Marie Antoinette

"The most memorable dining experience of my trip was a lunch I had alone at an authentic creole Seychellois restaurant called Marie-Antoinette. Entering the restaurant felt like stepping back into the 1800s. It’s an architecturally beautiful structure, filled with paintings and old furniture, and is now a protected monument on the island. The Fonseka family have owned and run the restaurant for over 50 years and have perfected their set menu, which has never changed: batter-fried parrotfish, tuna steak, pumpkin chutney, chicken curry, eggplant fritters, all served with white rice. Every dish was delicious and the staff couldn’t have been more welcoming." - Travel + Leisure Editors

"A rambling wood-and-iron mansion with a steep metal roof stands from the Seychelles’ colonial days. Today it’s home to the oldest restaurant in this Indian Ocean island chain. Marie Antoinette’s serves up Seychellois “creole” food, a fusion of Asian, African, and French flavors. Curry wafts on the island breeze. Lace tablecloths and bird of paradise flowers frame the open-air dining rooms. Marie Antoinette’s best dishes include sweet and sour tuna steak, tangy mango salad, light eggplant fritters, and grilled red snapper in a yellow curry sauce. Pulpy, tart passionfruit juice is an ideal drink. After your meal, don’t miss turtle-watching in the backyard run. Giant Aldabran tortoises are endemic to the Seychelles, and many locals keep them as pets. Marie Antoinette’s tortoises are survivors. In 2001, after days of heavy rain caused landslides, a one-ton concrete wall fell on them. They were at first assumed dead, but all 11 survived. Their tough shells protected them, although still-visible indentations show how they were nearly crushed. If it’s lunchtime, look out for Abraham. At 60 years old, this male tortoise still has a big appetite for the ladies. His favorite mating time, the restaurant says, is noon. None" - Lynn FreehillMaye, Collector of Experiences, danisimovd