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Food tours in Bora Bora: what to eat and which tour to book
Bora Bora is a small island where most visitors eat in their resort, and food is expensive because almost everything except fish, coconut and some fruit is shipped in. The local table is Polynesian with French and Chinese layers: poisson cru (raw tuna in lime and coconut milk) is the everyday dish, the Sunday ma'a Tahiti feast is cooked in an earth oven, French baguettes and pastries come from the bakeries, and Chinese-Tahitian chao men noodles fill the casse-croûte sandwiches sold at snack bars. The main village, Vaitape, and the road around the island have small 'snacks' and food trucks (roulottes) where residents eat for a fraction of resort prices.
Use this page to know what to order, where to find it outside the resorts and roughly what it costs in Pacific francs (XPF), which are pegged to the euro. The tours shown are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; confirm the price and meeting point on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Bora Bora
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raw fish in coconut milk poisson cru à la tahitienne (i'a ota) | Cubes of raw yellowfin tuna marinated briefly in lime juice and mixed with coconut milk, cucumber, tomato, carrot and onion. Usually served with rice or fries. A Chinese-influenced version with sesame and soy is also common. | On almost every menu: snacks and roulottes in Vaitape and along the coast road, beach restaurants at Matira, and resorts. | roughly XPF 1,800–2,800 (about €15–23) at a snack; double or more in a resort |
| Tahitian earth-oven feast ma'a Tahiti (cooked in an ahima'a) | Pork, chicken, fish, breadfruit (uru), taro, sweet potato and banana wrapped in leaves and cooked for hours over hot stones in a pit. Often served with fafaru (fish marinated in fermented seawater, very strong-smelling), raw fish, and po'e for dessert. | Traditionally a Sunday family meal; visitors find it at resort Polynesian evenings and on some motu (islet) picnic excursions. | usually part of a dinner show or excursion; roughly XPF 8,000–15,000 (about €67–125) for a resort Polynesian night |
| Fruit pudding with coconut cream po'e | A dense, sticky pudding of banana, papaya, pumpkin or taro baked with starch and served with thick coconut cream. | Snacks, small markets, ma'a Tahiti meals and some resort buffets. | roughly XPF 400–900 (about €3.50–7.50) a portion |
| Coconut doughnuts firi firi | Twisted or figure-eight doughnuts made with coconut milk, eaten at breakfast, traditionally with coffee or in the morning on weekends. | Snacks and small shops in Vaitape in the morning; they sell out early. | about XPF 100–200 (€1–2) each |
| Baguette sandwich with chow mein casse-croûte chao men | Half a French baguette stuffed with Chinese-Tahitian fried noodles (chao men), or with steak and fries, tuna, or ham and butter. The cheapest filling lunch on the island. | Snacks and grocery stores in Vaitape and along the coast road. | roughly XPF 500–1,000 (about €4–8.50) |
| Grilled mahi-mahi and tuna mahi mahi / thon grillé | Lagoon and ocean fish — mahi-mahi, yellowfin tuna, parrotfish — grilled or pan-fried, often with a vanilla sauce made with Tahitian vanilla or with coconut. | Restaurants and snacks around the island; the vanilla sauce is more common in sit-down restaurants and resorts. | roughly XPF 2,500–4,500 (about €21–38) a plate outside resorts |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Vaitape
The main village and boat dock on the west coast, with grocery stores, bakeries, snacks and, in the evening, a few roulottes (food trucks). Stocking up at the supermarket is the main way to save money if you have a kitchen or a beach picnic.
Matira Beach and Matira Point
The island's main public beach on the south tip, with several casual restaurants and snacks along the road, among the few places on the main island where visitors without a resort can eat by the water.
Coast road (around the main island)
The road that circles the island (roughly 30 km) passes small snacks, family-run restaurants and the occasional fruit stand. A bicycle, scooter or rented car lets you eat where residents do.
Motu resorts
The overwater resorts on the outer islets have the island's most elaborate restaurants and Polynesian dinner evenings. Getting there for a meal from the main island usually means a boat shuttle; ask about non-guest dinner reservations and transfers.
Food tours in Bora Bora compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bora Bora: Full day Lagoon Safari & Lunch on a Motu - ST | 6 hours | from €151 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Bora Bora: Full-Day Tour with Islet Lunch and Lagoon Swim | 6 hours | from €150 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Bora Bora: Combo Sunset Cruise & Romantic Dinner at St James | 4 hours | from €238 per person | — | Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark. | Check dates |
| Bora Bora: Blue Lagoon Cruise, Snorkeling and Lunch . | 6 hours | from €199 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Bora Bora: Private Lagoon, Snorkel & Motu Lunch Experience | 3 - 6 hours | from €498 per group | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
Bora Bora: Full day Lagoon Safari & Lunch on a Motu - ST
On GetYourGuide · run by BORA BORA EXPERIENCE - ROHIVAI TOURS
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €151 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 782 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Bora Bora: Full-Day Tour with Islet Lunch and Lagoon Swim
On GetYourGuide · run by Lagoon Service Bora Bora
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €150 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 120 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Pickup and drop-off Helmet Snorkeling gear Life vest Lunch
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Bora Bora: Combo Sunset Cruise & Romantic Dinner at St James
On GetYourGuide · run by MOANA ADVENTURE TOURS
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €238 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 38 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- for hotels located on the main island Hotel pickup only for hotels located on motu (small islet) Taxi included between the St James restaurant and the hotel based on the main island Sunset from the boat and/or St Jam…
- Suits
- Evening eaters who want dinner and drinks rolled into one, plus the city after dark.
Bora Bora: Blue Lagoon Cruise, Snorkeling and Lunch .
On GetYourGuide · run by Teina Tuaiva
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €199 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 14 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Full-day boat tour Lunch on a Motu Snorkeling equipment Fun and friendly Fresh drinks and fruits Towels Cap Sunglasses Sunscreen T-shirt Tips for the team
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Bora Bora: Private Lagoon, Snorkel & Motu Lunch Experience
On GetYourGuide · run by Ocean Tour Bora Bora
- Length
- 3 - 6 hours
- Price
- from €498 per group
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 11 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
There is no street-food scene in the Asian sense. The local equivalent is the 'snack', a small counter restaurant serving poisson cru, casse-croûte, chao men and grilled fish, and the evening roulottes in Vaitape. Snacks are the best value on the island.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down dining is mostly resort restaurants, with French-influenced menus, lagoon fish and imported meat, at prices well above Europe. A few independent restaurants on the main island are cheaper and many offer free boat or car pick-up from nearby hotels — ask when you book.
Cooking classes
Cooking classes are rare. Food experiences here are usually motu picnics during lagoon excursions (grilled fish, poisson cru and fruit on an islet), demonstrations of coconut opening and pareo-tying, and Polynesian dinner shows at resorts.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | XPF 6,000–9,000, about €50–75 (bakery breakfast, casse-croûte lunch, snack or roulotte dinner, supermarket drinks) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | XPF 14,000–22,000, about €120–185 (resort breakfast, snack lunch, independent restaurant dinner with a drink) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | XPF 35,000+, about €290+ (resort dinners with wine, a Polynesian evening or a private motu picnic) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Limited outside resorts. Fish is in most local dishes, and meat or fish is used in many sauces. Resorts handle vegetarian requests well if told in advance. Breadfruit, taro, po'e, fruit and coconut-based dishes are meat-free.
Halal: No halal certification on the island. Pork is central to the ma'a Tahiti feast. Fish and seafood are the safest choice; ask about cooking fats and avoid dishes from the shared earth oven.
Gluten-free: Poisson cru (check any soy-sauce version), grilled fish with rice, taro and breadfruit are naturally gluten-free. Baguettes, casse-croûte, firi firi and chao men are not. Resorts are the most reliable for coeliac requests; small snacks have little awareness.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Resort restaurant and room-service prices that come as a shock, plus extra charges for boat transfers to dinner at another resort. Check menus online before arriving, ask whether transfers are charged, and consider a resort with a restaurant on the main island or a kitchen.
- 'Catch of the day' or lobster dishes without a listed price. Ask the price before ordering; lobster and fish sold by weight can be very expensive.
- Alcohol bought at resort bars at several times the supermarket price; supermarket alcohol sales are also restricted at certain hours and on some days. Buy drinks at a Vaitape supermarket during permitted hours and check your resort's corkage or minibar rules.
Top tours & activities in Bora Bora
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Do I need to tip in Bora Bora?
No. Tipping is not customary in French Polynesia, and prices include service. Staff accept tips for exceptional service, and some resorts have a staff fund, but nobody expects it. Leaving small change at a snack or a bit extra for a very good excursion guide is a kind gesture, not an obligation.
How can I eat cheaply in Bora Bora?
Eat at the snacks and roulottes on the main island, especially in Vaitape: casse-croûte, chao men and poisson cru cost a fraction of resort prices. Buy breakfast, fruit, water and drinks at the supermarkets in Vaitape. If your accommodation has a kitchen, buy fresh tuna and make your own poisson cru.
Is it safe to eat raw fish here?
Poisson cru made with fresh ocean tuna is eaten daily by residents and is generally safe from busy places. Avoid reef fish from unknown sources, which can carry ciguatera (a toxin from reef algae); restaurants and locals know which species are safe locally. Tap water is treated in most areas, but many visitors drink bottled water.
What is ma'a Tahiti, and where can I try it?
Ma'a Tahiti is the traditional feast of pork, fish, breadfruit, taro and banana cooked for hours in an underground oven of hot stones (ahima'a). Families cook it on Sundays and special occasions. Visitors usually try it at a resort Polynesian evening or on certain motu picnic excursions; ask in advance which dishes are included.
Are restaurants open on Sundays?
Resort restaurants are open every day. Many shops, snacks and independent restaurants on the main island close on Sunday or open only in the morning, and some close on Monday too. Check current hours locally, as they change by season, and plan Sunday meals at your hotel or buy food on Saturday.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Even eating cheaply, expect roughly XPF 6,000–9,000 (about €50–75) per person per day using snacks and supermarkets. A mix of resort breakfast and independent restaurants is roughly XPF 14,000–22,000. Eating every meal in an overwater resort with drinks can easily exceed XPF 35,000 (about €290) per person per day.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.