Thinking ahead – or debating whether to feel guilty – wondering about cafes in Rarotonga? Dream away! It may be a small island in the middle of the South Pacific, and a visit here is much more than the food. But it’s blissfully the cafes on Rarotonga that satisfy coffee, delicious daytime treats and beautiful beachfront views to boot.
These are our top-rated Rarotonga cafes for daytime coffee, breakfast, lunch and all round great island atmosphere.
What is the food a café scene like in Rarotonga?
Of course, the more you – and we – explore Rarotonga and the Cook Islands, the more local authentic and delicious cuisine you will discover. There is everything ranging from local, grilled fresh fish at the market huts to high-class restaurants and everything in between.
So, this isn’t intended to be the definitive list of the best places to eat in Rarotonga. Nor are we offering an in-depth inventory of every type and variation of dish available on the island. (That will come with our expanding knowledge and waistlines yet!).
But traditional island food and dining out at a restaurant or café in Rarotonga are very different things.
What Is On This List of Cafes – & What Isn’t?
Albeit some of the places we recommend might not always pass the traditional authenticity test and we’re certain to have missed out a once-weekly cart selling the best BBQ Maroro on the island (but once we find it, we’ll be sure to add to the list).
Instead, this is a list of the cafes in Rarotonga for coffee, breakfast and lunch that we’ve most enjoyed eating at since we arrived in the Cook Islands. Some of them are excellent, fresh and tasty examples of the local cuisine. Some are great for a quick snack with your feet in the sand while there are a couple of upmarket bakeries and others that might provide the comfort food you’re missing from home.
Hopefully we’ve captured something of what makes the food on a beautiful Pacific Island so famous, and we’ll certainly enjoy trying new food, and adding to this list.
The Best Cafes in Rarotonga, Cook Islands
To find the best cafes in Rarotonga, consider your priorities: location, cuisine, atmosphere, and whether you need specific dietary options. Popular areas include Arorangi, Avarua and Muri, each offering a unique vibe.
Arorangi is fabulous for the west-facing sunsets. Muri is a more concentrated tourist hub with the famously stunning Muri Lagoon. While Avarua is the main township in Rarotonga and thus has a concentration of daytime cafes to choose from.
But during the daytime, the choice of cafes in Rarotonga gets stacked somewhat more competitively!
14 Best Cafes in Rarotonga, Cook Islands
These are our top-rated daytime cafes in Rarotonga for great lunch and island atmosphere.
1. Reefside – Cafes in Rarotonga
Reefside Rarotonga is an awesome locally owned café in Rarotonga right in the centre of town at the Punanga Nui Market.
It is a proudly locally owned business with a passion for roasting and serving the best coffee on the island. The coffee beans at Reefside are fairtrade and organic, roasted in Rarotonga! They serve delicious hot brews and equally delish iced coffees to match.
For families, Reefside is right next door to the playground. Or relax under the shady flame trees and enjoy great coffee, light foods and local fresh fruit smoothies.
- Café: Reef Side
- Open: Monday to Saturday 7:30am – 2:00pm
- Location: Punanga Nui Market, Avarua
2. Kai & Co – Cafes in Rarotonga
This is another of the small but fantastic cafes in Rarotonga that we can personally recommend without any hesitation. (We aways seem to end up at Kai & Co in town!).
This small but popular café is right in the heart of Punanga Nui Market in Avarua and serves delicious Ika Mata and renowned ‘Bougee Burgers’.
The menu at Kai & Co is wisely simple. They don’t overcomplicate things. Instead they provide a simple menu of individually prepared select food that some would call ‘gourmet’.
Kai & Co also bake their own brioche buns, sesame bagels and tortillas wraps! That – coupled with all kinds of tropical smoothies – has got to be tried on holiday.
For families, Kai & Co is another great spot next to the kids playground in town.
- Café: Kai & Co
- Open: Monday – Friday 8:00am – 2:00pm; Saturday 8:00am – 12:30pm
- Location: Main Road (Ara Tapu), Punanga Nui Market, Avarua
3. The Lucky Rooster – Cafés in Rarotonga
The Lucky Rooster is a popular bistro and meeting place in the heart of Avarua. It is a popular local cafe serving all day breakfast and lunch.
The atmosphere is relaxed and family friendly, perfect for having a casual meal and a good beverage. The Lucky Rooster offers a selection of freshly cooked food, barista coffee and chilled drinks, including smoothies, beers, wines and cocktails.
- Café: The Lucky Rooster
- Open: Monday – Friday 8:30am – 2:00pm; Saturday 8:00am – 1:00pm
- Location: Avarua Shopping Centre
4. The Plaza – Cafes in Rarotonga
This is another of the great cafes in Rarotonga that is right in the heart of Avarua. The Plaze is a lovely spot with heaps of shade and super friendly staff. They serve great coffee and very decent size plates with good food.
- Café: The Plaza
- Open: Monday to Saturday 8:00am – 2:00pm
- Location: Avarua
5. The Café – Cafes in Rarotonga
‘The Café’ is known for its friendly atmosphere, great coffee, homemade cakes, and a unique collection of vintage records and stylish tea ware – from the same era!
It is set inside the iconic Beachcomber Building with the Bergman Gallery just behind on the main road in Avarua. The Café is a great spot for breakfast, coffee and lunch in style.
The coffee is awesome and the cakes are big, rich and fluffy. Though cakes aside, the most famous item on the menu is the ‘Marlin Bagel’ served with fresh salad.
Plus, if it is ever raining in paradise, The Café is a nice spot inside the art gallery for a tasty coffee and cake.
- Café: The Café
- Open: Monday – Saturday 8:30am – 2:00pm
- Location: Beachcomber Building, Avarua
6. The Lazy Trout Café
The Lazy Trout Cafe in Avarua is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 8:00am to 2:00pm, for breakfast and lunch.
It is a hidden gem located in the Avarua District at the back of town, just a short walk from the Avarua waterfront.
- Restaurant: The Lazy Trout Café
- Open: Wednesday – Sunday 8:00am – 2:00pm
- Location: Avarua
7. TLC Café
TLC Café – Tumutoa Local Café – is a charming, new café located in Arorangi. This café is absolutely one of the islands gems, owned and operated by the dynamic couple of Tumutoa Tours, Ngametua and Mania. It is one of the standout cafés in Rarotonga that proudly showcases the local produce of the island.
TLC promotes a local theme, replacing milk with coconut cream, using fresh fruits and vegetables from the land and introducing the divine ‘Umu Burger’ and ‘Umu Pie’ range to their menu.
The TLC Café is open Tuesday to Friday from 7:30am to 1:30pm. But you will also find them at the Saturday Punanga Nui Market from 8:30am, where their Umu pies are a standout and crowd-pleaser.
- Café: TLC Café
- Open: Tuesday to Friday 7:30am – 1:30pm
- Location: Arorangi
8. Beluga – Cafes in Rarotonga
Beluga is a well-known local café on the main road in Arorangi.
As far as cafes in Rarotonga go, Beluga serves up a collaboration of urban café food, fresh fish, local produce and gourmet roasted coffee. Plus you can even enjoy a wine or beer and browse the gift shop for eclectic items and artworks from the Cook Islands.
- Café: Beluga
- Open: Monday – Friday 7:30am – 3:00pm; Saturday 9:00am – 2:00pm
- Location: Arorangi
9. The Falafel Shack – Cafes in Rarotonga
Nestled in the heart of Arorangi and right on the beautiful beach, The Falafel Shack is a must-visit for lovers of Middle Eastern flavours, fresh ingredients, and that incredible beachfront location.
Albeit The Falafel Shack isn’t officially a café as one might be thinking from back home. Instead, this is delicious food and incredible atmosphere eating with sand in your toes watching whales offshore. Truly!
They offer mouthwatering doner kebabs, crispy falafel wraps, specialty mezze platters, island fries and deliciously fresh salads.
Go and say hello to owner Puretu and the team and enjoy a kebab in the shade of the coconut trees.
- Restaurant: The Falafel Shack
- Open: 12:00pm – 7:00pm
- Location: Arorangi
10. Café Puretu
Cafe Puretu (originally ‘Fruits of Rarotonga’) is a locally owned cafe in Rarotonga on the southern side serving up delicious family favourites.
Situated directly across the road from the iconic Tikioki Beach – a popular snorkelling spot. You can enjoy the local lagoon life and then pop across to Cafe Puretu for a hearty burger, fish and chips or try one of the potluck specials! Don’t forget to treat yourself to something sweet from the cabinet.
- Café: Café Puretu
- Open: Monday – Thursday 9:30am – 4:30pm; Sunday 12:00pm – 5:00pm
- Location: Tikioki Beach
11. LBV Bakery & Café
Welcome to LBV Bakery and Cafe – which stands for Le Bon Vivant. This French phrase translates to ‘the good life’, which is exactly what you’ll experience choosing LBV on your island itinerary.
I try not to pick favourites in writing blogs like this as there are lots of great cafes in Rarotonga. But LBV in Muri has long been one of our go-to’s. Check out the incredible bakery cabinet in the front room! Not to mention that this café serves some of the islands best coffee.
The most famous part of LBV however is the delicious Rarotongan-style doughnuts. These are renowned for their soft fluffy centre and a perfect golden crunch on the outside. Plus LBV’s go a step further, filling them with a flavour of the day – usually custard. Trust me; it’s absolutely delicious.
- Café: LBV Bakery & Café
- Open: Monday – Friday 7:30am – 1:30pm; Sunday 7:30am – 2:00pm
- Location: Muri
12. The Beach Hut – Cafes in Rarotonga
There aren’t too many really hidden gems on the island, but The Beach Hut in Muri deserves to be more widely known.
This is a relatively new café in Rarotonga that opened in 2024. There are tables on the deck and spreading right down to the beachfront on the beautiful sands of the Muri lagoon.
The menu is extensive and family friendly. Our friends had the Mega BBQ plate with double lamb chops, chicken and sausages for $30 NZD. This is more than enough for two! Or I would recommend the mutton curry as the best curry I’ve had in Rarotonga!
The Beach Hut is located just past the Nautilus Resort heading towards Titikaveka.
- Cafe: Beach Hut
- Open: Wednesday – Sunday 11:00am – 7:00pm
- Location: Muri
13. Rima’s Bakery Café
Originally Rima’s Bakery was just known for baked goods. Aunty Rima famously bakes her own breads and makes her own pies, sandwiches, toasties, sausage rolls etc. But then in recent years she’s expanded out to include cooked food. And because her husband is Indian, they’ve introduced curry’s onto their menu.
Rima’s Bakery Café offers a full and affordable menu with various dishes of chicken, fish and pork as well as burgers and pizzas.
- Cafe: Rima’s Bakery Café
- Open: Sunday 9:00am – 3:00pm
- Location: Muri
14. Love Café
The Love Café is another great find on the main raod around the island, nestled in the heart of Matavera District.
Renowned for its visually stunning drinks and diverse menu, this charming café has garnered acclaim for its impressive selection of iced coffees and refreshing smoothies.
- Café: Love Café Rarotonga
- Open: Monday – Saturday 7:00am – 2:00pm
- Location: Matavera District
Read More About Travel to Rarotonga
- All About The Rarotonga Bus.
- Hiring A Scooter In Rarotonga.
- Renting A Car In Rarotonga.
- How To Buy A Car In Rarotonga.
- Finding & Renting A House In Rarotonga.
- Rarotonga Reef Explorer Tour With Ariimoana.
- Is Dengue Fever A Worry For Travel To Rarotonga?
- Transport & Getting Around Rarotonga.
Travel Planning for Cook Islands & Beyond
These are the companies we use and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site that constantly provides the cheapest and lowest rates. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation. Easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for.
- Skyscanner– This is by far our favourite flight search engine. They are able to search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide– Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours, to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy it short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for longterm travel including those who have already left home. Make sure you have travel insurance before holidaying to Rarotonga!
Hi! I’m Sarah. I am the self-confessed dreamer, travel-schemer and the main editor behind this blog. I love to write, and it is a dream come true to share so many experiences together and inspire others in our stories.
