6 Best Restaurants in Viti Levu, Fiji

You get far more than you pay for at this Suva institution hidden behind shrubbery, one block east of the main drag. The menu is on a blackboard and the food is served cafeteria-style but don't be deterred: It's prepared fresh and tastes accordingly. Traditional Indian fare sits alongside local fish and vegetable dishes, all classically prepared. The staff will mix-and-match to your preference before you retreat to a booth or table and savor the city's finest. Authentic sweet dishes and cakes are served in the second room down the porch. It's a shame they're not open for dinner.

Both the chef and owner come from the Canton region and it appears that they brought their recipe books with them. Locally supplied seafood is whipped into the likes of steamed fish in soy sauce and steamed crab with glass noodles. Imported king prawns are put to good use in a garlic-ginger sauce. Rotating platforms at the tables make it easier to share the family-style portions amid the tasteful Asian decor. On some afternoons, there's not a seat to be had as locals pack in for the lunch specials.

Of the many branches of this Suva staple, this one's upstairs seating—open 11–3—is the most relaxing place to enjoy one of the chain's 17 kinds of vegetarian curries. The corner real estate offers a fantastic view of the impressive Sacred Heart Cathedral from comfortable, cushioned wicker chairs. The air-conditioning doesn't hurt, but there are also plenty of cream and milk shake flavors to cool you down. Curries are served cafeteria-style by friendly, hair-netted staff, and there's a large array of toffees downstairs as well as all-day, un-air-conditioned seating.

No frills here and none are needed: Mama's serves up tasty, good-value pizzas in a cool, comfortable setting on the main drag. Rock music from the past five decades pumps into the dimly lighted, wood-furnished interior and air-conditioning means there's no need for the giant, rusty fan threatening to turn overhead. Gourmet combos such as chicken, pineapple, and onion or smoked walu, red onions, capers, and chives are delivered to the table along with dressings by the friendly staff. Although the size diagram on the wall may appear a bit meager, rest assured: a "solo" makes for a filling lunch. There's a second location north of town and a third at Port Denarau.

Raj's isn't much to look at with its iron gate, but it's a local favorite for good reason: Kamlesh Lata and her husband have been making delicious curries here for more than a decade. There's a disconcerting mix of Chinese and fast-food options geared to the quick-lunch local trade, but you should take a seat in the air-conditioned, dimly lighted room and skip right to the seafood curries. The plastic placemats don't do much for the atmosphere, but let your tastebuds judge. The restaurant is beside the first roundabout in town if coming from Nadi.

A favorite among 9–5'ers for its spicy, cafeteria-style south Indian fare, some luck may be required to find a seat here at lunch hour. Spices from Singapore and India give the curries a more authentic flavor than much of the competition. Food is served cafeteria-style and the intense reds of the booths and yellows of the walls are in line with the hotter dishes. The patrons' sink, complete with liquid soap and paper towel dispensers, is beside a booth in the dining room, but it's all part of the fun—at least for you, who doesn't have to be back at work in 45 minutes. There's a second location in the Morris Hedstrom City Center mall.