We dined here Aug 6th at 8pm. Our waitress was pleasant, maybe a little on the new side, was not very engaging but still service was ok. She was friendly but WE had to engage her. Was disappointed that there were no signature cocktails. The food was EXCELLENT and the view terrific. read more

Went back again two years later, and I wanted to reiterate the same 2 star review. The night we went I guess they were slammed, because the service was really bad. For example, we had empty glasses on the table basically the whole meal and the staff didn't clear them off. The food was OK. I didn't like my dinner much, but my wife liked hers. Some good flavor in the sides, but enh. Final problem was this: the bill was 300 bucks for the two of us. I think this place would be four stars at about an eight dollar price point, but they simply aren't executing at the fine dining experience. The view is nice, though. You can eat here and not have a terrible time, but make sure you have money to blow. read more

We have eaten at Manta's many times over the years. Last night was especially spectacular. We have awesome service, delicious food and yummy drinks. It was a perfect last night here before we head home to real life! read more

The tempura was over battered. The short ribs were tough. I expected more for these prices and this reputation. I left half my dinner uneaten. The service was excellent. The wine list was extensive. The drinks from the bar were very good. There was quite a distance to see the mantas. As I am handicapped the distance, the darkness, the path itself made it impossible and a disappointment since it was the chief reason I chose the restaurant. read more

Breakfast is amazing! Best full breakfast buffet. Must try: banana bread, waffles with coconut syrup and powdered sugar, miso soup (yes it's surprisingly tasty even in the morning), and omlets. The dinner used to be really good and we would always make it our first reservation when we arrived but it got to fancy and it's hard to just get something simple and delicious. For all you Gordon Ramsay fans out there... What's always the most important thing when cooking? Utilize your fresh ingredients and let them be the stars of your dish, DONT OVER COMPLICATE! Some of the best ingredients around and still looking at the menu I can't see one thing that I could feel good about ordering. Throw some of the old simple dishes back on and spruce them up a little if you need to but simple is good (: read more

You're paying for the ambiance here. My wife had really good tuna but the swordfish I had was just ok. Our server was great though. She brought out a slice of mud pie for my wife's birthday. The restaurant was on the beach and at night you can see the mantas swim up. It's very pricey though. read more

Great location. Love dining at the bar. Casual friendly atmosphere and good food/wine.

Was there with another couple recently on a Friday night and the nice waiter was eager to get us to order, but we needed a bit more time. That was a mistake because we thereafter had a hard time finding our server, and our table later on had finished glasses and plates for hours with no one attending to us (nor pouring wine from the ice bucket). The restaurant was not all that busy but they certainly seemed short handed. A beautiful setting which we've been to previously. The food was very good, but still can't figure out the ingredients of boring 2 pieces of toast as 'croutons' on the Caesar salad... read more

Amazing food, customer service and location. we had the special and it was good. portions are just right and looking out on the ocean made it taste even better!! read more

This place was ok! I would definitely compare it to big island breakfast in the Hilton resort. The only positive thing is, they don't charge the same price for children as adults. The child's buffet cost was $18. I find the buffet a waste of $30 for people who only eat one plate of food. It's no wonder why we have a problem in America with obesity! read more

I only eat here for breakfast when I am staying at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the food quality is very good. They have a few different items each day which I like since I do not want to eat the same thing every single day. Usually breakfast is included in our package so if I actually had to pay for the buffet my review might be closer to 3 stars just because the prices would be super high. read more

When it comes to Sunday Brunch Buffets on the Kona side this is the place to go. Definitely worth the cost. The service is quick and friendly, and the food is always fresh, stocked and a very good selection. From Waffles and omelets to order, to sushi and prime rib. You can go wrong and will definitely leave full and satisfied. read more

It's a wonderful place with the perfect ambiance, excellent staff and the best food we tried in Hawaii.

I love this place. A bit overpriced but the best dessert....real soufflés. And hands down best wine by the glass selection on the island. Also amazing outside dining. read more

5 star scenery and 5 star service, but food is not great (and expensive). I'd give 3.5 stars if I had a half star option, but can't give it 4 stars. Really wanted to love this place, but couldn't. Tried three different apps, salad and three different entrees and all were well below average for this price point. Too much sauce and way too many ingredients for island fare - - and not enough salt. If the team takes a step back and simply grills the local catch and cut with fresh veggies, this place is a home run. read more

If you want a romantic setting that is beautiful with amazing food and wines this is the place. Our last night on the Big island we went here and enjoyed it so much . Make a reservation outside and in time for sunset ! You will not be disappointed ! After dark you can see the mantas and snorkelers below . See you next year! read more

We had a spectacular and romantic evening here. Our reservation at 5:30 afforded us a table in a prime position to view the evolving sunset (bring sunglasses). Our waiter asked us about pacing the meal; we requested a leisurely dining experience, and the service was excellent, with the only slip being a late delivery of a glass of wine. The meal itself was excellent -- soup, appetizer, fish and steak course (we ate from the fixed menu at $75). The highlight here really is the setting. Mauna Kea is an absolutely gorgeous resort, and everywhere there is beauty. At the end of the evening, watching the manta rays swim under the lights was marvelous. And live jazz too, with a wonderful sax-keyboard duo who perform there Wednesday nights. This was a memorable experience, one that we hope to repeat during our stay. read more

Nice spot for our last dinner in Hawaii this year. The tempura shrimp appetizer and the shaved fennel salad were very good. The opakapaka was nicely prepared. The pasta dish was OK. The chocolate and passion fruit souffle was excellent. Wine was expensive, but the Mellville Syrah was reasonably priced and very tasty. read more

The view is breathtaking and the food is great. I had the clay pot and sashimi tuna as an app. Both did not disappoint. However, breakfast buffet was the bomb!! It's worth it bc u get to try everything the menu offers, just not under a heater device. ;) service was great and the layout of the place is beautiful read more

Delicious food, wonderful service, and beautiful atmosphere. Been here three times while vacationing and have had excellent food! The service is also very good- in line with all the high end restaurants on the Island. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I felt that the tables are close together and allowed us to hear everyone else's conversations. For example, we heard about the dinner specials because the waiter explained them to the couple sitting right next to us...the closeness was a little awkward all three times. Despite this, we'll still continue to go to this lovely restaurant. read more

Very nice setting in the evening. The kids get a "three course" menu, which includes fresh fruits and pizza as "appetizer". The vegetarian entree option, which includes polenta, mushrooms and Brie cheese, is good but it would be better if the cheese had melted a little more. My husband enjoyed his meat and seafood dishes but complained that the shrimps had not been cleaned properly. read more

Manta's atmosphere is the best anywhere in the State. The wine list is great. Lavosh =OMG-loved the sea salt butter. Be sure to come early and catch the sunset. I recommend-Kabocha Pumpkin Soup, Lobester Ravioli, Moi, and Butterfish entrees. The hot out of the oven chocolate souffle is marvelous. Ask for Lea for service with Aloha! P.S. Only Wine BAR in Kona. read more

Great ambiance from the open air dinning area that overlooks the beach and manta rays in the water. Service was formal - yet friendly. Food was fantastic. Beat salad, pork belly, steak, and marlin topped with foie gras. Great wine list and over 30 wines by the glass in 1, 2 or 5 oz portions. Dessert menu was not super compelling so we went for mango sorbet and ice cream. Delicious, romantic, and fairly priced. read more

Dined at Manta's last night. Superb service, awesome view and the food was excellent. They bring you a bread basket along with some Hawaiian salted butter and a tapenade. Also brought to our table was the chef's tasting of poke. The day boat scallops were tasty, my son loved the seared ahi and foie gras, and my husband had the excellent mahi mahi. My in laws had steak and being from the Midwest, they are picky about their beef and loved it. We shared lilikoi soufflé which was the perfect finishing touch. But wait!!!! They brought small plates of sweets-macadamia chocolate cluster,a light cookie and fruit square. We already have reservations for their Sunday brunch! read more

Outstanding! 10 of us had a phenomenal anniversary celebration meal at this gorgeous restaurant. ALL our dinners were exceptional, tasty, unique, and beautifully presented. There were so many interesting items on the menu that it was difficult to choose. Most of us had a great fish dish (snapper, ahi, yellowtail, scallops, mahi-mahi). My wife had a terrific small filet, with a rich scrumptious sauce. Our deserts were similarly delicious. Service from Felicia was wonderful, professional and very caring. She even kept an eye on our sleeping little one, as we took pictures of the striking sunset. A thoroughly enjoyable, memorable experience, worth every penny of the upscale prices. read more

We had a great time at this restaurant. The Ambiance is amazing. And checking out the mantas after dinner was very cool, swimming in the ocean. But the best part of the night was Barry, the manager and how well he took care of us and made us feel like we were at his home. Just awesome. read more

Had dinner in the manta room recently, the four of us ordered steaks. These steaks were very average tasting at best in fact two were not cooked to order. Over priced for underwhelmed. read more

Typically, hotel restaurants are mediocre. Not the Manta. We had breakfast there three times (though pricey), everything was fresh and delicious. Half papaya with lime, Hawaiian sweet bread French toast with poha jam or fresh banana bread. And the view was unbeatable. Dinner was even better. The ravioli with lobster, edamame, corn and house smoked bacon was divine. The shrimp tempura with chili water on a bed of Thai seasoned salad was the way Asian fusion should be done. Simple flavors that marry well. Good balance of sweet, hot and sour. My husband had a pork shank that was fall off the bone and had a crispy crust. Spoiled him forever. Brian, the wine manager, made perfect suggestions for our meal. The whole evening was capped off by watching a manta swoop in and out of the light shining on the water. The only slight flaw with Manta was that some of the servers didn't know food or the menu very well. Didn't matter, everything was fantastic. Resort casual, wonderful ocean views, delicious food. Nice surprise. read more

Very lovely restaurant with beautiful views of the ocean. Had quite an interesting meal and were very perplexed by the end of the evening. The waitress was not efficient nor friendly. Not sure she could hear correctly. We ordered the Manta salad but she thought I ordered a tomato salad. Luckily we caught it and corrected the error. We ordered the pork chop to share. The meal came and it was delicious but didn't realize it wasn't the pork chop. When we got the bill we were charged for lamb chops $8 more than the pork should have been. We asked why we were billed for lamb chop as it had looked and tasted like a pork chop. While the meal was very good there was no apology or attempt to correct the error. Creative presentation but small portions so overpriced. read more

Terrible. Farm to fork is always a fish dish. Perhaps a dictionary is in order. We dined here twice. Both times food was good. Not the problem. Service should be better at $30-$50 a plate. Staff was non responsive. Charles should not be allowed to serve at an upscale restaurant. Pretentious with no backup. Manager Barry chu was accommodating but not really. After the horrible first night experience tried to come back on the second night as we were staying at hotel and wanted to do the wine enomatic experience. There were 14 empty tables outside and 15 empty tables inside and we were told by GM that we eWorld have to wait for over 1.5 hours. This level of service should not go undocumented. The chef does not deserve this level of slack in his amazing food creations. Very disappointing. Would not recommend to my worst enemy. read more

The passion fruit soufflé is to die for.. Wonderful location and typical first class cuisine.

A major favorite when we are staying in the Waikoloa area. This restaurant continues to knock it out of the park with ambiance, service and food. The setting is absolutely stunning. Wait staff have all been there for years and are attentive, professional and personable. Food is inventive, their new Korean chef puts a new twist on some traditional fish dishes that are both creative and delicious. Always look forward to coming back again and again. read more

The ambience here is lovely but the food is poor. The chicken curry had no flavor and the ribeye was fatty and chewy. The ahi sashimi had no flavor either. For a hotel of this caliber I expect much more. read more

We have resided part time on the Big Island for 11 years and this was our first visit to Manta. It was a really nice dining experience. Ocean view is phenomenal, service top notch, entrees offer a generous portion and preparation was superb. Although a bit expensive, still less than some of the other hotel signature restaurants. We will definitely be back soon with friends and family. read more

The food is very good, and well prepared. The outdoor setting is lovely. BUT, at the prices they charge, I also expect great service, attention to details, and good hygiene. The service was extremely slow (not leisurely, but SLOW), and lacking in everything you would expect from a fine dining experience. For example, the waitress never poured our wine, leaving us to our own devices (yes, we're capable of doing that, but one shouldn't have to, at this kind of restaurant), the courses were not cleared promptly (more on that later), and she completely forgot to put in our order for a dessert soufflé, and to add insult to injury, lied about it, saying the kitchen was running a 'few minutes' behind. Twenty minutes later , we had dessert ( the length of time it took the kitchen to prepare the soufflé, once she finally ordered it). Anyone else would have honestly explained the mistake, and comped the soufflé. But the absolute worse part was how the staff failed to clear other tables (after the diners had departed) intentionally, I now believe, so ..... the CATS, the feral cats that lived on the grounds, could come and EAT off the tables, licking cream from the pitcher, etc... Our waitress even pointed it out and said "isn't that cute?" We found it disgusting, and unhygienic, and told her so. Makes one wonder just how clean Manta is, with those kind of antics. The Mauna Kea is a lovely place to stay, and we are surprised that the hotel mgmt and the Marriott tolerate this at one of their top resorts. read more

Absolutely fantastic food and ambiance. We can't wait to go back. I especially liked the lobster ravioli. read more

I am truly shocked by how good these reviews are. With all the great restaurants in the area, this place should not be on anyone's list, especially considering the prices. My family (7 people, all adults) went to this restaurant on the fourth night of our vacation and the food by the pool at our hotel is leaps and bounds better than this place. I will say I am giving this place 2 stars because the restaurant is pretty and the people were nice. That's the extent of the present experience. First, they do not store their wine properly. We ordered white and rose, neither were even chilled. Like, not at all. Room temperature at best. We had to put ice in our glasses while the rest of the bottle sat on ice to chill. The salads were decent, but $17 dollars for a Caesar salad not much bigger than my hand is a bit ridiculous. Then dinner came. My Mom got their surf and turf special with veal and ono (I think). The ono was really odd, pink in the middle like seared ahi. It was edible. The veal was an absolutely inedible hockey puck. I mean petrified it was so over cooked. She sent it back and they brought another peice out less than 3 minutes later that was just as bad. Turns out they are pre-cooked. WHAT?! Who pre-cooks veal?! It was awful. I had the bone-in steak. The meat itself was good, but not $60 good. The mashed potatoes tasted like they were straight out of a box. I'm not kidding. I'm positive they were from a box. They literally tasted like water. Now, I know the island is still being effected from the huricane and restaurants may not be able to get all the ingredients they need for their menu, but if that's the case, TAKE IT OFF THE MENU! Don't serve boxed potatoes! That's inexcusable. Several of us got dishes with the potatoes and we all said the same thing once we left Two people got the pork chop. The meat was cooked to perfection. The sweet potato "gnocchi" was nothing even remotely close to gnocchi. It was a strange sweet potato pancake that's then breaded and fried. It tasted like a mozerella stick with potato instead of cheese. And not in a good way. The filet mignon was alright. No real complaint, just not anything to write home about. For the price, this place is NOT worth it! Go to the Grill at the Four Seasons. Their prices are similar and their food is incredible! No idea why this place is getting such good reviews. I mean, are the employees writing them? read more

We ate at Manta in 2011 and loved it because they were able to cater to our dietary needs. We are both lactose intolerant and we're still able to eat here. This time was different for many reasons. I called ahead to clarify our dietary needs and in spite of that there were essentially two dishes we could eat. Lots of pre-prepared foods containing dairy. One viable sea food dish. The pork chop was over cooked and even though we called ahead to request a non-dairy dessert the offering was sorbet, which every restaurant in the world has. Very disappointing! read more

This was our second favorite dinner on the island, our first was at The Rim at Volcano House. This was very beautiful and provided stunning views of the sea and a fireplace. The dinner was good but there weren't many options for one of our vegan guests. Overall though everything we got was delicious and the setting and service were superior. I would recommend this to anyone visiting the island for one day for a special night out. read more

Excellent Restaurant located on the Kohala Coast outstanding service in ambience fantastic ocean views terrific food and absolute must for your trip to the big island of Hawaii read more