Tamarind House - Rarotonga

The view was spectacular, this was a great experience with nice food and a great vibe overall. The actual building that this restaurant is located in is beautiful!

There are a few vegan options available and meals that can be made vegan at this restaurant. I started with a salad that was delicious! For my main course, I had a curry and enjoyed some homemade vegan ice cream for dessert. The restaurant has a beautiful atmosphere and is a great place to dine. [Updated from previous review on 2021-08-22]

I was disappointed to see that there was only one vegan item on the menu, an eggplant stack. It reminded me of the 90s when that was a typical vegan option, so I wasn't very excited. However, I decided to order it along with a side salad. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the eggplant stack was delicious, with tofu replacing the cream cheese and a mix of capsicum and zucchini. The restaurant has a beautiful setting with a great view of the sunset. In Rarotonga, I found it difficult to locate good vegan food, so I would recommend this restaurant for a special meal that even non-vegans will enjoy. Just don't expect a wide selection of vegan options beyond the eggplant stack.

I called three days in advance to make a reservation and notify the chef that I am vegan, as recommended on their website. However, on the day of my visit, the only vegan option available was a starter.

My partner and I enjoyed our evening at Tamarind house. The location is lovely, especially when the sun is setting! The staff were very friendly and helpful. We ate here because we had heard there were vegan options. The only downside was that although there was a starter that had a vegan option (roasted vegetable stack with tofu there wasn't actually a main course that was vegan or that could really be made vegan. It wasn't an issue as I made it a main by ordering sides but I felt pretty restricted in what I could eat and it was very very similar to a dish at The New Place (I suspect they might be owner by the same people? It was, however, very tasty!!! My partner who is vegetarian had the vegetarian lasagne and really enjoyed it too. This isn't your place to go if you want a few options, but it's definitely worth a visit for the atmosphere and general feel. It felt very romantic :