Restaurants in Kaua'i
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Kilauea Fish Market
At last, yummy plate lunches that won't clog your arteries. One taste and you'll be addicted to the generous plates of seared-'ahi poke salad with organic greens, wraps stuffed with sautéed 'ahi, or tofu with brown rice and lots of veggies.
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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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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 poke (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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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 17:00 to 18:00.
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Waimea Brewing Company
- Kaua'i, USA
- Restaurants › Pub
It resembles a suburban mall joint but the open-air plantation building and swaying coconut trees are pleasant and the island-inspired pub food is tasty. Two creative uses of 'ahi poke: a seared poke wrap and a sushi roll filled with poke and flash-fried. As for the US's westernmost microbrewery's beers, aficionados find them only passable.
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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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Kalaheo Café & Coffee Co
First known for its breakfasts and melt-in-your-mouth 'cinnamon knuckle' pastry, this neighborhood café now serves gourmet, if eclectic, dinners. Hunan-style pork tenderloin is paired with pineapple marmalade and mashed potato, while the fresh-catch enchilada features herb polenta. Economize by ordering grilled sandwiches from the lunch menu till closing.
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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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Tidepools
If you're a sucker for the classic 'romantic dinner for two,' you'll enjoy Tidepools, which matches the Grand Hyatt setting in island-style extravagance. The menu favors seafood, from silky sashimi to crab-lobster cakes to the wok-seared 'ahi. Vegetarians are not forgotten, with savory grilled tofu or Shiitake mushroom mains as creative as the rest.
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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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Pizzetta (Kapa'a)
Rather a tourist trap but their crust is decent and, on the Eastside, your only other option is Pizza Hut. Try the Milano (fire-roasted veg and feta) or shrimp puttanesca (shrimp, capers, kalamata olives, roma tomatoes and spicy sauce). Daily happy hour is 15:00 to 18:00. Try the house Rooster Brew, made by local microbrewery Keoki Brewing Company.
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Roy's Po'ipu Bar & Grill
Roy's, poster child of Hawaii Regional Cuisine, is suited to risk-averse foodies. Signature dishes such as pesto-steamed whitefish with cilantro-ginger-peanut oil and grilled shrimp with smoked tomato beurre blanc (classic French butter sauce) nicely blend local ingredients with gourmet preparations. Brace for long waits and loud crowds.
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Tahiti Nui
This longstanding South Seas-style restaurant and bar was once the North Shore gathering place - and home of a popular luau. Today the well-worn hangout remains a lively, loud, local favorite. Although dinner is available, go for the bar action at happy hour (16:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday, all day Sunday) and for nightly live music.
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Olympic Café
If you need to satisfy eclectic tastebuds and appetites, the menu here can please all. In a sprawling space overlooking the highway, it's a casual, tropical-setting (if LA-inspired) diner. Fill up with the egg and spinach scramble with sun-dried tomatoes and artichoke hearts (around US$9) or the whopping kalua pig burrito ($10.50).
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Kintaro
Longtime local-fave Kintaro is always packed. No wonder: from thick-cut slices of sashimi to a shrimp-fish-veg tempura combination, mains shine in quality and quantity. The owner is Korean, but the cuisine is authentic Japanese. A specialty is sizzling, crowd-wowing teppanyaki, when chefs show their stuff tableside on steel grills.
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La Cascata
In a richly hued, cozy dining room, La Cascata exudes a European feel. The Mediterranean cuisine includes creative starters such as the prawn/scallop/lobster ravioli in arugula pesto. Mains tend toward elaborate preparations, eg rack of lamb with creamy tomato polenta and fig-infused balsamic jus. Awesome sunset views but no patio seating.
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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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Tip Top Café & Sushi Katsu
The white, cinder-block building is lacking in atmosphere, but the main draws are its famous pancakes and oxtail soup. Meat eaters, go local with loco moco (two fried eggs, hamburger patty, rice and gravy), saimin (egg noodle and broth soup) and beef stew. Located inside, Sushi Katsu offers value-priced sushi and Japanese dishes.
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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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Kaua'i Pupu Factory
Stop for local grinds, including dried, smoked fish, deep-fried ika (squid) and purple-sweet-potato tempura. If you're curious to try Hawaiian food, don't miss the mouthwatering plate lunch with laulau or kalua pork with rice, lomilomi salmon and poke (see if you're baffled by these dishes).
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Wasabi's
With marine-blue walls, well-worn furniture and funky 'under the sea' decor, Wasabi's has just enough grime for a boho-urban vibe - but not enough to produce the yuck factor. Try the house specialties like Lollypop Roll with paper-thin cucumber hugging succulent hamachi (yellowtail), maguro (tuna) and salmon ($12).
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Kaua'i Pasta (Waipouli)
Real Italian cuisine is rare on Kaua'i so, if you're craving the classics, head to this nondescript joint. The chef, who cut his teeth at Roy's in Po'ipu, serves savory panini (hot sandwiches), classic pasta dishes and a perfectly simple (or simply perfect) Caprese salad with local basil and tomatoes and fresh mozzarella.
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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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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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Keoki's Paradise
If you're a fan of tiki restaurants, you'll love the tropical onslaught here. Although the whole experience shouts 'touristy,' the food is colorful and tasty. Stick with the fresh fish and the simplest 'naturally grilled' preparation. Save room for Hula Pie, a decadent hunk of mac-nut ice cream over chocolate-cookie crust.
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