Big Island restaurant help!!!
 

Hey folks,

I am going to be at the Hapuna Beach Hotel over the new year. I want to take my husband to a romantic restaurant to celebrate New Year's Eve. PLEASE tell me what the best restaurant is in the area in terms of food and atmosphere. Money is not an object. We eat all types of food and appreciate presentation and wine lists. Oh, and we will have a car.

thanks so much!

I really think it's hard to beat the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani (down the road) for sheer romance (and very good food.) Come at sunset when the sky fades and they floodlight the surf line. Magic.

Less romantic but most think the best food on the island is Merriman's in Kamuela (up the road.)

Or do both.

We were on the BI last month for our honeymoon. Merriman's in Waimea is fabulous. Mrs. MileKing claimed it was the best meal she has EVER had. We also dined at the Canoe House and the food there was excellent as well, and it has a great atmosphere. Get a reservation outside for about 1/2 hr before sunset.

We also went to the Coast Grille at the Hapuna. Food was good, as is the view, but not as good as either of the two above. Service was poor. At the end of the meal we spent 20 minutes messing around with the bill when our server incorrectly entered my credit card for another table and was then unable to correct it due to some kind of error with their system. Although eventually resolved, the way they handled the whole thing was ridiculous. I would never go back there.

We ate at the Coast Grille at the HP this summer. We thought it was terrific. Great food, wonderful service
and a lovely view. We also ate at the
Canoe House and while the view was great
we did not feel that the food lived up
to the reputation. Our favorite place
was Browns at the Orchid. Right at ocean level - perfect for sunset viewing- and with fantastic food both times we went. I would highly recommend it. Have fun.

I was at the Hapuna in April. We ate at the Coast Grille the first night there - it was very very nice. Get a table outside and it is very romantic. The food was excellent. We really didn't venture away from the resort for dinner at all since we didn't want to spend an hour round trip in the car. I don't recomment the Japanese steakhouse at the Hapuna, we ate there one night - though the steak was good, there was no atmosphere and we had bad luck with service. For another night - at the sister hotel, Makena, we didn't eat at the restaurants but did enjoy a great lobster and everything you can imagine outdoor buffet! Happy New Year!