Since 1979: The Story of Bloody Mary’s, Bora Bora

Twenty years ago, on our honeymoon, my husband and I walked to Bloody Mary’s. It was not a good plan.

My father-in-law had been to Bora Bora before us, and he told us we had to go. So one day, while we were in town in Vaitape, we decided to walk there from the dock. How far could it be on an island this size?

Farther than we thought. The road follows the curve of the lagoon, which is lovely to look at and long to walk. By the time we arrived we were more than ready for a drink, and then we found out they weren’t open yet.

The bartender was there, though, setting up for the evening. He waved us in anyway and poured us drinks on the house, and when we were ready to go, he called us a cab back to town.

That was it. Nothing dramatic. But of everything we did on that trip, it’s the afternoon we bring up most, and it’s why we were happy to write this story.

A baron, a thatched roof and a sand floor

Bloody Mary’s begins with a character. In the late 1970s Baron George von Dangel, a Polish nobleman whose life had already taken him through aviation, film sets, Australia and Tahiti, arrived in Bora Bora. In 1979 he opened a rustic restaurant built from what the island had on hand: bamboo, coconut wood and pandanus thatch.

The idea was simple. Fish was grilled over coral stone and guests shared long tables. The floor was sand, the seats were cut from tree trunks and lanterns did the lighting. A few lagoon-side bungalows went up nearby soon after. At the time the Hotel Bora Bora was the island’s only luxury address, and its guests often walked over for dinner, finding their way back with flashlights.

The early years weren’t easy, and the venture ran into financial trouble. In 1985 Dexter Hewett, a Los Angeles entrepreneur, took over. Later a dock was built out over the lagoon so that visiting yachts could tie up and come ashore. The restaurant tells the longer version, with old photos, on its Our Story page.

The names by the door

You’ll notice the boards before you sit down. Bloody Mary’s has kept track of its better-known guests for decades, and their names are painted on boards near the entrance. Jimmy Buffett, Mötley Crüe, Chicago, Julio Iglesias, Marlon Brando, Quincy Jones, Pierce Brosnan, Harrison Ford and Jane Fonda have all been through, and recent visitors have spotted Rod Stewart, Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, Meg Ryan, Billy Idol, Charlie Sheen and Judge Judy among them.

Is it a little touristy? Yes. Most people stop, find a name they know and take a photo. But it’s a fair record of how long travelers have been making the trip here, and it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

What to order

The menu has changed over the years, but the setting hasn’t moved far from the original: a grill, a wooden bar, a thatched roof and sand underfoot. A few things recent visitors have ordered and enjoyed:

• The Bloody Mary. Made with a homemade mix. Ordering something else first feels a bit like ignoring the name on the sign.
• The vanilla rum punch. Another house signature, and a good one to share around the table.
• The Jimmy Buffett cheeseburger. Named for one of the bar’s famous guests. One diner called it juicy, with really good cheese, and we’ll take that as a recommendation.
• Fish and chips. A sailor coming ashore from the mooring field called it really good, and said he would be back for dinner.

For the current menu and hours, see the Dine page. It’s a popular spot, especially in the evening, so book ahead. If you’re traveling as a big group, ask about transport when you reserve: one party of twelve was sent a bus instead of a line of taxis.

Getting there (learn from us)

Bloody Mary’s is on the main island, on the coast road south of Vaitape, on the way to Matira Beach.

• From a resort on a motu. Most overwater resorts sit on the small islands around the lagoon, so you’ll take your resort’s boat to the main island, then a taxi. Allow time for both legs.
• From Vaitape. Take a taxi. If you really want to walk, check the opening time before you set out. We are living proof.
• By boat. There’s a mooring field in the bay in front of the restaurant, run by the island’s mooring service, and sailors come in by dinghy. The bay can be gusty: the trade winds funnel through a gap in the hills and blow straight in, so expect a lively night aboard on windy days. And don’t count on the Wi-Fi for anything urgent.
• After lunch. Keep going south to Matira Beach, a long stretch of white sand on a shallow, glowing lagoon. It’s a short drive from the restaurant and makes for an easy afternoon.

Now you can stay the night

The biggest change in Bloody Mary’s 47 years arrives this October, when it opens as a hotel. Bloody Mary’s Hotel is a boutique property with 53 rooms, built with thatched Polynesian-style roofs and natural textures and looking out over the lagoon to Mount Otemanu. The hotel is under local ownership, chosen by Dexter Hewett for its shared values, and the restaurant stays right where it has always been, with the same lagoon view.

What that means in practice is that you can linger over dinner and walk to bed. No boat transfer, no taxi, no long walk back to Vaitape. It’s also a different kind of Bora Bora stay from the big overwater resorts. You’re on the main island, close to the villages, the beaches and the island’s everyday life, rather than tucked away on a private motu. If an overwater bungalow is the dream, the motu resorts still do that best. If you’d rather be on the main island, a short walk from one of its most storied tables, this one deserves a look.

Because the hotel is brand new, it doesn’t have a track record yet, so we’ll report back once guests have settled in. In the meantime you can see the rooms and check dates on the hotel’s website, or book directly.

Why it lasts

Bora Bora has plenty of beautiful places to eat. Bloody Mary’s has lasted since 1979 because it is still, at heart, what the baron built: a sand floor, a grill, a long bar and people who seem genuinely glad you came. Twenty years on, a bartender who poured two lost honeymooners a drink before opening time is the reason it’s still at the top of our list.

If you go, say hello for us. And take a cab.