The Hungry Crocodile

The Hungry Crocodile, part of the Casela Nature Parks network in Rivière Noire, is one of the most talked-about dining novelties on the island — and one that genuinely delivers beyond the gimmick. Tables are set on a wooden deck directly above the croc farm's main pond, where Nile crocodiles lounge in the shallows below. Dining inches above live crocodiles makes for an atmosphere you won't find anywhere else in the Indian Ocean. But the kitchen takes the menu seriously: crocodile meat, raised on the farm, is prepared half a dozen ways — in a slow-braised Creole stew (daube), grilled as steaks with a peri-peri sauce, or served as carpaccio with citrus dressing. The flavour sits between chicken and fish, leaner than either, and takes well to the island's spice palette. For guests who prefer more conventional protein, the menu includes lobster, octopus, and a solid cari de poule (chicken curry). The rum punch on arrival — poured from a pitcher at the table — is poured well. After lunch, a guided tour of the crocodile farm and the adjoining wildlife park is included with most dining packages. The Hungry Crocodile draws a tourist crowd but handles it well, and the setting keeps the experience memorable.