Driving around Vanuatu, it’s easy to believe these 83 islands turn some incredible food - even before you set foot inside a restaurant or cafe. As the landscape whizzes past your car window, you’ll see dense tropical rainforest thick with giant ferns, twisting trunks, moss-covered roots, banyan trees stretching their limbs skyward and fields and fields of abundant produce. It feels like anything could grow in this rich, fertile land - and it does - making for a truly vibrant culinary experience in the hands of some clever local creatives.
Here are some experiences to check out if food is your thing.
Papaya Loco Cooking School
Spend the day with Chef Marcus, who is actually of Portuguese descent but has spent lots of time with Vanuatu’s local Mamas learning traditional Ni-Vanuatu food (he runs Portuguese cooking classes, too). He’ll enthusiastically teach you how to make local dishes like Simboro or Tuluk that you’ll enjoy with a glass of wine at their beautiful outdoor table. Extra bonus, their stunning property backs directly on a beach with some of the clearest waters you’ll see. A delicious lunch like this, followed by a swim, will make you think you’ve truly found paradise.
Lalala Restaurant and Bar
Obviously, Vanuatu has a French component to its history, and as you walk through the doors of Lalala Bar you might wonder if you’re actually somewhere in the South of France. Perched right on the water, it’s all crisp white-washed walls, cobalt-blue shutters and the kind of wooden tables, blue glassware and vibrant outdoor cushions that might even make you feel like you’re on a Greek Island. The fare is very much Mediterranean-inspired, and once you have your bistro-style bowl of pasta, plate of oysters or tuna carpaccio and a glass of rose in front of you, you’re going to struggle to tear yourself away.
Tanna Coffee
Looking for a great brew? Go to the source at Tanna Coffee. Locally grown (on Tanna Island) 100 per cent Arabica beans are roasted to absolute perfection, and you can observe the whole process from green bean to your flat white in their colourful, friendly cafe. The roastery is actually housed in a historic church, which adds to the charm.
Regenerative Vanua
Regenerative Vanua is an organisation that works to restore pride in indigenous food culture by facilitating regenerative agritourism, gastronomy, and food systems. It is involved in many initiatives, but perhaps one of the most accessible is its restaurant, run by the incredibly talented Chef Leo Vusilai. Food is all local, from small sustainable producers and growers, and it’s the best way to taste some island classics cooked with skill, flair and lots of love.
Trust the Chef at Mangoes Resort & Restaurant
The chef at Mangoes Resort is originally from Cape Town and has worked in some of its most awarded restaurants. When he moved to Vanuatu, he was blown away by the local produce, seafood and beef. If you can get a booking, his four-course trust-the-chef private dinner is a vibrant, creative experience of great local ingredients mixed with serious culinary skill.
83 Islands Distillery
The volcanic soils of Efate, its pure rainwater and ocean breeze, make for some pretty great sugarcane and 83 Islands works alongside over 150 local farmers to make delicious aged rum from this bounty. You can take a tour that starts at the cane crushing machine, progresses through to the stills and fermenters and ends in the bar where you can enjoy a flight of their various rums gins and liqueurs - the wonderful coffee, cucumber, pineapple and citrus that grow in Vanuatu makes for some fabulous flavoured options.
Written by by Alexia Santamaria