Lagoon Restaurant at The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort — Restaurant in French Polynesia

First of all, I want to express my sincere gratitude to every single staff member at the restaurant. From the moment we arrived to the moment we left, everyone was incredibly warm, welcoming, and attentive it truly made each visit special.

We dined here three times during our stay. Each time, we arrived about 30 minutes early to enjoy a drink at Bar 727 on the pier, soaking in the breathtaking views before heading into the restaurant. Every cocktail at the bar was carefully crafted, from presentation to ingredients, perfectly capturing the island vibe.

Now, onto the restaurant and the food itself: The menu is well-curated not too large, which we actually prefer. When we dine at restaurants, we usually start with the à la carte menu before moving on to the signature tasting, so this time we focused on à la carte selections.

STARTERS: The Tahitian Ahi Tuna in coconut milk from Bora Bora was a highlight. The combination of flavors elevated the already delicate tuna into something that quite literally melts in your mouth. The Tahitian shrimp in three steps had an interesting presentation, but for us, it wasn’t surprising while shrimp are considered a delicacy here due to limited local production, to us it was just… shrimp. What truly stood out was the Tahitian farmhouse cheese plate, especially the blue cheese ice cream absolutely incredible and unexpected. MAIN COURSES: As an octopus lover, I couldn’t resist trying the Polynesian Octopus. While not the best I’ve had in my life (I’m admittedly quite spoiled), it was still very good. One night, the Catch of the Day was moonfish something I had never tried before. That dish alone was worth the visit. The flavor and texture were unlike anything else, almost like a fish-steak hybrid. We also tried The Angus Beef, The Veal, and on the third day, the chef prepared a special pork dish just for us even though it wasn’t on the menu. That thoughtful gesture truly touched us. Out of everything, The Angus Beef stole the show. The way it was cooked honestly, I’m out of words. You just have to experience it. Special mention goes to The Chef’s Truffle Mashed Potatoes an absolute must-try! DESSERTS: All three evenings, I ended my meal with the Dame Blanche. I’m a chocolate lover, and this was the perfect finale pure bliss.

Last but not least, a heartfelt thank-you to our sommelier, who helped us select wines that matched our picky palates perfectly.

Can’t wait for our next visit to embark on a culinary journey with the signature tasting menu!

P.S. I’d like to say a few words in defense of the chef regarding some of the negative comments about portion sizes. I don’t want to sound like a snob, but restaurants like this are not about filling up they’re about tasting, discovering, and experiencing something new and extraordinary. For us, that moment came with the moonfish and the blue cheese ice cream. Even though we’ve dined at many Michelin-starred restaurants, it’s rare to not only find such unique ingredients but also to see them paired and prepared with such precision that’s where the true talent of the chef shines through. Of course, not every dining experience is for everyone my own parents, for example, don’t really enjoy this kind of fine dining and prefer more traditional, familiar food. And to the credit of the resort, there’s a great selection of restaurants each evening that cater to a wide range of tastes. But please, don’t diminish the chef’s work. What’s being done here deserves...

Incredible Service, But Disappointing Lack of Transparency

The Lagoon was beautiful—stunning atmosphere, incredible food, and truly excellent service. The staff were warm, attentive, and made the whole evening feel special. It was one of the best meals we had in Bora Bora.

However, I was really disappointed by the lack of transparency around fees. Clémence Rea told us we could dine at the restaurant as non-hotel guests, but never mentioned there would be a $70 charge to take the staff boat at a set time. The boat was essentially transporting staff back and forth at those times regardless of whether or not we were on the boat and arrived over an hour before our dinner reservation. We only found out that there was a fee for transportation when we received the bill at the end of our meal.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t an isolated experience. Throughout our Bora Bora trip, we experienced several instances where hotel or restaurant staff did disclose extra fees until we received the bill. It’s not about the money—it’s about the principle. Guests deserve to be informed upfront of all costs of a service. It’s actually illegal not to disclose such fees (I’m an attorney). The repeated lack of disclosure feels like a pattern of taking advantage of people, and frankly, it shows a lack of integrity. In a luxury destination like Bora Bora, that’s incredibly disappointing and...

Hard review to write. First the food was outstanding. A 10 out of 10 and really compliments to Chef Nguyen and his staff. Everything from the pre-appetizer to the dessert was amazing. I don’t claim to be a restaurateur or a foodie but I’ve been fortunate enough to have eaten at more than a few Michelin starred restaurants so I think I have some baseline on what is good food.

Secondly the bar staff is great. Arthur and the guys are super helpful and friendly. Cocktails and drinks were top notch. Service was awesome and worth writing about.

My big issue is the dining room service. My wife and I were spending our honeymoon at the St. Regis after 4 nights at the Four Seasons where customer service is the best period. So not sure if our standards were too high or what but the Lagoon dining room staff just didn’t meet expectations. We had the misfortune of sitting next to a table that clearly had some relation to the chef and so of course the dining room staff spent a lot of attention on them. In a vacuum I get it but I don’t think our service should have totally suffered because of it. I ended up almost having to pour our own wine and waited for what seemed like an eternity to order dessert. Again not the worst thing in the world but the service certainly didn’t meet expectations. Just my opinion and...