I will be staying at the Mauna Kea next week and am wondering if anyone can recommend some nice restaurants in the area. I have heard Canoe Club at Mauna Lani is nice and also Cafe Pesto. I am looking for bot upscale and medium fare type places. Thanks!!

Hi Eric,

Just back from a week at the Mauna Kea. Our best meal was at Bamboo in Havi, about 25 minutes away. I can also highly recommend Paul Thiebaut in Waimea. And a great thing about Paul Thiebaut is they run a shuttle to the resort areas, so no driving is necessary.

We ate at Cafe Pesto, ok food at moderate prices and only 5 minutes from the hotel. But not as good as I expected, having read so many good things at this site. Also tried Koa House Grill in Waimea, where the food was good, but the service terrible.

At the hotel we tried the Clambake, Hau Tree and Pavillion, but not Batik. i was pleased with all the hotel restaurants.

Try Merriman's in Kamuela. Great place.

I agree with KT! Paul Thiebaut is an excellent restaurant in Waimea. It is set in an old plantation style house -- very charming. Service is warm and friendly. You'll feel comfortable dressing casually or dressing up -- either way is fine. The lamb is excellent. And also the duck.
Enjoy!

By the way, it is a good idea to make reservations for such restaurants as the Canoe House, Paul Thiebaut, etc. They fill up quickly! The best time to visit the Canoe House, IMHO, is at sunset. Make an early reservation and request a nice table (one near the saltwater pond with a good view of the ocean). You will have a wonderful evening.
Aloha,
Kehau

We loved Pahu'ia at the 4 Seasons. Try to get reservations for an outdoor table, right by the ocean and very romantic!
Also, very expensive.

Topping for Erik

Another vote for Paul Thiebaut. My wife and I stumbled onto it in the dark after heading down from the summit of Mauna Kea last October. We were sure glad we did because we got a wonderful meal when we would have settled for just something edible. Plus we found out later that we got frequent flyer miles from them for using our credit card as payment. Hard to beat that

Sorry Erik... the place is actually called "Daniel Thiebaut" not Paul. As I said, it was dark when I was there...

http://www.danielthiebaut.com/

and I'm still on vacation!!

Canoe Club at sunset is a must!! Merriman's in Waimea was also great, as was the Batik Room at the MK. We loved Cafe Pesto for the casual nights - even did a takeout pizza from there on our balcony one night - heaven!

Can I come with you....????