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Hip and pricey, this tapas bar is a top place in Hanalei in terms of flavor and creativity, with food that's often organic and consistently remarkable. The dining room is super-casual but chic, with a welcoming bar and a nice porch for outdoor dining. Owner-chef Jim Moffat's brief menu changes regularly, but favorites include honeycomb with goat cheese and sea scallops or Hawaiian ahi with pineapple and scallions. The adjacent sister restaurant, Ama, serves ramen and other Asian-style dishes in an upscale outdoor setting.
5--5161 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Hawaii, 96714, USA
Known For
- Sophisticated, eclectic cuisine
- Short, often-changing menu with innovative specials
- Interesting wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Sun. and Mon.
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This place is back, with both dine-in and takeout, at a cozy storefront where family recipes bring a mix of local cultures to the table. Meats are grilled over kiawe, Hawaiian mesquite. Read the menu's fine print so you don't miss BBQ sauce options like tangy lilikoi or guava pepper. Main dishes can be prepared in numerous ways, so don't be shy about asking for substitutions. Seating is limited; takeout is popular and well organized.
2--3687 Kaumualii Hwy., Lawai, Hawaii, 96765, USA
Known For
- Tropical BBQ flavors
- Gluten-free choices
- Comfort food with a local twist
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Fresh fish caught in local waters by local fishers take star billing at this upscale, tropical-theme restaurant and sushi lounge on the banks of the Hanalei River. There are also many land-based dishes on the menu, including Hawaiian and haole (white-person) chicken, beef tenderloin, and steaks. The Dolphin doesn’t take reservations—if there’s a wait, order a cocktail or glass of wine and hang out in the lush riverside garden. The on-site market sells fish and seafood as well as sushi rolls, steaks, and organic greens.
5--5016 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Hawaii, 96714, USA
Known For
- Fresh local ingredients
- Extensive wine and sake list
- On-site fish market also carries cheeses and steaks
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Mon.–Sat.
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Located in the laid-back Waimea Plantation Cottages hotel, this equally casual eatery has a veranda that's a great place to sit with a beer and watch the sunset while the kids run around on the lawn. The fare is simple and hearty: barrel-smoked barbecue chicken, pork, brisket, or ribs; plus salads, tacos, burgers, and pizza. Breakfast burritos, eggs, granola, and pancakes start the day. Barrel Taps, the sports bar in front, features a self-serve beer wall.
9400 Kaumualii Hwy., Waimea (Kauai County), Hawaii, 96796, USA
Known For
- Large portions
- Good breakfast options
- Great selection of sides
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$$ | | Coffee
Folks love this roadside café—especially at breakfast and lunch, though it's good for dinner, too—for its casual neighborhood feel and lengthy menu with omelets, sandwiches, burgers, and plenty more. Lots of Kauai products are used here, including Anahola Granola, fruit for smoothies, fresh-caught fish, and coffee, which you can also buy by the pound. Takeout is an option. This is a solid choice, with vegetarian and gluten-free options, in an area with limited restaurants.
2--2560 Kaumualii Hwy. (Rte. 50), Kalaheo, Hawaii, 96741, USA
Known For
- Fresh-baked pastries and bread
- Often busy, especially weekend mornings
- Hearty portions, like the Kahili Breakfast
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner Sun. and Mon.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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$$ | | Hawaiian
Order freshly prepared Hawaiian and American meals—breakfast, lunch, and dinner—snacks, beer, and wine at the counter at this casual, contemporary restaurant, coffee bar, and beer and wine bar in an upscale grocery store. The extensive and eclectic menus include something for everyone, from loco moco (white rice topped with a hamburger patty, brown gravy, and fried egg), plate lunches, and fresh-catch fish-and-chips to pizzas, burgers, salads, and sandwiches.
2555 Ala Namahana Pkwy., Kilauea, Hawaii, 96754, USA
Known For
- Indoor and outdoor seating
- Daily specials
- Convenient stop on the way to and from lighthouse and beaches
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The signature restaurant of the Westin Princeville Ocean Resort Villas has casual, open-air seating that perfectly complements an island-style menu sure to please a wide range of diners. Grilled rib eye is served with bacon and sour cream mashed potatoes, while the chicken—smoked kalua style—is accompanied by Molokai sweet potatoes. Lunch options include a plate lunch. At this writing, the restaurant was serving its pool bar menu but may transition to a fuller menu. The food is well executed and service is friendly.
3838 Wyllie Rd., Princeville, Hawaii, 96722, USA
Known For
- Kids eat free
- Inventive cocktails
- Local ingredients
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Attached to a gas station and small-items store, this classic hole-in-the-wall has the best deals for a take-out breakfast or lunch on the North Shore. Darron's local-beef burgers have a loyal following, and you may have to get in line for his lunchtime favorite, chili-pepper chicken. He also parks his food truck at Anini Beach every weekday from 11 am to 2 pm.
5--4280 Kuhio Hwy., Princeville, Hawaii, 96722, USA
Known For
- Espresso bar and homestyle breakfast and lunch plates
- Closes at 6:30 pm
- Food truck at Anini Beach on weekdays
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No dinner
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This plantation-cottage restaurant has a menu full of seafood but also offers additive-free vegetarian and vegan options. Top menu picks include crispy leek salad with buckwheat noodles, miso-chocolate beef short ribs, and grilled yucca. Desserts are made without refined sugar. Try the chocolate Marquesa with berries and pistachios or the chèvre cheesecake, topped with lilikoi (passion fruit) gel and apple-pear compote.
5--5075A Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Hawaii, 96714, USA
Known For
- Meat-free options, local-market fish
- Cozy dining room in historic setting
- Desserts with no refined sugar
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Sun. and Mon.
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$ | | Vegan
Pick up some of Kauai’s tastiest made-to-order rolls, sushi burritos, and poke bowls with ahi, smoked salmon, and (sometimes) ono at this modest trailer. Dine in the adjacent courtyard (snag a table with an umbrella) or picnic at the beach. This is a popular place, so be prepared to wait in line.
2484 Kaneke St., Kilauea, Hawaii, 96754, USA
Known For
- Entire menu is gluten-free
- Veggie and vegan options
- Fresh, local, organic ingredients
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Hanalei's restored old schoolhouse holds an airy restaurant offering dolphin-safe tuna, low-sodium meats, fresh-baked breads, and house-made desserts, as well as a casual atmosphere where both families and the sports-watching crowd can feel equally comfortable. Lunch and dinner menus feature sandwiches, burgers, hearty salads, a variety of pupus (appetizers), and nightly specials of fresh local fish. They also will prepare a picnic and give it to you in an insulated backpack. A full bar and frequent live entertainment keep things hopping even after the kitchen closes. Monday and Thursday evenings fill up for fish taco night, which begins at 6:30.
5--5161 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Hawaii, 96714, USA
Known For
- Friendly bar
- Consistently good food
- Fish taco nights
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Closed Permanently
With a beautiful setting, good food, stunning ocean view, and impeccable service by career waiters, Dondero's is one of Kauai's better restaurants. The menu features house-made pastas, classics like grilled seafood cioppino and tender veal osso buco, and salad greens cut daily from the hotel's hydroponic farm. Some menu items are gluten-free. Tiramisu or mango sorbet is a divine ending to the meal.
1571 Poipu Rd., Poipu, Hawaii, 96756, USA
Known For
- Italianate murals and elegant interior
- Romantic outdoor dining experience
- Emphasis on local ingredients
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch
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Closed Permanently
Savor an artful meal created by world-renowned chef Jean-Gorges Vongerichten, surrounded by a dramatic Hanalei Bay scene that's positively stunning at sunset. Located at the luxurious St. Regis Princeville Resort, Kauai Grill has dark-wood decor and an ornate chandelier, the centerpiece of the room. The attention here is on the flavors of robust meat and local, fresh seafood, though vegetarian options are available. Meats are simply grilled and paired with exotic sauces.
5520 Ka Haku Rd., Princeville, Hawaii, 96722, USA
Known For
- Skill on the grill
- Hawaii-grown ingredients
- Attentive service
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. No lunch., Reservations essential
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Closed Permanently
This second-story grill and sushi bar, previously known as Sushi Blues, has a pleasant ambience, with copper tabletops, lovely views of mountains streaked with waterfalls, and photos of international jazz greats lining the staircase. Regular entertainment, a full bar, and sake menu add to its appeal. The food isn't as inspired as the setting, but the specialty sushi items, such as the Popper Roll, which is filled with salmon, cream cheese, jalapeno, and avocado, wrapped in seaweed and tempura fried, are good. Or choose from steaks, fish, and seafood dishes.
5-5190 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Hawaii, 96714, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Credit cards accepted
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Closed Permanently
Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood above Poipu Beach, this longtime restaurant has an outside deck open to sweeping ocean views. It boasts an eclectic menu, with a few Asian and Mexican dishes slipped into the original all-Italian lineup. The interior has been freshened up with a remodel, and you can still dine outside with the twinkly lights. Start with the spicy tamales or fried calamari with a lemon-caper sauce. Choices include chicken picatta, ahi with ginger miso, a Thai beef satay risotto, and fettuccine with house-made Italian sausage. For dessert, take the plunge with a baked Hawaii—a chocolate-macadamia-nut brownie topped with coconut and passion-fruit sorbet and flambéed Italian meringue. Volume here can get a bit loud.
2301 Nalo Rd., Poipu, Hawaii, 96756, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Credit cards accepted
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Closed Permanently
Chef Jean-Marie Josselin, one of the pioneers of Hawaiian regional cuisine, has a winner with this fun, sophisticated, small-plates restaurant. After the roaming sangria cart rolls up with concoctions containing lilikoi and lychee, the feast is on. The menu changes frequently, but expect a wide range of Hawaiian-influenced, Asian, and Western choices to satisfy all palates. The idea is to share a variety of choices. The tempura ahi roll with beurre blanc is especially tasty. Or try the Kauai shrimp-and-duck tacos with pineapple salsa, the pumpkin ravioli, or the sesame-crusted mahi and braised pork belly with apple kimchi. The only drawback is the very noisy dining room.
2829 Ala Kalanikaumaka St., Poipu, Hawaii, 96756, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Closed Permanently
There's no doubt this spot is pricey, but you're paying for the view—sit on the terrace if you can—and for an attentive staff. The menu is simple and the focus is on local dishes like taro waffles and Molokai sweet potato pancakes or island-caught fish and grilled beef tenderloin. Time your dinner around sunset for an unforgettable Hawaiian vista.
5520 Ka Haku Rd., Princeville, Hawaii, 96722, USA
Known For
- Breathtaking panoramic view of Hanalei Bay
- Local, Hawaii-grown foods
- Lavish daily breakfast/brunch buffet
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues. and Wed. No lunch
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Closed Permanently
The only restaurant serving authentic Brazilian food on Kauai, Neide's Salsa and Samba is also one of the most affordable establishments on the North Shore. The first half of the menu focuses on Mexican food, but it's the Brazilian dishes here that deserve your attention. The muqueca is the Brazilian version of the French bouillabaisse or the Spanish paella, but with a touch of coconut milk, opening a whole new bouquet of flavors. The panquecas are crepes, filled with vegetables or chicken and then immersed in Neide's secret sauce. If you choose any dish that comes with beans, ask for black beans, a staple of Brazilian cuisine.
5-5161 Kuhio Hwy., Hanalei, Hawaii, 96714, USA
Known For
- Authentic Brazilian food
- Great view of the Hanalei mountains
- Relaxed service
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Closed Permanently
This family-style Italian restaurant has an open-air deck where hearty portions of pasta, calzones, and thin-crust pizza are served, along with kalua pork and cabbage, grilled fish, and barbecue ribs, all of which can find their way into pizza toppings. Gluten-free crust and pasta are available.
5408 Koloa Rd., Koloa, Hawaii, 96756, USA
Known For
- Neighborhood delivery service
- Attentive wait staff
- Fresh, house-made bread
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Closed Permanently
A historic plantation manager's home has been converted to a restaurant that serves seafood and meats with a Pacific Rim and Hawaiian influence. Arrive early to stroll through the torch-lit orchid gardens and among lotus-studded koi ponds before settling in to the cozy European-style dining room or tropical veranda. The menu is based on fresh, local foods: fish right off the boat, herbs and produce picked from the plantation's gardens, fruit delivered by neighborhood farmers. The result is cuisine with an island flair—seafood laulau (seafood wrapped in ti leaves and steamed)—served alongside traditional classics such as grilled pork chops and St. Louis–style ribs. Definitely save room for dessert: the lilikoi (passion fruit) cheesecake is a dream. It's also a nice spot for a specialty cocktail and pupu (appetizers).
2253 Poipu Rd., Koloa, Hawaii, 96756, USA
Known For
- Veranda for outdoor dining
- Unique setting
- Inspired cocktails and bar menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch