The 14 best cheap eats in Rarotonga

We stopped by here on a Tuesday when the market isn't on, but there were a few shops open still. There is a playground here for the kids, food stalls and gift and clothing shops. We bought t shirts at Ollies surf shop. Looks great on a Saturday but even if you can't make it for market day its worth a visit.

Definitely worth a visit and go along to the Waffle Shack for a good coffee and excellent iced coffee! Great vibe and atmosphere. Lots to look at. BEWARE prices of veges and fruit - they were way overpriced. We paid way too much for our fruit and veges. Much cheaper at supermarkets. Cabbage was $10 lettuce $8 paw paw $12 (bigger) all way cheaper elsewhere. I know they may be home grown by locals selling directly. But I reckon they are just as good elsewhere. And then we found a paw paw tree at our accommodation! Yummy ☺️

Open only on Saturdays 8AM to 1PM. It is a bustling place with all kind of vendors. They also have a large stage where they show traditional island dances and sing songs. Food stalls, local crafts, pearls, clothes, plants seashells and the list goes on. A few souvenirs stalls as well. Mostly tourists but locals as well. An easy stroll through the market can take about 2 hours.

Highly recommend going here, what a great place to spend a couple of hours, its alot bigger than you think, we totally got lost. Its held every Saturday, plenty of fabulous stalls to explore, also great food stalls to grab something yummy to eat, plenty of things on offer, was even a dance show going on which really drew a crowd. Don't miss out on this on visiting here

This is a fabulous market with so many wonderful items and it is huge! The people are so kind and pleasant to deal with. Many vendors take credit cards. ATM's are also available, though there will be a line for that on Saturday when the market is the latest. The highlight of our visit was that my wife and I both found handmade ukuleles.

Large markets with stalls that sold clothes, fruit/veges, food, tour operators eg turtle tours, jewellery, etc. Stage with music/dancers, plenty of space to sit and eat/drink. Clean bathrooms. Highly recommend!

We always get tattoos from Poly when we visit. He is an amazing artist with great workmanship. Highly recommend getting a momento of your trip to paradise from this man.

Beautiful place on the beach with stunning sunsets, and a wide inviting lawn for children to run around on. The service was great and we really enjoyed our two dinners there. Unfortunately the food is a bit inconsistent - I loved my good old fish n chips, but didn’t really like the seared tuna which was just too cold in the centre - raw is good but fridge-cold is not. Cocktails were great, desserts so-so. Very good live music.

Fine dining, dress smart casual/men can wear shorts and a nice shirt. Service is excellent and the food very yummy. Price wise a bit expensive for what you got. Was a nice evening out. Hubby had Lamb-shanks and I got the Butterfly fish.

Best meal we had on the island. We went for dinner and got a lovely sunset, yummy cocktails, and beautiful food. Great staff too. Highly recommend!

Had the most wonderful experience at Tamarind House Restaurant. Last night on the island and our mael was most memorable. We chose a table outside and witnessed a magical sunset. Our waiter was an absolute gem, saw to our every need and more. Brought us cushions for our seat and a cute little light for our table as it got darker.

Great location, food and service. Beautiful decor and layout of the main restaurant area. Food was the best we’ve had on the island. The lamb and beef was cooked to perfection (as per our request). Food price is on the upper end, but you’re paying for quality, premium service and an outstanding view. Have recommended this to the rest of our traveling group and would recommend it to all those who visit Rarotonga. We will return!

An absolute gem in Rarotonga. We went twice on our last trip. Beautiful atmosphere and divine food. Breathtaking setting.

Great food and service excellent location and well presented decor. Outside the lawn and garden are picturesque with plenty of spots to get photo's

Came for an early dinner and drinks with a group of 8 (around 430pm) sat outside on the deck next to the bar. No reservation made though noted when we were leaving outdoor area was packed. Ordered pizzas and island fries. Pizzas ok, standout was the cheeseburger pizza. Sashimi pizza was different. Island chips incredibly dry. Drinks reasonably priced. Fella behind the bar not overly friendly/engaging. Super chilled laid back casual place otherwise. Managed to spot some whales swimming by too! Plenty of parking.

What to eat??!! Everything looked so good! I got the small cheeseburger pizza, and it was delicious! Choice of seating, undercover or in the open.Butbyou may need to wait yo get a bit of shade, the weather was so nice, but shade was needed!. Service was good. Worth going, I doubt you would be disappointed.

Awesome bar/restaurant right on the water. Staff are so lovley and friendly, cocktails were delicious. Food was amazing Tuna Poke bowl (as pictured) was so delicious and fresh and massive portions I couldn't finish it as much as I wanted too 😅

Beautiful place with really nice food. We didn't reserve a table, however we where there just before the kitchen opened and they sat us straight away. Highly recommend the shrimp cocktail, burger, pizza, nasi goreng, and they had a spicy special available which my son loved. Staff are so lovely and friendly and we had great views aswell

Excellent food, awesome customer service & great atmosphere. We tried a few dishes & they were all great. Didnt have to wait long for our meals. The Ika Mata was soo good we ordered this 3 times. The Tuna Poke bowl - tick, Thai Chicken Pizza - tick, & Mongolian sizzling plate - tick. Also had the Fish Tacos which was good also. Would definitely come back here again if we return to Rarotonga.

Fantastic atmosphere, great views, attentive service and good food. Tried the smoked marlin mornay which had a nice flavour. Seafood chowder was good too. Staff were really efficient. There was live music on too which really added to ambience.

My absolute favourite spot to eat in Rarotonga. Been many times over the years. This time I had the chili linguine and it was so good I had to go back and have it again.

From counter lady was very grumpy, as we asked to repeat the ingredients of one burger. So we just order one. But i am a woman with nerve, and it was time to ask her what was in the seafood platter, i let you just image. Anyway the seafood place was not my thing, the burger is ok, nothing crazy, just big because a lots of salad.

This place is known for some of the best burgers on Rarotonga. Very tasty, generous portions but I have to say the Fish plate on order was the bomb. 2 lightly crispy battered Parrot fish..👌...light, fluffy, & very tasty similar to flounder. Had the Wetburger & also a Steak burger & both were good. They have some days were the burgers are only $3.50 each but you need to get in early because it gets hectic.

I'll give it 5 stars because the quality, taste and price come together. As I am trying to be vegetarian, I ordered the veg burger worth 7NZD. However, it came with egg. I still ate it and it was yummy. The chips were fresh, hot and crispy. It cost only 6NZD. The good thing is that they are open on Sundays, when most shops are closed. Their location is just infront of the water so you get a good view while eating. They also accept both cards and cash. No surcharge even with a credit card.

Tasty burger spot right on the water. Fast and affordable. Come for $3.50 burgers on Wednesdays.

This is a local favourite, and that should tell you enough. $3.50 burgers on Wednesday from 8am-8pm was outrageous, although I’d gladly pay full price for most of the items on the menu. The wait was a little long but the food was well worth it. Definitely call up to order if you can.

Heard so many great things about this place and went to try the iconic wet cheeseburger. Upon arrival to order; we were greeted with some attitude by the order taker. She was not very friendly and seemed like she didn’t like her job very much. The wet cheeseburger was delicious but nothing special but still a must when in Raro.

Went here multiple times during my trip to Raro. Wet cheese burger is a must! FYI: Messy to eat but all the flavours come together and is delicious. Try aim to go on happy hour! $3.50 a burger which is cheap as chips.

Been here several times, never disappointed. The rooster is strutting around, like he owns the place, is a charm! Always tried different dishes — all mouthwatering and simply delicious!

Stopped in for breakfast. Yummy I had the Granola and hubby had an Omelet. Yummy and Delicious. Great chefs twins Tino and Vani. Were busy but didn't have to wait long. A great place to get out of the Rarotongan heat and sun for a wee while, and find a cooler place to enjoy a calm spot to eat

Great place. Amazing food, super friendly staff. Came here with two kids, a grandparent and several adults. The staff were funny and friendly and the food was excellent. The coffee was strong and well worth the second cup! Totally recommend coming here for a relaxed and super meal.

We ordered steak sandwiches & waited an hour for our food only to see that the server must’ve misheard us as we received steak and eggs - by that point we were hungry and over it. Food was average, cost definitely wasn’t worth the wait.

Nice little food stop near the waterfront not far from the airport. We took the clockwise bus around the island and stopped at the final bus stop. Ate lunch before heading back to our resort. The Lucky Rooster was busy, but we were able to get a seat. Our server took our order and promptly brought us our drinks. We were able to watch the kitchen staff as they were busy and they were hustling to get orders out. The other thing I noticed was the cook staff seemed to enjoy their work, smiling and having good conversation with their coworkers. Our food came out fairly quickly even though they were busy. We split the two orders between us and there was plenty of food. We were full when we left. They serve breakfast all day which was what we ate.

This is one of my favourite places for breakfast, even on Market day, we go here first. The food is beautiful, really tasty and interesting menu and the staff are all so genuinely happy in their jobs. I highly recommend them. Super handy to the chemist and big clothing shop too. Don't miss the lovely courtyard area out the back.

Perfect place to eat any time. The fish sandwich was absolutely delicious and all the staff were lovely. #luckyrooster

LOVED the breakfast options here so much we came 3 times during our week in Raro! Super friendly staff, great options for burgers and wraps and the ever changing daily special. Great place to start the day. Also loved the coffee and smoothies!

10/10 Chicken wrap 🌯 was SO GOOD and packed full of chicken, bacon, veggies and homemade wrap was light and delicious - perfect for hot island day. Smoothies thick, fruity and excellent. Very efficient and nice staff All food cooked to order - so wait around 10 min which I prefer knowing my food is fresh. SO YUM I delayed the walk to beach just to write this review on how yum it was. Totally going back for a return visit before we leave.

A tiny little shop tucked in the market, but absolutely amazing! The fish burger with coconut water was perfection — a true hidden treasure

I had Fish warp twice during my trip in Rarotonga. The fish is so so so goood fresh! It comes with sweet fried potatoes. The best place to have breakfast in Rarotonga! Highly recommend.

Ohhhh my goodness!!!! Best schnitzel chicken sandwich EVER!!!! My husband and I split it, it was huge! The fries were tasty and the berry smoothie was berry good.

We are visitors to Rarotonga and when we arrived we heard excellent reviews about Kai & Co. Beautiful atmosphere and customer service! The food was top on!! Perfectly cooked and was delicious. Thank you Kai & Co!!

One of my favorite places I ate at in Raro, so much that I ended up here twice! The burger was delicious, and the portion was huge accompanied with fries. I also really enjoyed the breakfast bagel I had, although I maybe would have swapped a few of the ingredients. The iced biscoff latte was perfect. I love finding fun flavored drinks that actually taste good! Friendly service too.

I visited here a couple weeks ago. The plain waffle with just maple syrup was pretty good! I also got coffee, which was piping hot and a bit strong. They told me it was cash only, which may have been a recent change as I do see a review from 3 months ago that says they accept card? So can’t be sure, therefore best to have cash if you wanna give this place a try!

Super friendly staff! And the waffles were amazing and the ice chocolate was one of the best I have ever had! Would definitely recommend!

We had nice waffels, loaded with fresh fruits, ice cream and chocolate sauce, served with a delicious cappuccino on side, so good and 😋 yummy

Located in the Punanga Nui Market, I went here for brekkie on a Thu morning. Was really looking forward to satisfying my waffle craving and this did satisfy it. I ordered a plain waffle with (the classic) maple syrup - it was too early in the morning to have it with a dessert topping (although that didn't stop my mate!). It came out piping hot and hit the spot for sure. It would've been nice to have it with sliced banana but perhaps I should've asked. I wonder if a proper brekkie one was available i.e. crispy bacon and maple syrup or ones that are savoury but I didn't look closely at the menu (was hangry). Staff could have been a bit more friendly. The "shack" provides some shelter from the sun (or rain) and seating with tables is also available. Good to see eco packaging. Cash and card is accepted. I'll be going back for sure the next time in Rarotonga!

BEST iced mocha - not only on the island, but that I've had anywhere in the South Pacific!

Nice little treat - fresh fruits, delicious ice cream and friendly staff.

The ice mocha is the best I have tasted so far. The waffles are really delicious my children got the caramel one which taste more like butterscotch but yet really yummy and it comes with ice cream and also the Nutella one that comes with cream. The waffles have a crunch on the outside but soft inside.Will be going back this morning for more!

Great service and a decent range of wood fired pizzas. There is under cover seating and the smell coming from the pizza oven is intoxicating. I had the smoked chicken pizza. It's a thin base and a bit like a biscuit on the edges with just the right amount of cheesy goodness. The chicken had a nice authentic smoked taste, similar to what I can get on my offset smoker at home. They take EFTPOS too. Recommend you try Kai Pizza while you're on Raro.

Really wasn't happy to have found plastic in our pizza and just receive a "oh sorry" and then they proceeded to charge us for a takeaway box! Mushroom pizza was yum, meat lovers not so much. And the lady who appeared in charge didn't seem to see our point re the plastic in our food and then making a point of charging us for a box!! Most places would have given money back. Won't be back! Would've been if the attitude had been better!

Pizza on an island? Why not! My wife and I are both pizza fans, although we are very picky as we try to limit our gluten intake. Well, this one was worth waiting for. The staff here are very friendly, although be wary that English is not their first language, so be clear with your questions and order. This is by no means a negative thing, just a heads up. There is an extensive menu with a wide range of fresh ingredients, although again, remember we are on an island, sometimes things are not available so concessions must be made occasionally. We ordered the Kai Pizza Supreme (lots of meat, lots of veges!) and this was simply delicious. The ingredients are fresh and tasty and the pizza is well made. The dough is nice and light and the whole thing has a nice smokey flavour from the pizza oven. We also ordered the Smoked Chicken, and this was a nice balance, the sweetness of the cranberries elevated the flavour profile, and the cream cheese nicely offset the bit of spice in the sauce. In general, the pizza was really good, and the garlic bread was nicely buttered and flavoured as a perfect side. If you are on the island and have had enough fish or seafood for the night, go here for a bit of the ol classic pizza. Good food done well.

We had this for our last dinner with friends before we left. It was fantastic, fresh and so tasty. I loved the cheese garlic pizza and BBQ chicken pizza.

We ordered two pizzas and decided to eat there, same price as takeaway. Mushroom and a meatlover. The mushroom pizza was ok, but came complete with a piece of sharp rigid clear plastic imbedded in it. The woman who appeared in charge said "oh sorry"... Not quite the reaction I would have received in NZ. The meatlover pizza was just boring. We asked for a takeaway box, and we're charged for it. (Not such a big deal but after receiving sharp plastic in my pizza, I thought they could have waved that). If you going to eat pizza there, just get it in the takeaway box or they'll charge you extra if you don't finish it. Even without the plastic in the pizza I wouldn't bother going back. It was average.

Blown away by the quality.. Amazing thin crust pizza made in wood fire Stone oven. Ate the bbq chicken pizza and was delicious..

Best pizza I’ve ever tasted. Recommend you go check them out when your in Rarotonga

Been here 4 times on our stay and each time the food has been incredible with fantastic friendly service! Would recommend to all!

Our accommodation at the Sands Villas was excellent. Raj and his Staff are amazing with their friendly and professional service. A yummy late Brunch on arrival at the Lazy Trout Restaurant added to what would be a wonderful overnight stay in Rarotonga.

The food portions are great. The setting is very nice, large tables with shade with a pool right there. Would have liked more hollandaise sauce as it really wasn’t enough especially for the portion size and my daughter’s eggs were unfortunately hard. The orders were incorrect, one was normal as per menu and the other was no salmon add bacon. Both came with bacon and garlic prawns. We weren’t charged for the prawns however so that’s great and would’ve been nice if we liked prawns but we don’t unfortunately. They were happy to fix it though but we were hungry and thought stuff it. Delicious feijoa and apple smoothie and the best hot chocolate we’ve had on the island. The service is a little sub par, no happy faces except the guy at the till he was great.

Loved this wee cafe , very generous potions and all the meals tasted delicious . Staff are lovely and the service was pretty quick considering they were full and some of the groups were large . Pretty quiet and relaxing venue , but there is a pool and the cafe seating is around it, so be prepared for some kiddies having a good time in the water.

Large large meal servings...maybe a bit too much. Beautiful salads, pork tender and fish and chips tasty. Lovely setting in garden and around pool. Located in quiet back streets of main town. Good parking. Recommended

The food is so tasty and came out really fast! Staff are lovely and the atmosphere is nice and quiet

Was having brunch with my 2 besties from the Cook Islands and trying out this cafe named The Lazy Trout (amazing name!✨️) gave me a beautiful sense of warmth, tropical and peaceful environment that sings home to me, the food was good and enjoyable, very large portion is indeed generous 😊 I'm very happy and please with this one, cannot wait for my next trip over to have you guys again💛

Beef brisket loaded fries were the highlight for me, the fries are really good as they are crisp and seasoned right. Pork in taco is nice, love the pork crackling. Texture and flavor wise the fish and beef are okay, overall all the tacos needed more moisture or sauce in the slaw. 😀

Stopped here a few times for food, have not been disappointed either time. The gyro is quite large, filling and delicious. Wife had the loaded fries, which came in a large portion and were quite tasty. The little ones cannot get enough of the chicken nuggets (included in the category of little ones is also me). There is a selection of sodas, cold coffee and other drinks available. Located just across from the supermarket, combined with the bright orange paint job, makes the truck easy to find. Workers are friendly and prompt. Food is made in the spot, nothing is just handed to you already made. Highly recommend, we'll be back.

Legends, very kind and helpful. Food is good. fish a tiny bit dry but the tortilla is great. overall very good

Great feed, decent portions. The house made tortillas are a pleasant but welcome surprise, plenty of choices for a food truck as well

5 star experience for any tourist wanting delicious food and chill vibes. Staff are lovely, definitely will be back in the future. Best take away on the island.

Before coming to Raro someone said go the Kai guy. We put it in the plans. Please let me suggest the same advice - if you’re in Raro, make time for the Kai Guy, great location, great food and great people.

Awesome breakfast burrito, freakin huge!

Good meat NZ price you not need to bring meat from NZ most items are the same price as nz cheese s double the price

Best place for getting groceries. Sausage at the deli are delicious, packs of bacon are good too.

Frozen selection good. Local fruits good. Fresh ginger, apples not nice. Bag of apples $11, each one was brown when cut into. Usually when it's been refrigerated to long. Will stick to yummy local fruits they sell

There are some great local supermarkets around the island, and the best stock Prime Foods. Or you can go straight to their home in Avarua, as close to a deli supermarket as you’ll get on Rarotonga.

Good clean store with good products , but quite pricey

Great selection of butchered meats and fresh produce. They also sell some dry and frozen foods. You can do most of your food grocery shopping here. Prices are pretty good and expected for a small store on a tropical island in the middle pacific.

Not so prime! When you’re paying too $ for good steak you don’t expect to be cut up the back end of the strip that doesn’t even look like a steak! Pretty poor at the prices these guys charge that they still look ack you such a horrible steak! Would not recommend!

A very busy little place, happy to serve just a coffee to us during a busy time which was good, they did loose our order but hey who cares this is island life at it's best. The chickens reminded us of home haha

Delicious, fast, and inexpensive. There was a great selection of different foods on the menu, and can say that the Thai Coconut Noodles were absolutely delicious! The venue was lovely and clean, and the staff were extremely attentive and friendly. We came as a group of 6 for lunch, and all enjoyed the food immensely. It was all quick to arrive, and very inexpensive. Highly recommended for all.

The setting is nice, high price for below average food. On Rarotonga the setting is almost a given. Food is where Cafe Salsa misses the mark, the presentation is nice but average. My fish sandwich was average for the island, but at a premium price and still one of the cheaper menu items. Where they really sealed the low review was my wife’s Banana Bloom salad. And let me preface this by stating, she is a rabbit, she routinely eats a large variety of greens and vegetables raw. The salad makings had potential, but was overly bitter and the dressing had zero flavor to it. After finally getting a vinaigrette to put on it, it was barely palatable at best. Save your dining experiences on the island for other restaurants where you will likely pay less and for sure get better food.

We had been recommended that this is a good place to try, and was not disappointed either. We decided to have brunch here, both our portions were just the right size, being in the heart of the CITC shopping complex, some of us prefer to sit back and enjoy a bottle or two of the local Matutu beer, while others can shop. Staff were great, beer was just the ticket to wash brunch down :-)

This place has become very popular is in a good location if on that side of the island. Would recommend for a breakfast nice sitting area and very clean. Service was pretty good given how many people were there. We will go back.

Lower prices = lower quality Servers were polite but unorganised. We ordered an ice coffee and Iced mocha which were forgotten, scrambled eggs were watery and the Caesar salad had old bruised lettuce, cold dry bacon and a grey colored boiled egg... Took over half hour for basic meals and drinks which tasted of ice and not much else. Lovely area and decor but food quality lacking.

Fantastic fresh food for every palate. Laid back atmosphere right in the centre of 'town'. Had more than 10 meals there over a 2 week holiday. Try the guacamole!

Good burger joint with a pretty hefty menu. From burgers to pizza to chicken! They have a lot to choose from. Friendly staff at the window. Order your food, they give you a receiver to let you know when your order is ready. They were busy when we visited, but our order still was very quick. Definitely worth eating here again. Nice covered seating in case the weather isn’t cooperating.

Vili’s is a cool little spot with seriously great burgers. We tried the Lock Down, Vili Cheese, Muri, and Bacon Deluxe – all absolutely delicious and packed with flavour. The brioche buns were soft and tasty, adding that perfect touch. We also had the banana milkshake, which was okay, but the burgers definitely stole the show. Overall, it’s the best burger place we’ve been to, and the prices are really reasonable. Highly recommend!

$5 burger is great value. Wings are good too. They get really busy so you may be waiting a while to order and get your food

Nothing flashy... But a seriously good burger!! I had the" Kiwi" burger. I will definitely be back again. Value for money, for sure!

Chicken and beef are halal, but there IS cross-contamination with pork (staff advises on this). Just stick with the fried chicken burger. It is very good! Chips are tasty, too!

Reputation is well earned and deserved. Loved my burger so much i came back for seconds. Staff are so friendly and lovely, genuinely happy to have you there. The burgers are by far the best I've had and I adore burgers, so the bar is high. Definitely check them out if you're on the island, you won't regret it!

Best burgers in Raro. Yummy and decent prices. Milkshakes are lovely too.

Absolutely awesome guys. Food is fantastic. Best Pork Belly burger and Fish burger I have ever had. Very well priced.

Our local hosts recommended Vibe as having the best Fish & Chips and we were v impressed. Our generous portion of tuna was beautifully cooked, not greasy with chips and a salad for $19.50. Did attempt a return visit but they were closed. Recommend.

This became our favourite place to eat for lunch when we were in Raro. The sashimi & ika Mata is fresh and a decent price. They are accommodating when it comes to food/diet requirements and swapping things in your meal to suit your needs.

I would recommend a visit here. Staff were super helpful and the food was great. I went for the the chicken and bacon burger which was substantial!! No chips with the burgers though. Had to order seperate.

Burgers are very delish! An amazing local takeaway

Amazing kiwi burger. This was sooo lovely. Really enjoyed it.

The staff is friendly and the order is on time