Najma, who comes from a Hyderabadi background, runs an exotic home, and entertains in utmost style. Her tables for 20 are known for their fabulous food and immaculate service. Of the cuisine in Mauritius, she says, it is a fusion of French food and Indian spices. The restaurants there are magnificent, but they are mainly in hotels and resorts and restricted exclusively to house guests. However, it is the practise of hotel managements to welcome guests of other hotels to their restaurants on request. Take advantage of this when you plan to go eating out in Mauritius.

Alain Ducasse�s Spoon Des Illes at Le Saint Geran Hotel

THE legendary Alain Ducasse chose the surroundings of one of the oldest and most fabulous hotels in Mauritius, Le Saint Geran, to set up Spoon Des Iles, the very first venture abroad of the Spoon Food & Wine restaurant of Paris. With Spoon Des Iles, the famous Michelin decorated chef offers a restaurant and service of haute couture to the island.

Spoon Des Iles has a menu of American, Asian, Latin and Indian Ocean influences which can satisfy vegetarians as well. A mixture of techniques and ingredients from all over the world creates new tastes. Nothing is compulsory, everything is allowed. And there is flexibility in the wide variety of dishes, the guests are free to compose their own meal according to their wishes.

The menu is made up of numerous avenues: soups, salads, steamed dishes, pasta, cereals, garden, eggs, sandwiches, fish, poultry, meat, cheese and desserts. Spoon Des Iles plays on originality by offering multi-ethnic dishes and atypical ways of cooking: induction, steam, roasting spit, wok, plancha, grills and pressure cooker.

The wine list has 180 references from all over the world, listed according to the vine, vintage, vine yards and geographic location. It is the best on the island and offers rare labels from the American estates of Staglin and Cathy Corison, Japan, Hungary, Australia, New Zealand, France, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, South Africa...

The restaurant�s crockery and cutlery read like a Who�s Who of tableware. Jaune de Chrome, Bernardaud and Apilco make the porcelain section while the silver serving dishes are from Ebh Beard France. Ducasse�s coffee cups are Taitu. Nothing but the best. The silver cutlery is Christofle, but with Chinese lacquer. And the glassware, Verrerie de Biot, specialists in the field of bubble glass.

Of the cuisine in Mauritius, Alain Ducasse has said: �"Mauritian cuisine is prepared by a Creole lady using local products from the market and to which is added the flavours found in fresh and dried spices. I like this cuisine, tasteful and true, of market gardeners and fishermen. I find it is something of the Mediterannean atmosphere whichis so precious to me."

The Residence, Mauritius

THE RESIDENCE, Mauritius, is really a turn-of-the-century colonial mansion that nestles between tropical gardens and a kilometre-long beach of powdery white sand. It is a combination of bygone charms and modern comforts, an embodiment of ultimate refinement, that Resident Manager Frederic Chretien would like guests to simply walk around in and unwind.

The hotel prides itself on its cuisine whose symphony of subtle aromas, tastes and colours can be savoured in its three restaurants. The Dining Room, made entirely of wood and delicately poised over the swimming pool, is where you discover the thousand and one flavours of a sophisticated cuisine. The Verandah serves light lunches around the pool. The Plantation, a planter�s house by the beach, offers a wide range of seafood and a selection of dishes cooked with local herbs and spices. The spacious yet intimate bar, whose walls are hung with a fine collection of engravings of scenes from Mauritius� history, is the right spot for a late breakfast, traditional tea or an exotic cocktail.

As the focal point of the hotel, the Dining Room displays all the native produce of the island through its creative and authentic selections. In the morning, a sumptuous breakfast is offered featuring Western and local specialities as well as a selection of freshly pressed fruit juices. The atmosphere and cuisine in the evening shifts to a more a la carte menu, drawing its inspiration from the food and spices of the island with accents from each of the three major cuisines: Indian, French and Creole. It is open between 7.30 and 11.30 a.m. and 7 and 10 p.m.

The Verandah�s lunch menu features a generous buffet or a choice of exciting light dishes, and an impressive selection of homemade ice-creams and sorbets. It is open from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Plantation is a marriage of spectacular oceanfront setting with the freshest seafood and Creole cuisine in Mauritius. Fish and shellfish are served for lunch and larger portions of different flavours and textures for dinner. Guests can also enjoy live Sega performances and other local entertainment.

Le Prince Maurice

LE PRINCE MAURICE pays tribute to Prince Maurice Van Nassau, the pioneer of the spice trade in the Indian Ocean and after whom Mauritius was named. It is a five-star deluxe leisure hotel in an idyllic location of the island on 60 acres of private land that is completely unspoiled, sheltered from prevailing winds and which ensures maximum privacy to its guests.

Its tropical gardens consist of rare and luxuriant vegetation, and the calm turquoise lagoon blends perfectly with the fresh green hinterland and the secluded beaches of brilliant white sand. A natural fish reserve situated on the western part of the hotel adds to the uniqueness and natural beauty of the location.

The hotel has two restaurants, including an unique floating one, and three bars. L�Archipel restaurant, located in the main building of the hotel, overlooks the pool and beach. It is set up in three space areas and two open air deck areas, thereby fostering intimacy. L�Archipel is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and it offers an a la carte service with light, spicy, flavoured gourmet food.

Le Barachois is located in an unique and natural environment at a distance from the main building and surrounded by mangroves. It is a floating restaurant and comprises five decks that seat 40 people. It overlooks a large natural fish reserve with an exceptional and unspoiled view of a mountain range. The floating restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and offers daily specials including grills, seafood and Mauritian delicacies.

Le Prince Maurice�s three bars are the Laguna Bar, the Lounge Bar and the Fitness Centre Bar. The Laguna Bar has two sundecks and serves unique cocktail specialities of the house. There is light entertainment in the evenings here. The Lounge Bar is comfortable and intimate and ideal for an aperitif before dinner and after dinner temptations. The Fitness Bar is part of the hotel�s fitness centre and specialises in healthy drinks and vegetable juices.