Chez Tatie Marguerite (Saint-Benoît)

Chez Tatie Marguerite is a traditional Creole lunch restaurant on Rue de la Confiance in Saint-Benoît, on the east coast of Réunion. The name evokes the island's habit of calling older women tatie (auntie), and the cooking is correspondingly home-style. The restaurant opens Monday to Friday from 11:30 to 14:00 only, with a set lunch priced at roughly €9–€14. The menu is built around east-coast Creole cari with brèdes, the leafy greens that are a staple of Réunion cooking. Signature dishes include cari zourite (octopus curry), grains rouges (red beans), and an achard made from choca, the giant aloe, a regional preparation that is rarer than the standard cabbage or green-bean achard. East-coast cooking tends to use more local fish, shellfish and root vegetables than the west, and the region's humid climate supports the greens that appear on the plate. The dining room is simple and unadorned, with a lunchtime crowd of regulars, and the atmosphere is friendly and unhurried. Dress is casual. No reservations are taken: the guidance is to walk in and arrive at 11:30, when the choice is greatest, since popular items can run out by early afternoon. Drinks are typically soft drinks, juices and local beer. Saint-Benoît is the gateway to the wetter east, with waterfalls, vanilla plantations and the Rivière des Marsouins nearby, so visitors on a day trip from Saint-Denis or Saint-André often combine a visit with lunch here. Because it closes after lunch and at weekends, planning the timing of an east-coast outing around a weekday is necessary.