Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
are nothing special but the setting is relaxing - tropical plants everywhere - and Madame
is a good cook (reckon on €25 for dinner). Much of the produce cooked up is straight
from the
potager
(veggie patch). At breakfast, you can dip into several varieties of
homemade jams. It's about 7km from St-Benoît along the road towards Plaine-des-
Palmistes (take the RN3 in the direction of Plaine-des-Palmistes and follow the signs from
the Ferme Équestre at Pont Payet).
Longanis Lodge
APARTMENT
€€€
( 0692 76 84 52;
www.longanilodge.com
;
Chemin Harmonie, Abondance; lodge d/q €100/130; )
The Longanis stuns with its design-led architecture and bucolic setting by a river shaded
by majestic longani trees. The villa can accommodate up to six people, so it's a fantastic
deal for friends or families. There's no restaurant nearby, but the owner can prepare meals
on request (€25). It's ecofriendly (water is solar heated, ventilation is natural and rainwa-
ter is recycled). It's in Abondance, about 5km from St-Benoît (take the road to Taka-
maka).
Les Letchis
( 0692 66 55 36;
www.restaurant-les-letchis.com
;
42 Îlet Danclas, Bras Canot; mains €20-35; lunch)
Eastern
Réunion's best-kept secret, Les Letchis boasts a fantastic location in a luxuriant garden by
the Rivière des Marsouins. The menu is an ode to Creole classics and 'riverfood';
standouts include
carri bichiques
and braised duck. If you want to explore new culinary
territories, try
carri chevaquines
(a curry made from small freshwater prawns) or
carri an-
guilles
(eel curry). Reservations are advised.
CREOLE
€€
FRENCH, SEAFOOD
€€
Le Régal' Est
( 0262 97 04 31; 9 Place Raymond Albius, St-Benoît; mains €10-30, menu €15; lunch & dinner Mon-Sat)
This attractive venture located upstairs in the covered market serves a modern, creative
fish and meat menu. Not all the dishes work, though. The lunchtime menu (€15) is good
value.
Le Beauvallon
( 0262 50 42 92; Rue du Stade Raymond-Arnoux, Rivière des Roches; mains €12-30; lunch)
Le Beauval-
lon is well known to everyone in the area, not least for its location beside the mouth of the
Rivière des Roches and its seasonal, scrumptious
carri bichiques
. On the flipside, the vast
dining room doesn't contain one whit of soul or character.
SEAFOOD, CREOLE
€€
