We initially avoided the Easter Island restaurant La Taverne du Pecheur because it seemed too … well … obvious.

It was in such a perfect spot—right by Caleta Hanga Roa, where the dive shops sent out their boats for scuba and snorkeling—that we figured they’d get a ton of walk-in traffic without a need to serve good food, and so would only have location on their side.

Besides, we preferred to find restaurants a little off the beaten track. (As if Easter Island wasn’t off the beaten track enough!) But then the Belgian family we befriended at Chez Maria Goretti told us we must go … so we went.

We sat on a second story patio outside beneath an umbrella (that may even be our table right above the restaurant’s sign), but soon the heavens opened, and the umbrella wasn’t enough to protect us. We moved to a table under an awning, but remained on the patio, so we could keep our view, which included moai who did not at all care that they were out in a storm.

My appetizer was a mixed seafood ceviche with an astounding amount of fish—not just a mounded parfait glass, but three filled shells as well. Sadly, this cerviche had much too strong a cure, meaning that rather than tasting the individual fish I tasted the citrus more, which was rather disappointing.

Irene’s starter was King crab with mayo and olive oil sauce, and she was very pleased.

My entree was tuna in margarita sauce with scallops, shrimps, octopus and calamari … plus a lot of vegetables. Which I’d have been happier with had they not come to the table either lukewarm or cool. The tuna and other fish at the heart of the dish were well-prepared, though.

Irene wasn’t in the mood for a full entree, so chose an appetizer for that course—La Taverne Scallops. I didn’t steal a taste, so all I can report is that she said she was happy.

For dessert, I went with the coconut creme brûlée …

… while Irene ordered the mousse of chocolate glacee.

I enjoyed the creme brûlée, though the topping was unexpectedly soft rather than brittle, leading me to believe that it hadn’t been freshly melted, while Irene says her mousse didn’t really seem to be a mousse, with a runnier, more liquid texture than mousse requires. She says it still had a good flavor, though.

I was ultimately glad that our hotel neighbors had nudged us to check the place out. However, though La Taverne du Pecheur offered a beautiful view and friendly service (and a huge menu, which also included thick steaks and foie gras), Tataku Vave was the clear winner when it came to Easter island cuisine.