Ylang-Ylang Beach Resort Restaurant — French / Malagasy, Nosy Be
Ylang-Ylang Beach Resort takes its name from the island's most culturally significant crop — the flower whose essential oil is used in Chanel No. 5 and produced on Nosy Be in greater quantity than anywhere else in the world. The resort's restaurant attempts to justify this fragrant name with cooking of corresponding ambition.
The kitchen produces the Franco-Malagasy cuisine that the island's finest establishments share: zebu with vanilla, crayfish from the reef in coconut and lime, and the seasonal fish preparations that Nosy Be's waters provide with generosity.
The beachfront setting — white sand, direct Indian Ocean access, and the fragrance of ylang-ylang from the distillery visible in the hills above — creates a dining environment that is specific to Nosy Be and available nowhere else in the world.
Sunset here, when the ylang-ylang fragrance intensifies in the evening cooling and the Indian Ocean turns its standard tropical palette, is among the most sensory-complete dining moments available in Madagascar.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Proposals
Ylang-ylang in the evening air, Indian Ocean sunset, crayfish with vanilla, and the beachfront table that the resort reserves for occasions. The most fragrant proposal setting on earth — twice, since Nosy Be and Moroni compete for that distinction.
Best Occasion: Great for Birthdays
The resort beach setting, the full Franco-Malagasy menu, and the Indian Ocean sunset make Ylang-Ylang Beach Resort the most atmospheric birthday dinner option on the island.