Steve Garley samples some more of the excellent cuisine available in the Seychelles….

Sainte Anne is a Five-star resort just 15 minutes by boat from Victoria and in fact we at Tropical Sky feature it as one of the best Five–star establishments in the Seychelles.   Newly renovated, it’s run by the Beachcomber group who are famous for the high standards of their food and service.  Dining is a certainly a main feature of this hotel and I was really looking forward to trying the range of cuisine on offer.

There are four restaurants to choose from:

Le Robinson is the Five-star a la carte restaurant tucked away at the end of the resort with rustic castaway furniture and a fixed a la carte menu that changes around different themes and tastes  The food was Asian when we went. You start with champagne and various amuse bouches and then it is off to the table for a sort of tasting menu. The view while dining is certainly amazing and at night you can see the lights of Victoria twinkle in the distance.  It’s on the beach beneath the deck of Le Mont Fleurie restaurant and is an  intimate 20-seat venue lined with granite rocks and trees.  My only criticism was that some tables directly under the restaurant deck above had no fans and it can be incredibly hot.  It was so oppressive when we eat there that they moved our whole table out on to the beach. So any criticism is tempered by the fact that this hotel solves problems on the spot!

Upstairs is Le Mont Fleurie, tucked into the hillside and blending organically into the coast. Perched on wooden stilts at tree-level over the sand and lapping waters, it does not have a long menu but it is delightful and the speciality is seafood. The herbs are always freshly picked from the hotel’s own gardens. Sebastian Vincent is the chef in charge and his creations are simply stunning.  I would highly recommend the emperor red snapper roasted with a sweet spice mix or  a lobster risotto in a piperade of sweet peppers.

L’Ocean is the spot If you prefer you dining to be a little more romantic. The menu is mainly composed of grilled fish, fresh seafood and traditional Creole recipes.  The tables are under the palms right along the edge of the beach. We asked to have our table moved towards the water’s edge and this was done with the minimum of fuss.  It’s truly an idyllic spot for a moonlight candelit dinner with the lapping of the waves and the twinkling of the lights of Victoria in the background. For the main course, you can choose your fish and the way you want it cooked. Geraldine chose the jobfish cooked Thai style while I went for the red snapper cooked Seychellois style with some chilli on the top.

L’Abondance is the main restaurant for breakfast lunch and dinner where the tables are half in and half outside.  This is ideal as you can get a table at the edge of the restaurant out on the deck in fresh air with a slight breeze to cool you down.  It too has different theme nights. We enjoyed the Italian night with great fresh pasta dishes and our last night we chose the Indian buffet. There was a fabulous display of different Indian dishes to choose from. We started with pickles and small starters and had a range of curries – tandoori fish, a lovely lentil and daal dish and some excellent spicy kebabs. The sweets and deserts were more western in style.

Aside from these formal dining venues, there are various equally excellent snack lunches available. In particular there was a great little venue with just eight tables under umbrellas near the watersports area.  We had lunch there most days and just loved the cold beer after a morning’s snorkelling.

The good news is that you don’t have to go all inclusive to experience all this excellent cuisine. With a half board package you can sample three of these restaurants without a supplement and Le Robinson gives you a credit towards dining there.

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