Eat · Avarua town centre
Banana Court Bar & RestaurantBanana Court
Avarua's best-known bar and casual restaurant, on the main road opposite the harbour: go for a pub-style dinner any night, or for live music on a Friday or Saturday.
last order: unknownmixedCook IslandsNot field-verified
Key facts
- Price
- NZ$$
- Cook Islands
- Hours
- unknown
- Walk in
- 12:00–14:00
- easiest window
- Seating
- mixed
- booking: true
- Card
- yes
- Getting there
- Ara Tapu, town centre opposite the harbour
- 3 min walk
- The best-known bar in Avarua
- Live music some weekend nights
- Casual pub-style menu
- Order: Pub-style fish and chips or a burger
- Tables and stools
- Walk-in window: 12:00–14:00
- Queue risk: 18:00–20:00
- Book ahead
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 9
- Oceania ↗Oceania's island states guard their farms and reefs at the border: tick 'yes' on the arrival card for any food, plant, animal product, soil or used outdoor gear, and let the officer decide.
- Oceania ↗Across the tropical South Pacific, cyclones are possible from November to April: choose insurance that covers weather delays and keep one spare night before a long-haul departure.
- Polynesia ↗In much of Polynesia Sunday is kept for church and family: expect shops, tours and some flights to stop, and dress and behave quietly in villages.
- Cook Islands ↗Entry rules are the Cook Islands' own: visitors get a 31-day visitor permit on arrival with an onward ticket and booked accommodation, but check Cook Islands immigration for your passport. If you connect through Auckland, check New Zealand's NZeTA and transit rules too.
- Cook Islands ↗Declare food, plant and animal products on arrival; biosecurity inspection is strict.
- Cook Islands ↗Drive on the left; the speed limit around Rarotonga is low, and helmets are required on scooters. Check the licence rules for visitors on arrival.
- Rarotonga ↗Scooters cause many visitor injuries: use a helmet, ride slowly and check licence rules for visitors on arrival.
- Avarua ↗Sunday is a rest day: most shops, the market and many cafes close, and the buses run a reduced service. Plan food and cash for Saturday night.
- Avarua ↗Scooters cause most visitor injuries on Rarotonga; wear a helmet, keep to the low speed limit and check that your licence is accepted before you rent one.
Map & directions
Directions
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Plan
When you can walk in, what to order, how to pay
Walk-in windows
12:00–14:00: high18:00–20:00: riskyFri–Sat evening (live music): risky
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
When to go, hour by hour
steady12:00
busy13:00
busy18:00
packed19:00
packed20:00
- 20:00Higher again on a live-music night.
Desk estimate; live-music nights run one to two levels higher.
Paying and dietary fit
Cashyes
Cardyes
Who it suits, booking, closures
goodSolo — Bar seating and a friendly, well-known room.
okFamilies — Casual and loud rather than quiet; fine earlier in the evening.
goodGroups — The default group dinner and drinks stop in town.
- How to book
- Ask at the bar for a table; book ahead for a group on a known live-music night.
- How far ahead
- Same day for most nights; a day or two ahead for a big group.
| When | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | check before you go | Hours may be shorter on Sunday, the island's rest day; confirm locally. |
On the ground
Facts
- Reservations
- true — Walk-in for most nights; ask about a table for a group on a live-music night.
- Capabilities
- food · seated_rest
- Diet
- vegetarian: limited · gluten free: unknown · halal: unknown
- Getting there
- Ara Tapu, town centre opposite the harbour · ~3 min walk
Cons
- Loud on live-music nights.
- Prices are pub-restaurant level for the island, not budget.
Ordering helpDish glossary · Price check · Dietary phrases · Hygiene
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Pub meal | Burgers, fish and chips, steak and a mixed grill; the standard casual-dining menu. | Point at the specials board for the day's fresh-fish option. |
| Island night | A themed dinner with local dance and music some venues run on set nights. | Ask which nights the venue runs one and whether it needs booking. |
Price check
- locals pay
- A basic burger or fish and chips runs about NZ$18–25 (≈ US$11–15) (2026 estimate).
- tourist price
- A steak or seafood main runs about NZ$32–45 (≈ US$19–30); not inflated for visitors, this is the going island rate for a sit-down restaurant.
- rule
- Ask about the day's fresh-fish special before ordering: it is usually better value than the printed seafood mains.
| Extra on the table | Typical charge | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| A cover charge on some live-music nights | Varies by act; ask at the door | Confirm before you order a table for the show. |
Dietary: what to say
| Need | Say or show | Reality here |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | Do you have a vegetarian option? | A limited vegetarian dish or salad is usually available; confirm on the day. |
| Shellfish allergy | I have a shellfish allergy. | Ask the kitchen directly; a pub kitchen with a fryer has a real cross-contact risk. |
Hygiene notes
- A well-established, busy kitchen; standard visitor food-safety caution still applies to any raw-fish dish.
Deep dive
Questions, nearby food and sources
Questions and answers
Is it loud?
Yes on live-music nights; earlier evenings and lunch are quieter.
Checked 2026-09-28 · Voykit desk
Is it just a bar?
No, it serves a full casual-dining menu through the day and evening as well as being the town's best-known bar.
Do I need to book?
Walk-in works most nights; book ahead for a group on a live-music evening.
Answers come from Voykit editors, not from other travellers.
All places to eat in Avarua, with filters →
Nearby
Straight-line distance; walk time adds 30% for streets.
Used as a seated rest node in Avarua in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Rarotonga (eat)