Now I know this picture doesn't really give you a full idea of the actual size, but this bowl is MASSIVE! This banana split was soooo good! It is filled with tons of healthy island fruit and macadamia nuts. It came with a coconut scoop of ice cream, I think a macadamia scoop of ice cream, and kind of an orange sorbet-y ice cream, and just packed with toppings. We also go the orange cake which was delicious, with homemade whipped cream. Gaia is a newer restaurant which took over one of our favorite locations. They are farther down the road, about 15 minutes from Hanalei Bay, and while you have to cross more than a few one-way bridges, it's totally worth it. Gaia has an incredible location with beautiful ocean views. The staff was very welcoming to us. And there was plenty of parking. I think the decor is beautiful as well, lots of wood paneling and beautiful hand painted murals. A part of me wants this to be a secret spot forever, but they're so amazing, I want everyone to support them as well. They're definitely worth the drive! read more

Gaia - Banana split for 5 people - this bowl is HUGE - Seafood Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

First off it's BYOB, and probably the furthest west restaurant on the Northside, so have your drink set. Liquor license is still pending, but could be July '26, we'll see. Anyway, I was hoping for a sunset dinner with my wife but no direct view in early June of the sunset. Couldn't get through on the website to check on reservations, but they got us in quick. In front of the stage with live music (note: my experience in Kauai is that live music is played too loud, but I'm used to yelling to talk at this point.) No menus were available initially, but one came for us to share. I will say staff are eager to please. We were strayed reasonably quick and wait staff offered many suggestions. All drinks are Mocktails and other drinks, we ordered iced tea and lemonade. Placed food order and went out back to check out the patio area and "future" bar area. Drinks turned out to be "organic" canned drinks, (later we learned no refills). It took about 18 minutes for my Huli Chicken to arrive, we shared and took our time. Took another 18 minutes for next order to arrive and last of order soon after. Service, well we never saw staff again until we were long done with food. Only one time did we get a water refill. When plates were cleared, we were quickly offered a dessert. We did say we were ready for the bill, but it was a wait before another staff came to check on us. This is when we found out no refills and canned drinks. They did offer drinks to go but we declined, paid and left...disappointed. Last note, they may be a little too dog friendly. I love dogs, however, I think there are FDA and state rules against non-service dogs in the indoor seating area. There was a little verbal scrap between two dogs beside us. Not my place, but there is a nice outdoor area that the dogs may like more. Anyway, I do think they have potential. The atmosphere is trendy and going for a little upscale. They just need to bump up service, also maybe some QR menus may help when the liquor license comes through. Good luck and keep trying to please! They are about four months into this and food was good and unique. Bacon pineapple was good, Huli Chicken was good. The coconut onion could use something more, like caramelizing first or IDK. read more

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Had seafood plater half order which was just right. The wife has fruit fondue which was subpar. Menu said pineapple was grilled but was not. Server didn't know and didn't offer to correct. Nice atmosphere. Under new ownership so maybe just rough edges. read more

A welcomed new dining place located at the Hanalei Colony Resort! Gaia has been open for a little over a month now and while there still seems to be some kinks to work out, overall we had a really nice dinner experience here. The inside is well laid out with ample space between tables so you don't feel crowded. The four of us were quickly seated at a window facing the ocean, very nice. Currently they're still working on getting their liquor license so for now it's BYOB. We brought a bottle of champagne and merlot to enjoy with dinner. We decided on getting a few options from the Tapas menu, the Robata menu, and the Ohana menu so we could get a good sampling of what they have to offer. From the Tapas menu we got the Local Caught Sashimi, Farmer's Market Vegetable, and the Ube Manapua. All of these were good with the Manapua being the most interesting. The bun was made from sweet potato and the filling was oxtail. A nice balance of sweet from the bun and savory from the oxtail. I also liked the Sashimi which was Ahi but I would say that I'd consider this dish more of an Ahi Crudo instead. The fish was very fresh and served in a light citrusy olive oil topped with diced tomatoes and herbs. From the Robata menu we ordered the Banana Rumaki and the Pork Belly. Both of these were outstanding. The Banana Rumaki was definitely a highlight for me. Instead of the Rumaki having a chicken liver filling they used banana and wrapped in smoky bacon with a teri glaze...absolutely delicious. The pork belly was no slouch either. Nicely fatty and now drowned in an overly sweet glaze like most places would serve it, another highlight. From the Ohana menu we ordered the Cantonese Prawns and the Farmer's Pastured Beef. The prawns were another highlight of the meal. Large head-on Kauai shrimp served in a buttery sauce over thick pasta. Unfortunately with my shellfish allergy I couldn't have any of the shrimp but I did sneak a small taste of the pasta which was fabulous. As for the beef dish, sadly there was a misstep in the kitchen and that dish was overlooked. Although I'm sure it was good we all agreed that it would've been too much food, we were pretty stuffed with what we already had. We did however order a dessert to share between the four of us which was the Coconut Crème Brûlée with cinnamon-sugar Beignets. This was also very good, creamy, crunchy, and chewy with the beignets. On the day we ate here we were told they are added breakfast service to their hours, fantastic for the resort guests to have a meal before venturing off to see Kauai. Gaia is definitely a great addition to the area. read more

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Aloha Gaia amazing group of people collaborating to serve a memorable delicious unique experience Chef is very talented servers are smiling, attentive and a pleasure to chat with, even when busy they maintain positive professional demeanor. The music was bonus and balanced out the atmosphere . The meal was refreshing and healthy we left feeling rejuvenated and wanting to cond read more

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Much anticipated opening of a restaurant in a most amazing space. And yep, brand new means there are some kinks to work out. For starters the liquor license is not lined up yet. No worries BYOB and save a little money. Food was all interesting local fusion ...vegan options...something for everyone. But no kids menu. So if you have one of those kids that only eat grilled cheese - get a baby sitter. Everyone will be happier. Favorites were the manapua and the kale salad. And who can resist the cuchi cuchi chicken in homage to Charo who owns the building? read more

Gaia - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

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This place is absolutely amazing...great location on the beach and in an area that's in need of any food options, which makes this place all the more remarkable. The owner is clearly a dedicated craftsman who gave me the rundown on his reliance on locally-sourced ingredients, and boy did it show up in elevating the taste and the overall culinary experience. Our meals were right up there with the best we've had on any of the islands, let alone on Kauai. As another rater mentioned, they're still waiting on a liquor license, so if you come bring your own and they'll supply the glasses. We came here for lunch and dinner. Be prepared to go slow at dinner - it was crowded and - unlike other mediocre restaurants in the area - your food is made-to-order (and delicious!). My entire family was genuinely elated that we found this gem! read more

My wife and I stopped by for a light lunch and were very glad we did! The mango beet salad was amazing! Super fresh and light. The fish tacos and fries were also fantastic! We've eaten at most of the popular restaurants on the island and this stop was a knockout!!! We'll be going back to try other meals!! read more

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Our first time to Gaia at Hanalei Bay Colony resort. Had breakfast this morning and it was delicious. The fried French toast was really good and the fried rice option with my breakfast dish was absolutely delicious. It was clean, nice and had a lovely ocean view. Definitely worth trying. We will be back. read more

This place has the absolute best fish tacos I've ever had in my life and I'm from California! Our daughter had the Cuchi Cuchi chicken and I ended up eating half of her meal also lol my husband said his burger was perfectly cooked and the fries were super yummy as well! The restaurant itself is gorgeous and the staff is very friendly and make you feel right at home. It's definitely a must visit! read more

We live nearby and really wanted to support local. The restaurant now has a more improved look, service was great, staff were friendly and nice. Ambience could be better. We came for dinner and mosquitoes were bothering me:( We weren't really that hungry so we just ordered some shrimps, chicken, pineapple rice (forgot to take a photo), and their dessert. Both the shrimps and chicken were cooked to perfection, very juicy, very flavorful. Would definitely recommend. Pineapple rice was good (Would request it to add more pineapple and lessen the oil). Dessert was $38 and it was such a let down. Not worth the money. We were expecting icecream overload for the price. But it was literally 3scoops with a gazillion whipped cream to make it look huge. Hopefully, they would improve more on the food choices and bigger portion size. read more

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The location has always been what makes this place unique. A new restaurant has opened replacing Opaka paka. The chef is quite amazing! BYOB with great mocktails. A Wednesday night we were treated to live music and a view. Chose the ceviche of local ahi tuna. Delicious flavors and beautiful presentation. Followed by the ube bao buns that were delicious! Soft, tasty with a hint of oxtail meat that honestly was perfect in proportion bc the bun was sooo good the meat was just a bonus. Next course was a half portion of Cantonese Kauai prawns complete with heads and tails!! Flavors were AMAZING!! The pasta had bits of beef mixed in with the sauce and it was delicious! Prawns with the heads are a treat and they grilled them to perfection. The chef visited our table early before it got busy and she is honestly amazing with the flavor profiles she is creating!! A great place to dine. RELAX, enjoy the music. ENJOY the ambiance. Savor the food. A lovely new addition to the North Shore! Thanks! read more

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My wife and I have been on the island for a few days and have loved every minute. The food trucks, restaurants, the people, and overall experience have been incredible. But Gaia was the lowest point. The atmosphere, the vibe, the food... not good. I don't leave restaurant reviews often, but this place was so bad I had to reset my Yelp password to leave this review. The meat was something like Tyson frozen food from Walmart. Wagyu beef?! There's no way. Not only that - we waited for 20 minutes at the front before someone even took us to a table. I would avoid this place, personally. The vibe was not great a the food was even worse. read more

I've eaten here several times and have not been disappointed once as I explore different things on their menu. The menu has a lot of creative choices including several tapas dishes up to family sized orders meant for sharing. My favorites are the Beet/mango/Honey tapas and the sashimi tapas plate. Well, and the Chef Special one night of Seared Ahi. THE thing that keeps me coming back is the freshness of the food. You can tell from the first bite that farm fresh and local. This is now my favorite place to eat on the island. Pat read more

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Stopped in for lunch today while driving through Hanalei area. My wife and I had the salad and the fish tacos. Both were awful. The salad was overly vinegar and bitter, and the fish tacos tasted like frozen fish sticks wrapped in a tortilla. The server was overwhelmed because it was busy so service was slow and spotty. Don't know how this place is for dinner, but I would not recommend for lunch. read more

My wife and I had lunch. It was delicious and everything was hot, fresh, and with good sized portions without there being too much food. Wait staff is small, due to the location of the restaurant and the inconsistency of visitors from outside of the area. Be kind, be patient- they can't have a huge staff when business is is intermittent at the end of the road up there. They did a great job when we ate there. Building, view, and ocean breezes were wonderful to dine in. Would recommend again read more

Brilliant chowder! Among the best ever. Fantastic new owner couple James and Heather committed to excellence. Beautiful remodel. Music talent even won The Voice! Loved everything. read more

Food was delicious. Place nicely remodeled. View is beautiful. Waitress was very attentive. Helped us understand the menu options and choose the plates for our party of 4 to share. read more

Incredible food, great atmosphere at one of the best Oceanside venues on the island. One of a kind. Some how got labeled as a burger joint...they don't even have burgers on their dinner menu. read more

When views and culinary excellence meet it's a rare combination. Gaia set the goal post with a farm to table menu that excites and inspires. The north shore responded with a view that reminds us how lucky we are, period. We stumbled upon their soft opening and blindly sat down for one of the best "what do we have to lose" experiences. Shout out to Dylan for the background on the area, the new owners, and for being so fabulous. Thankful we went the ten minutes past Hanalei Bay to see what was at the north of north shore. I'f you're anywhere on the island make this a must for lunch or dinner. Gaia won't disappoint!! read more

All the food was delicious, super fresh and our portions were generous. My favorite was the octopus with cous cous. The fish special was awesome - such flavor! Loved the buns with oxtail. Had no room for the cuchi cuchi chicken but we split it for lunch the next day. Friendly and attentive staff. Can't beat the view, being right on the beach. The whole place is fresh and clean. Just one restroom at the moment, and it's unisex. No liquor license yet. Also the food came out in an unusual order - the buns were last - but that's a quibble. We'll be back. read more

There have been several restaurants at this most beautiful location over the past twenty years but THIS one-Gaia-is fabulous. The owner was warm and welcoming, the service was great, the menu left me knowing I will be back often. Even if you're not in the Hanalei area, it's worth the drive! Liquor license is pending (hopefully they'll have it really soon!) so pick up a bottle of wine on your way if you want to drink as you watch and listen to the waves. read more

Of 6 dishes, 2 were decent. 1 was inedible and the server wouldn't take it off the tab because she said the kitchen would be mad at her. Clearly food was sent back all night. Don't go. read more

The food and service was amazing. The owners and staff were so engaged, and very interested in how we were enjoying our experience. The food was very creative, and delicious. Kudos to the chef. The ambiance was good, but felt a bit luke warm, like they could use some warmth. The entertainment, singer, was great, but a little loud and not in tune with our experience. Once this restaurant gets their liquor license, I can imagine it will be a hot ticket, very different and special compared to other fine dining restaurants on the island of Kauai. read more

Went for dinner on a weekday. The food and service were both great! It is a new restaurant, and there were some glitches, but all of the menu items we ordered were delicious and interesting! We will return! read more

Gaia - Menu - Seafood Near Me - Hanalei, Hawaii

This place is amazing! The Lawai'a plate was superb and the service was AWESOME! Save room for the coconut creme brûlée with home made donuts - you'll be in heaven! read more

The Kale salad was very good. The garlic noodles and chicken were not. Lack of flavor, not hot when delivered (late for chicken) and presentation not great. Edamame were good but dish was more peppers than edamame. Waitress was really nice. We were sat behind a post so could not see entertainment, and windows are not clear but were open so there was some garden views. read more

Not just burgers! Imaginative, delicious fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The location is secluded, the atmosphere casually elegant. Their roasted beet and mango salad with an amazing drizzle is one of the best things I've ever eaten! read more

All the food was incentive, fresh and fun. A great family dinner! Highly recommend if you are on the North Shore.