Top Restaurants in Nosy Be
Nosy Be Food Guide: 10 Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Nosy Be
“Nosy Be?” Is that a typo for “Noisy Bee?” Nope. It means “big island” and it is just that; a large island off the northwest coast of Madagascar. Here you’ll find volcanic lakes, lazy lemurs, rum distilleries, Ylang Ylang plantations and intricate coral reefs that are practically begging to be explored. Flora and fauna lovers will be in seventh heaven at the beautiful Lokobe Nature Special Reserve. Audiophiles should visit in May, to experience the four-day Donia Music Festival.
Things to do in Nosy Be
1. Le Melville
Overall Ratings
4 based on 263 reviews
part of Hotel Allamanda
Reviewed By beentheredonethatUk - UK
Stopped here for lunch after a gruelling Madagascar trip before booking into the Grand Hotel. The restaurant was empty on arrival but nicely laid out for lunch. The choices of food was very good with a decent Specials Board too. Had a very nice lunch that didn’t break the bank on the veranda overlooking the sea and beach. The staff didn’t speak much English but we managed. By the time we’d left it was quite busy so that’s a good sign. The food was very nice and typical Malagasy. The place has a decent Wi-fi too which is not always the case here. We can definitely recommend this restaurant.
2. The Pily Pily Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 809 reviews
Pily Pily Restaurant offers a breathtaking, panoramic view over the bay of Andilana. As you savour the wonderful food and drink being served up, you can marvel at the myriad colours of the sea, caressed all the while by a light breeze. The intimate atmosphere of the restaurant allows you to make the most of precious moments with your loved ones, looking out across Nosy Be's most celebrated bay. The well-trained staff will serve up perfectly grilled fish and meat, alongside mixed fried meats and plenty of fresh vegetables and salads. Open every day from 1pm to 2.30pm, prior booking is not required, and your meals are included in the cost of your holiday. Just think - you can savour a fantastic lunch every day in the best restaurant in Nosy Be without having to shell out another penny! New for 2014: the private Terrace overlooking the sea! This exclusive location for couples or groups of friends is where you can enjoy lobster and shellfish with table service. Open every day for lunch. Booking required. Additional charge applies. At dinnertime, the Pily Pily is transformed into a fully-fledged restaurant, where prior booking is essential. The menu offers shellfish and tastings of local meats such as zebu fillet, skewered crocodile and Nosy Be's own "flying fox".
Reviewed By JUSTINE-JESSE - Pretoria, South Africa
This unique restaurant is on an island connecting two Beaches in Andilana resort. At low tide it is easily accessed from the beach. The view is over the clear blue waters of Andilana beach. It is essential to make bookings from the desk next to the excursion centre of the resort . Prices are hefty and in euro but make for a very special meal!
3. Chez Teresa
Overall Ratings
4 based on 198 reviews
Reviewed By whitefrog85 - Ferno, Italy
The service is excellent, the owners are really friendly. Food is very good and you can find Italian and local staff. Prices are acceptable
4. ZEBURGER
Overall Ratings
4 based on 238 reviews
Reviewed By frangii - Whakatane, New Zealand
After all the previous reviews i was expecting a good feed at least. Partners burger was ok if a little bland. my lasagna was freezer burnt , dried out and still cold in places. Chips ok, good atmosphere. cheap drinks.
5. Chez Loulou
Overall Ratings
4 based on 284 reviews
Reviewed By Kwassie - Stellenbosch, South Africa
We had 2 lunches at the restaurant. Lovely setting, under palm trees with your feet in the sand. The beers are cold, fair selection of white wines and absolutely fresh seafood. On the second occasion they had a traditional Malagasy pork dish - absolutely delicious. Service is very laid back Island-style, but the waitresses have a fair command of English. The only negative was that the bathroom was very dirty on our first visit, I did not even try to use it the next time.
6. Chez Angeline
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By simporta - Phnom Penh, Cambodia
We were very disappointed by the service. They forgot the to cook/serve part of the order - my wife's plat never arrived. And it took almost forever to get the order. When we were ready to leave, we had to wait again for the bill. The restaurant has good location and interesting decor - romantic looking, a yard with lots of green. Food quality? I might have rated it good if it were not for the service - you know, the meal does not taste good when you are upset.
7. La Bodega
Overall Ratings
4 based on 131 reviews
Reviewed By Naz68 - York, United Kingdom
We were looking forward to eating here after all the positive reviews. Unfortunately we did not have a good experience. We arrived at the restaurant and it was fairly busy, but nothing so as to overwhelm the owner or the serving staff. It took 20 minutes for them to even come to our table to take our drinks order. It took another half an hour for the drinks to arrive.
No-one would have bothered to take our food order had we not interrupted a waitress, to say we had decided what to order.
After waiting one hour for the food to arrive , one persons food in our group was served ,but no-one else! Eventually when we said could we cancel our orders and pay for our drinks the rest of the main courses arrived. In total we waited 1 and half hours for our food. The owner could see what was happening but not once did he come and apologise. The waitresses were terrible , they were rude and at times aggressive in manner, when questioned about why it was taking so long. From our point of view this seems to be the kind of place where the owner and his friends hang out at the bar, and the business of food/ service etc is secondary to them all having fun. When our food eventually arrived it was nice , but by then we were totally put off the place.
If like me you may read this review and compare it to all the positives and decide we were just a fussy group, I can assure we were not and this a genuine review of this restaurant. When we spoke to other locals ( this is my husbands home town), they all said they had similar experiences and had we told them of our intention to go to this restaurant would have advised us to go elsewhere.
I would not recommend this restaurant.
8. Tsara Be
Overall Ratings
4 based on 169 reviews
Reviewed By TivertonPritch - Tiverton
We thought about eating here one night whist staying in the town but as it was empty decided to give it a miss. However on another night it was still empty but decided to give it a try anyway. We were glad we did and the food and service were really pretty good and we couldn't understand why it was so quiet. The price is good with mains coming in at around a fiver.
9. Chez Nono - La Rhum Riz
Overall Ratings
5 based on 206 reviews
Reviewed By Alan S - Johannesburg, South Africa
Chez Nono was the absolute delight of our holiday to Nosy Be'. My wife and I had 50% of our meals here, lunch and dinner; and would have been more if discovered earlier. The food is spectacular, and you realise very soon it's because Nono goes daily to the market to buy fresh ingredients for his menu. We recommended at least 6 people to the restaurant, and they all agreed on the high quality of food, and went regularly themselves. It is comfortable, the prices are low, and the portions are generous. Nono is a wonderful host, and will adjust any meal to suit your requirements. In my travel experience over 23 countries, this restaurant has had the best impact of any on making the holiday pleasant and more memorable, and definately in my top 5 restaurants on the planet so far. Well done Nono, you are the pride of Nosy Be'
10. Karibo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 140 reviews
Reviewed By Ariel16 - London, United Kingdom
This restaurant would not look out of place in Europe and definitely is one of the best (if not the best) in the whole area, all this without looking out of place and retaining a certain African charm.
The food was amazing: Luca, the owner, gave us a tasting menu, with various starters and Madagascan oysters before moving onto lobsters and fish with vegetables and dessert, of course.
All dishes were presented extremely well, so not only they were delicious, but also beautiful to look at!
I am unsure on how the prices compare to the other local restaurants, as I have dined only there, but they are a lot cheaper than what we would pay in Europe for a similar meal.
Absolutely recommended.
