Eat · Central Market & Aapravasi Ghat
Alouda and cane-juice stalls
Alouda, a cold sweet drink of milk, basil seeds and agar jelly, and fresh sugar-cane juice: a cooling Rs 40–80 break on a hot morning near the market.
- Cold sweet drink
- Rs 40–80
- Hot-day break
- Order: Alouda or cane juice
- Counter seating
- Walk-in window: 09:00–16:00
- Queue risk: before 09:00
- Cash only
Highlights come from Voykit's own data and desk notes, not from reviews. Hover a tag to see its source.
Rules in force · 10Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…Avoid driving into or out of Port Louis at 07
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- African islands ↗In the Indian Ocean islands book flexible rates for December to March: a cyclone warning can shut airports, ferries and roads for two or three days.
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- Mauritius ↗Check with a travel clinic whether a yellow fever vaccination certificate is required if you are arriving from or through a country with yellow fever risk.
- Mauritius ↗Drones need permission from the authorities; do not fly one without it.
- Port Louis and the centre ↗Cross-island drives take longer than the map suggests: avoid Port Louis at 07:00–09:30 and 16:00–18:30.
- Port Louis ↗Avoid driving into or out of Port Louis at 07:00–09:30 and 16:00–18:30: traffic on the motorway and city streets stops; add an hour to any transfer.
- Port Louis ↗Sunday is quiet: many shops and stalls close or shorten their hours, so plan visits Monday to Saturday and check hours locally.
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Map & directions
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Plan
Open now, when you can walk in, what to order
Go now?
Open?
Hours vary; midday to afternoon is the usual window
Busy this hour
Estimate by hour below
Easiest walk-in
09:00–16:00
Reservations
Walk-in, no reservation
Paying
Cash only
Per person
MUR 40–1202026 estimate · check
Walk-in windows
Tip
Format
A walk-in lunch is only planned as primary when your arrival lands outside the “impossible” window.
Your first order
- Alouda (milk, basil seeds, jelly, rose syrup)AloudaSweet, cold and filling.MUR 40–80
Menus and prices change; the board on the day wins.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
On the ground
How to order, tip and pay, allergies, and booking
How to order
- Pick a busy stall.
- Say what you want.
- Ask for less sugar or no ice.
Tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 5–10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
Allergies and diets
- YesVegetarian · Milk-based drink. · say: “I am vegetarian.”
- NoVegan · Milk.
- YesHalal · Check jelly. · say: “No alcohol.”
- YesGluten-free · Naturally gluten-free.
- AskNut allergy · Ask.
- Not on fileAllergy · Milk and sugar; show a note. · say: “I am allergic to ___.”
Paying
Cash only
- Pay in cash.
- Check the price before you order.
- Cash (rupees).
Booking
- Booking
- Walk-in, no reservation
- Reservations
- Not taken
- Note
- Walk-in.
Not checked in the last 12 months (no check date on file).
Map and nearby
Where this place is, how to get there, and what is around it
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Add your hotel to get directions from it. · stays in this browser; shared with the pocket card.
Nearby places
Eat nearby
More detail
Everything else we know about this place
How to order here, in full
How to order here
The order of play at the counter or table, what to say, how much to order and how to pay.
- 1Pick a busy stall.
- 2Say what you want.
- 3Ask for less sugar or no ice.
No shared language? Tap dishes in the order builder below and show the waiter the full-screen list in the local script. For a printed menu, translate a photo of it.
What to say
| In English | Say or show | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| How are you? | Ki manyer? | kee man-yair |
| How much is this? | Konbien sa? | kom-byen sa |
| Not spicy, please | Pena piman, souple | pe-na pee-man soo-play |
| No meat, please | Pena lavian, souple | pe-na la-vyan soo-play |
| Help | Lekour | le-koor |
| Hello | Bonzour | bon-zoor |
| Thank you | Mersi | mair-see |
Extras, condiments and what costs extra
- Ask about chilli: say 'pena piman' for none.
Paying and tipping
Sit-down restaurants: about 5–10%, less than the 15–20% US norm.
- Pay in cash.
- Check the price before you order.
- Cash (rupees).
- Carry small notes; street stalls do not give change for big ones.
At the table
- Eat where the turnover is fast and the food is hot.
Price and paying
- Typical spend
- Rs 40–120 per person
Paying, diet and allergies
Paying
Accepted everywhere; the only method at most stalls.
Not accepted at street stalls.
Not used.
Mobile wallets at some shops (check).
Diet and allergies
Yes means there is something for you; ask means possible with care; no means go elsewhere.
- Vegetarianyes
Milk-based drink.
Show: I am vegetarian.
- Veganno
Milk.
- Halalyes
Check jelly.
Show: No alcohol.
- Gluten-freeyes
Naturally gluten-free.
- Nut allergyask
Ask.
- Allergynot on file
Milk and sugar; show a note.
Show: I am allergic to ___.
What is in the dishes
- Alouda (milk, basil seeds, jelly, rose syrup)Aloudadairy
Read from the menu names and notes; recipes vary and cross-contact is not tested. Check with the kitchen.
Who it suits, booking and the kitchen
Who it suits, booking, closures
- How to book
- Walk-up only.
- How far ahead
- Not needed
- No-show / cancel fee
- Not applicable
- Dress code
- Casual.
| When | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Sundays | check before you go | Many stalls close. |
| Evenings | check before you go | Most close early. |
Show the kitchen
Tap a need to get a large screen you can hold up to staff. The wording is the guide’s; a helper who reads the language should confirm it if your allergy is serious.
Hour by hour, with queue times
Quietest listed hour: 09:00 (quiet).
- 09:00quietlittle or no wait
- 10:00lightlittle or no wait
- 11:00busya short wait is possible
- 12:00heavyexpect a line
- 13:00heavyexpect a line
- 14:00busya short wait is possible
- 15:00lightlittle or no wait
Desk estimate of crowd on a weekday; weekends and holidays run one level higher. Not live data. No line length is on file, so waits are in words.
Comfort, facts and cons
Hygiene and comfort
- Seating
- Counter seats
- Kids
- Sweet and cold; ask for less sugar
- Access
- step-free: yes · Street-level counters
Hygiene
- Ask for no ice if unsure of the water.
- Choose busy stalls.
Facts
- Reservations
- Not taken — Walk-in.
- Capabilities
- food
- Getting there
- Drink stalls beside the market and in nearby streets · ~3 min walk
Cons
- Sweet; not for diabetics.
- Ask about ice and water quality.
- Cash only.
Dish glossary
| On the menu | What it is | Order it how |
|---|---|---|
| Alouda | Cold sweet drink with milk, basil seeds and jelly. | Say "alouda". |
| Jus de canne | Fresh sugar-cane juice. | Ask for no ice. |
| Sirop | Syrup. | Ask for less syrup. |
Price check
- locals pay
- A glass is Rs 40–80 (2026 estimate).
- tourist price
- No known two-tier pricing.
- rule
- Check the price before you order.
Deep dive
Questions, alternatives, and where our facts come from
Questions and answers
Questions and answers
What is alouda?
A cold sweet drink of milk, basil seeds and jelly; a Mauritian favourite.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
Is the ice safe?
Ask for no ice or choose bottled drinks.
Checked 2026-09-29 · Voykit desk
If it is closed or full
Nearby alternatives
If it is closed or the line is too long
- Dholl puri stalls (Central Market area)3 min walkA snack.
- Gato piment and snack stalls1 min walkFried snacks by the piece: gato piment (chilli fritters), samosas, gato arouille (taro fritters) and bread rolls with chutney; a Rs 50–150 mid-morning bite in the market streets.
- Briani lunch canteens5 min walkMauritian biryani (briani) with chicken, mutton or vegetables at small lunch canteens near the market and mosque: a filling Rs 150–300 plate.
- Boulettes in Chinatown6 min walkChinese-Mauritian steamed dumplings in a light broth (boulettes), sold from small shops and carts in Chinatown: a warm, cheap lunch on a weekday.
Places without an authored walk are ranked by straight-line distance × 1.3 at 5 km/h (3 mph)3 mph (5 km/h).
All places to eat in Port Louis, with filters →
Used as a seated rest node in Port Louis in 4 days.
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage — Port Louis
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Source: Price per person
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Prices are 2026 estimates from the menu or the price line on file. Check on the day.
Source: Opening hours
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
Source: Best time
Draft
Written from desk research. Not yet compared with the official source.
No official source is recorded for this figure.
The easiest walk-in window or the quietest hour in this guide. Crowd levels are desk estimates, not counts.