The most delicious guide article: Seychelles cuisine. I will tell you what a tourist should try, what features and ingredients are characteristic of Seychellois cuisine. There will be a lot of useful information that will at least give you a general idea of the food on the islands.
Seychelles Cuisine: General Information
Summarizing the main points to know about food and Seychellois cuisine:
- The national cuisine is considered Creole.
Interesting to know:
In very broad terms, Creole cuisine is a mix of Indian, European, and African cuisines.
- The most popular ingredients in Creole cuisine: rice, meat, fish, vegetables. Creole cuisine involves a lot of frying and fewer soups. Thick gravies and sauces to accompany rice are common in Creole kitchens.
Despite Creole cuisine existing in many parts of our planet, each region has its own characteristics. Seychellois Creole cuisine has two distinct features:
- There are absolutely no restrictions on meat, even though the foundation of Creole cuisine is Indian. They prepare chicken, pork, beef, lamb, goat meat here. Rabbits, pigeons, and guinea pigs are readily available at the market, and many families even raise them at home. Dishes made from guinea pig meat are not served in restaurants today, but they are a regular family meal.

- The second feature: very few spicy dishes. Seychellois people do not often cook spicy food. Even Indian curry here is almost non-spicy, although in India, curry is usually quite hot at least twice, if you know what I mean :).
Tourists here are divided into two camps: those who like it spicier, like in Thailand or India, are disappointed by this news. And those who do not like spicy food, for them, it’s wonderful.
Seychellois Cuisine: What to Try
I will list the main dishes that I recommend tourists try. I cannot say that food in Seychelles is diverse; in addition to Creole cuisine, Western European cuisine is very popular on the islands: French fries with nuggets, pasta, pizza, burgers—prepared in almost any restaurant alongside Seychellois national dishes. A very informative article about dining in Seychelles: prices, menus, tips, where to eat on a budget.
Seychelles Cuisine: Seafood
I am often asked about seafood and its variety in Seychelles, as many tourists love seafood and expect to find it in Seychelles. In general, the situation is as follows:
- There is plenty of fish here, and the variety is immense: tuna, barracuda, sea bass, and so on. I could list a dozen or more types.
- Shrimp is not caught in Seychellois waters; you can only buy frozen ones.
- Various mollusks, oysters, mussels, like in Asia, are almost nonexistent here.
- Lobsters are not caught; most lobsters in Seychelles are imported, which means they are expensive.
- There are quite a few octopuses here; locals catch them along the beaches in rocky crevices. But many are also frozen.

There are two main ways to prepare seafood:
- They simmer it and serve it with rice as a gravy. They use fillets of any large fish or octopuses.
- The most popular method of preparation is on the grill (barbecue). They grill everything on a barbecue: fish, shrimp, lobsters, octopuses, and so on. Barbecue is very popular here; they make it in any restaurant, and there is probably a grill in the yard of your villa/apartment. You buy or catch the fish, buy charcoal, and enjoy a gastronomic ecstasy. Here are two useful articles:
- Features of Accommodation in Seychelles: What to Look For
- Fishing in Seychelles: From the Shore or from a Yacht

Creole Dishes in Seychelles
Seafood is good, and it is an integral part of any coastal country. But calling grilled fish Creole cuisine would be not entirely correct. So, regarding seafood, everything is clear, and below is specifically the national food in Seychelles and authentic Creole cuisine.
- Seychellois curry. Cooked absolutely everywhere. Not spicy or almost non-spicy. There are countless variations: chicken curry, octopus curry, fish curry, you get the idea. Kari koko zourit is a variety of Seychellois curry – octopus cooked in coconut milk.
- Civet de chauve souris – this is a special curry made from the meat of a fruit bat. You probably won’t find it in restaurants, but the tradition remains.
- They also fry guinea pigs and fruit bats in boiling oil. Like KFC cooks chicken wings. You probably won’t find such a dish in a restaurant either.
- Fried rice, biryani rice, and other varieties of fried rice with meat (any meat), vegetables, and spices.

- Chatni, or Chatini, also Dal: a sauce made in Seychelles from lentils, onions, vegetables, turmeric, and other spices. It is often offered as an accompaniment to rice. This is precisely a sauce and an addition to any side dish or meat.
- Ginger Crab – this is more of a festive dish, often prepared for Christmas. In general, it is just curry with rice, but instead of chicken or fish, they make it from crab with ginger. Hence the names, ginger crab curry.
- In salads with cabbage, they often add green papaya. An interesting combination of ingredients!

About Christmas and New Year’s in Seychelles: Learn how they celebrate, what to bring from home, and what to be prepared for. An article for those who want to welcome the New Year under a palm tree in the southern hemisphere.
Travel Tips
As you’ve already gathered, Seychellois cuisine doesn’t boast a wide range of dishes. European cuisine is popular here, and you’re more likely to come across French fries with nuggets than traditional biryani rice. Such are the modern trends, and the influence of European cuisine has even reached this far.

Here are a few personal tips I can offer:
- If you see octopus salad on the menu, go for it confidently; it’s always very tasty, often prepared with added heart of palm.
- There are over 50 banana recipes in the country. There’s even a recipe where bananas are grilled with sugar. Pay close attention to the dessert section of the menu; there might be something unusual for tourists.
- If you enjoy fishing, be sure to bring your fishing gear, look for accommodation with a barbecue, and you’ll have cool dinners of self-caught fish every day.
- And remember: rice is the star here. 80% of dishes, if not 90%, come with rice as a side.
- For those flying to Seychelles with kids, read the article through the link; there’s a lot of useful information, including about food. I especially recommend reading for those with picky-eater kids.
- As for what to drink in Seychelles, specifically about local alcohol, prices, tips, and recommendations, read this article.

In conclusion: the food in Seychelles is delicious, not spicy, cilantro is almost never used, and portions are always generous. The three most popular ingredients in Seychellois cuisine are rice, chicken, and seafood.
Enjoy your meal and may you have vibrant gastronomic discoveries!
IMPORTANT: essential links to organize your dream trip to the Seychelles:
- FLIGHTS: WayAway – direct flights and best deals.
- CAR RENTAL:
- Mahe and Praslin, no deposit required – LocalRent
- The most famous car rental company – DiscoverCars.
- TOURS and EXCURSIONS:
- GetYourGuide – 90+ activities and tours in the Seychelles.
- Viator – 130 + activities in Seychelles.
- TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA.
- HOTELS, VILLAS, APARTMENTS:
- TripAdvisor compares prices among a dozen other services and platforms and offers to choose the best one.
- Trip.com – one of the most popular accommodation booking platforms.
- PACKAGES: from budget to luxury – CheapOair.
- AIRPORT TRANSFER: Intui.
- INTERNET: eSIM of local telecom operator – Airalo.