One of the best dining experiences we had during our 3-week trip through Hawaii! I had been looking for Mediterranean food through our stays in Oahu and Maui, but wasn't able to find any til we landed here on Big Island. We went during sunset and it was sooooo beautiful. We ordered: * the 3 dips - loved their muhammara!! Plus the bread is so squishy and soft it absorbs the flavors of the dips so well * burrata salad - very refreshing and well seasoned. I believe it's peach or melon served with it, a very nice touch * grilled octopus - loved the tomato(?) sauce it was served with, and the way they grilled was perfection. Reminded me of the octopus I'd have in Kerekennah, a small island off the coast of Tunisia. Fresh & well seasoned. * Cacio e pepe + chicken: really appreciated how they noticed my husband and I were sharing everything, so they had split the pasta into two bowls. Deliciously made, with it had a bit more sauce tho and that the chicken wasnt so dry. * inside out smores: YUMMY. loved the combo of the graham cracker ice cream with the roasted marshmallow and chocolate sauce + inside the marshmelllw too. In all we spent $190 for 2 people including tax and tip (no drinks). Sure a bit on the pricier side, but we had been spending $90-110 for very average or not even good meals across Hawaii anyways, so didn't seem too bad. Parking is free! Valet only, but give your ticket when you get the check to get a 3-hour validation stamp. read more

HāLani - Octopus - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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One of the best restaurants on the island. Maybe nationally. Great dinner. The pasta was amazing. Make sure to get the pasta shells with red sauce. Forgot the name of the dish. We added chicken to it. Drinks were phenomenal as well. -.5 stars since the Smores Deconstructed was wayyyy too sweet. But forgivable as it was probably a kids dish. Next time, probably would the server to avoid the chocolate sauce poured over the dish. Unnecessary and wasteful. But dinner, ambiance, and drinks more than made up for it. Would love to be back. read more

HāLani - Chicken pasta dish - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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We brought Mom here for her birthday dinner while we were vacationing on the big island and enjoyed our dinner quite a bit. All of the (mediterranean inspired) dishes were of high quality and very flavorful. I was not a big fan of our waiter who while was quite friendly, had an overly hipster vibe. He kept saying things like "It's your choice, you do you, low key", etc. On the plus side, he gave Mom a free sorbet for her birthday which she really liked. The view overlooks the swimming pool, with the beach beyond that. It would be better if this restaurant was beach-side, although it was still a very nice setting. This restaruant is part of the hotel, so if you are not staying at the hotel, you will need to have your car valet parked (free with validation), and then walk in to the resort and downstairs (or take the elevator), as the restaurant is on the lower level from where the front desk is. I would definitely dine here again when in the area and when I want a special meal out with friends or family. read more

Came here for brunch around Thanksgiving weekend and it was so busy! We had to wait, but of course the resort is great so we walked around and the time flew! They had free drip coffee for people waiting. I ordered a Muesli bowl and lilikoi juice, and someone else in our party got Eggs Benedict. We shared malasadas which were good but not great. Everything was fine, but not great (except for the ambiance and service.) Prices are high. read more

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Probably one of the best restaurants in the resort area. We got the brunch menu, smoked fish dip - our favorite, seared ahi salad, and blackened fish sandwich. For drink, I opted for the non alcoholic dragon fruit, yuzu and orange with soda. Loved the fish dip and ahi salad. Service was very attentive. The vibe was impeccable. Strongly recommend this restaurant if you stay in the area. read more

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The view, the buffet food, the coffee...it's all perfection. The service is absolutely wonderful...everyone so friendly. The Buffett showcases local fruits, malasadas, various pastries, local fried rice, crispy potatoes (tater tots) / potato hash, various sausages, and perfectly crispy bacon. There is also an egg/omelette station where you can get freshly made to order eggs any way you want. To get an omelette, you choose the items you want in your omelette, load it up on a plate, and give it to the omelette chef. He was a wealth of information about the island while he cooked up the omelette. I love this restaurant and every time we come to the Big Island, we come here multiple times. It's worth it. read more

HāLani - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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We absolutely LOVED everything about this beautiful place! The food was 10/10 delicious, the pizza, pastas and mixed hummus were outstanding as was the cheese dish. Lots of options for us as vegetarians and the waitress was very nice and accommodating of all our many questions. The views of the ocean are stunning and it was by far our best meal in Hawaii. Highly recommend this place! read more

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The service staff were very kind and helpful and they went above and beyond to help us with whatever we needed. I really appreciated this. They also talked to us and engaged us in conversation. The food was good. Being near the beach, the atmosphere was beautiful. read more

Beautiful ambiance and great food. We had the breakfast buffet and they had peeled rambutans and really ripe papaya. The price for the buffet was reasonable compared to other hotels. There was a much higher quality there. read more

I went for dinner last night. The cauliflower and brown butter was yummy, but was room temperature. The Ahi with orzo was delicious, but the orzo also came out room temperature. I was seated next to a speaker that was booming out heavy bass Hawaiian music, so not a relaxing way to eat. I should've asked to switch seats, but the music didn't become annoying until about 15 minutes in. Charlie the server was great. read more

Went here for lunch. Food, drinks, and atmosphere 10 out of 10. Highly recommend this place. Staff was pleasant. They will validate parking for up to 3 hours for free if you are not staying at the hotel. read more

My family and I have been to Halani several times over the years and it was always solid, if not mind-blowing. However, on our most recent visit, we discovered that the chef had reinvented the menu by traveling to the Mediterranean and bringing back some serious Mediterranean chops. The dip trio and bread balloon - soft, warm, ridiculously stretchy, and perfect for dipping - was my favorite, but the chicken tagine was also incredible, with its saffron rice, fried chickpeas, and apricots. While it may seem a bit arbitrary to have Mediterranean food at a restaurant named Halani, I'm actually glad they shook things up because this was our best meal at Halani yet. read more

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Spent some time at the beach at the resort here with my friends who live on the island. Loved it. After we got drinks at the bar. Riviera Spritz for me and some apps (charred shishito peppers and the shrimp ceviche). While the shrimp ceviche looked more like tuna, it was very good. Charlie was our server and super friendly and helpful. We decided to also get an early dinner. Split a bottle of prosecco with my friend. The 3 of us ordered the balloon bread and charred octopus as apps. I'm not a huge Mediterranean food fan so I ordered a couple of sides for my meal - potatoes brava, orzo, and grilled broccolini. My friends ordered the bucatini and ahi steak. Bob loved the ahi steak. We split the smores for dessert. For me, the best items were rather ceviche and the potatoes. Server was good. Ambiance pleasant. Loved the napkin ring holders. read more

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This was a frustrating experience. The menu was great but this came down to service and execution. And what's hard is that this was a 300 meal for 3 people so not cheap. My drink was too sweet and I even told the waiter and he didn't even acknowledge. The Marlin we ordered which was a special and 50 was just hammered. Could not have been more overcooked. Also everything was clunky, Slow first course. Second the guy almost came running with. All in all just overpriced and bad service. And it's so obvious when we are staying at the four seasons down the road now this just does not compare. read more

This is a lovely restaurant at the Mauna Lani Auberge hotel. Ate here everyday for breakfast while on vacay. Breakfast is awesome. Great menu and great breakfast buffet ($55 pp). Loved the decor and drinking POG juice (and mimosas) evert morning. Dinner menu is Mediterranean with tasty dishes. Service was a little bit slow while we were there, but everyone was friendly which was nice. Long lines and waits to be seated for breakfast is the only real negative for me. read more

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We came over for brunch from a neighboring resort and instantly wished we stayed at this one. The setting is beautiful. Service was great and brunch items were tasty. It was very pricey, but for a splurge brunch on my birthday I enjoyed it and would certainly come back. read more

Lovely venue! And they can accommodate larger groups pretty easily it seems. We were a group of 8 for breakfast at 8:15am on a Friday. They were busy but were able to put a big booth together for us where we fit very comfortably. Our server was great! Half our table did the buffet ... $50 per adult and I think kids was $30 per kid. The others and I did a la carte... Which suited me fine since I don't care for buffets in general. Don't get me wrong.... The buffet here is good. They even have a made to order egg station. I had the shakshuka which was very tasty! Savory with perfect poached eggs and fantastic thick toast slices. Mom had the Haupia pancakes which were also very good since I got to snag a bite. Definitely will come back here when we find ourselves in the area again in the future. read more

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Halani offers a breakfast buffet for $50 per guest, along with an à la carte menu. We had the buffet for three consecutive days and then tried the à la carte menu for a change. Unfortunately, the buffet menu was the same each day, which got a bit repetitive. The à la carte options weren't much better--it felt like they were just repurposed ingredients from the buffet. Service was inconsistent. On the first day, everything was great, but on the second and third days, we had to repeatedly ask for coffee refills and wait a long time for dishes to be cleared, even though it wasn't busy. One big downside was the flies. At the raw/charcuterie section, I noticed flies on the tuna sashimi, smoked salmon, salami, and beef carpaccio. They flew away when I approached but kept returning, which was pretty off-putting. Overall, nothing about the experience stood out as memorable. It was convenient since we were staying at the hotel, but it certainly didn't feel worth the $50 per person price tag. read more

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A casual, open-air eatery located at the Mauna Lani. We stopped in for a light lunch on our way up the coast to see Pololū Valley. Confusing start: We called to check availability and were instructed to make a reservation on OpenTable. We made a reservation and showed up, and the server casually told us that reservations weren't needed and to seat ourselves. Maybe reservations are needed for dinner? Imagine so. The setting is beautiful with light woods and a bright, modern interior. The restaurant overlooks an outdoor bar and pool, but it was quiet and peaceful on this particular Thursday afternoon. We ordered Pupus: ahi poke 'nachos' and beef sliders with fries. The portions were filling and both were tasty. The 'nachos' were colorful and beautifully presented with delicious, fresh ahi. I don't know why we ordered two salt-heavy items for lunch. We liked the food - not knocking it - but next time I would try lighter items like fish tacos and a salad. Prices are in line with the other luxury hotels. And they validate parking if you're visiting for a meal. read more

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On our last night after staying at Mauna Lani for a week we decided to try Halanj. Great vibes and had a great seat right next to a man singing Hawaiian music. The place was packed and we didn't have a reservation but the wait was only 30 mins. We wanted something light so we decided to order a Caesar salad and hummus appetizer to share. It was perfect. We then ordered the two plates of pasta and they were delicious. The pasta was definitely homemade pasta which we confirmed with the server. Perfect amount of food for us to not be completely full and enjoy a dessert. Lastly we ordered the sticky toffee pudding which had chunks of macadamia nuts and bananas on the bottom. The ice cream was also homemade and so good. Service was a little slow at first but he made up for it and was really nice. I would recommend to try this great food. read more

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We missed the local flavors but were down to try Mediterranean fare in paradise. Wood-fired balloon bread - loved the concept! Tasted like a garlic olive oil pizza flatbread but has the fun puffy appearance. For the price would stick with the pita. 4 stars. Hummus with pita bread - the kukui nut was only slightly perceptible but still a tasty hummus. If you order the balloon bread make sure to ask for the pita bread too otherwise they won't give it to you and you don't want to miss it!!! 5 stars. Brocollini side - VERY salty! Perfect cook but somehow the florets accumulated way too much salt. Super fresh though. 4 stars. Chicken kebab - everything you want and expect from a chicken kebab - juicy, moist and perfectly seasoned. 5 stars. Kanpachi filet - for the money this was disappointing. We loved the kanpachi, but the agrumato and charred citrus did not provide enough in the way of flavor. Kids Mac and cheese - probably the best dish of the night! Get this if you can!!! Amazing deal. 5+ stars!!!!! Can't say that we'll be back. I wish we could had tried the old menu. We really hope they can improve on incorporating local flavors and ingredients or put better fusion items on the menu. Better head to Canoehouse. read more

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the food at the buffet was alright, honestly not worth the price, however the environment is very laid back and calming. a great place to catch up with the girls. what really did it for me though was our server Kyra. She was working in the AM on 5/6/26 and was all around great. As a server, I really appreciate when someone is on top of it and putting in the extra effort to make the experience enjoyable and Kyra went above and beyond. Thank you so much for making our day!! read more

Pay for 5 stars, get 2 instead. A very average restaurant. Very kid friendly and a great space for them to run around. The food is just okay though, it's not authentic by any means. Feels like someone created a Mediterranean menu based on other popular Mediterranean restaurants. The quality and options are very limited for a 5 star resort restaurant. Service staff is friendly but not sufficiently experienced for a 5 star resort. read more

Let me start off by saying this was one of my favorite restaurants I had ever been to for years. I was extremely disappointed by the menu change and food at this last recent visit. Taking away the truffle crusted braised short ribs was a crazy move. To remove such a popular and widely ordered dish at a restaurant makes no sense. The new menu is now frankly bland and basic and lacking any excitement. I ordered the Cacio e Pepe and it was so heavily peppered that it was the only flavor profile I tasted in the entire dish. It did not wow me whatsoever. What used to be extremely good rolls, has turned into a flavorless and boring flatbread. Service & ambiance is always great. It really pains me to write this review as it truly was one of my favorite restaurants. Whoever was in charge of changing the menu really missed the mark. I hope this review can be helpful to management and the kitchen. read more

As you read this I request you think the Brady Bunch theme song in your head... The Brandy Bunch was our waitress Angie's favorite tv show as a kid. Here's the story... of some hungry diners... who were dreaming of some hummus, tzatziki, and wine. They had booked a table at Halani Restaurant... in the Mauna Lani--so divine! Now, the Mauna Lani... has a Goop store inside it, where crystals cost more than your car. But we weren't there for tinctures or sage sticks-- we came for food that raised the bar. Till the one day when we met our server Angie, who was working with a twinkle in her eye. She brought us bubble bread and good vibrations, and we floated up straight to the sky. The Halani Bunch! (The Halani Bunch!) That's the way we became the Halani Bunch! Let me tell you, four of us showed up filled with Mediterranean dreams and left filled with balloon bread, assorted dips, and the smug satisfaction of people who just dropped $18 on a veggie plate and would do it again. Angie--our waitress and unofficial life coach--was an absolute superstar. She navigated our table of chaotic foodies like a culinary cruise director. And then came the Basque cheesecake. Rich. Sultry. Like the cheesecake equivalent of Antonio Banderas whispering sweet nothings to your taste buds. We almost ordered a second one after all two of us at the table are Basque. Final verdict: If you're looking for a fancy but not fussy vibe, with excellent service, Mediterranean magic, and a dessert that might actually make you weep--Halani is a solid choice. That's the way we became... the Halani Bunch. read more

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My fam wants me to rate this higher but there's no way my experience was better than 3 stars. And it's unusual that I have a worse experience, at a place that I myself picked after reading reviews! But it was disappointing for me. Ambiance: it's nice that it's outdoors, and they have good foliage. But it still says " this is the breakfast restaurant where we're also serving dinner." B/L/D is not necessarily a problem. But this place is super expensive at dinner, like fine dining, when it has a hotel breakfast restaurant vibe. " how are you guys doing?" Asked our Mainlander server as she greeted us. Cocktail: their version of a Mai Tai sounded great, but was awful. I'm not sure how you can take rum, lime, orgeat and macadamia nuts, all things I love - and have the drink be nasty. Thankfully they were very friendly and exchanged it. I got instead the Lilikoi Mojito, which they stress is made with Jason Momoa's vodka. Didn't have much Lilikoi or mint flavor, but at least it was drinkable! BREAD: furikake Parkerhouse rolls. Everyone likes these. Four for $10. Other fine dining places I've been at this weekend complimentary bread, so I wish they did here too, especially given the general overpricing and underwhelming other food. SALAD: my strawberry and tomato salad sounded delicious. It's one of the reasons I picked this restaurant.... what an absolute embarrassment for this kitchen. A tiny ramekin of heirloom tomatoes, four tiny strawberry slices, and a teaspoon of micro greens, for20 something dollars. If you are ballsy enough to serve this as a salad, it damn well better be delicious. But the heirloom tomatoes were mushy and terrible. I don't know who thought this was OK to serve. Zero stars for this course. My SO got the mixed greens, which at least looked like a salad. It was so-so, but a lot better than mine! ENTREES: here at least I had a better experience. I got the salmon with miso fingerling potatoes. I enjoyed this dish and was able to eat all of it. I would give this four stars. My SO got the pappardelle and it was a huge portion and he liked it. My kid got the ribeye and liked it a lot. DESSERT: teens got the baked Hawaii, and some coconut sorbet. They went crazy for the baked Hawaii and said it was delicious. They liked the flavor of the sorbet, but the texture was off, like ice crystals. It was more like shaved ice. I got the Mac crunch cake, which is a gluten-free version of a chocolate layer cake. This was a decent dessert and I was not disappointed. The gluten-free devil cake layers we're not worth eating if you're not gluten-free. But the Valrhona mousse and the Mac crunch, or very tasty. The cake was big enough that I did not miss not eating the cake layers and just having the mousse part. Keep in mind that our entrées were between 46 and $75. So this is not an inexpensive restaurant at all. Also super annoying even if servers were friendly. We had a drunk wealthy older Scottish couple next to us. They kept calling over servers and trying to regale them with stories about golf courses and other things. He was really loud, and the servers kept stopping. I get it being awkward to leave a customer - but it was annoying for us that he was being encouraged, and I'm sure that there were people waiting for service while they are calm and waiter was there for 20 minutes listening to stories. Anyway, I research places a lot and I thought this was a safe bet. But my fam had a much better experience than I did. The salmon and Mac crunch cake are worth ordering. But this was my worst meal of vacation. read more

HāLani - Cocktail menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Halani was a beautiful experience. Not only was the grounds and view beautiful, the restaurant was too. The food was excellent, and the restaurant staff were very welcoming and kind. Thank you Halani for making my birthday so special. We will go back read more

Good restaurant! The food was great and the decor was nice. We ordered the Cacio e Pepe, bloom bread, grilled broccolini, and Kona Kanpachi which were all really great. The fish had only salt and pepper but was absolutely fantastic. Even my picky daughter finished her pasta. The grilled broccolini was something else, with the smoky flavor being not too overpowering. Service was a little slow but I understand since it was busy. My drink was overpriced and very sweet. The food is amazing here! read more

HāLani - Bloom Bread - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

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This place is amazing! Ambience 10/10, service was wonderful and the food was so full of flavor and creative. It was the perfect place for a date night or a festive family meal. Reasonably priced and really a gem of a restaurant. We recommend the Roasted Cauliflower and Kabob platter. The trio of dips and grilled octopus also a winner. Can't go wrong with anything on the menu (although the zucchini chips were a little on the heavy side). Looking forward to trying more on the menu read more

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I've have been going to the Mauna Lani hotel since 1987. The "Sunday Brunch" was a huge let down. The selections were ok but too few and not that impressive. The ocean was barely visible and the atmosphere lacked Hawaiian feeling. We were celebrating a birthday and anniversary and no one said or did anything. It was sad. The service was fair but unenthusiastic. There weren't many guests not surprisingly. The price was high for an average experience. We won't be back. read more

Disappointing to make a reservation for lunch on Christmas only to be turned away when we got there due to "kitchen shortage" Despite getting a confirmation about having a regular lunch vs the Christmas dinner, they did not send us a message or send us a courtesy phone call so we can turnaround and make a different plan read more

Came here for breakfast every morning during our stay. The food is really good. I recommend trying to loko moko. I'm still thinking about that dish a month later. Kona coffee is delicious. The restaurant overlooks the pool and there a grass area in front. Service could be a lot better but the vibes are still high. read more

We went for dinner without realizing that only the buffet is available. When we arrived, the selection was extremely limited, and nothing we tried was enjoyable. At $175 per person, it felt completely overpriced. To make matters worse, there were mosquitoes around, even near the food, which made the experience uncomfortable. It would be really helpful if the restaurant clearly listed buffet hours on their website so guests could plan ahead. Honestly, if you want better value for your money, I'd recommend Napua instead -- the quality and overall experience there are far superior. read more

On our last night here, we wanted a special dinner. HāLani offers a wonderful selection of food and a beautiful sunset view. We enjoyed our delicious cocktails while watching the cotton candy skies. It was absolutely breathtaking. Jolim was our amazing server, but the whole restaurant crew in ensuring that our glasses were never empty and that we enjoyed our food. The sauce on the ahi crudo was so delicious. The citrus of the mandarin oranges and the saltiness of the capers went so well with the freshness of the fish. We also had their garlic butter scallops. It was perfectly cooked and well-seasoned. We wanted to love their strawberry tomato salad, but it was a bit underwhelming. The Wagyu Steak Frites were delicious but the Ribeye was the award winner of our meal. The jalapeño mash wasn't spicy but it had a nice kick and creaminess to it. Don't forget the kimchi fried rice. It was a perfect carb to all our protein. The ube shokupan wrapped up our meal very nicely. Not too sweet and satisfied that "I'm full but I'm still craving dessert" feeling. read more

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Fine dining that is actually really worth it!!! Be prepared to spend a pretty penny here but leave with a full tummy and satisfied taste buds. GREAT service 10/10, loved our waitress so much. She was sweet, personable, hospitable. 100% recommend the apps we got -- furikake house rolls was just a perfect started with the butter. You can never go wrong with rolls. You can ALSO never go wrong with truffle fries and mac & cheese so DEF get those two. For the entree, my friend and I opted to share the Daily Local Catch which was actually a perfect amount once the restaurant split it into two. Every bite of this food was flavorful. Truly enjoyed every bite. Unlike other high end placed where I feel the food is not enough, it is not like that here. Lastly, the menu is a rotating menu so when we were ordering, it was hard to find recent references. Hopefully my reviews helps some newer folks like myself out! read more

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We love it here! The Sunday brunch is conservative with just the right amount of options ....but luckily they picked all the right ones. The prime rib is melt in your mouth along with creative desert such as a moist almond joy. This is the perfect place for a birthday celebration or just to enjoy a relaxing Sunday! read more

HāLani - Seafood Fruit platter Drinks and more! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

Surpassed all expectations. This stunning venue stands out on the big island for its dining experience, free from a pretentious vibe. A kids' menu is available, allowing both adults and Keiki to enjoy their meals together. Although it may be a bit pricey, the quality of the food and service more than compensates! The land and sea kabab plate is exceptional! The staff and service are even more impressive! Be sure to sample the s'mores dessert! Incredible read more

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We wanted a nice dinner for our last night in Hawaii and Halani was close to where we were staying in Waikoloa. We were able to book a reservation for 6pm no problem. We wanted to watch the sunset as we enjoyed our meal. Our server was awesome- super attentive to our table and informative about the specials. We opted for the special this day- Kanpachi with scallops, fingerling potatoes, and a sofrito. It was incredible. Kanpachi is a local fish to Hawaii. The scallops were so good. I didn't want my meal to end! I paired my meal with a spicy margarita, which was also delicious. The setting of this restaurant is breathtaking. They've got nice music playing. Super peaceful. The hotel only has valet parking but it's free to use that to park for while you're dining at one of their restaurants. read more

HāLani - Kanpachi with U10 scallops and fingerling potatoes over sofrito (special, $62, September 2024) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii

We have been dining at Halani for several years, so we took our friends visiting the island for the first time, so we decided to dine at Halani for his 80th birthday. I must admit that the new menu was very disappointing to all of us. Mediterranean menu was not a hit. Do not prefer that at all. Also another change to our last dining experience NO Hawaiian music and hula dancer. I was disappointed to find that out since we read up prior to making the reservation. No mention of the changes. Modify the menu since you had great dishes such as kimchi fried rice and whole fish local food taste, we are in Hawaii after all. Our very helpful server Cori tried to make up for our disappointment. She's great !!! Another note, cat begging in its table???? Not sure that's a great idea. I will not be returning soon. Unhappy‼ read more

Our Waiter (Cedric) was absolutely amazing - great recs! The star of the show was the fried zucchini I would go back JUST for this and have it as an entree LOL. read more

HāLani - Fried zucchini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Waimea, Hawaii