Hukilau Lanai

This was our absolute favorite meal of our trip. From the STELLAR service, to the perfectly cooked food, to the epic view, the experience was exceptional. We didn't get any appetizers, but our meals came with a fantastic house salad. I would highly recommend getting whatever fish trio special they offer. I'll actually dream of this meal for the rest of my life. The sauce for the fish was a curried cream that was luscious and the fish was seared, yet moist, and very mild in flavor. The dessert menu was so appealing that we ordered 3 options and managed to devour all of them. 10/10!

We liked it so much, we went back for a second time within our week stay nearby. Excellent selection of local food made in interesting and beautiful ways. Separate gluten-free menu with homemade gluten-free rosemary focaccia rolls that they bake to order. AMAZING. Also homemade focaccia for gluten eaters. Chef makes different soups daily and is great about allergen requests. Excellent entrees and homemade desserts too. Great location with a lovely view of the ocean through the resort.

Went to dinner here last night for our anniversary. Everything was great! We arrived early and had a drink at the bar while we waited. Took a great picture in the garden while waiting. We were then seated promptly, and our waiter was over quickly. We ordered drinks while looking over the menu. We ordered the Lobster wonton, prime rib medium rare, and Lobster curry bisque. Everything was excellent. My husband who is not a curry fan, even liked the bisque. We shared the prime rib, so the picture was taken after I received my half. They also brought me my own plare with dipping sauces. We were not charged for an extra plate. We were too full for dessert but the lava cake sounded delicious.

We loved eating at Hukilau Lanai. It’s an upscale location in front of the beach. I have never eaten a fish and this was my first time devouring three fishes in their entree. The fish were so fresh that you can’t tell that we are eating fish. My wife loved her mahi mahi as well. Desert and drinks were delicious too! But an appetizer and entree were the show stopper for us! Staff/servers were polite, prompt, and checked on us throughout out our experience. Highly recommend this spot!

Five stars isn't enough - our experience here was truly exceptional! The gluten-free options were plentiful, and our waiter intuitively knew to bring my husband gluten-free starters without us even asking. The view was breathtaking, the atmosphere was lively and fun, and the live music added the perfect touch. The food was outstanding, and we left feeling thrilled with our choice

5 stars is not enough to rate this establishment and staff. Phenomenal from the moment we sat down to the very end. Chelsea took care of us this evening and the service was impeccable. It's hard finding decent food on Kauai, especially when you have a vegetarian in your party. Luckily there are a few options here, and after reading the other reviews I was sold to try this place out. I'm glad I did! We started off with the sweet potato raviolis and lobster bisque and had the filet mignon and vegetable lasagna for the main course. All throughout the meal we were checked in on, got refills, and cleared the table after each service. There was no room for dessert after, but I'm sure that would have been amazing too. Definitely will come back.

The best fish I ever had!!!! So buttery and soft and so much flavor in each piece! The macadamia nut was absolutely my favorite dessert!!!

These guys are the best! Top notch food ! They were so accommodative they made me a vegetarian pasta cuz there was almost nothing in the menu that didn’t have meat! To my shock even that was so brilliant in taste, had leftovers from the huge potion size , which filled me the next day after a long day hike ❤️ Dessert was really great!

Everything we ordered was the best version of that thing I have ever eaten. Make a reservation now!

A great place, good service and great food in a nice atmosphere. One of our go to places on Kauai. I always order the fish!

Always Stellar! One of our favorite places. Best Cesar Salad. Had my surprise 40th Birthday there , was in active labor there two years ago bc my we had reservations and i wanted my favorite fish dinner before delivery :)

I waited too long to give this well-deserved review. My wife and I got married on 11/6/24 and held our wedding reception here because this was the only place that could seat our total-of-21 party ...BUT, this didn't just turn out to be "that place" that made-do with our accommodation requests. I am 100% confident that this would be THE place for us regardless of circumstances. Chantry Williams was our main contact and kept in touch for more than six months prior to our reservation. I can't say much more than how simply kind, loving, helpful, and insightful she has been. As for the night of, the whole team that served us, led by Kera (I'm sorry if I misspelled your name!) were ALL just as warming, kind, and all the best you could imagine. Talk about true Kauai hospitality. You ladies rock and made our night special. We love you! Bryan & April Wait how could I forget... The food! I won't convolute this review; but the options to choose from were vast, and what we chose... DELICIOUS! Every. Single. Part. As well as the drinks. From Apps to Dessert, AMAZING!

I came here twice on a five day trip to the island once for dinner and once just for dessert. I ordered the grey snapper, caesar salad, bbq short ribs, mixed green salad, and the Loco lemonade cocktail. When I came for desert I, of course, got the lava cake. The host and server were very nice and quickly sat us. The atmosphere is relaxing and perfect for a dinner date or group dining.

Hands down the best meal I ever had in Hawaii. After reading reviews I wondered, could it be THAT good... and it was better We were seated at a pleasant table high overlooking the lanai and gardens with gentle live music in the background. So nice. The restaurant is very nicely set up and quite pleasant with white tablecloth table tops and many other refinements. The drink and wine list is impressive. There are varied wines and quite good selections. I started my meal with a Monte Moonrise cocktail, made with "Hawaiian moonshine" It was powerful and a knockout, but tasty, even with a curry leaf. Wanting an appetizer we chose a Mahi poke nachos plate to share. WOW! Do not pass it up, so flavorful and tasty with the freshest fish. We were told it's there best and most popular dish, and after having it I see why. For my entree I had one of the specialty fish of the day, Ono. You can find the daily catch they will serve by checking the online take-out menu after 4pm. When I saw Ono I was elated. It's one of my favorites. The fish came on a bed of rice and a very flavorful sauce that complimented and yet didn't overwhelm the taste of the fish. The fish was absolutely delectable, and grilled to perfection. The meal came with a soup and salad and I chose the pineapple gazpacho (wonderful!) and Wally's salad, so fresh and delicious. The portions are sizeable and the prices reasonable for the quality. Service was friendly and attentive. Do not miss coming here. It's a gem on Kauai.

No wonder everyone recommends this place! I ate here on a Friday and I am still thinking about it the following week! We ordered a seared ahi which was superb and the mixed fish plate which showcased each unique flavor of the fish so well. For dessert, we got the macademia nut tart and the only fault there was that I wished it was bigger

For my birthday, my husband booked a romantic dinner, and I loved the atmosphere--everything was so elegant and beautiful. Our server was polite, which I really appreciated, and the wine was exceptional. I had a glass of German Riesling, and it was probably the best Riesling I've ever tasted! The food, however, left us a bit disappointed. While our mini soups were superb and full of flavor, my main course--a trio of fish--was a letdown. It was overly salty and the different types of fish were indistinguishable. As for dessert, the cheesecake was buttery, which completely overshadowed the flavor. Despite the food frustrations, I'd give the place another try, but I'd definitely order something different next time!

We've been here a few times. The food, service, and ambience are always excellent. It's nice and open air, which adds to the experience.

Hostess was very rude and condescendingl. Came here to celebrate a family birthday and hostess treated us quite poorly. However, servers did a great job in making that up. Decent ambience looking out at the ocean. Candied ahi was an interesting flavor combination. Entrees were hit or miss. Grilled ono was a bit dry. Three local fish dish included Pacific escolar, which is not a great fish to consume due to the indigestible wax esters. Salads were fine, and chocolate cake was also fine. Would not come again due to the hostess' attitude and her lack of hospitality.

Beautiful view. Great drinks and appetizers. Would highly recommend! We tried the chocolate macadamia martini and loved the Mai tai. Ahi nachos and calamari are delicious!

Dined here for dinner on our first full day in Kauai. We made reservations about a month in advance, which I would advise you do, as they stay busy. We were seated at our reservation time. We didn't have a great view from our table, as we were tucked away in the uppermost section, but we had glimpses of the gardens, which were beautiful. I enjoyed the ice cold beer and fresh fish for my meal. Overall it was a good experience and I would go back again.

This place blew our minds!? Everything was phenomenal!! We started with the candied Ahi and I wish we got two! It wasn't sweet like the name implies. It was the best bite of food I had on this trip! Ahi seared in coffee and spices. My hubs got the 3 grilled fish and all were cooked to perfection!! I got the ribeye and it was melt in my mouth delicious! Our son got the bison ragu and that too was amazing! Loaded with meat sauce! Big chunks of cheese! I wish I could give this place more stars! The service was top notch and our view beside the open table was picturesque. This place is a must!!!!!!

Booked a reservation here for our last night because of its high ratings. The food is very nice and beautifully presented. Loved the PineappleTomato Gazpacho. Flavorful filet mignon and prime rib. After a week of fish every lunch and dinner, I needed a change. The waitstaff were professional and attentive. Do not go here on a romantic date. The decor is like a 1990's hotel dining room, and the restaurant is off a hotel lobby. At most tables there were octogenarians. They were either in pairs or grandparents with children and grand children. Kind of like what you might see on a cruise ship. It just wasn't my favorite atmosphere for a pricey restaurant. Entrees $40-$50. If you want a fun dinner with younger people, go to the Lava Lava Club practically next door. It's so cute and hip. The food there might not be as gourmet, but more my style for sure.

Oh my gosh - I've lived on Kauai for 10+ years now and this is one of my favorite restaurants on the island! Consistently amazing year after year.

This place is a total package of good qualities, friendly service. The original table we were sat at was perfectly fine but we wanted something a little bit different and they were happy to accommodate us. The cocktails are much unique flavors. My salad and meatloaf. Main was filling and tasty and what I wanted. My partner had the fish with pineapple, chutney, and coconut sambal rice. The restaurant is in a resort. The tables are nicely spaced there was music when we arrived and ended about 830. I would definitely go back.

Great food and lovely setting Xmas dinner was beautifully presented and we felt properly feted

We went there for Christmas eve dinner and we weren't disappointed. I ordered the turkey dinner . It was shredded like kalua pork. Full of flavor. My son ordered the prime ribs which was also good. Overall the dinner was great. I recommend making a reservation weeks in advance. Service was excellent.

Birthday dinner while visiting Kauai and was very pleased with the quality and taste of the food. Some of the dishes like our wontons lacked presentation but the taste and quality of the food were above average and whomever was cooking back there knew what they were doing.

Really great evening dining at the resort. Staff was super attentive and food was flavorful and so pretty! You can't ask for a better view, tropical, lush, green... it's beautiful.

The food was delicious, the view was beautiful and the service was attentive. They have delicious vegan options.

I had the best meal I've ever tasted at this restaurant I'm a foodie; I live for amazing flavors, value per price, and the actual sustenance the food provides - I don't want to leave hungry. I usually won't believe dishes are worth anything above $30, but I would've paid DOUBLE to experience the $45 Nairagi again. I grew up catching salmon and eating meat right off the bone, and this is the best fish I've ever had. Not only that, but the BBQ ribs, Lilikoi meringue, and the Sazerac were also top-notch. I left not understanding how an establishment like this could exist without the award of a Michelin-star Of all the establishments I've been to over all major Hawaiian islands, this is hands down the best food I've ever had. It is a MUST EAT destination - fly out of your way if you have to, you won't be disappointed. I would give it 6 stars if Yelp would let me

11.3 years later...the food, service and ambience are still awesome! And yes this will be one of your splurge dinners(unless you're a rich golfing yuppy this this is probably normal?). Make a reservation at least a week in advance, Hukilau Lanai is popular! Before the entree prices freak you out, keep in soup or salad is included! This might be the last vintage, classic, old school restaurant that still does this in Kauai, maybe all of Hawaii, or the whole world? Prices were about $15ish dollars cheaper 11 years ago, but that's life! $37 Bottle of White Wine...I can't remember the brand, but it was cold, crisp, fruity, refershing, and less than $40! There are also a couple other choices under $40 as well. $43 Hukilau Mixed Grill...three different grilled fishes: ono, marlin, mahi? Each seasoned differently, each grilled perfectly, juicy, tender, flakey, and delicious! Don't let the "Thai curry" scare you...it's a mellowly spiced golden sauce, that is not spicy, but packed with flavor. For the soup, I paid the $3 upgrade to get the Lobster bisque...creamy, flavorful, but no chunks of lobsters. $43 Mahi Mahi...the wife let me have a tiny bite...tender, flavorful, and delicious! $13 Macadamia Nut Tart...think of this as the Hawaiian version of Pecan Pie, lovely! The housemade cinnamon ice cream packed a punch, and paired perfectly to the tart.

Glad we were able to make reservations through yelp they turned away walk-ins for restaurant. We have tried several highly rated restaurants and more expensive in Kauai and this is by far the best quality, taste, fresh Hawaii inspired restaurant. We made reservations twice! We tasted PuPu's the Ahi Nachos, braised short ribs, mushroom tart so delicious!!! The meals include salad or soup. We tried all the salads, they were all local grown and fresh and the lobster bisque wow! The Opah fish and meatloaf from Kauai raised beef were excellent! Don't forget to order the Milton cake ahead of time a must! Loved the macadamia tart dessert...Can't wait to return!!!!

I didn't have any expectations coming to this place and surprisingly not too hungry. We got a few appetizers. They included Lobster and goat cheese wontons with guava plum sauce, Lobster Bisque, and Sweet potato ravioli with lemongrass cream. All very classy foods with great presentation. Taste-wise, it saddens me to say that none stood out or were super memorable. I also think the price is a bit high, but since it reflects the high class vibe this place exudes. Decent, not amazing! But I must say service was great as servers were friendly and attentive.

One of my favorite restaurants in Kauai. Everything I tried there was always so good. The drinks were also super delicious. That night I had a fish dish that was soooo yummy! I forgot the name though! Will return for sure when I'm Back to the island

Enjoyed dinner up at the bar and the bartender was a fabulous host! Lots of input on drinks, meals, and the area in general. My husband had the fish trio and I enjoyed the quinoa bowl. The soup starters were delicious and the focaccia was amazing. The place was packed but somehow did not feel crowded and the live music was a nice touch. Would definitely return.

Great food. Chocolate lava cake is the best. Service is very attentive Food is great.

Great food with a beautiful view. We really enjoyed everything from drinks to dinner.

Nice ambiance. Live music. Healthy and delicious dinner. Attentive staff. Great drinks.

Dinner at Hukilau Lanai was one of our favorite meals of the trip. The restaurant is conveniently located in a hotel right next to the Coconut Marketplace in Kapa'a, which also happened to be right next to our hotel so we easily walked right over. The view from the restaurant is quite stunning, with gorgeous gardens on the grounds of the hotel overlooking the ocean. Service was attentive, warm, and professional. The food was fantastic. We both enjoyed bowls of creamy lobster curry bisque to start. The Hukilau mixed grill featured mahi mahi, cajun-rubbed nairagi (striped marlin), and shoyu-marinated walu (escolar/butterfish) served with orzo, Thai chili coconut sauce, and pineapple relish. What an exquisite way to sample several local fish! Hukilau Lanai is consistently one of the fine dining spots on Kauai that I often see recommended by others, and it's easy to see why. It lives up to the reputation and is an excellent choice for a special meal. 10/10 for sure!

This is a lovely spot just a short walk up the beach from our accommodations in Lae Nani. Their specialty is fresh fish, so I treied the Hukilau grill which featured three in-season fish. They allowed me to swap out the starch which was great and brought extra of the delicious Thai chili coconut milk sauce. My starter was the lobster bisque (for a slight up charge) which was silky and divine. Husband started with the tomato pineapple gazpacho which was far and above his favorite thing he's eaten on the trip. He would have just ordered a vat of that. For the entree, he ordered steak, which was perfectly cooked to temp and incredibly tender, although not terribly exciting. Could have used more of the au poivre seasoning. He loved his chocolate tort with raspberry, although it was rather a small portion for the price. We did have steady and friendly service from Dani. Would have been nicer to be seated on the lower level outdoor lanai rather than next to the bussing station, but oh well.

Andrew was a great server. Always attentive and friendly. The food was amazing! The views from our table was fabulous.

Upon entering the truly beautiful lanai restaurant and being seated promptly, our server (my followup will include her name) our drink order of excellent Mai Tais and appetizer showed up in very short order....terrific....as the place was completely full. Water replenished, every request attended. The ramen was fresh and tender, the fish perfect and seasoned in perfectly. This is not your typical salty broth....but exceptionally crafted soup. The lemon tart dessert was outstanding! This is now a regular stop on our Kauai vi

Food was great for the price. We had the seat potato ravioli appetizer and mixed grilled and Maui fish for main course. You can taste each element in the sweet potato ravioli from the purple potatoes to the feta and coconut reduction, soooo tasty. Fish was fresh and flavor, you can tell that the chef puts great effort into his dishes. Ambiance was okay, restaurant is in a resort that looks out dated in my opinion but the restaurant still tries to put out romantic vibes (e.g., candle light tables and live acoustic music). Overall, I would recommend and definitely be coming back next time I'm in the island.

Great laidback nice place on the island...service was great, food was good. I would skip the fish, and stick with the vegetable dishes. The okinawa sweet potatoes ravioli was the best among all the dish we had. sadly it only comes in 3 per dish! :P My hubby's meatloaf is probably the best meatloaf i have had (moist and flavourful even without much gravy). Candied ahi was sweet and peppery, which probably works for some people :) I esp like the fact that they don't charge arm and leg for kid's meal, rather, it's super reasonably priced, and very tasty (yes, i also ate some of my kid's food for a comprehensive yelp review :P ) Def a good place to enjoy the night out with well-behaved kids :)

Great service, beautiful location and delicious food. Our party of four all ordered the filet mignon, which was perfect. They had a delicious non-alcoholic watermelon juice drink that we refreshing and not too sweet. Two people in our group finished off the meal with creme brûlée. I had the coconut lilikoi meringue pie which was outstanding. My husband started his meal with a lobster bisque which he practically licked out of the bowl and the rest of us at the Wally's Salad which was romaine, cucumber, tomatoes, bacon, red onion, croutons, papaya seed dressing. All in all, it was the perfect evening. Our server was friendly and knowledgeable and everyone else were also warm and friendly.

Made a reservation for Hukilau during our stay in Kauai. The restaurant is in the hotel of Club Wyndham. We checked in and was seated right away. I actually thought the restaurant was close to the shore but it was not. Our server was very nice and attentive, provided the specials and checked in on us several times. I ordered the prime rib which came with mashed potatoes and a side salad. My GF ordered the Ono fish. Both were delicious and healthy portions. We enjoyed the lava chocolate cake for dessert. There was also a guy playing the guitar during dinner which set a great atmosphere. The only negative was the roosters walking around on the property making a lot of noise. Besides that, the experience was enjoyable. (Pics of our dinner for your viewing pleasure below)

We had a lovely dinner here our last night in Kauai. This restaurant is located inside of a hotel just FYI! We started off with the calamari as the appetizer. It was panko & furikake crusted strips flash fried and served with a lemon sambal aioli. Y'all this was the best calamari we've had. Tender, flavorful and that sambal aioli was delish. For our entrees, we both ended up getting specials for the evening. I got the seabass special and my hubby got the special that included 3 different types of fish so he could try them all. Each entree comes with a soup or salad and we both opted for a salad. Hubby got the Cesar salad and I got the Wally's salad. Both entrees and salads were good, but it was a good amount of food so you'll def leave full! Service was very good and the ambiance of the restaurant was nice despite being located inside of a hotel.

My wife and I had an outstanding experience last night at Hukilau. Our server, Andrew, was exceptional in every respect. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and attentive. He's an ace. He set the stage for the evening. The ambience is understated and beautiful, dining next to beautiful gardens. And the food--well we had one of our best meals ever. We added the fried goat cheese to our salads and they were delicious. Our two entries--the grilled fish platter and prime rib--were awesome. This restaurant is special. We stayed in Poipu and the 35 minute drive to this restaurant was well worth it. My wife called this dining experience 'magical.'

We asked a couple of locals, where would you go to celebrate and they both said Hukilau Lanai and so we booked a late table (note book early if you want and earlier table). The service was superb. They follow a farm to table concepts and everything was absolutely fantastic. Of course the fish was perfectly cooked. Highly recommend.

Fantastic meal, and location. Excellent food and music. Steak was perfection. Crème brûlée was terrific too.

Totally unassuming place when you pull up and an old looking bar pretty much in the middle of a hotel lobby. I think the charm comes from the tables set outside with tiki torches but they didn't have room so I ate at the bar. I can see why they have such high reviews. Lots of options for me on the menu but I opted in for a mocktail and the ono with Caesar. They ensure that the kitchen is aware of any allergens and even had a delicious gluten free roll for me. The fish was cooked well and served over rice and a tasty mushroom sauce. Definitely a good spot that's open later than most other places.

Everything' about this restaurant was 5-Star. Ambiance, service, waitstaff, food, presentation, pricing. Overall couldn't be happier. We were celebrating a couple of birthdays and the experience was outstanding. Every dish was bursting with flavors.

All their food was amazing. Fresh and deliciously cooked. Service was great. If I would had more time in the island I would have eaten there again. Our server was so attentive and explained the menu so well. He gave great recommendations and everything we got was so delicious. The ambiance was lively with live music on a Thursday night.

This restaurant is the bomb! Hands down the best meal we've had in the island. Ambiance - cozy, nice, classy Service - our server was the best. She was friendly, attentive and efficient. Our glasses were always filled, used dishes and utensils were promptly taken away. Food - soft, moist and flavorful focaccia was immediate served. Normally, I don't mind and don't eat focaccia bread because they're always almost tasteless and dry. I tried it because hubby and I each had lobster bisque soup and I thought it would go well together. The soup was luscious and delicious. Hubby ordered the citrus cocktail (limoncello and passion fruit) and it was refreshing. All entrees come with a choice of one of the following: mixed greens, Caesar salad, Wally salad. I opted for the mixed greens which had arugula, lettuce, beets and candied macadamia nuts. It satisfied my craving for greens. Hubby opted for gazpacho soup and he loved it. For entrees, hubby had pork tenderloin and I had the meatloaf with mushroom gravy. We were so shocked with the very large serving portions. We devoured all of it! We also had the macadamia nut tart with cinnamon ice cream and coffee for dessert. We rolled out of there happy and satisfied.

Outstanding food and service and a terrific ambiance. Definitely worthy of all the hype. We are looking forward to our return next January.

Awesome place! Food, service, ambiance. Weather was perfect for outside dining. Brought back memories from our honeymoon.

Highly recommend this spot for an upscale dining experience! Food was very good!! The lobster bisque was full of flavor- silky and smooth. The chicken with mushrooms in a light lemony sauce was scrumptious and the portion was very large - enough to take home some leftovers. My husband got the prime rib and said this was by far the best prime rib he's had on the island compared to two other places including Duke's. Ambiance was very nice as we sat in the outdoor patio area and the service was excellent!