A Free Helava Travel Guide

Eating Our Way
Through Fiji

From Vuda to Suva — 35 pages of real food experiences from a Fiji-born family who came home

No paid placements. No sponsorships. No filtered opinions.
Just the places we ate, loved and want you to find.

100% Free·35 pages·Fiji-born local knowledge·No spam ever

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Free to download ◆35 pages of honest food writing ◆Fiji-born author ◆No paid placements ◆Glossary of Fijian food terms ◆Martintar to Suva ◆Real family. Real food. ◆Free to download ◆35 pages of honest food writing ◆Fiji-born author ◆No paid placements ◆Glossary of Fijian food terms ◆Martintar to Suva ◆Real family. Real food. ◆

“

I see so many people in Facebook groups asking about food in Fiji and then comparing it to what they eat back home. My advice? Be open minded. Fiji is full of extraordinary flavours you simply cannot find anywhere else.

Renee Leslie

Helava Travel · Fiji-born · Fiji at heart

About this guide

Real food.
Real family.

Last trip home, we ate everywhere — from fine dining to resort buffets to local spots most visitors never find. We brought our toddler Ocean, who ate absolutely everything.

This is not a definitive guide. Nobody paid to be included. Every place in here earned its spot — through the food, the experience, the memory it left us with.

35pages

7areas covered

30+restaurants

Nama at Nui Grillz, Suva Golf Club

Coconut lolo buns, Radisson Blu

Smoked baked kai, Nui Grillz

Fresh bu — do this every single day

Kai in coconut cream, Isa Lei

Palusami lovo chicken burger, Urban Sugar

Where we ate

From Vuda to Suva.
All of it.

Martintar, Nadi

Small Plates Restaurant
Isa Lei Fijian Restaurant
Pacifica Delicacies

Wailoaloa

Bean Bar Cafe (Crowne Plaza)
Urban Sugar Beach Club
La Bottega Italian
Graceroad Kitchen

Denarau & Port Marina

Sheraton Fiji
Radisson Blu
Club Wyndham
Cardos
Nandinas
Sails

Vuda Marina

The Boatshed

Malamala Beach Club

The Drunken Coconut
Seafood basket

Sigatoka & Coral Coast

King Singh Restaurant
Crab Shack (Korotogo)

Suva

Albert Park Kiosks
Nui Grillz at Fiji Golf Club
Bar-Belle
An Pho Vietnamese
Yangs at BSP Food Court
Zamzam's
Golden Ocean
Chopsticks

The non-negotiables

Don't leave Fiji
without eating these

Kokoda

Raw fish in coconut milk and citrus. Fiji on a plate.

Smoked baked kai at Nui Grillz

Still thinking about it. That's all.

Moala Stack at Sails

Lobster, smoked eggplant, fresh fish in coconut cream.

Nama Mama at Bar-Belle

Sea grapes in coconut milk with tuna. Pure Fijian soul food.

Coconut lolo buns

Soft, sweet, fluffy. I had five at the Radisson. Zero regrets.

Fresh bu

Green coconut from a roadside vendor. Do this every single day.

Palusami

Taro leaves in coconut cream. Rich, soft, deeply comforting.

Fijian curry and roti

From a local curry house. Do not leave without this.

Also inside

35 pages of things
nobody else will tell you

Coffee guide

Where to get a proper cup — Bean Bar at Crowne, Coffee Hub, GPH Bakery and more.

Start like a local

The fresh bu ritual. Market mornings. What's in season and why it matters.

Fijian food glossary

Bu, kokoda, palusami, ota, kai, nama, lovo, rourou, vudi — every term you'll see on a menu.

Travelling with kids

The honest truth about Fijians and children, nappies, formula, high chairs and everything in between.

What it cost us

A real daily budget breakdown — budget local day, mid-range and special occasion. Honest numbers.

Supermarket guide

Where to shop, what to buy, which Fijian brands to try, and what to absolutely avoid.

The drive Nadi to Suva

Why you should never just power through. The roadside stops, stalls and moments in between.

Ask a local tips

The one thing that will always lead you to the best meal you'll have in Fiji.

“Buy what is in season. It will be the best thing you eat all day.”

— Renee

✦No paid placements — ever

✦Fiji-born author with 20+ years in travel

✦Completely free to download

✦No subscription required

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