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Aromas
You'll forget the tourist-mall setting inside the casually chic dining room of Aromas, a Pacific-Mediterranean bistro that bridges 'local' and 'gourmet' cuisine. Lunch salads, like the papaya and cashew-chicken salad, make a meal. Start dinner with the 'Poketian,' layered 'ahi (cubed raw yellowfin tuna mixed with shoyu, sesame oil, salt and chili pepper), crab, shrimp and rice in a martini glass.
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Bali Hai Restaurant
Another feast for your eyes awaits at this open-air dining room with a panoramic view of Hanalei Bay. For breakfast, go local with poi pancakes and taro hash browns. The dinner menu is heavy on seafood. Cheaper eats are served at Happy Talk Lounge.
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Bar Acuda
Most fans of this urban-chic tapas bar are mainland tourists or transplants, but there's no denying the culinary mastery. Chef-owner Jim Moffat hails from San Francisco and his seasonal menu features unimpeachable Mediterranean cuisine. Past offerings include house-smoked trout with roasted beets and lobster risotto with local sweet corn.
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Beach House Restaurant
A South Shore icon, the Beach House boasts an outstanding oceanfront setting and good Hawaii Regional Cuisine. The focus is fresh fish; the signature 'ahi taster includes 'ahi poke sushi, 'ahi tostadas and 'ahi hash spring roll. The kids menu will delight.
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Beezers
At this nostalgic ice-cream parlor, splurge on banana splits, root-beer floats and ice-cream sundaes amid quaint 1960s decor. Forget the diet again with diner classics from sloppy joes to double-decker deli sandwiches.
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Blossoming Lotus
You'll either love it or hate it. After initial rave reviews since its opening in 2003, Blossoming Lotus's 'vegan world fusion cuisine' seems hit or miss. The savory appetizers and marinated tofu or tempeh dishes are the most creative.
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Brick Oven Pizza
Always jammed with tourists, Brick Oven has developed a cult following. The brick-oven pies are tasty, but mainland aficionados might be underwhelmed. Ideal for vegetarians: a truly meatless combo piled with premium veggies and stock-free sauce.
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Bubba's
Locals hardly go here but this local chain has become the haole-tourist mecca. The 100% Kaua'i-beef burgers are fine (and vegetarians can opt for ginger-teriyaki tempeh burgers) but try the locals' fave, Duane's Ono Char Burger instead.
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Café Hanalei
Enter this breezily elegant restaurant and…wow! A stupendous view of Hanalei Bay. The Asian-inspired island cuisine is good (if short of great). The best value is lunch, from a ⅓lb Kobe beef burger to a bento of teriyaki beef, mango-glazed chicken and fish tempura. Dinners highlight fish, eg pan-seared 'ahi with peanut-miso sauce. Skip the overpriced breakfasts but splurge on the decadent Sunday brunch around US$55 .
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Café Portofino
If you cringe at white tablecloths, low lighting and live harpists, keep looking. Otherwise, the traditional Italian menu features fine pastas and lots of veal, such as house specialty osso buco (veal shank). The atmosphere is rather formal and kids are barely tolerated.
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Caffé Coco
At this casually romantic hideaway, Coco chefs have created a winning fusion menu with staples such as the tofu-veggie peanut wrap, and Moroccan-spiced 'ahi (yellowfin tuna) with banana chutney and a curried purple-sweet-potato samosa. Sinful desserts and quality coffees are irresistible finales. Beware of voracious mosquitoes (protect your ankles!).
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Camp House Grill
Set in a weathered ol' plantation building, this diner is known for its burgers and, especially, its pies (per slice around US$4 , whole around US$11 - US$16 from pineapple cream cheese to chocolate-chip macadamia. Mains are generous standards: catch of the day, huli huli (rotisserie) chicken, barbecued ribs. Expect neither fancy nor spotless.
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Colenti's Italian Deli & Pizzeria
For tasty, consistent, casual Italian fare, go here. Pizzas are New York-style (thin crust that can fold in half); calzones and subs overflow with fillings; staff are friendly - you can't go wrong.
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Duane's Ono Char-Burger
Amid a world of phonies, here's the real deal. Try the 'old fashioned' (cheddar, onions and sprouts) or the 'local girl' (Swiss cheese, pineapple and teriyaki sauce). Add crispy thin fries and melt-in-your-mouth onion rings. See autographed photos of famous fans, from Chuck Norris to Steve Tyler.
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Duke's Canoe Club
Yes, Duke's is an oceanside, open-air dining cliché. But if you want that tropical ambience, this is one of the best Eastside places to find it. The flavorful food won't disappoint. Start with savory appetizers like spicy sugarcane shrimp or crab wontons and don't miss the seven-spiced 'ahi with papaya-mustard vinaigrette.
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eb's EATS
For 'healthy gourmet' eats, both vegetarians and omnivores will find satisfaction at this casual counter with patio tables. Sandwiches are especially creative, eg oven-roasted turkey with pesto mayo and wild-mushroom meatloaf. Save room for scrumptious baked goodies.
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Fish Express
Try it once and we guarantee you'll be hooked. The take-out menu includes mouthwatering fish preparations, such as macadamia-crusted 'ahi (yellowfin tuna) in liliko'i -dill sauce, which come with rice and salad. Outside of lunch hours, snag something from the deli case, perhaps a sample of poke (cubed, marinated raw fish).
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Gaylord's
If you're curious about the life of a plantation baron, dine here at the Wilcox estate. The manicured lawn, white tablecloths and clubby tone match the menu, with dishes like filet mignon bathed in liliko'i sauce, and shiitake and prime rib salad featuring Maui onions and Kamuela tomatoes. Big breakfast eaters, try the generous daily buffet or Sunday brunch.
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Hamura Saimin
An island institution, Hamura's is your classic hole-in-the-wall. Expect crowds at lunchtime, slurping noodles elbow-to-elbow at orange U-shaped counters. The famous homemade saimin noodles are peerless. Another specialty is the liliko'i (passion fruit) chiffon pie. Stifling interior due to boiling vats and no air-con.
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Hanalei Gourmet
The best bets at this lively café-bar-deli are huge sandwiches on house-baked bread. The sit-down meals, from a sampler of lox-style local smoked fish to crunchy mac-nut fried chicken, are tasty and unpretentious, if more mainstream American than local.
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Hanalei Taro & Juice Company
In a kiosk near the town's east end, this family business specializes in taro edibles. Try fruit-taro smoothies, taro-leaf pita rolls, taro-coconut mochi (a Japanese sticky-rice dessert) and generous freshly made deli sandwiches.
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Hanama'ulu Restaurant Tea House & Sushi Bar
The name sounds fancier than it is, but this longstanding eatery on the outskirts of Lihu'e serves decent Japanese cuisine. The menu suspiciously includes Chinese dishes, too, but that's common in Hawaii. Specializing in crispy fried dishes, from Chinese ginger chicken to Japanese tempura and tonkatsu (breaded cutlets).
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Hanapepe Café
Hanapepe's only upscale restaurant happens to be a gourmet destination. The food is elegant, from the smoked-mozzarella frittata to Swiss-chard-filled ravioli. The Friday dinner menu changes fortnightly but might include seared ono in saffron sauce or Mediterranean veg over garlic-smashed potatoes. Live music by notable slack-key artist Cindy Combs.
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Hawaiian Blizzard
For the island's best shave ice, stop at the white van parked outside Big Save. Owner Aaron Furugen is the low-key guru of shave ice, perfecting the art since the 1980s. Kids flock here after school and neighborhood regulars hang out and talk story.
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Hukilau Lanai
Locals rarely frequent touristy resort restaurants, but Hukilau Lanai is an exception. Here, find Hawaiian Regional Cuisine in a casually elegant setting. Standouts include fish preparations, feta-and-sweet-potato ravioli and 'ahi poke nachos. If you're an early-bird diner, the tasting menu pairs six courses with five wines (around US$40 ; food only around US$28 ) from to .
