Vana Paia

I love the vibe and the music. But I have two complaints: 1. first sit they have was about 7 fit from the restroom and direct view Tom inside the bathroom from the dining table. I asked to move by the fire out side and there is a pathway of people that goes from the parking lot to and apartment behind the restaurant… there a cat that hanging out as well, it doesn’t bother me cause I love cats but some people has allergic reaction to cats. 2. I ordered the guava mojito drink. It was great but the second glass I ordered there was a strong taste of an ashtray, almost if someone through a cigarette bud to the drink. The restaurant is a little pricey .

This place is special. It is so rare to eat somewhere and enjoy every dish. This restaurant did that for me. The flavors were very fresh and unique. A wonderful mix of citrus’s, salts, sweets and hints of spice filled my pallet as i greedily devoured each course. Not once did I feel that a dish could have been done better or in a different way. Even my espresso was good. Top all that off with incredibly friendly service and a price point that’s hard to beat.

Food is decent but my roll tasted premade and like it was in a cooler which is a no no lol, they brought out my entree before my drinks and appetizers even came out like what? The service was okay expected more for Valentine’s Day but I’m still in Maui so there’s that just stick to the mom and pop stores in the vicinity much better service and fresh food. Great if you just want some drinks just no on the food.

I had the crab cake Benedict and every bite was amazing! If I ever went to Maui again, this would be the one place I must go! Do not miss out on this place. Make a reservation in advance in case it's busy. It wasn't too busy the day we went for breakfast. The town of Paia is an awesome little place. Must go.

I fell in love with this place. It was an unplanned visit. We had other plans that fell through. We entered the door and KNEW we were where we were supposed to be . Amazing food, AMAZING atmosphere. The live music was just what we needed!!! #Anthony Pfluke can SING, look him up.

There was a very limited menu (Covid I guess), just a few hand rolls, cocktails or beer, basically a happy hour menu… The sushi rolls we had were fine and tasty, I think we ordered two pieces of Kampachi for $10, but I felt the place was overpriced and a little weird to find in a chill little town on the coast of Maui. The cocktails were good, overall kinda disappointing.

The evening ambiance was very enjoyable and soothing. The food was great, specially the O'toro, and I overall had a great experience. It was a tad pricey for the portions delivered, but the food itself was very high quality and savory. Would recommend.

Relatively new (within 3 to 4 years) restaurant to hit so we put a pin in it... orgasmically yummy for the sushi lovers in us. Sitting in a pretty backyard atmosphere with the gusty trade winds blowing the palms above, Vana celebrates the flavors of Hawaii and showcases locally grown ingredients and Japanese inspired dishes -- locally sourced sushi, tapas, and cocktails. Started with Kushi Gold oysters done three ways (which they promptly sold out on so we felt thankful), the sushi sampler, some spicy rolls, and the OMG moment was the uni and scallop with ikura, tobiko, and shiso. I couldn't stop talking about the taste explosion on that one. Dynamite. Ended the sushi exploration with some kushiyaki skewers... sampling the gamut. Pairing cocktails started with the palette cleansing Empress indigo gin, agave and lemon... then their spicy lillikoi mezcalita with habenero. Ended with a Hibiki cocktail to pair with the A5 wagyu which blew my wife's mind 😍

Absolutely, the best customer service in Maui. My fiancé are literally hours away from getting married on the beautiful island of Maui. We decided to have it in Paia, therefore stay at the Paia inn, therefore have the wedding rehearsal dinner at their restaurant Vana Paia. We were a little nervous due to numerous calls to the restaurant and not receiving clear communication from the hostess. The email was also bouncing back. "What was going on?" Luckily Sara (the owner) called us and apologize, as they were going through a restructuring in their team (all makes sense now) a wave of relief simmered over us. PHEW! After that, we set up with a few calls with Brandon and Charlie. Both FUCKING amazing gentlemen. They are both absolutely super professional, and on top of their game. (Great job Sara). They reassured my fiancé and I will be taken care of and the food will be delicious. They laid out a sample menu, with some signature drinks for our dinner, AND an on-site sushi chef just rolling out rolls, and nigiris. Absolutely bomb. The food was top tier, comfort food. The butterfish, full of umami. Followed with the mushrooms MMMM. The NY strip, medium rare, only way to eat it. The bartender Teddy was slanging Netflix show worthy drinks out to all of us, and not one of them disappoint. I'm a whiskey drinker and the old fashion signature drink AND the nobushi whiskey drink I had night before, perfect. We took some mezcal shots and he dropped some knowledge bombs on us when we cheered. And the grand finale... the spare ribs. I have not had ribs like these anywhere else. Seriously. Meat just falls off the bone. The chef was super friendly and came out to greet our family and friends. I had a chit chat with the chef about how he cooked the ribs, man what a process. After hearing the marinating and heat process I told myself "worth it." Don't let his looks fool you, he's top tier in his craft. My fiancé and I are very happy with vana paia, we might make this an anniversary type of deal :). Thanks Paia inn, thanks Vana paia, thank you Brandon, Charlie, and staff!

Ambiance is romantic. They have plates, cups, utensils on every table, before you are seated. Which is perfectly fine. However, when you have to wipe the dust off of your dipping bow and plate, that kinda concerns me. The outdoor tables are located under a tree. Who knows where the "dust" came from. Strike 1. The ahi that was served with the salad was warm. Never had sashimi served warm (and with salt n pepper on it). Kinda scared me, but we still ate it. I truly regret this. Strike 2. The steak was delicious though. Tender and cooked perfectly. The sauce was also delicious. I believe it was a tomato-based sauce and as well as chimichurri. My husband and I shared our plates with each other. We both ended up with painful, upset stomachs that night. Strike 3.

Pros: -able to get seated right away without a reservation on a Saturday night -the actual sushi was very good -cocktails were delicious Cons: -no soy sauce on the tables (lol what?? Had to ask our server and they were thrown off by our question ...returned a few minutes later with some soy sauce in a dish. Seriously what sushi place doesn't have soy sauce readily available?) -Inari on the menu is clearly advertised as 2 pieces per order, but I only got one (and it was the smallest saddest inari I've ever had) -edamame was very plain. Barely had a little salt on top. Wouldn't order again

We stumbled upon Vana because we tried to do a walk-in for Mama's Fish House, but were unable to. My friend had a craving for oysters, and within the area, Vana popped up on Yelp. Unfortunately, there were no oysters. It was actually a bit tough to find a place with oysters in Maui (shoutout to Fleetwood's). It was perfect because we ended up just wanting a light dinner, and this restaurant has tapas and small portions. Not a bang for your buck, by any means, though. I was a bit bummed because I wanted a specific appetizer (similar to a wagyu beef tataki), but they did not have it. Instead, I got the hamachi carpaccio, which was still good. I also ordered a spicy rainbow roll. You could tell that the fish was very fresh on top, but the roll itself was just decent. Not worth the $25 and it was also not spicy. I think my favorite food item was the karaage. It was crispy, tender and the sauce was the cherry on top. I am looking at the menu and I realize that a lot of these cocktails are new, which is another bummer because I would have loved to try all of them (guava mojito, spicy lilikoi mezcalita and vana colada -- yes please!) The restaurant itself is so cute! There is definitely a rustic vibe to it. It could look like a treehouse because there's a big tree in the middle and string lights. It is an outdoor restaurant, and there is an extended outdoor section as well that has a little more secluded feel. There's a bar area, but it is a bit small.

First time my wife and I ate here; best sushi we'd ever had. Hands down. No contest. And we eat A TON of sushi. Probably should get checked for mercury poisoning. Oh well. By "sushi" I mean quality and flavor of fish btw. Second time we came here; STILL the best. I feel like I forgot how good it was, while still remembering that it the best I've had. I'm weird. Prices are fairly high, but not exorbitant. And the vibe is very classy/casual. The roof is a tree, so expect leaves and flowers to fall on your table. I love the natural feel. Service is top notch even for the islands. If you have to tap into your savings to try this place, do it. We did the first time and didn't regret it haha

We were in Maui on vacation and decided to come here for dinner, given that this place is so highly rated and recommended. We got the - spicy tuna roll - spicy hamachi roll - ahi poke bowl - seared salmon Food was just average and nothing memorable. Prices are quite steep for what you get. Ambience is great.

My husband and I are staying at the Paia Inn and decided to stop by Vana for a quick night cap after a day of traveling. Well that quick night cap quickly turned into a wonderful night sitting at the bar being helped by the fantastic bartender Charlee. She was so nice and welcoming and quickly served us two delicious cocktails (hibiscus kiss and town & country). She was experimenting with a few new cocktails with fresh ingredients from the local farmers market and they were incredible!!! She gave us so many tips for our trip and created a wonderful experience. We ended the night with Makai Dragon and she made me a special tequila drink with the fresh strawberry juice from the farmers market (put this drink on the menu it was incredible!!!). Annie the manager stopped by to check in on how everything was going and was just as nice and welcoming! She recommended the Vana Citrus Roll and Rainbow roll, we ended up getting both. The Citrus roll was the best sushi roll I have ever had (and I love sushi). The presentation was beautiful (forgot to take a picture before we dug in so a few pieces are missing in the picture!!) The ambience is so romantic and they had live music starting at 7pm. We didn't want to leave and will be going again tonight for more drinks!

We arrived at Vana With high hopes happy to get a same-day reservation. We arrived on time and the Host very carefully analyzed the computer before Another staff member took us to our table. The Second Host greeted us but did not fill our water glasses and we had to wait a while for our server to arrive. During our wait I realized the table we were given was on a Radical Slope in an expanded part of the dining area. That seating was likely a converted parking area. It was on a substantial slope and when I was looking at my partner across the table I thought I was on the set of an old Batman TV show because the eye line was off. Looking at your Wonderful parter at a weird angle is not romantic atmosphere i was hoping for. So I kindly asked the server Lindsey if we could change tables. I could see tables were available she checked with the host and simply declined our request Lindsay said the other tables reserved and we would've had to been moved from her section if we were moving tables. Since I just met the Lindsey. I wasn't really impressed with her I could've cared less if we change servers. I did care if we changed tables so I can enjoy my dinner out with my partner. I could see tables available but our I was not accommodated and the issue was not brought again by the server. The first round of drinks we received we're good. On a sidenote I watched the bartender walk around looking empty glassware maybe they should buy a few extra glasses. I Tuna sashimi and the spring salad we ordered was very good. I was not impressed with the rainbow roll it had Gray-Orange toned farmed salmon. I've been to this restaurant about two years ago and I believe the sushi was better the last time I was there. The rolls were tighter. This time I thought the sushi was average. We had a Ikura Sushi which was fresh but it was not marinated in any particular sauce. I ended my meal with a vegetarian roll which was good. The service that I received from Lindsey was inattentive and indifferent and below average overall. It does not reflect the quality that this restaurant projects. A different server and a different table and I'm sure I would've had been provided a different more favorable experience and a better review . We actually have another reservation to go back there before the Christmas holiday and my partner wants to give this place another try hopefully it will be much better.

Absolutely gorgeous space & lighting. Appetizers are very limited. Service was sub-par at the bar. Wine quality & selection was not what it should be for the price point.

4.5 stars. This was the best meal we had at Maui this time, up there with mama's fish house and Koiso (I'm kihei) in previous trips. Beautiful ambience under a huge tree and lighting. Food comes really fast which was great - we were in a hurry to get back. But if you want a long and romantic dinner, ask them to slow down. Must get: Purple daikon and seaweed salad - original. Fantastic sauce. Could use a bit more seaweed in this dish Poke bowl - really fresh. On point with flavor. Very thin and crunchy rice bowls SOLID: Hamachi kama - a bit fishy. Use plenty of sauce. Tender. Larger portion than other restaurants. SO SO: Black miso eggplant - prefer a softer version of this. AVOID: sauteed broccolini - too stalky

One of the best places for dinner on Maui! Love the atmosphere and the drinks. Food was excellent and staff was phenomenal! Live music was unexpected and excellent. Highly recommend for dinner and drinks.

They have no sushi contrary to the menu online. Their prices are the highest I've seen anywhere. They also have live music, but this a very small place. Can't even talk to your partner. At 6:30 they ran out of Saporro. We had reservations, why didn't they notify us about this NO SUSHI thing. Cancelling tomorrow's reservation. Saving grace.. What we did order was very good. Kudos to the chef

After having drinks and an overall great time at nearby Paia Bay Coffee Bar (please read my review if interested), my wife and I noticed a secluded restaurant & bar. Intrigued by the ambiance, we entered the outdoor area and was quickly greeted by an employee. She explained to us that the restaurant was not serving food because of the main cook being out due to illness. However, she mentioned that the bar was open as usual...bingo! Highly recommended by the employee, my wife and I chose to order the "Navy Grog." The drinks mixture of various flavors was the perfect conclusion to a wonderful day of being beach bums, exploring Paia on foot, and enjoying some delicious adult beverages. Unfortunately, we were pretty tired after our drinks and couldn't fathom going for a second round. However, whenever we decide to return to Maui (hopefully it won't be too long from now), we would love to indulge in their food + drinks!

This was my 3rd time at Vana, and I was thoroughly disappointed. I spent ~ $500 treating my friends out for a reunion/birthday dinner at one of my fave spots. The service was so bad. She failed to mention anything about the birthday and she forgot about us multiple times throughout the night. The food came out 1 dish at a time so there were many times when we all got 1 piece of sushi and then had to wait for 5-10 min for the next dish. It was so awkward. I doubt it was really that busy as we were the only table seated in that room and we secured a last min reso on the day of. She was short and rude when she spoke to us. We had to wait for her for every little thing: to order apps, to order drinks, to order dinner, to get the check, to get the check back! Literally everything! At one point, she offered a nigiri and she forgot to mention a huge ingredient in the pieces: shisho. Shisho has a very distinct flavor and tastes like toothpaste to some people. I ordered it bc she recommended it. And had to give it away. Those 2 pieces cost $16... I feel like it's worth mentioning to ppl what's inside the order. Especially after my first order was hamachi toro and they are not similar whatsoever. Would likely go back for the food and drinks, but I would request firmly to never be seated in Lindsey's section again. Her lack of attention and borderline rudeness/indifference made the experience terrible.

Food was great but the service was questionable. When we got seated, it took a while until someone got us our waters and menu. Then took another 15-20 minutes for someone to take our order. I usually don't complain because my friends and I are just talking anyways but the fact that we noticed how we don't get too much attention from the servers says a lot. The server didn't even let us know that they had their last call for food. We knew about it because we overheard from another table over. So when we flagged down our waitress and ordered our food for last call, she said that the kitchen already closed. We proceeded talking with each other and planned to order more drinks. We flagged our waitress down but it took a while until she noticed us and there were literally only 40% capacity of customers left. We got tired of the waiting and decided to close our tabs once she come to us. Weirdly enough, she already closed our tabs and ready for our check even if we didn't told her yet that we're done. This was the first time I felt uncomfortable in a restaurant setting and felt 'underestimated' just because we don't look like tourists. Everyone in the restaurant were really just tourist looking that would spend a lot. Food was great but I don't think I'd go back again because of the service.

I would rate this place a 4 just because the ambiance of the place was nice. The trees, the lights it gave a very peaceful vibe. The waitress was kind and on it. She was refilling our water and making great suggestion. Honestly love the location as well which is near a lot small shops. For the food I would rate it a 3.5 just Because it reminded of Benihanas. Sushi wasn't awful, it was actually pretty good but nothing I have not experienced. The only thing I would say was spectacular was was what my friend ordered which was the ribs and they were wonderful!

Very disappointed in this place and honestly feel like we deserve a partial refund! Here is the high level reasoning. I ordered the ramen special, which was a ramen the chef let me curate a bit. I don't eat pork or beef so I made sure the broth did not have either and that there was no pork or beef in the dish. I was able to get this without tofu as well since I am not a fan of tofu in my ramen. So I basically had broth with 2 pieces of Bok choy, a few mushrooms and "some ramen noodles". Price, $34.00. It was insulting to be honest but I did not want to ruin the time of the guests I took there. The other dishes, including the sweet garlic spare ribs, were also very over priced. $28 for 3 ribs! The short ribs were $48 and again, not a lot of food there at all. Keep in mind, ribs are mainly bone! The Caesar salad did not impress. I want my Caesar cut up not served like a wedge romaine salad....tacky! They overcharged us on the Creme Brulé by $3 but I was too tired to fight about it at that point. My guests enjoyed it though. Ironically, they only had that and the match flavored gelato this night, no other flavors or deserts so disappointing here as well. I bill total was $225 plus tip = $271....not worth it AT ALL! We left hungry and disappointed and literally went home and ate dinner again. The prices are ridiculous and overall, I was not impressed with the quality of the food. AND, this comes from a true foodie willing to pay for great food. Last time we went to Mama's, which is now the standard I am holding restaurants that charge as much as they do to the standard, we paid almost the same and had a wonderful meal for the same three of us. I personally am tired of being overcharged and underwhelmed. We can't continue to use the excuse that we can't find good people etc, as there we more than enough people working there this night. The place is so tiny that they could have let some of the staff go. It's insulting to think that we will put up with this. NEVER going back, 1000%

The sushi is delicious. Mouthwatering miso butterfish and the ribs were just fall.off the bone. Me n My woman had a cute spot all to ourselves. Wish a candle lit spot just a beautiful restaurant.

SPECTACULAR!!! From the hostess, to the waitstaff/bar staff to management, the sushi chef and the musician! We cannot say enough about this restaurant. We started with gyoza, some nigiri (otoro and salmon) and 2 recommended cocktails. Then we ordered the omakase and the steak with a larger bottle of unfiltered sake (our favorite). Every bite was better than the last. We were in heaven. It's expensive but isn't everything in Maui? We splurged and it was worth every penny. We're even considering going back for more night tonight. I let them know it was our anniversary when I booked through open table and the hostess greeted us by saying happy anniversary! The music and atmosphere was Devine. Id give 6 stars if I could. Thanks to everyone who makes this place run. We can't wait to come back (again, possibly tonight) and recommend to everyone we know. Don't go anywhere. You're perfect

Vana Paia is a sushi restaurant to try .. great ambiance with live music and the food is very tasty . We got seated right away and the service was fast . Our waitress was super nice will definitely go there again ..

Dinner at Vana Paia before flying out of OGG was spectacular. We had a reservation and were seated within 5 minutes. From the time we ordered to receiving all of our dishes was less than 15 minutes. It was amazing! Very original rolls, great presentation and great service. The courtyard is so fun and unique especially at night. Loved it!

Was excited to come here but everything was mediocre. The texture of the fish, the flavor did not come out as I was used to. Atmosphere, service was amazing. I would not recommend this place for food unfortunately. Had high hopes

Finally got a chance to check out VANA after hearing all of the craze about their food! Upon walking in, I really liked the decor, as it gave me an LA sushi restaurant vibe. The hostesses were very nice and because it is an outdoor dining restaurant, they did not need to check vaccine cards or negative COVID tests. Their menu has a lot to offer and is subject to availability, so they do their best to provide the freshest fish, produce, and other ingredients possible. We ordered: O'toro Sashimi (5 pcs) - $56 Chef's Sushi Dinner - $42 Sushi Sampler - $28 Seared Salmon Roll - $22 Dragon Roll - $24 Mussels Dynamite - $16 for 4 pcs Overall I thought the food was okay and the prices were steep for what they were. Some of the food here was a hit or miss and didn't give us that WOW factor. However, I was very impressed by the quality of the Otoro and some of their nigiri. It's like they caught the fish the same morning! (-) The rolls were a bit basic and small in portion, especially the Seared Salmon Roll and Dragon Roll. I personally don't think that the rolls were worth the price. (+) As for the Otoro, that was definitely the main character of the night. It was a melt in my mouth moment. One of the best otoro I've had on Maui. At VANA, they use ALOHA Shoyu. I personally think that whenever I'm at a sushi restaurant, Kikkoman or Yamasa should be used. The Aloha Shoyu and wasabi threw me off a bit and definitely changed the way the sushi tasted for me. I usually don't make comments about water but the water here is tap and had a funky taste to it. I wish they served it with ice or at least have bottled water as an option. We ended up asking for a bowl of lemon on the side. Be sure to make reservations on Open Table. I'll definitely be back to try their Omakase and other menu items if someone were to treat me out to dinner. I feel as if the hit or miss menu items, steep pricing, and the use of soy sauce at VANA helped me decide on my overall rating.

Great ambience under the trees and lights yet covered like you are inside/outside. Everything on the menu was amazing!!! Fresh and flavorful! Unagi was some of the best I've ever had. Delicious rolls although the menu is limited and on the pricey side. No Hot Sake, only cold and no N.A. Beer.

One star because I tried to order dinner here tonight thru Uber eats and the first time it said it was preparing then got cancelled. Gave it a second try and same deal. Blah ... I'm sure the food is great there tho.

Such an amazing little spot. Definitely a great mood setter especially for a date night. Sushi is super tasty & drinks were to die for. They're specials are a must try as well! If n didn't get a picture but we had 3 servings of the Albacore Carpaccio w/ a garlic butter sauce & it is ORGASMIC! Lol definitely a favorite. Service was really great as well. The entire staff was very welcoming & friendly. Highly recommend this place!

Made a reservation, and was excited to go on a date. We show up and sit down. Try to order edamame and they are all out. Try to order sushi and they are all out of rice. Literally 80% of their menu was gone. Don't go here. Or at least don't plan to eat what your looking forward to eating.

Ordered a few Negronis from the bartender whom Then proceeded to pour mixture in tins and start shaking. He was also training a new bartender... was then charged for 4 drinks and couldn't find a manager for some time to fix. Needs help

Boyfriend chose Vana as our date night restaurant during our second night on Maui and it did not disappoint. The interior reminded me a lot of the sushi restaurants in Seattle or LA with dim lighting and a lot of natural/wood decor. We started off with drinks where I enjoyed a nice guava mojito and my bf got a drink with absinthe which he didn't enjoy as much but it definitely did the job of getting him buzz buzz buzzed. We ordered the following: Hamachi Carpaccio Ceviche Sashimi Box Sake Maki Otoro Maki and a Scallop and mushroom dish All of the seafood tasted super fresh, the texture was soft but firm, and it was one of the best food experiences I had in Paia. Would definitely come back maybe during an earlier time because we made a late reservation (8pm) and they were already out of miso soup ): Definitely give it a try and enjoy a nice cocktail on the side (:

Food: I am not picky or bougie when it comes to food. I also know this establishment is known for its sushi so I will say the sushi was great. Uni was amazing and so were the other sushi options. But if you're going to include other dishes, then it's rightfully so, customers write about them. The Choy sum was bland with zero taste/flavor. The hamachi collar was very fishy and not mild tasting at all. Service: from the moment we arrived, the hostess stated she checked us in for our reservation. Thirty minutes flew by, lots of other customers(who came in after us) seated, and calling us by 2 other names, annoyingly checking to see if we were ever getting seated later, we were finally seated. 20 mins later, finally greeted by our server. Asked for the lamb, but informed them if they didn't have it, I'll take wagyu. WAGYU was served. Asked if they had hamachi and if so, how much? No one came back with the answers and Instead it was served a few minutes later. Asked for asparagus, instead choy sum was served as the kitchen ran out of asparagus. 12pc omakase, 11 were served. Found out later, they had lamb the entire time. Manager took off hamachi and left everything else that I pretty much didn't order on the bill. Excuse of the night: 3 servers later "sorry we were very busy and there was a lot of miscommunication" but it's Valentine's Day and they should've been prepared for such rush. I paid for my bill with tip (as I saw fit) with no further complaints & walked away super disappointed as this is not your normal local restaurant so I expected more. Ambiance: the 2 man band playing that night was amazing and the ambiance/atmosphere was on point.

Was introduced to Vana by a friend who works their as one of their ultra talented Chefs and decided to stop in for a quick bite to try their ribs before I went out and was absolutely blown away by the quality of the food, service and atmosphere they've cultivated. My server Ashley S. went above and beyond for me when she found out how disappointed I was that they were out of Spare Ribs at first ordering, which was understandable that late in the night. She spoke to the chef and I was surprised by her with the most delicious plate of Sweet Garlic Spare Ribs I've ever eaten. They've ruined eating ribs from anywhere else for me. They were THAT good. The crispy crunchy texture of that first bite paired with the incredible sauce and succulent meat was swear out loud good. But I had to compose myself from that because the layout and ambiance of Vana is absolutely outstanding. They had an incredible live musician to serenade us while we ate and her voice only added to the perfection of the evening. I feel bad for not getting her name, but I'll be back next Friday to get another plate and hopefully catch another performance. I cannot recommend Vana enough; I was lucky enough to get a table tonight but make sure to call in for a reservation though to get a table, because it's only a matter of time before they're always full.

The food was amazing, accompanied by the ambiance of this venue it makes for an amazing date night. I actually took my fiancé here right after I proposed. The service was amazing, speedy and friendly all in one. The food was fresh and unique. We went with the chefs choice sashimi and nigiri platter and it was amazing. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good couples night out or for some cocktails with friends. You definitely need to have a few drinks while here, the bartender knows his stuff and proved his knowledge with the amazing drinks he wiped up for the both of us.

This was our first time at Vana Paia and hopefully will not be our last. The restaurant is located within the Paia Inn in the small downtown area of Paia. The menu may look small but everything they offer is ridiculously fresh, if you love rolls there are amazing options to choose from my wife enjoyed the spicy tuna and the dragon roll. I highly recommend the dragon roll which has delicious eel on top of it. I ordered the sushi dinner special which gave me broad options of the nigiri, 7 pieces in total. I also ordered an additional local tuna nigiri to quell my hunger. I have had sushi all over the United States but Vana's is by far the best. The nigiri melts in your mouth and leaves you wanting more. It's an exceptional restaurant with fantastic food and amazing service. Our server Samantha was attentive, funny, complimented my eyes lol and even suggested their tuna sashimi appetizer which was mind blowing. I don't when we will be back in the Paia area if ever but this restaurant deserves recognition for what they bring to the community. Thank you so much for a great experience.

As is known by most locals (especially women) This place and the adjacent hotel are owned by a man of questioned repute. If you're curious as to why, I reccomend getting his name and doing a search on the Maui News. In spite of the owner's purported behavior, there are some really great people working there and the food is creative and tasty. My girlfriend has threatened to quit seeing me if I continue my patronage, so I've decided not to tell her. (nor any self respecting woman I know) 8 My sense is that the employees and food are so amazing that "my conscience be damned." If you're of conflicted morals then you too can have some great food and drink there. Just be sure you keep your being there a secret to all women and consider absolution in a confessional.

This was a delightful and magical dining experience and so yummy! 10/10 would recommend. The wait staff was lovely and the food was stunning

This spot is super cute. Make sure you get a reservation if you want to eat here. We ordered the kushiyaki sampler, omakase, strawberry mochi, and a cocktail (I forget which). The sampler was wonderful, each skewered item perfectly juicy and seared and flavored, and the shiitake mushrooms were my favorite part of the meal. The only issue is that if you're sitting by the food prep area, be prepared to smell like smoked meat! The cocktail was delicious, not too sweet like we've experienced at some other bars in Maui. The strawberry mochi was incredible, super soft and tender skin with a strong natural strawberry flavor for the ice cream. A bit pricey at $9 for one mochi, but it was worth it. One thing that was not worth it--the omakase. I forget how much it cost exactly, $75 or $95, but you get one tiny shrimp salad and seven pieces of nigiri and that's it, of which, we only really liked four of them. We've had omakase from all over the place, and this was definitely the most disappointing. The rest, though, was great.

Fish was very good and fresh! But we are in Hawaii so it's all mostly amazing fish at any restaurant. The prices are over the top expensive! $30 for a basic small roll. Definitely not a locals place! I'll give them a $$$$$$$$$$$$$

Disappointed. Bait and switch. It's very rare I post negative reviews, but Vana Paia was extremely disappointing. The pictures and website look great, but very few of the photos actually show any recent items on their menu. We went for Happy Hour assuming we would receive a discount on drinks as our Opentable reservation stated. When I asked what was included, I was told 20% off drinks by our server. After receiving the bill and inquiring about the 20% discount, I was then told the bottle of Sake we order was not included. "Sorry, my bad." We had a Miso Soup which had to sit for 5 minutes to cool down. The Truffle Salmon was completely overpriced for 4 tiny pieces and the Shrimp Tempura and Spicy Tuna were no better than a strip mall sushi train joint. After getting the $100+ bill, they suggested 20%, 25%, and 30% automatic tip. Pretty optimistic for the service and food delivered.

Service: Great! Server was on it with drinks/serving etc Food: Kijiki ceviche - OK not a lot of flavor. Very fishy Hamachi, Wagyu & aches special- very yummy Ambience: 5 star! Very cute place Save this place for a very special date night as it is pricey. For 3 people - $300+ with drinks. Small portions All of the experience !

Great food and drinks, nice atmosphere under covered lanai. We ordered lots of small plates to share.

We enjoyed our dinner at Vana. This is a beautiful location with a huge tree in the middle of the restaurant. We started with sake, shared some edamame, and each had some sushi. Overall a lovely evening.

Wow what a great place , wish I would have found this sooner as made reservations on our last day so happy we did . The staff was friendly , wearing mask , knowledgeable and helpful for our first time . We had the king crab sushi, Chef's special sushi Ahi Poke and Mochi . I also tried a delicious cocktail naked and famous. I will definitely be back when in this area and enjoy more time exploring there tasty

You pay for the vibe here. Food is good but not epic, and the prices are just way too steep for what it is.

Great food, great cocktails. A must try in Paia. A good selection of rolls and non fish dishes.

Three stars because the menu online had several cooked options, fried chicken etc. I don't like sushi, but my husband does so I was excited because they had a cooked food option. However, upon arrival the menu did not have any cooked food options. The server informed us the menu online was out of date. I stayed so my husband could try the sushi, which he said was good. Drinks were great. Service good.

So we accidentally came here by mistake! Glad we did. We were apprehensive eating there, it was outside -leaves everywhere... but when I realized the orange juice i ordered was $9, i knew we had found a good spot. Breakfast was amazing. The French toast was so yummy! Cant wait to try their sushi next time I'm in maui!

Words can't describe how wonderful our evening was last night at Vana Paia! From the moment we sat down, Megan our server welcomed us with warm Aloha hospitality. She was great helping us choose our entrees from the extensive menu Chef Erin has prepared. I chose the Vana Bowl with seared salmon and my word, my eyes lit up with every bite! Incredible flavors were like fireworks in my mouth! We had the pleasure of meeting Erin after our meal, her passion for her artistry are apparent. What a treasure for the North Shore of Maui she is. Best meal I've ever had in Maui!

Thought the eel (unagi) roll and appetizer were amazing again this weekend. We go every so often and we always have great food - very creative and fresh. I think there was one time when one dish wasn't up to par but this weekend, every dish was excellent. Atmosphere is nice and relaxing and they have music. We also had three other rolls and they all were unique and yummy. Service was good and helpful.

This place is top notch!!! I called saying that we had a party of 11 coming in & if they had room They easily accommodated us and had us set up before we got there. Our server Samantha was amazing. She was sweet, nice, knowledgeable, and on top of everything. The bartenders and another waitress were great (the one with the 10 month baby) as well. Place is definitely worth a try if you are looking for a great sushi spot. Sushi- great Ambiance- great Cocktails- great Service-amazing Thank you for making our celebration dinner great!