Coco beach Moorea — Restaurant in Moorea-Maiao

Outstanding service and restaurant - we were very pleased. We almost didn't end up here after a couple days trying to catch the water taxi out, and couldn't find the departure point.

One day we went just to sit at Tipaniers, and saw the Coco boat show up and several people walking to it. We thought it odd because we had texted for a reservation the day before, and they said they were closed. The woman driving the boat just said "get in" - so we grabbed our gear and jumped in.

When we got the the island we tried to pay, and she said not now, pay at the restaurant. I went to the restaurant and tried to pay and the waiter said, don't worry about it, you can pay later. All very relaxed. So I asked him - I thought you were closed today, and he just smiled and said "Yeah, but its a beautiful day." And it was. I love island life.

We found a shady spot and sat on the beach a while, I walked around to the ocean side of the island where there are some tide pools and rock formations, not far maybe 300 meters. I had my snorkel gear with me and waded in and swam around some amazing coral formations, with all the usual fish, but current and waves off the reef were pretty close so the visibility, although good, was not as stellar as other parts Moorea. It was great nonetheless, and I snorkeled counterclockwise around until I got to the channel between the two Motus, and the current then just carried me drift snorkeling all the way back to Coco Beach.

Was hungry by then and we got a table right by the ocean and my wife had the best fish she said she had in two weeks on the island, I was not very hungry and just had a bowl of fries and a big bottle of water, and those fries were magnificent. I had seen other reviews calling it pretty expensive - because the location I supposed, but it really didn't seem any different from any of the other slightly overpriced restaurants on the island, except everything we had was more tasty, and service very friendly and laid back.

On the way out we made a "reservation" for the next day - unanimously deciding as a family we just had to go again. I saved my appetite this time and was...

We visited for lunch on a Friday at noon. The service was polite and quick (by French Polynesia standards) especially the drinks. But a lot of things do run out, better to come in the morning for brunch. Amaretto sour not bad, but the the margarita was absolutely terrible, I had a sip then felt it not even worth drinking. Seemed to be from a pre-mixer and just not tasty at all.

The food itself was quite good, the fish brochette/Skewer is mahi-mahi (seems everywhere one orders fish in French Polynesia it is Mahi-mahi!), baby back ribs also good. Fries weren't the best. This standard of good food and maybe even better can easily be found elsewhere on Mo'orea.

The atmosphere is nice, right on a beach on a motu (though your table might not be - we made a reservation but were seated far from the beach) but attention that there is not any good snorkeling here. I didn't see any rays or sharks either. Maybe if you walk to the absolute other side of the island facing the ocean its better coral reef, but the beach right around the seating area and even walking a bit more around is nothing but sand and seaweed. And there is a STRONG current between the two motu going out to the lagoon that you need to be very careful about, where the deep water starts changes and you can suddenly find yourself in water where you can no longer stand and not able to fight the current. I am a very strong swimmer and just barely got myself out of it to where I can stand..

I had an ok afternoon here and it was super nice that they do the boat drop off direct if youre in a hotel on the coast facing Coco beach bit still, I wouldn't do this again. Not worth it for the price especially given there isn't any snorkeling nearby (and the...

Such a lovely place to spend a day! 4.5 stars if I could!

Do yourself a favor and make a reservation to get lunch here. It's a little motu, or island, with a restaurant and some gorgeous water to play around in. You can kayak here if you're staying close enough, or get a pickup from nearby hotels, or get the water taxi from the dock in Papeto'ai (only 500 xpf if you eat at the restaurant).

Your reservation will get you a table for the day, plus access to swimming, snorkeling, and playing in some of the prettiest water in Mo'orea. Rays and sharks swim by on the regular and while you can get out in the sun, all tables are in the shade.

The food is pretty good and decently priced for Mo'orea! Our chicken skewers were perfect, really juicy and served with a peppercorn gravy. They came with perfectly crisp steak fries, still soft and pillowy on the inside, and the portion size was generous. Our tuna carpaccio was good - it was huge, with fresh red tuna topped with feta, olives, and olive oil. I found the toppings to overpower the taste of the tuna a bit, but it was still a pleasant dish, and between the two, we were STUFFED.

The negatives? Just my piña colada, which was... chunky. I'm not sure if it was coconut cream that wasn't broken up or what, but it was unsettling.

Overall, we had a great visit to Coco Beach. We came in on the 10am water taxi, stayed for a few hours, and came home around 2pm. I highly...