30 Best Restaurants in West Maui, Maui

Classically trained French chef Gerard Reversade, who started as an apprentice in acclaimed Paris restaurants when he was just 14, has for more than three decades remained true to his Gascony roots. He cooks his way, utilizing island ingredients in such dishes as escargots forestière (with garlic and mushrooms), chilled cucumber soup, and the ahi tartare with taro chips; the wine list is first-class, and the dessert list is extensive.

Located inside the Hyatt Regency, this dinner restaurant sits atop a man-made pool grotto and offers stunning ocean views and a gorgeous glassed-in sushi bar. The fresh local fish is well prepared—as are the sushi and hand rolls—and the desserts are amazing. Don't be afraid to get a little adventurous with trying items that may seem unfamiliar.

Chef–owner Joey Macadangdang, who has been at the helm of fine-dining kitchens for most of his career, brings his good taste to the masses with this unfussy restaurant featuring Filipino, Asian, and American fusion dishes. He's a longtime champion of local producers, so many of his recipes highlight ingredients grown on Maui. Don't be fooled by its under-the-radar location in a strip mall; there's a good chance you'll find yourself returning here several times during your trip.

Spend a sweet afternoon learning about the chocolate-making process during the Kuia Chocolate Factory Experience, a 90-minute tour of this confectioner's operations for guests ages 10 and up, followed by the chance to taste some of Maui’s best chocolate. If you have smaller children in tow and/or are short on time, you can head straight for the café for a hand-mixed chocolate shake, a hot chocolate or a coffee, and a treat from the bakery case. You can also embark on a chocolate-tasting flight, and then customize a box of chocolates to take home. Profits from sales and the tour benefit local charities, including major contributions to fire-relief efforts.

Slow down as you drive through the little roadside village of Olowalu so you don't miss this adorable farmhouse-chic restaurant and pie shop, where everything is prepared with care. All the breads are house-made and excellent, and most ingredients are sourced locally—you can't go wrong with a sandwich or a burger with Kula onions for lunch or comfort food like pot pies for an early dinner. Take note if you're in a rush: this is a big fan favorite, and lines are often very long.

The menu at this oceanfront standout features interesting local-style Hawaiian food fusions. There's a focus on ingredients that promote local sustainability, and the cocktail and wine lists are great, too. Daily brunch and happy hours keep guests happy all day, and a late-night menu on Friday and Saturday features raw fish and Wagyu plus discounted cocktails.

At this restaurant perched above the postcard-perfect Kapalua Bay, chef Peter Merriman highlights Hawaii's bounty by using fresh seafood and ingredients from local farms. The dinner menu features stunning dishes, including some vegetarian options, that represent both the land and the sea, and there's also a raw bar. Don't miss out on dessert—the chocolate purse is the thing that memories are made of.

This small, humble storefront is the place to try one of Maui’s most famous baked goods—the giant King David cinnamon roll. Although there are scones, croissants, and breads on menu, and there's pizza available most nights, the breakfast pastry is the big draw. It and other popular items tend to sell out, so although there are usually no lines later in the day, it's best not to wait till then to stop by. In fact, some eager patrons get in line around 6:30 am to ensure they leave with their favorites.

Roy Yamaguchi is a James Beard Award–winning chef and the granddaddy of East-meets-West cuisine. His eponymous Maui restaurant, located next to the golf course clubhouse near Kaanapali's main entrance, features signature dishes like fire-grilled, Szechuan-spiced baby back ribs, Roy's original blackened ahi, and hibachi-style grilled salmon, as well as an exceptionally user-friendly wine list.

Sansei takes sushi, sashimi, and contemporary Japanese food to a new level. If you're a fish or shellfish lover, this is the place for you. There are great deals on sushi and small plates for early birds on Sunday and Monday. Reservations can be hard to come by, making takeout for a beach picnic a nice option.

Built in the 1960s at the Napili Kai Beach Resort, before there were laws forbidding construction so close to the beach, this restaurant is literally footsteps from gorgeous Napili Bay. Wear your beach wrap to breakfast and enjoy the signature oven-baked pancakes or the beautifully delicious Molokai sweet potato egg frittata; the menu also offers fish from Hawaiian waters and fresh local produce.

To enter the only steak house in West Maui, you descend a grand staircase into an amber-lighted dining room with soaring ceilings and a massive artificial lagoon complete with swans, ducks, waterfalls, and tropical gardens. Chef Amy Mayers' classic menu features favorites like the bone-in rib eye and tomahawk steaks—with accompaniments that include five house-made sauces and a variety of sides and seafood add-ons—as well as lighter plates like shrimp cocktail and the must-try black and blue ahi starter. The wine selection is one of Kaanapali's best.

The meals at this charming vegan restaurant are almost too gorgeous to eat (don't be surprised to find edible flowers or a rainbow of fruit adorning your meal). Choose from hearty soups, salads, sandwiches, and smoothies, plus rice bowls piled high with healthy ingredients. The welcoming staff are happy to answer questions or offer suggestions, making this a great option for non-vegans.

This longtime Lahaina oceanfront classic is run by the same group of wonderful folks who bring you Old Lahaina Luau. This is the place to try a "plate lunch"—a protein served in Asian-style preparation, along with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad—and also features Hawaiian favorites like laulau, kalua pork, and poi from the restaurant's own farm. Take your plate to a table so close to the ocean you just might get wet. Oh, and don't forget the mai tai!

At this open-air, ocean-view dinner restaurant and lounge, classic Hawaiian recipes combined with Mediterranean cooking techniques result in unique, fresh, coastal cuisine. The Ritz-Carlton resort has an organic garden that provides fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables utilized in the dishes. For a special treat, try a protein cooked in the Spanish Josper oven that grills and smokes at the same time. 

Chef Christian Jorgensen left fancy hotel kitchens behind to open a casual place serving simple, delicious food—mango-glazed ribs, burgers, and classic Reuben sandwich—at reasonable prices including a vegan menu and kombucha on tap. If you're staying in a condo, the Chefs to Go service is a great alternative to picking up fast food (run-of-the-mill and usually lousy) as everything is prepped and comes with easy cooking instructions.

Though it may seem like a tourist trap, this ocean-side restaurant does not disappoint, thanks to the quality of its food and an ambience steeped in Hawaiian history, with memorabilia that nods to famed surfer Duke Kahanamoku throughout. The seafood menu is downright astounding, and the famous Hula Pie—macadamia nut ice cream on a cookie crust served with hot fudge—might have you rushing to get to dessert. Resist the temptation to eat and run, though, so that you can linger over dinner and drinks while enjoying nightly live music.

Breakfast is the reason to seek out this restaurant located poolside at the Napili Shores Resort. The food is standard diner fare, but the portions are big, the prices are low, and many folks think the pancakes—with bananas, macadamia nuts, or white chocolate chips—are the best in West Maui. The ambience is a little funky but the oceanfront setting and views are spectacular, affording opportunities to spot turtles, spinner dolphins, and, in winter, humpback whales. Expect a long line any day of the week.

Located within a nondescript mini strip mall, this small place has only a few stools and a couple of tables outside, but service is fast, and the food is consistently good—all it takes to keep the place filled with locals. The beef and black bean chow fun and the mahi mahi (dolphinfish) with lemon capers are the top-selling favorites, but there are vegetarian options and lighter fare such as Grandma's spicy tofu, egg foo young, and even a veggie burger. It's cash only, so arrive prepared.

Although this oceanfront restaurant began as a way to showcase the work of celebrity chef Mark Ellman, it subsequently changed ownership, and its menus are evolving. You can, however, count on there being interesting cocktails, classic seafood dishes, and pizzas that have been cooked in a wood-fired brick oven.

A bustling, family-oriented spot on Kaanapali Beach, this restaurant designed to look like a sprawling ’30s beach house serves large dinner portions with an emphasis on fresh local fish. But if you're just in the mood for an umbrella-adorned cocktail and some tasty, more casual fare, head to the popular Barefoot Bar, where you can wiggle your toes in the sand.

It's been a popular casual spot with locals since it first opened in 1989, and to be around that long, it's got to be doing something right. You can get everything from huevos rancheros to local-style fried rice at breakfast; plate lunches, salads, wraps, and more for lunch; and fresh fish, chicken, steak, and pasta for dinner; plus there are separate pizza, pupu, and bar menus. Since this restaurant buys its fish from Lahaina Harbor anglers, the catch of the day is always a good bet.

This small place packs a powerhouse of a menu with reasonably priced pizzas, pastas, salads, and sandwiches. As the restaurant's name suggests, several dishes feature penne, and portions tend to be generous enough so that two people can easily split a salad and entrée and leave completely sated.

When it opened in 1995, this was a counter-service pizza place, but it's evolved over into a local favorite, serving Mediterranean-style pizza and comfort food including pitas, gyros, and kabobs.

It's a bit of a drive, but when you get to this beautiful, comfortable restaurant, you'll find expansive views of the ocean below and the majestic mountains above. Chef Jared Krausen sources as many ingredients as possible locally, offering up an eclectic and elevated menu. Desserts are not to be missed here.

This restaurant proves that good food doesn't need to be complicated, using many local Maui products to do what the Italians do best: craft simple, delicious food that lets the ingredients shine. Must-haves include the panfried gnocchi Genovese, risotto-crusted fresh catch, and the deconstructed tiramisu.

Acclaimed chef Roger Stettler leans on his Italian heritage to create this rustic, open-air restaurant's award-winning menu. Lunch features hearty soups, salads, and sandwiches, and the house-made pastas are the highlight of the more upscale dinner service. Belly up to the lively bar or request an outdoor table to enjoy sweeping ocean and mountain views.

Executive chef Tom Muromoto is a local boy who loves to cook modern, upscale Hawaiian food, and he augments the various fresh fish dishes on his menu with items influenced by Hawaii's ethnic mix. This casual, open-air restaurant is the only place on Maui—maybe in Hawaii—where you can have a Native Hawaiian combination plate that is as healthful as it is authentic. Sunday brunch, complete with strolling Hawaiian musicians and hula dancers, is renowned here; and if you're around for any holiday, chow down at the amazing holiday brunch buffets.

The spot's the thing—the view is amazing—at this casual eatery just steps from the beach on the grounds of the Honua Kai Resort & Spa. The food is reliable—fresh fish is a good bet—the style all surfer-dudes and little grass shacks, and the signature cocktails big and pineapple-garnished.