Vote Here for BEST MAUI romantic dinner?
 

Please help me plan a wonderful wedding anniversary dinner for our trip to Maui in January. Share your experiences if you enjoyed a romantic dinner, either at a restaurant, at a luau, or wherever.

We are staying in South Maui but will have a car and are willing to drive anywhere. This is the first time we have taken an anniversary trip and I'd like the dinner to be a memorable experience.

I am considering the Feast at Lele but am open to anything. We like fish, seafood, exotic and spicy foods, fresh vegies, and pretty much any good food well prepared. (We also eat beef and chicken.)

Thank you!

Our current plans are to stay at the Maui Prince Hotel on the Maluaka Beach, and also to spend 3 nights at the Hotel Hana Maui. We'll be staying in South Maui on our anniversary night.

I vote for Mama's Fish House in Paia (on the way to Hana)! Gorgeous view during the day, but obviously at dinnertime it's too dark to see the view (depending how late you eat). Yummy!

Our most romantic/best dinner was at Nick's Fishmarket in the Kea Lani.

I will second Nick's as well. We ate there in September also for an anniversary. Make sure to tell them it is your anniversary. They gave us what we thought was the best table in the place and everyone wished us a happy anniversary. We both agreed it was one of the best meals we ever had and we have had some really wonderful meals! I also thought the price was really reasonable in comparison to some of the other places we ate. Have a great time!

Mama's Fish House

Another vote for Mama's. Find out what time the sun sets (around 6:00) and go about a 1/2 hour before that to wander the grounds and have a drink.

Forget the long drive across the island.
I'm sure Mama's is great for lunch with the view, but DINNER should be close to your hotel for safety and romance reasons. Driving long distances at night in Maui is not necessary. You don't say where you are staying. Lots of very romantic restaurants in Wailea area that are fantastic for all special occasions. Give us more of an idea so we can specify> and congratulations!!!

Deloris, I don't understand the comment about driving at night. We never felt unsafe driving on Maui, at night or any other time. Makena to Paia is about 25 miles, or a 45 minute drive. Melissa, if you were leaning toward Mama's, you can decide if this is farther than you want to go on your anniversary night. IMO it's a beautiful drive.

Definitely Nick's in the Kea Lani resort. Food was outstanding! The ambiance was romantic and the service was great.

i vote for Nick's also!!! we went there twice because it was so good and soooo romantic!
i think Deloris may have been just meaning that it is easier to stay close to "home", you may have a drink or two, or some champagne, it is jus easier and safer in some aspects to stay close

Hi Melissjoy

We spent several of my wife's birthdays on Maui and always went out. What we really liked was to go to one of the big resorts and have dinner at their outside restaurant at sunset then a walk on the beach after dinner. We have been to Kea Lani, Grand Wailea, Four Seasons, the difference is not great between these places what is important is the person and the setting.Make reservations and let them know it is a special night.

Have Fun
GP

Absolutely hands down the best and most romantic restaurant is Nick's at the Kea Lani. My hasband ahd dinner there on Sept. 28th for my 50th birthday. We both agreed it was the best and most romantic meal we had ever had. The atmosphere is beautiful and elegant. WE had what i thought was one of the best tables right be the patio wall overlooking the koi pond and with the spectactular sunset beyond that SIGH! Mr. Collins was our head waiter and was just great I really hope you do ahve dinner there and Mr. Colins is your wiater. Do make reservations for sunset time so you get to see the torch lighting ceremony.

Looks like it's between Nick's and Mama's. I ate at both this last Sept and they are both Top Notch. I think Mama's wins in the atmosphere - scenic location though. It's just beautiful if you go before dark. But you can't go wrong with either.

Thanks, you guys are great! If there are any more votes, keep them coming!

I actually could go to Nicks and to Mama's Fish House as well...We are staying 4 nights at the Maui Prince Hotel on Maluaka Beach, which I chose for the great snorkeling on that beach. We are also staying 3 nights at the Hotel Hana Maui, where we have a wonderful-sounding cottage with a hot-tub on the deck overlooking the ocean!

Does any one know how far a drive Mama's Fish House is from the Hotel Hana Maui? Maybe we could have lunch at Mama's Fish House? Or an early dinner before it gets dark?

Can anyone tell me how much dinner for 2 would cost at Nick's and at Mama's Fish House, assuming that we ordered something in the middle-price-range of their menu, and NOT counting drinks? Can you give me a range? Also is lunch at Mama's Fish house cheaper than dinner?

We've been married 23 years...Wow! I'm stunned! And by now I know how to solve arguments about money before they happen...Better to let my husband know now the costs of what I'm planning, so there's no big surprises once we are enjoying romantic Maui. Maybe I should check for a web-site for these restaurants!

Grazie, grazie, grazie. (I'm still excited from our June family trip to Italy.)

I am very excited!

Last year Mama's charged $20-$30 for entrees and $10-15 for appetizers and desserts. It has a website. I recall that Nick's is part of the Tri-Sar Restaurant group, whose site may be found through any good search engine. My children loved Mama's, whose ambience (and lady's room I'm told) cannot be surpassed. Very good food, though Nick's might be better. Can't go wrong w/ either.

Neither Nick's nor Mama's websites have prices on their menus. At Mama's however, I imagine you could figure on a minimum of $40pp not including alcohol. Their menu changes daily depending on the day's catch.

Sorry I can't help you with Nick's prices. (I guess if we have to ask...we can't afford it, right?) Seriously, we don't often spend that much on a meal, but in this case it certainly would be warranted. Happy Anniversary!

Maggi and Lex, thanks for the restaurant pricing. Those prices aren't bad.

Maggi, in regards to "if you have to ask, you can't afford it"...well, actually, you haven't met my husband! The more money he earns, the more he's afraid to let go of it! Our kids tease him and they say, it's okay, Dad, if you don't spend it on us now, we'll just have it all after you die!!!"

I ask prices not because we can't afford it, but because my husband believes firmly in his innermost thrifty heart that you must NEVER waste anything, no matter how abundantly you've been blessed with riches. My job is to find out the prices and convince him that it's NOT wasted! I do a pretty good job of this. :)

Hmmm, I haven't been to Nick's (am going in November during my honeymoon) but this is their menu and I'm pretty sure I see prices...

http://www.tri-star-restaurants.com/.../NicksMenu.PDF

Definitely vote for Nick's. Wonderful food, gorgeous setting and exemplary service! Have had our final dinner there every time we leave Maui. (I am planning our first family trip to Italy this March!!)
Ciao!

jgg: We just took our first family trip to Italy in June! Fantastic! Need any help planning? I loooove talking about Italy. I planned the trip for my family.

Many votes for Nick's. Must be a special place! I am going to try to find photos and a menu on-line. Somebody posted a link up above.

Anybody tried a place called Sarento's on the Beach? (at the Maui Oceanfront Inn.) Apparently has the same owners as Nick's Fishmarket, I am reading. Wonder which is better? Anybody know?

it is not very reasonable to expect to drive from the Hotel Hana Maui to Mama's, you'll have to drive all the way back up the Hana Highway to get to Mama's and then back down the Hana highway to get back to the Hotel hana Maui, not very relaxing....
You can go to Mama's on the way tot Hana..possibly...

have a great time!
my husband and I spent about $200 at Nicks but that was with a couple of drinks each

Melissajoy,
We have not been to Sarento's but it IS owned by the same people who run Nick's and I believe has been voted locally (in Wailea) as the most romantic dinner. I believe it is right on the beach.

I am enjoying planning our trip to Italy and have read many of your posts here as well as on Slow Travel. We have spent our last 4 spring breaks in Maui. As much as we have enjoyed them, we are looking forward to seeing more of the world!

My Husband and I were just at Mama's on Wednesday for our 25th Anniversary Dinner. It was absolutely beautiful. We are home now :( Anyway, it was $160. We each had a drink and only one dessert. Enjoy!!!

LASJAS, how long is the drive from Hotel Hana Maui to Mama's? Does anybody know how long the drive is from the Maui Prince Hotel (just south of Wailea) to Mama's? Maybe we can stop for lunch at Mama's when we leave the Hotel Hana Maui and move to the Maui Prince Hotel.

JGG: What's your favorite part of Maui: Wailea, Kaanapali, Kapalua area, or Hana area? You must have seen a lot of Maui in 4 trips.

You are going to love Italy! I wanna go back. Where are you going? We saw Rome, Amalfi Coast, Siena, Florence, and Venice...way too much to fit in but amazing! It's sooo great to travel independently, especially if you do thorough research first. LEARN SOME ITALIAN now...even if you only learn a few phrases, then use it in Italy. It really adds to the fun and helps you connect with the Italians you meet.

Every October my husband and I go to Hana for the Aloha Festival. We always set aside one night to dine on the lanai at the Hotel Hana-Maui. To me this is probably my favorite romantic dinner spot on the island. The dining room is never full, and if you ask for a table out on the lanai you will have an exceptional, private, romantic dining expeience. We try to avoid Friday nights, as they have a buffet on Fridays and I much prefer to order from their menu. We have always found the service to be excellent with out being intrusive onour meal. I can not say that about some of the other restaurants on the island. I do find hovering servers who refill your water glass after each sip and rush to refold your napkin conducive to a romantic meal. I prefer to be served and left to enjoy my meal and the company of my husband.

As for Sarento's, I do not consider the restaurant itself to romantic, although their marketing pieces will tell you it is on the "most romantic beach" on Maui. I am not sure that anoy locals have named it the Most romantic restaurant, as most locals I know steer clear of Sarento's. Their reputation is spotty and we have better food for the money on the island. I'd have to nominate Capsiche? for a more romantic setting and consistantly excellent Italian food, over Sarentos any day.

From Makena to Ku`ua for dinner at Mama's you'll need to allow an hour. Driving from Hana to Mama's would be two and half - three hours. This would work perhaps at the end of your Hana visit, on the way back.

I also find the Seawatch to be very romantic, if you dine on the lanai after dark. This place has been growing on me in recent months. On the other side I like the Plantation House, but that's a far piece from Wailea.

At any of these restaurants plan on at least $30 an entree. Mai tais at Mama's are $10 ($12?) each. The last time we had dinner at Mama's we spent $300, with cocktails, salad, pupus and a liliko`i creme brulee.

here_today_gone2Maui: Thanks for all the romantic restaurant suggestions. Dining on the lanai at the Hotel Hana Maui sounds lovely. I'll make a reservation for dinner there one night that we're in Hana.

So many great choices!

Melissajoy: We stayed in Kapalua on our honeymoon 18 years ago. The past four years we have been in Wailea. Kapalua is gorgeous, but I do prefer the weather in Wailea. I do not care for Kanapaali/Lahaina as they just tend to be more crowded.

We have only been to Hana once (18 yrs. ago). I would only go back if we were actually staying at the Hana Hotel (just haven't done it with the 2 kids) . It is beautiful, I expect you will have a wonderful time.

We have really enjoyed going to the upcountry, particularly Makawao. It is just so beautiful up there, and a quaint, quiet little town to roam around for a few hours.

Maui Prince to Mama's is probably about 45 minutes. I am not sure how long from Hana to Mama's Fish House - maybe 2-3 hours.

Other restaurants to recommend in Wailea/Makena/Kihei are Joe's Bar and Grill(Wailea), KKO (Kihei), Sensei (Kihei - great sushi and very inexpensive!!), Cafe Ciao (Fairmont Kea Lani) and of course Roy's (Kihei).

We are going to Rome, Venice and Florence for 2 weeks. I have some Italian language tapes but I need to start listening to them again! Can't wait!

JG

jgg: Makawao sounds interesting...I love little towns. So that would be someplace to stop on the day we drive up to see the sunset on Haleakala? We're going to spend 1 day going up to Haleakala.

I've made note of your other recommended restaurants.

To get from Hana to Wailea, does one drive south around the bottom of the island? And how long does that take?

So, you'll be spending 2 weeks in Rome, Florence, and Venice! Great choices! I recommend the very central Hotel Nazionale a Montecitorio on Piazza Montecitorio in Rome or any hotel near the Pantheon in Rome. Favorite family-run restaurant in Rome was Ristorante der Pallaro at Largo del Pallaro 15 (street abbreviated on Streetwise Rome map as "L. d. Pallaro".) It's walking distance from the Pantheon. 5-course dinner including wine for 20 euros each. Full of local Italian-speaking customers...so fun! Sit inside if they have a table...you get an insider's view of things that way. It's a block south of a major street called Corso Vittorio Emmanuele. You can't find specific restaunts in Rome without the Streetwise Rome map.

Grazie mille! Aloha!

In Venice great hotel is Pensione Accademia in dorsoduro section. Walking distance to San Marco or just a vaporetto stop away.

Melissajoy, check out the new post "Maui Trip Report" by wonderandamazement. There are comments on both Mama's and Nicks.

I would recommend Sarento's in the Wailea area. The food is absolutely delicious and the wait staff is very attentive. It's owned by the same people who run Nick's Fishmarket and Sarento's has received all sorts of awards. The osso bucco was incredible. I'd ask for one of the beach front tables, sit back, and enjoy...

Melissa Joy: Yes, it definitely does not take a day just to drive up to Haleakala, but a few stops along the way should make it a most enjoyable one. Three places I recommend are:
The Kula Lodge and Restuarant - In Kula, you will pass through this tiny town on your way up. We had lunch there (we were biking down the crater and stopped there). It was a very nice lunch, they also have a small art gallery and some beautiful gardens. Tour buses do stop there so just be prepared.

In Makawao for a simple/quickie meal or stop, there is Duncan's. It is just a little place great espresso, good ice cream (though I know it won't hold a candle to any gelato), and he also has a sushi chef with great sushi. You just sit down at the counter. This is great and cheap! There are several local shops as well as a glass shop with a glass blower that you can watch and talk to. (My son was fascinated - can't wait to take him to Murano!)

My last recommendation is the Hailimailie General Store. It technically is in Makawao but you can't really walk to it from the town. It is a wonderful restaurant by reknowned chef Beverly Gannon. It is pretty expensive for dinner but I expect lunch is probably a bit less expensive. You will really enjoy it. (Joe's Bar and Grill is her husband's restaurant in Wailea).

It is my understanding that you can not drive through South Maui to get to Hana. The road stops at some point and is really only passable with an ATV type vehicle. There really is no avoiding the "Road to Hana" .

We have booked our places in Italy. Albergo Cesari in Rome (right near the Pantheon), Locando Orseolo in Venice near San Marco (gets awesome reviews on TripAdvisor), and Tourist House Ghiberti in Florence. You know I have not really been keeping track of restaurant recommendations yet, but had written down Der Pellaro because someone else said it was great and run by the whole family. Now we will definitely not miss it.

jgg, thanks for suggestions of eateries and shops to stop at on the way up to Haleakala. I enjoy little towns with personality.

I visited Bordentown, New Jersey (little town), and there's a small coffee shop where you can get breakfast, and locals have their own mug with their name printed on it! I was so tickled by this! I wanted to move there.

Sounds like you picked good hotels with good locations for Rome. Hotels near the Pantheon in Rome are in a very interesting walkable area...You will all love it. Giolitti's is a fun gelato place you can walk to, and there are lots of restaurants. Ristorante der Pallaro is close to walk to from your hotel. (Need a good map to find it.) It's south of Piazza Navonna and slightly east of Campo de Fiori.

I didn't bring much of a list of restaurants with me to Italy because I thought it was too much trouble. But I ended up regretting it after we paid too much for so-so food. Then I began using the only guidebook I had brought with me. All the good food we had was either in the guidebook or else recommended by one 74-year-old on-line friend who had been to Italy 6 times.

Since you want to see the glass-blowing island near Venice (Murano? Burano?), are you staying at least 3 days in Venice? If so, buy each person the 3-day vaporetto pass for 22 euros each adult. that gives you unlimited on and off privileges and includes the islands of Murano, Burano, and 2 other islands too!

If there's a big line to walk up into the tower in San Marco square, take the vaporetto over to the very close island that you can see from San Marco across the Grand Canal...San Giorgio Maggiore. From San Marco take the 5-minute varporetto ride on #82 from the San Zaccaria Jolanda stop, which is past the Bridge of Sighs. On this little island you won't find very many people, and you can take the elevator right up to its tower without having to wait in any line...though there's a small fee to use the elevator but it's worth it. there's a wonderful view in all directions of Venice and surroundings! I think the elevator ride for 2 or 3 euros each. Entering the church is free. The elevator is in the church.

I do get carried away! Back to Hawaii.

jgg_ We just stayed at Locanda Orseolo in Venice and LOVED IT! Great little hotel in a great location. Try hard to get a room on the top floor. It's quieter, and the courtyard side with no view is MUCH quieter.

Have fun.
Steve R
Maryland

Melissa: we will be 4 nights in Venice so should have time to fit it in. Thanks for the tip about the vaporetto pass and the restaurants. I was feeling like the restaurants were too much trouble, but maybe I should start keeping notes!

Steve: Glad you had a great time at the Locando Orseolo. It really sounds wonderful. We have two rooms because we are travelling with our kids, one with a canal view and one without. So I will have a choice between view and quiet.

Ciao an Aloha!