Bluemarine has been serving the north-west coast's best seafood for over 20 years from its spot on the Trou aux Biches beachfront, and its sustained popularity with both locals and resort guests from the cluster of hotels nearby is the most reliable indicator of quality in a stretch of coast not short of competition. The décor is beach-casual: wooden tables, shade sails over the terrace, salt in the air. But the kitchen operates with the precision of a restaurant with higher aspirations. The langoustine thermidor — sweet, fresh crustaceans from the west coast's shallower reef zones, split and gratinéed with a classic Thermidor sauce of shallot, white wine, and cream — is the dish the restaurant is known for and orders most. The grilled fish platter, arriving on a cast-iron sizzling plate, comes with the morning's capitaine, dorade, or red snapper according to the catch, seasoned simply with herbs and lemon. The prawn rougaille starter — a generous portion of local prawns in a slow-cooked tomato and thyme sauce — arrives with a basket of warm baguette and sets the tone for the meal. The house rum punch is made with Chamarel white rum, fresh lime juice, and cane syrup, and arrives in a clay pitcher. Sunset at Bluemarine, with the west-facing beach turning gold, is the quintessential Mauritian evening.