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JO2
Foodies will want to check out chef Jean-Marie Josselin’s triumphant return to Kapaa, in a strip mall not unlike the one where he first gained renown years ago with A Pacific Cafe. A…
Lava Lava Beach Club
On the ocean side of Kauai Shores hotel, Lava Lava Beach Club has the island’s only “toes-in-the-sand” dining area, on comfy wicker sofas facing Wailua Bay. It also offers plenty of…
Eating House 1849
Hawaii Regional Cuisine co-founder Roy Yamaguchi surprised many in 2015 when he announced he was closing his upscale Roy’s, a fixture of Poipu Shopping Village for 2 decades, in order…
Ke Kahua O Kaneiolouma
It’s impossible to miss the four towering tiki on a stone platform by the main turnoff for Poipu Beach Park, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you just drive by. Still under…
Lawai International Center
Although you’ll hear some noise from the unseen highway, the serenity of this historic 32-acre valley, open only for free guided tours, is unshakable, especially once you ascend the…
Makauwahi Cave Reserve
The Pacific’s greatest cache of fossils, including those of enormous, long-extinct waterfowl, may lie in the depths of the largest limestone cave in Hawaii. Exposed by a sinkhole…
Kumukumu (Donkey) Beach
When the only way to reach this beach was by a downhill hike through sugarcane fields near a donkey pasture, nude sunbathers took full advantage of its seclusion. Now it’s bordered by…
Koloa Landing Resort
It may not have the best, or any, beachfront, but otherwise this brilliantly transformed 25-acre resort (now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection) deals in several superlatives.…
Kalapaki Joe’s
Opened in 2014 in the former Grove Café (and before that, the Waimea Brewing Co.) in the Aston Waimea Plantation Cottages compound of vintage wood-framed buildings, the newest of the…
Kokee Lodge
It would be inexcusable to drive all the way up to Waimea Canyon or Kokee State Park and not schedule a meal here—at least if you order one of its hearty, local-fave specialties. The…
Shrimp Station
The name explains it all at this popular roadside stop on the way to or from Waimea Canyon and Polihale, with another branch in Kapaa. Shrimp plates—most featuring about 10 juicy…
The Feral Pig
Let’s dispense with the atmosphere first: There really isn’t any. The self-proclaimed “pub and diner” is next to a mini-mall, with bare tables and just a few photos and chalkboards on…
Brick Oven Pizza
This local favorite is relatively easy on the budget—the 12-slice pizzas, featuring hand-tossed crusts, are genuinely large, and there’s a bountiful, if not particularly exciting,…
Da Crack
Now this is a hole in the wall—hence the local nickname for a long-lived Mexican takeout window here, which the Kauai-reared Mexican-American chef Daniel Hurtado officially adopted in…
Kalaheo Café & Coffee Co.
Whether you just grab a freshly baked cookie and cup of Kauai coffee to go or make a full meal of it, you’ll quickly discover why visitors and locals jockey for parking spots at this…
The Beach House
Call it dinner and a show: As sunset approaches, diners at this beloved oceanfront restaurant start leaping from their tables to pose for pictures on the grass-covered promontory,…
Josselin’s Tapas Bar & Grill
Other than Bar Acuda in Hanalei, this casual-chic bistro has the most New York/San Francisco urban vibe on Kauai. Chef Jean Marie Josselin, who closed his long-revered A Pacific Café…
Red Salt
One of the best hotel restaurants on Kauai, this is also one of the smallest and hardest to find, tucked inside the discreetly located Koa Kea Hotel & Resort. Although rivals offer…
Hanalei Gourmet
This casual, decidedly nongourmet spot offers the best values (by local standards) at lunch, with a variety of burgers and ample sandwiches on freshly baked bread starting at $8; order…
Bar Acuda
Named one of Food & Wine magazine’s “Top 10 New American Chefs” in 1996, when he was still working in San Francisco, chef/owner Jim Moffatt later decided to embrace a low-key…
Mediterranean Gourmet
Imad and Yarrow Beydoun’s unlikely but delightful oasis between Hanalei and the end of the road provides a welcome respite from the usual macnut-crusted mahimahi. At lunch, add fresh…
Oasis on the Beach
Though not actually on the sand, the open-air, oceanfront setting at the Waipouli Beach Resort is still memorable, as are the daily fresh-catch (grilled or pan-seared) and curry…
La Spezia
The definition of charming, this much-needed stylish but cozy bistro in Old Koloa Town doesn’t accept reservations for parties of fewer than six—reason enough to make a few friends at…
Merriman’s Gourmet Pizza & Burgers
A pioneer in Hawaii Regional Cuisine, Maui-based chef Peter Merriman first expanded onto Kauai with his gourmet restaurant, Merriman’s Fish House ★★ (open for dinner Monday–Saturday;…
Tortilla Republic
This vibrant, bi-level restaurant offers two ways to experience its modern, sophisticated take on Mexican cuisine, each with menus based on natural, organic, and local ingredients…