Tana's restaurant scene is shaped by the city's Malagasy–French hybrid culture. Expect zebu brochettes, ravitoto (pork with cassava leaves), romazava broth, and fresh highland crayfish alongside French bistro classics and straightforward rice dishes. The best eating is split between the Haute-Ville restaurants aimed at expats and discerning locals, and the street-level gargotes and market stalls where Tana's working population eats cheaply and well.
Prices are low by any international standard. A full meal with beer at a neighbourhood restaurant costs very little; even the upscale French-influenced places are modest by European comparison. Vanilla, the country's most famous export, turns up in unexpected places — sauces, desserts, and even drinks.