La Villa Mahana — Restaurant in French Polynesia

I read through these other reviews before I decided to visit here, and I want to give my honest thorough opinion.

First, this was our favorite night of our entire honeymoon.

Depending on which menu ( I had the French menu, my husband had the Exotique) you get 4 or 5 courses with options to substitute or change out what you want.

The foi gras was hands down some of the best I've had (impressive for a remote island where everything is imported) and the steak was extremely tender, well seasoned, and perfectly cooked. In fact my husband doesn't usually like a rare-ish steak, but it was so perfectly cooked that he loved it.

As far at the wine pairings, I'm not a huge fan of ports or sweeter wines, so I felt that the pairing was a bit of a wash. Also to echo someone else, they did not present the bottles, so you actually don't know what you're getting (not that I had a good grasp over wines to the point where if I were to be presented with the wine, I would know a difference), but to have bottles presented is typical of fine dining. Looking back I would have preferred to get a bottle we both would have enjoyed thoroughly the entire meal, vs 4 glasses with 2 glasses of wine that I didn't enjoy.

Lastly, the service was fun and charming, with one server in particular who made me laugh. But I will say the usual island charm and courtesy that I was experiencing at my resort (Sofitel Private Island) seemed a tiny bit lacking, and I can't put my finger on why that was (however the bar was set very high).

Lastly, let me speak to the price point. Bora Bora is an island, full of mostly resorts. You can absolutely eat at a resort, however, that comes with lots of pros and cons. I think for the quality of food, considering that you are on an island where everything has to be imported, the price point seems appropriate. Would I be willing to pay $400 for the same meal in Colorado? Probably not. But you have to consider the area, the experience, and the quality.

It was a wonderful night and I would...

Unacceptable Discrimination: La Villa Mahana's Poor Treatment of Families

I regret to say that my recent experience at La Villa Mahana left a sour taste in my mouth, not due to the food, but because of the discriminatory treatment we witnessed. As my family and I were enjoying our meal, we were appalled to see another family being asked to move tables simply because their 2-year-old son was deemed "too loud" by the staff.

This incident occurred right beside us, and it was both uncomfortable and disheartening to witness. Instead of handling the situation with tact and understanding, the restaurant staff displayed a shocking lack of empathy and professionalism. It was evident that the family in question was embarrassed and upset by the request, and rightfully so.

As patrons of La Villa Mahana, we were deeply disappointed by this display of discrimination against families with young children. Is it not common knowledge that toddlers can sometimes be noisy? Must families with young children be relegated to second-class status, unwelcome in certain areas of the restaurant?

Furthermore, the way in which the staff handled the situation was utterly graceless. Instead of attempting to accommodate the family or find a solution that respected their dignity, they chose the path of least resistance, disrupting their dining experience and leaving them feeling unwelcome.

This experience has left me questioning the values and priorities of La Villa Mahana. While the food may be commendable, the lack of respect and understanding towards families with children is unacceptable. As a result, I cannot in good conscience recommend this establishment to others.

In conclusion, La Villa Mahana's treatment of families with young children is not only discriminatory but also indicative of a larger issue regarding their approach to customer service. Until they address these shortcomings and demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity and respect, I will be taking my...

Okay, so after months of trying to figure out if going here was a good move based on reviews... We went. It was mixed, as expected. Hope this helps you decide.

It has the trimmings of a classic 1 Michelin star restaurant in Paris. Particularly nice China for instance. It has a menu to match, except out of the 80s. Think seared foie, tenderloin, risotto, etc... All classic preparation, with maybe a Tahitian ingredient thrown in to let you know where you are.

The food is executed quite well - partially because I'm sure everything we ate was sous vide. Literally every course save dessert. Foie was far away the stand out - they used top quality.

Service was a bit rushed, but attentive.

Given where we are, and how easy they made the transfer from our hotel for dinner, I would probably be net positive on this review. Except for the wine pairings. The menu said champagne, saunteres, chablis, Grand cru Bordeaux, and tawny port. We were never presented with the bottle of anything that was poured. I'm inclined to think what we got was either lower end from the regions, or something not from the stated regions. The champagne had no characted. Saunteres had no note of botrytis. The Bordeaux was a sweet fruity merlot. The chablis has no balance or minerality. I don't know anything about port so can't comment there.

In either case, what we were served was not that good, and didn't match the price point. If I found myself back here I would order a bottle off the rather impressive (given location) wine list. It's marked up, but your in Bora Bora.

Overall, applaud them for what they are doing here, but the wine program really left a bad taste...