The Food Guide to the Yasawa Islands: Places to Eat & Food Resorts

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The Best Food Tours in the Yasawa Islands

Food is a central part of the Fijian culture, with cooking methods and traditions surrounding food still being played out the same after hundreds of years.

Needless to say, the food-oriented activities will also be central to your stay in the Yasawa Islands. Here are some of the foodie stuff you could be doing.

Fijian Cooking Lessons

Learning how to cook Fijian cuisine is an absolute must-do for any foodie visiting the Yasawas. At Naqalia Lodge, guests have the opportunity to learn Fijian cooking methods, like cooking on a fire using leaves and coconuts.

Or how about a cooking demonstration using freshly caught seafood when staying at the all-inclusive Yasawa Island Resort?

Cooking lessons are also available at Paradise Cove Resort, Blue Lagoon Resort, Barefoot Manta Resort, Mantaray Island Resort and many of the Homestays in the Yasawa Islands.

Lovo Feasts

What Fijians usually save for special occasions, visitors of the Yasawa Islands have the privilege of tasting the smokey flavours of a traditional lovo feast. Lovo is food slow-cooked in an underground oven.

Lovo feasts can be experienced at Yasawa Island Resort & Spa, along with a meke performance, which you can learn more about in the 10 Best Ways to Experience the Fijian Culture.

Garden Tours

Many of the resorts grow their own produce for their restaurants so that you can get an amazing insight into island life with one of the resorts’ garden tours. Turtle Island Fiji offers tours of its 5-acre (2 ha) garden, which grows fruit, vegetables, herbs, and spices.

Alternatively, Nanuya Island Resort offers tours of their own plantation on request. Otherwise, any one of the 10 Best Homestays in the Yasawa Islands is usually happy to show you around their gardens.

Handline Fishing and Spearfishing

Catch your own dinner using fishing methods that have been used on the islands for hundreds of years. Join the crew of the Mantaray Island Resort for a short stroll to a nearby reef to try your luck.

The resort also does spearfishing trips, as does Naqalia Lodge, which mixes stunning underwater landscapes with catching dinner! Learn more about incorporating fishing into your Yasawa getaway in The Complete Guide to Fishing in Fiji.

More Things to Do in the Yasawa Islands for Foodies

• Take part in a kava ceremony
• Treat your loved one to a beach picnic
• Do a cruise of the Yasawas with foodie activities included
• Attend a luxurious dinner party on Turtle Island
• Get an authentic Fijian food experience in a village homestay
• Enjoy a private dinner on the beach…

To find out more about each of these activities, take a look at the 10 Things to Do in the Yasawa Islands for Foodies.

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Dining in the Yasawa Islands

When it comes to dining in the Yasawa Islands, you will be confined to the restaurant of your resort. All the resorts we list in the “Resorts in the Yasawa Islands with the Best Restaurants” have been picked due to their use of fresh cuisine provided by the local land and sea. Whichever foodie resort you choose in the Yasawas, you won’t be disappointed.

Meal Plans and All-Inclusive Resorts

The difference in the way dining works in the Yasawas lies in the way guests purchase the food, with some resorts like Mantaray Island Resort and Naqalia Lodge requiring compulsory meal packages. Navutu Stars, for instance, offers the choice of a meal package or an à la carte menu.

Nanuya Island Resort keeps things strictly à la carte, giving guests a choice to suit their tastes and budgets. Luxury resorts like the Yasawa Island Resort & Spa and Turtle Island Fiji include all food and snacks at their all-inclusive rates.

Finally, in the Yasawa Islands homestays, families will offer an affordable meal package where you will be served a set breakfast, lunch and dinner each day.

To learn more about meal plans, check out our guide, Is it Worth Buying a Resort Meal Plan in Fiji? For more information about all-inclusive resorts, we list them in the 10 Best All-Inclusive Resorts in Fiji.

Vegan, Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Diets

If you have a special dietary requirement, you don’t need to worry about eating in the Yasawa Islands as long as you provide your resort with advance notice. Resorts are happy to cater to special diets, whether it’s vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or something else.

If you are planning a homestay, it is recommended to contact your host beforehand to confirm if they can accommodate your dietary needs. Learn more about how to handle special diets in the Yasawas with The Gluten-Free Guide to Fiji and Fiji for Vegans & Vegetarians.

Unique Dining Experiences in the Yasawa Islands

To celebrate a special occasion or “just because”, treat that special someone to a romantic dinner for two. Enjoy a gourmet three-course meal at your own secluded private table on the beach while watching the sunset. This experience can be enjoyed at resorts such as Mantaray Island, Barefoot Manta and Navutu Stars.

Similarly, some resorts in the Yasawa Islands can arrange a beach picnic. Resort chefs will prepare you a picnic fit for a king before you and your lucky partner are transported to a secluded beach. This romantic dining experience is available at resorts such as the Yasawa Island Resort, Barefoot Manta, Navutu Stars and Turtle Island Fiji.

For more experiences like this, check out the 10 Romantic Activities in the Yasawa Islands.

Guests at the Turtle Island Fiji resort have the opportunity to attend their nightly “Dinner Parties” at a different, unique location. Dine in the tropical gardens, on the mountaintops or on the beach – the possibilities are endless on a private island.

You can also indulge in a sweet treat at the Organic Ice Cream Nanuya, Nanuya Sewa (Nanuya Lailai) Island. Savour seasonal fruit and coconut cream ice creams (around FJ$5) on the beach or in the attractive village seating area. Experience a unique stay at the owner’s Voyager Retreat Homestay.

For the most authentic Fijian dining experience, it’s worth booking yourself a night or two in a village homestay. Fijian families open their homes to international guests to see their way of living and, most importantly, share their food! Food is simple yet flavoursome and shrouded in tradition, making it an eye-opening and honouring experience.

Check out our 10 Best Homestays in the Yasawa Islands to see where to get this experience.

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More About the Best Restaurants in the Yasawa Islands

Which resorts offer the best restaurants in the Yasawa Islands? Here are some of our top picks!

Blue Lagoon Resort

Often praised for offering the best resort dining experiences in the Yasawa Islands, Blue Lagoon Resort boasts the variety that’s often lacking at remote island resorts. Not only do they have a contemporary à la carte menu for lunch and dinner, boasting crowd-pleasers like fish of the day to Buddha bowls, as well as twice-weekly themed nights with a classic Fijian lovo, but they also have a stylish Japanese/Spanish restaurant, Donu. At lunch, dine on Spanish-style tapas and at dinner, swap for an omakase tasting menu.

Coconut Beach Resort

Coconut Beach Resort, an underrated gem, offers a culinary experience that’s sure to delight your taste buds. Guests often rave about the resort’s food, with the cheesecake receiving particular praise (you’ll want to save room for dessert!). The resort’s atmosphere is wonderfully personable and social, thanks in part to its inviting square bar. We recommend grabbing a drink there and mingling with fellow travellers – you might just make some new friends at this adults-only resort!

Mantaray Island Resort

Travel the world with the menu of the Mantaray Island Resort, with a la carte menus of European, Indian, Asian and, of course, Fijian cuisine. If anything, you’ll want to stay just for the food. What’s more, you won’t need to worry about the bill with their compulsory meal packages.

Nanuya Island Resort and Boathouse Nanuya

Unlike many other resorts in the region, Nanuya Island Resort offers a limited à la carte menu at its Tabau Restaurant. With two to five options per course, you’ll enjoy dishes like twice-cooked lamb ragu, vegetarian stuffed zucchini, or fresh island crab cooked to your liking. Meals are served at set times, creating a social atmosphere with fellow guests. The resort’s bar menu features a diverse selection of drinks to complement your dining experience.

Navutu Stars Resort

The luxury adults-only Navutu Stars is renowned for its restaurant dining, most of which is alfresco, to enjoy the stunning island scenery around you. Choose either a meal package or a la carte dining during your stay, including an extensive vegetarian menu.

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Lo’s Tea House

Aside from resort restaurants, independent cafes and restaurants in the Yasawa Islands are extremely scarce. One notable exception, however, is Lo’s Tea House in Matacawalevu Village on Nanuya Lailai Island. Lo’s unique tea-making process is a treat for the senses. She plucks a fresh kaffir lime leaf, adds a slice of ginger root, muddles them together, and pours in boiling water. The result? A fragrant, invigorating brew that pairs perfectly with her freshly baked banana cake. Don’t miss the chance to try Lo’s special crab dish if it’s available!

The closest resorts are Gold Coast Inn, Sunrise Lagoon Homestay, and Nanuya Island Resort and can be visited with Blue Lagoon Cruises.

Organic Ice Cream

Just down the beach from Lo’s Tea House, Organic Ice Cream is the ideal place for dessert. Choose from ice lollies made from seasonal fruit and coconut cream – that’s right, it’s dairy-free! The owner also runs Voyager Retreat Homestay.

Paradise Cove Resort

Enjoy impeccably presented plates at the Black Rock restaurant of Paradise Cove Resort. The menu offers a creative range of Fijian-international fusion: think island burgers with cassava fries, fish tacos, fresh fish salad and more!

Turtule Island Fiji

Turtle Island Fiji is a five-star private island resort sourcing some of its own food from its very own 5-acre (2 ha) vege garden open for guests to experience with the local gardeners. That’s only the start of the foodie experiences available, with “Dinner Parties” in a different location on the island each night, a private pontoon dining experience, a traditional Fijian lovo night, a sunrise Champagne breakfast and much more!

Barefoot Manta Resort

In theme with the charmingly Fijian feel of the resort, the cuisine of the Barefoot Manta Resort represents the flavours of Fiji with local fresh fish, mouthwatering curries and more. Be sure to attend their weekly cultural night, featuring meke dance, a kava ceremony, and traditional Fijian fare. Meals are served buffet-style during high occupancy or à la carte, with snacks available throughout the day at the main restaurant. For a perfect end to your day, head to the Sunset Bar perched at the end of one of their three stunning beaches.