Mauritian cuisine

Mauritians simply love food, they eat all day and they also love to talk about food. You can put a smile on their face if you try one of their traditional dishes. Mauritian cuisine is very much influenced by Indian cuisine as the majority of the population is of Indian origin. So expect very spicy and hot dishes with chilli being ubiquitous.

If you go to a Creole restaurant, be sure to try the traditional 'carri', a spicy sauce with seafood, chicken or beef served with rice. Although we are on an island, locals mostly eat chicken, not fish or seafood. The reasons are not only religious (Muslims shouldn't eat pork, Hindus shouldn't eat beef) but mainly economic, as poultry is the cheapest.

Mauritius also has a large Chinese minority, so expect Chinese bistros with fried rice, noodles and spring rolls.

How to eat like a local

Street vendors selling food straight from their scooters and vans and small tin stalls selling traditional dishes are gradually disappearing at the expense of brick-and-mortar shops and restaurants and, of course, fast food chains, but you'll still find plenty of them around the island. Get in line with the locals and try a roti pancake, small fried treats or a fresh sliced pineapple. Prices are more than reasonable and freshness is guaranteed.

Usual restaurant prices

There are plenty of restaurants in the tourist areas offering not only traditional local dishes, but of course also international cuisine: Italian, French, Japanese (sushi) and many others. Prices range from 2 eur to 18 eur depending on the area and the level of the restaurant. A restaurant in the shopping area in Curepipe offers a huge portion of Chinese boiled noodles with chicken for 80 mur, but you can pay for fish at the upscale restaurant in the Labourdonnais mansion around 600 mur. So prices really vary according to the area and the level of the establishment.