onthego15

I've enjoyed Hanapepe Cafe, Postcards and Kilauea Bakery/Pau Hana Pizza. But for me, the best food, by far, on Kauai is at the Farmer's Markets. There is at least one every day of the week (except Sunday) and they are all over the island. The food is wonderful, the vendors are happy to tell you all about any of the foods you have never eaten before, the prices are fantastic and teh food was picked that morning.
If you're going to Kauai, check one (or more) farmer's markets out:
http://realkauai.com/FarmersMarkets/

cawhite

Possibly Restaurant Kintaro?

MauiFan

Up North in hanalei go to the Bar Acuda....for AMAZING tapas. Top quality...good service...it will not disppoint. Much less expensive than your options at the Princeville hotel.

Down South try the new Red Salt at the Koa Kea hotel. Very hip. You must try the reverse root beer float...with warm chocolate chip cookie. The poke is a work of are...a checker board of white and red fish.

Merriman's...upstairs is better than the Beach House....which to me always servers very bland food. Just never was a fan.

The above 3 are all decent. My favorite is still Roy's. But you can't eat at Roy's every night of your vacation...or can you?

ILuvParis

Still haven't been to Red Salt for dinner - but I have been for cocktails and appetizers and the bar there has THE BEST Mai tai - ever. Six of us went - all are long time and frequent visitors to the islands and all agreed with this. Every one of us was buzzed after one and they still tasted smooth!

The new tapas place across from Merriman's (Josselin) is just as good, if not better than Bar Acuda and a much larger selection (and obviously a better option if you're staying south). They also have a sangria wagon with traditional, lychee and mango versions. ^

The best fish on the planet is still the butterfish at Roy's! ^ No one who has ever gone there and had it has disagreed with me.

ck2003

Can anyone recommend a restaurant for breakfast near the Westin Princeville? I guess the Westin doesn't have a restaurant for breakfast. Something similar to Kilauea bakery would be nice. A place for breakfast buffets would be ok too.

Thanks!

ILuvParis

Someone told me that the restaurant in the St. Regis has a great breakfast. I haven't been there.

controller1

And if staying at the Westin Princeville ORV, you receive a card to be used repeatedly for a 15% discount at the restaurants at the St. Regis (alcoholic beverages excluded).

Pegasus23

My Kauai trip was interrupted/shortened by a death in the family, but wanted to mention as future think....Roy's is coming to the North Shore. The restaurant at the Prince Club House [Prince Golf Course] will be shut down for remodeling & Roy's will replace....no time of opening yet....Also, for reasonable cost breakfast in Hanalei...Wake-Up Cafe was recommended twice...I haven't eaten there....yet. Breakfast at the St. Regis is hard to beat with the view and good food.

bobjunior

Do the st. regis guests get this?

Pegasus23

The St. Regis does not offer a percentage off coupon, upon check-in, for the restaurants at the St. Regis or the Westin.. However, when you book the St. Regis, there may be offerings/packages, depending on your dates of stay {via phone only} that include a percentage off food; good only at the Makana Terrace. The package, if available, will not apply at Kauai Grill.

skj

We just returned from 6 nights at the Grand Hyatt in Poipu. The "foodie" highlight for us was dinner at Josselin's Tapas Bar and Grill in Poipu at the Kukuiula Village center. We were eager to try this relatively new restaurant, as we were big fans of Josselin's A Pacific Cafe in Kapaa when it was open.

We each had sangria, trying both the Lychee and Berry Acai flavors. They were really delicious, but dangerous. In addition to wine, they contain various spirits (rum, vodka, etc) and one was plenty as we had a short drive back to the hotel.

We tried 6 different dishes - Hamachi Tartare (what a unique presentation !), Poached Oxtail Ravioli, Summer Risotto, Roasted Steak Salad, Blue Cheese Soufflé and Garlic Sesame Crusted Mahi Mahi - and each one was fantastic. We also had a Macadamia Nut Profiterole with Peppermint Ice Cream that was a great finish to an outstanding meal. The service was great and we thought it was a good value as the total bill, before tip, was $100.

While Josselin's was the "meal of the trip", we also enjoyed the following:

Stevenson's Library at the Hyatt - the PuPu Platter and some exotic cocktails were just what we needed when we arrived late in the evening after a long day of flying

Tidepools at the Hyatt - tasty, well-prepared fish, great, friendly service - our server remembered us from a previous visit (and we remembered her, too) - and a lovely setting

Puka Dog - a interesting, Island variation on a hot dog, with pineapple and banana relishes. Tasty fresh squeezed lemonade. Good, but pricey ... Next time we want a hot dog in Kauai, we'll head to Costco.

The Sunset Ho`olaule`a at the Sheraton Poipu - a "block party" that was part of the annual Koloa Plantation Days celebration. Fun local musicians, a variety of tasty foods from area restaurants and lots of people

The Beach House - a regular dinner for us on our visits to Kauai. This time we stayed with "tried and true" entrees - Macadamia Crusted Mahi Mahi with Citrus Aka Miso Beurre Blanc and Fire Roasted Ahi, served rare, with Furikake Mashed Potato, Ginger Lime Beurre Blanc and a Black Bean Sauce. The food was very good, but the service was a bit lacking. The host asking if we were locals when seating us was a little hokey, and our server was training someone the evening we were there, so things seemed a bit too formal and the timing was somewhat off. Still a very enjoyable meal.

BYOB is common on Kauai, with fair corkage fees. We brought some wine with us from home and enjoyed bottles at Tidepools and the Beach House. We knew we wanted the sangria at Josselin's, but will probably bring some wine with us on our next visit.

ILuvParis

My recollection is that Josselin's has a full bar.

skj

Yes, Josselin's does have a full bar. They also have a reasonably-sized wine list with a few interesting bottles on it, but they do allow BYOB. The manager (? I think) told me their corkage fee was $10, which I thought was a bargain.

skj

Sort of food related ... The Koloa Rum Company, at the Kilohana Plantation in Lihue, is a fun visit. We tasted 1/2 oz portions of 2 of their rums, and then blended our own mai tais using their mix. Tasty rums, made with Kauai-grown sugar cane and other local ingredients. We brought a bottle home with us.

azhoopsfan

I'm contemplating doing a special package (Passport Escape package) with Hyatt points that would give 3 dinners ($150 per dinner) and daily breakfast for 5 days for 35,000 points. I know Tidepools is a good restaurant, but is it worth spending 3 meals on property, or are there other good restaurants close by?