Restaurants in Madagascar
-
Restaurant Razafimanjy
This locally recommended place (you see a lot of couples dining with their drivers) cooks Malagasy-seasoned Chinese food with excellent results. The menu is very long, with meat, chicken and seafood cooked dozens of different ways. There are also a number of vegetarian choices. The stir-fried Chinese noodles we ate here were the best we found in the country. There is cabaret at night, and the attached internet café stays open until midnight.
reviewed
-
Panda Restaurant
If your ultimate fantasy involves dining on sautéed bat while staring at murals of copulating pandas painted on a restaurant wall, fulfil it here. Definitely a top contender for Madagascar's strangest eating establishment, Panda serves an eclectic menu that includes bat, pigeon, frog and wild duck. It also does excellent Chinese. Ring ahead if you're absolutely craving bat or pigeon, as they are not always available.
reviewed
-
Sunshine Restaurant & Bar
Chez Maggie's thatched-roof restaurant, with fabulous sunset views of the Mozambique Channel, offers a rotating daily menu of fresh-caught fish and seafood, delicious cheese and lots of fresh fruits and veggies. Barbecue jumbo shrimp, and anything with crab, are the house specialities. The bar has a wide selection of scotch, whiskey and delicious homemade coco rum. It's a good place to settle in for a night of drinking.
reviewed
-
A
La Véranda
If you've just returned from Île Sainte Marie, you may find yourself dining with most of your flying companions here - this is the terrace of choice for the vast majority of French expats and visitors thanks to its wide-ranging menu and very reasonable prices. The three-course set menu changes daily, and is usually far too tempting to let you settle for a light meal.
reviewed
-
B
La Récréa
Toamasina waterfront's latest arrival is a fantastically conceived thatched edifice combining restaurant, cocktail bar and souvenir shop, with stylish all-bamboo furniture and fixtures, pool tables, seating spilling out towards the beach and even an old light aircraft outside. The menu covers Malagasy, Italian, French fusion and even fondue.
reviewed
-
Ristorante Italiano Sarabanda
A small pizza joint with just a handful of tables, including a few out front, that does about a dozen different combinations of cheese, sauce, topping and dough. It is nicely laid out with colourful woven tablemats and deep-red walls adorned with local art. The wood-oven pizzas are delicious and big enough to share.
reviewed
-
Chez Georges
This popular local eatery enjoys a laid-back surf atmosphere in a hut overlooking Libanona beach. Catch-of-the-day fish and dressed crab are recurrent specialities. Good things really do come to those who wait. As popular as it is, we suggest getting there early, ordering, then going for a swim while it's prepared.
reviewed
-
C
Le Zoréol
This a fairly typical expat-run bar, with free pool tables, Beaujolais Nouveau and lots of rum, but also offers pizza, pasta and Réunionnaise cuisine (zoréol is a common nickname for French residents of this other Indian Ocean island). On Wednesday and Sunday it's only open in the evening.
reviewed
-
D
Le Perroquet Bleu
Another friendly wood-clad restaurant with a bar-like feel to it, serving up all kinds of French and regional dishes. The eponymous blue parrot is still just about clinging to its perch, though it's a scraggy shadow of its former self if the oil-painting portrait on the wall is anything to go by.
reviewed
-
Le Croustillant
The service can be very slow, but it's worth the wait - our stir-fried seafood noodles were about as fresh as you can get. The small and unpretentious restaurant has a large menu that includes everything from omelettes to pasta. The Chinese dishes are particularly good.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Melita
This smart restaurant serves European and Malagasy food, and concocts every cocktail imaginable; the list is definitely long. There's a great breeze from the tables at the clean terrace bar. The small menu includes pasta and fish along with a variety of meat dishes.
reviewed
-
E
Le Parad'Ice
Some say it serves the best ice cream in Madagascar, with lots of fruit flavours - the passionfruit has been recommended. Just down the road from Air Mad's office, it is also known for great breakfasts and a menu of burgers, grills and sandwiches. There's a bar.
reviewed
-
F
L'Arche
This long-established place serves homely French favourites and pizzas to expats, river guides and tourists - a Tsiribihina River company is based out of the bar. L'Arche grooves after dark on nights when reggae and traditional Malagasy bands rock the place.
reviewed
-
L'Oasis Hôtel
Presided over by an affable local guy called Jean le Rasta, or Rasta Jean, the bar and restaurant at this hotel is definitely engaging. There is live music, including drums and reggae performed by Rasta Jean and other local musicians. The food is great.
reviewed
-
La Terrace
With great views of Baie Dauphine (Shipwreck Bay), this classy outdoor restaurant/café has excellent meals with views second to none. It has a fully stocked bar catering to your cocktail whims while you stare at the sunset silhouette on the bay.
reviewed
-
G
Le Bateau Ivre
Next to La Récréa, the 'Drunken Boat' assures its own popularity with a 25m swimming pool (open from 09:00) and boisterous live music in the evenings, plus a seafood-oriented menu. It's a great place for kids, but the pool gets packed at weekends.
reviewed
-
H
Boulangerie Zapandis
A true French patisserie serving wonderful cakes, pastries, croissants and creamy ice cream. Locals stop in to pick up crispy loaves of French bread in the morning, and usually end up lingering, chatting with friends over juice and real espresso.
reviewed
-
I
Restaurant Kohinoor
Serving great Indian food amid super-kitsch décor, this small place is popular with expats, tourists and vegetarians - it does a veggie special every day. Carnivores will dig the delicious curries, many with a coconut-milk base.
reviewed
-
La Capannina
Run by an Italian and Malagasy couple, this place serves yummy, and consistently reliable, Italian food - think lots of pastas and different sauces. Sit outside on the attractive terrace; look for La Capannini on the beach road.
reviewed
-
J
Don Camillo
We're not convinced the staff are Italian, but in most other respects Don Camillo delivers the authentic thin'n'crispy goods to a thoroughly edible standard. Takeaway is also available, though it'll cost you extra for the box.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Mada Bar
Fresh fruit juice, excellent ice creams and pizzas are all the specialities at this little place with a full menu and relaxed ambiance. It's also great at multitasking - kayaks and motorbikes are available for rent.
reviewed
-
Salon de Thé Mirina
An unassuming little tin-fronted restaurant that makes a great pit stop on your way out of town in the morning. It serves a number of breakfast options, as well as pastries, ice cream and snacks come midday.
reviewed
-
Louis XIV Pub & Restaurant
This cheerful establishment serves up standard pub grub plus a few specialties on an al fresco patio and is a fun place to meet other travellers or just chill out and listen to live music in the evenings.
reviewed
-
K
Restaurant Labourdonnais
Next door to the French consulate, this unflashy green-and-white establishment sits discreetly in its walled compound, providing refined creole cuisine for the regular dining diplomats.
reviewed
-
L
Adam & Eve Snack Bar
One of the most popular budget options on Blvd Joffre, the open bar and terrace of this cheap-eats Eden have a loyal following for their Malagasy dishes, juice, ice cream and crêpes.
reviewed