For this post, we’ll be taking a closer look at the dining options at the Intercontinental Tahiti except for dinner, which will be discussed separately.

View other posts in this series:

• Trip Introduction: Summer in a Bora Bora Paradise
• United Polaris SFO Lounge: Is It The Best?
• Quick Hit: Pocket That Airline Meal Voucher for Later
• Review: United Airlines 787-9 Polaris Business Class SFO-PPT
• Review: Boutique Kon Tiki Tahiti
• Air Moana: An Enjoyable But Brief Experience
• St. Regis Bora Bora Review: A Beautiful Hard Product
• St. Regis Bora Bora Review: Paradise with Service Flaws
• Delicious Breakfast and Lunch at St. Regis Bora Bora
• St. Regis Bora Bora: Unforgettable Gourmet Dinners in Paradise
• La Villa Mahana: A Special Treat in Bora Bora
• Saint James Bora Bora Review – Great Food, Slow Service
• Fabulous Activities and Amenities at the St. Regis Bora Bora
• Kids at St. Regis Bora Bora: A Good Idea?
• Bora Bora Snorkeling: Loving the Big 5 on the Loveboat
• Perfect for Younger Kids: Underwater Scooter in Bora Bora
• Tupuna Safari Bora Bora: An Awesome Off-Roading Adventure
• Air Tahiti: The Popular Way to Explore French Polynesia
• Intercontinental Tahiti Review: One of the Best Resorts on the Island
• Delightful Dining at the Intercontinental Tahiti (this post)
• Fabulous Dinners Await at the Intercontinental Tahiti
• Activities and Relaxation at the Intercontinental Tahiti
• Tahiti with Kids: Basking in Island Love
• Air Tahiti Nui Lounge Review: Can Be Too Crowded
• Comfort in the Sky: Air France A350-900 Business Class PPT-LAX

Breakfast at Te Tiare

Te Tiare is the Intercontinental Tahiti’s buffet restaurant, which serves the following:

• Breakfast from 6AM to 10:30AM (the focus of this article)
• All-day dining from 11:30AM to 9:30PM
• Special dinner shows on Wednesdays and Fridays

If you have breakfast included in your rate, this is one of two options for you (the other is a to-go breakfast you need to order in advance intended if you can’t enjoy the breakfast here, ask the front desk for details).

Simply walk up to the host stand to get a seat. Reservations are not needed for breakfast.

The restaurant is quite huge with different levels that works well for the dinner shows. It’s partly indoors, partly outdoors, but you’ll be protected from the weather if it starts to rain.

I mentioned in our previous post that the hotel somehow picked up that I’m a Platinum member with IHG. They stuck this Ambassador card at our table to recognize my status level. It didn’t result in any additional service or anything free. This was just a card to, perhaps, remind me that I have elite status that isn’t the Ambassador level. I don’t get it.

The menu

There is a breakfast menu, but we weren’t presented one when we sat down. Instead, our server asked if we would like to have the buffet or not. She didn’t explain to us that there are different levels of buffets and instead assumed we would just want the American buffet (the most expensive option on that day we were there). The American breakfast costs 5,350 XPF (~$52 US) while the continental version costs 4,300 XPF (~$41 US). There’s also an express version, an assortment of danishes and juices, for 2,020 XPF (~$19 US).

Thankfully, the kids are half price for the breakfast buffet.

Aside from the food, you could also order a cocktail at breakfast. We found the choices to be quite expensive and didn’t take them up on the offer.

The food

If you choose the buffet, you can serve yourself right away from their massive buffet station.

For the most part, I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise to readers that the section we enjoyed the most was the fruit. Tropical fruit is high on our list, and having it so fresh here vs. what we can get at home is a real treat. Getting fresh eggs is also something we took advantage of. The kids were fans of the meats, rice, and nori. On top of that, the hash browns and fried potato wedges were a guilty pleasure. For a hot beverage, we took hot chocolate, which was rich and decadent.

If we had to compare the breakfast at the Intercontinental Tahiti with the St. Regis Bora Bora, we’d say the quality of the food was a step down at the Intercontinental. However, there was more variety here. So, there is a little bit of a trade off but we still enjoyed it.

Lunch at Huriama

For the one lunch we had at the resort, we decided to dine at Huriama, a restaurant by the water. You’ll find it close to the pools.

The seating arrangement here is exclusively outdoors, with a nice view of Moorea in the distance.

The menu

The menu at Huriama is fairly casual, as you might expect from a lunch place by the water.

They also have a kids menu, which wasn’t the best deal we’ve seen on this trip, but the pricing wasn’t outrageous. The other side of the menu does have some games for the kids to play as they wait for the food but they gave no pen or writing instrument. That meant I took a picture of the activity and the kids could then “write” in the solution on my phone. Kids these days have it much easier than when I was growing up.

The food

We ordered a salmon burger, which was best described as a big piece of salmon in sandwich form. It wasn’t dried out, which was the main issue we were worried about when ordering it. If you’re looking for a burger without the guilt of eating a burger, this is a serviceable substitute.

Adding to our salmon needs was this salmon waffle. It has such a unique mix of flavors between the waffle, salmon, grapefruit, and cream. I enjoyed eating it in more of a deconstructed form where I could appreciate the salmon separate from the grapefruit. It works as a dish though I’d probably try something else next time. It tastes more like a breakfast item than a lunch item.

The kids each ordered a cheeseburger from the kids menu. Interestingly, the size of the burger and the fries were roughly the same size as the adult portions. That’s cool–it means the kids meals aren’t a bad deal. Just be sure to order it without toppings if your child doesn’t want them as it does come fully loaded.

The bars at Intercontinental Tahiti

There are three dedicated bars at the Intercontinental Tahiti, which is relevant if you have free drink coupons to use as we did. We didn’t get a chance to try out all the bars, but just want to list out the options for you.

Lobby Bar

Located right next to the front desk (naturally), the Lobby Bar has a nice view of the property. We never found it crowded during our stay, which is nice. There is both outdoor and indoor seating here. I believe this is also where you can pick up your to-go breakfast if you order it in advance and have it included in your room rate.

If you’re looking to use your free drink coupons, just ask the bartender which drinks count, but it does include cocktails. I don’t remember exactly which drinks we ordered (whoops) because there is no receipt or anything to sign if you use the drink coupons. But I will say that the drinks were delicious (and also strong).

Alex decided to take a picture of us that evening. Please ignore Char on her iPad in the background.

Tiki Bar

The Tiki Bar is right next to Te Tiare. When you order a drink from the restaurant, it ultimately comes from this bar. So in that sense, we tried the bar without actually stepping foot in it (we had drinks during dinner one evening). One benefit is they have live music in the evening, which adds a nice ambiance to the dining experience.

There is both indoor and outdoor seating available at the bar. Additionally, if you want to watch the dinner show but don’t want to pay for the dinner show, you can watch it from the bar. The Friday performance starts at 8PM or 8:30PM (I imagine the same timing would be in place for the Wednesday show), but come earlier if you want a good seat.

Pool Bar

The third bar at the resort is the Pool Bar. I’m sure you can guess where you’ll find this one. It’s attached to the Le Lotus restaurant. The water level is quite high around the pool bar, which means you’ll want to hug the wall if you’re bringing your drink to your seat or you risk losing it all.

We ordered drinks here before realizing the drink coupons included more than just the stated items. So, I ordered a beer and a non-alcoholic piña colada for the kids. They were nice enough to give me the extra when they made too much. Not bad, but had we known that the alcoholic cocktails were also available, we would have chosen those instead (a better value).

Stay tuned for the next installment where we will discuss the dinner options at the Intercontinental Tahiti.