just us: the service is notoriously slow).

Finally there is the Blue Lagoon. As the picture shows, it doesn’t get a lot of customers. I’m not sure why as it’s got a nice location. We only had cappuccino here so I can’t speak for the food. –Cyndi

A table at the Rooster Bistro/Wine Bar.
A fish sandwich at the Rooster Bistro.
Watching soccer at the Lobster House.
The deck at Mango Cafe.
The Sunset Grill.
The Blue Lagoon.
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