La Villa des Cannelles (Cilaos)

La Villa des Cannelles is an upscale restaurant on Rue des Cannelles in the village of Cilaos, in the Cirque de Cilaos, in the interior of Réunion. It offers refined mountain cuisine with Cilaos wines and local produce, in the French-Creole and Indian Ocean style, and at roughly €30–€60 per person it is among the most expensive tables in the cirque. Signature dishes include a terrine de foie gras tropical, a foie gras terrine with tropical accompaniments; Cilaos lamb with a saffron jus; and a vanilla soufflé made with Bourbon vanilla, the island's emblematic spice. The kitchen draws on mountain produce, including the lentils and chayote for which the cirque is known, and presents them with French technique, a step above the village's home-style caris. The dining room is hushed and formal in tone by Réunion standards, with a smart-casual dress expectation and low noise levels, suited to special occasions and couples. The wine programme includes bottles from the Cilaos vineyards alongside French wines shipped to the island. The restaurant opens Thursday to Tuesday for lunch (12:00–14:00) and dinner (19:30–21:30) and is closed on Wednesdays. Reservations are required and are made by telephone; booking several days ahead is wise for weekends and school holidays, when the village fills with walkers and thermal-spa visitors. Lunch is generally the easier service to secure and is typically less costly than dinner. Cilaos is reached by a long, winding road from Saint-Louis with several hundred bends, so visitors should allow extra travel time and avoid arriving late for a dinner booking. The cooler mountain climate makes the evenings noticeably chilly, so a jacket is useful.