Ritz-Carlton, Ka'anapali-no jeans. t-shirts, shorts, etc. in the main dining room. We found out the hard way-left all our "good" clothes in Honolulu and had to eat in our room, the coffee shop, or offsite.

Interesting. And thanks for the heads-up although the Ritz's main dining room is not on my immediate list of places to eat.
No shorts=no patronage for me as I'm not into long pants in Hawaii.

I'm not sure shorts are appropriate anywhere in public except the beach, so I may not be the person to comment on this. However, Maui is relaxed as far as dress code. Many people there wear shoes without socks or sandals. I always travel with at least one blazer, but I am usually in the minority in Hawaii if I wear it. Cotton khakis or dress trousers and an (unwrinkled) collared shirt are absolutely fine.

The Ritz Carlton rule doesn't surprise me, but they should be more Aloha-wear aware. I can understand no jeans (I rarely see people wearing jeans in Hawai'i anyway), but dressy shorts with a nice Aloha shirt should be ok...but like Cholula, I would not be dining there anyway with far better choices to be found elsewhere.

I have dined at Pahu'ia at the Four Season's Hualala'i in dress shorts and a nice Aloha shirt without a problem. In summer and fall, one would wilt if they dressed up any more than that anyway.

They made it very clear when we made resvs that there was a dress code - pants & I believe longsleeved (could have just been collared) shirts for men. I don't remember looking around when we were there to see if it was enforced.

Thanks. I'll knock another restaurant off my list for fine dining on Maui.
I do the fancy pants thing while on the mainland but Hawaii, for me, is dress shorts and aloha shirts 24/7.

I guess the R-C Maui has one of the few restaurants I have never set foot or sandals inside in 14+ years on Maui. It sounds as if it will continue to be that way.

MisterNice

Pahu'ia is on the Big Island...honestly, the food is so good that if they wanted everyone to wear a tux, taffeta gown, or dress like bozo the clown, the place would still be full :)

But I agree that Hawai'i, even for local residents, does not lend itself to formality - so a business that insists on it, is going to be somewhat out of place. I think trousers and an Aloha shirt should be more than enough for any restaurant in the Islands. I think the Ritz is just importing it's universal standards for guest appearance into an environment that is too informal and laid back. Years ago, I was shooed out of the lobby at the Breakers in Palm Beach for the criminal act of not being in a jacket and tie after 4pm.

The again, for 500+/night, the RC should send someone to my room to dress me if they are so focused on my clothes!

Although I'm typically a "tennis shoe guy", today I bought a pair of "Maui Classics". With my numerous shorts and Hawaiian shirts, I think I'm all set to eat most anywhere my heart desires! My son is laughing because of my sock lines when wearing the new shoes. :)

Yes, this is somewhat unusual today. The original Ritz in Boston still requires jacket and tie in the Dining Room. There are a few places in NYC that still require jacket and tie. Most of the patrons to these places would compy with the policy as a matter of couse: they would wear jacket and tie in any case. So its effect is small.

In Hawaii, the R-C and others have loosened the standard considerably, if I read the above posts correctly, and simply require trousers plus a shirt (and, I assume, shoes).

Listen to your son... ;)

I'm really hoping no one is thinking about Hilo Hattie-type polyester junk when mentioning Hawaiian shirts!! Ugh.

I "mostly" agree with you. As a local resident that frequents fine and casual dining establishments I can tell you that shorts and a nice collared shirt will be acceptable "fine dining" restaurants in the day time.
Though to be honest, evening typically find more "local men" in khakis or light weight trousers/collred shirts. Ladies in dresses, or pants and blouse.
Shorts are great for casual places,daytime or outdoor seating. To be honest, if I am in a fine dining restaurant and I see a man in shorts and sandals, I know he is a visitor to our islands.

And that's what keeps the Islands hummin'--tourists. :)

Plus with my blond hair and trucker tan, there’s never a chance I’ll be mistaken for a local. ;)
So it’s shorts and non-Hilo Hattie aloha shirts 24/7.

Maybe it's just that my husband is always in Hawaiian and/or linen shirts, but we didn't have any problems on our honeymoon. Granted, at the end of August we found that it was usually too cold at night to wear shorts to dinner (I usually did wear skirts or dresses, but always needed a sweater), so that might be another consideration.