Relais Le Kuberka

We had such a good time at this little local restaurant that we went twice during our short stay on Isle of Pines. The service was warm and attentive, and the reggae music gave the place a fun vibe. The beer was cold, too. The local snails in garlic butter were excellent, much cheaper and better cooked than the hotel's version. Tuna steak was perfectly seared, and the octopus salad was well seasoned with tender, tasty octopus. Call to book ahead, and if you're not staying on site, you may want to order ahead as well. Definitely worth it!

We got stuck here for two weeks during the civil unrest. What was meant to be a three-night stay turned into 15, so we got to know a lot about the hotel. The downsides: dinner was expensive and not very good, and there is no English spoken at all, so have Google Translate ready if you don't speak French. The owners let their dogs out at 9pm, and they'll steal anything left to dry on the balcony, plus your shoes. You have to get your things from reception the next day, so don't leave shoes outside. Wi-Fi only reaches reception, where it's really slow, and loud music plays there every day. On the plus side, it's quiet and among the cheaper places on the island. Bikes are available to rent, and there's a nice pool with tables for eating and drinking. They did our washing while we were there so long, though I'm not sure that's a regular service. There's a restaurant for all meals, including takeaway lunch, so we could grab a baguette and spend the day at the beach. It's close to one of the island's two shops and within easy walking distance of the beach. The resident cats are very friendly, and we loved having them hang out with us. They also picked us up from the boat, but you need to call ahead to arrange the transfer.

The restaurant has a great atmosphere, and I'd recommend stopping by. We had dinner there and tried the chicken, fish and snails, all of which were great. Without a booking, those were the only choices. The snails were fantastic, my favourite, and the Punch Coco was delicious.

It's great that they let you eat there even if you're not staying at the hotel. Make a dinner reservation before 4pm, otherwise your choices are chicken, fish or escargot. We tried all three and they were brilliant. Escargot was my favourite, along with the punch coco.