first night on Oahu, what's a good restaurant choice?
 

dh and I will be arriving in Oahu on Sept 1st (yippe, only a 2 weeks from Wednesday!!)
we are staying at the Hilton Hawaiin village, and will be landing (from NYC) in Honolulu at 5:30 pm, so we will be exhausted. I want a nice, but casual restaurant,maybe a place where we can get a drink before or after we eat.... maybe a nice view - since it will be ur firsttime in Hawaii...
any suggestions?

something convenient to our resort.

House Without a Key at the Halekulani. Nice, casual, outdoor location with live music, right next to the beach. The sunset views are exceptional (although you might miss sunset by the time you get settled). And the best mai-tai that I had anywhere on my last trip to the islands. It is about a 10-minute walk down the beach from the HHV.

By the time you land, get your luggage, get your car (?), and get to the Hilton, it'll be close to 7PM.

Lucky for you, the Hilton has lots of dining choices right there on their property -- from pizza to haute cuisine -- no need to drive anywhere to eat:
http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com/dining/index.asp

If you want casual with a view, head for Tropics -- beachfront and casual. For an extraordinary dining experience, head to Bali by the Sea:
http://www.hiltonhawaiianvillage.com...by-the-sea.asp

I second the suggestion to simply eat at HHV and get a good night's sleep. Our plane arrived in Oahu shortly after 3:30 pm after which we picked up rental car, checked in the hotel, walked around the Hilton's ground and spend time at the beach. We headed back to our room, thinking we would go out to eat when my brain turned to mush and I swore we could never found our way out of the Hilton. That's when I realized how exhausted I was. We went downstairs, bought sandwiches and went to bed. Take care of yourself that first night.

Have fun in Hawaii! It's been one month since we went to Oahu and I STILL miss it.

Cats

My favorite dining location on Waikiki is Dukes. It's right next door to the Royal Hawaiian. You'll probably want to take a taxi to it since it is a 30 min. walk to get there. Casual, but excellent seafood at reasonable prices. They have a great bar and a fantastic view. Since you'll probably have to wait for a table anyhow, the bar will come in handy. We stayed at the HHV in the rainbow tower and had a great time. The restaurants there weren't too bad at all, so if you'd rather stay close to home, so to speak, eat there. Have fun!

My favorite dining spots for casual Waikiki meals are House Without A Key at the Halekulani and Tiki's at the Aston Waikiki Beach Resort.

Favorite place for a cocktail is Banyan Veranda at the Moana Surfrider.

Also love the Hau Tree at the New Otani.

If you are tired when you arrive and want a casual place, the Wailana Coffee House was recommended to us as a place where locals eat. It is across the street to the left of the HHV. Has a salad bar and many menu offerings. I got a pineapple boat that had the only poor pineapple that I got during our trip, but the other five people in our party enjoyed their selections.

If you are not too tired after eating, check out Olomana in the HHV's Paradise Lounge. Their first show starts at 8 PM and Jerry Santos is wonderful. They play till midnight with a break at about 10. You can walk in at any time, though.

Re: Jerry Santos & Olomana

Jerry's there on both Friday and Saturday night -- sometimes with the entire Olomana group, sometimes with other talented musicians. Always great hula and music, always good fun.

thanks for the replies!
I think it is between House without a key, if we feel up to it,
or Tropics at the HHV if we are too tired.

golpher - Dukes is on my list! we are going there on our last night in Oahu, before going to Kauai in the morning (and then Maui ! :)) I'm excited :)

lasjas - if you take me with you, I'll show you "THE" place to eat in Oahu that caters to people suffering from jetlag once they get to Hawaii. Okay, I'm lying, I just want to return to the islands. ENJOY YOURSELF!