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Beautiful place for dining especially during sunsets. The food has been good during my visits and staff is always friendly.
Go for the sunset, stay for the vibes. Live music as the sun sets over the ocean makes for a beautiful evening. The fire pits add a cool ambiance, perfect for sips and light bites.
Gorgeous sunset view, tasty drinks and good food. I love that it's indoor outdoor so you get the fresh air and nice view. Come check it out!
What a great place! It sits up on a hillside, and is appropriately named! What a beautiful view of the sunset, while enjoying excellent food! They offer pretty much everything from filet mignon to fish and wedges! We enjoyed the edamame for appetizer and went with their fish and wedges selection. Three large portions of Ono in a beer batter glaze, served along with potato wedges and coleslaw. Apparently, about every other night, they have live music, but not this night. Service was right on par, for being in Hawaii, and in a very nice dining atmosphere! We will definitely be coming back, and highly recommend!
On our last full day in Hawaii, we decided to finally try this place near our condo for lunch (no reservation - place wasn't very busy). The restaurant is in an unbeatable location with sweeping views from every table, plenty of parking, and open-air seating with good amounts of shade. Service was a little slow to start, but we weren't in a hurry. Once things got rolling, we got our drinks and food pretty quickly. The draft beer selection is limited, but they have a huge cocktail menu and full bar. I ordered the fish and wedges (beer-battered ono with seasoned potato wedges). It came with coleslaw. Fish was 5/5 stars. Wedges were 5/5, too. The coleslaw was 3/5 just because it was underseasoned and not that special. Serving size was generous and I only ate two of the three pieces of perfectly cooked fish. My husband had the kalua pork tacos and he raved about them. The only disappointment was that they were out of the potato mac salad, which he was looking forward to. The sub of seasoned potato wedges worked well, though.
The views here are so beautiful. We also came in with no reservation and had no problem getting a table at the edge of the patio. Also loved the easy parking. However, you're not really paying for the food here, which was all pretty mediocre. The rosemary bread was pretty tasty but was just totally squished by the knife provided to cut off slices. I'd maybe come back for drinks and views but skip a full meal.
For starters calamari was spectacular. It was thick slices of calamari (not all tentacles), lightly breaded, dipping sauce and a bit of green onion on the plate. We had the seafood pasta and the St. Louis ribs for our main entrees - both very good dishes. We came in late - almost 10 minutes before close and they were gracious and seated us. Service was excellent. The setting here is amazing. Nice open covered lanai. We literally had enough food for 4 people by ordering one appetizer and two entrees. I recommend this place.
Ambiance, was over all great! It was a restaurant by the ocean with a view. Service was fantastic. They made sure there was always water in our cups and kept asking how the meal was. I was excited about the food but wasn't impressed at all. I thought the food was pretty basic for what it was and the price of it. It was $80 for two people - just two entrees.
TLDR - The place has a good view of the sunset, staff are amazing, but the food is lacking. This restaurant was a recommended place from our Uber driver and I can definitely see the appeal. The place is located at a good vantage point, making it great to see the sunset. It has a nice breezy ambiance thanks to its open setting making it very comfortable regardless of the time of day. The staff is also phenomenal. We made reservations ahead of time and they were kind enough to move our table to a side to get a better view of the sunset. They're friendly, welcoming, and very attentive to our needs. Lastly, the food. Unfortunately, for as much as I wanted to love this place, the food was subpar. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer and I had the Hawaiian chicken as my main dish. The calamari tasted as expected, but wasn't memorable. The chicken was very tasteless and small. On top of the food being bland, it was also very expensive. Overall, the place is just fine. There are lots of great places with nice views of the sunset. In terms of food, it could be better. Nothing was particularly bad, but there's room for improvement.
Good service and friendly. Great patio seating. Some seating around little fire place. Great place for sunset. Mostly locals I'd say which is great. Happy Hour Specials you cannot beat anywhere on the island. I highly rave for everything on the happy hour menu; cocktails and food. My go to is edamame and tacos.
This is an awesome location. We are staying at The Outrigger and I wanted to enjoy a mid-afternoon drink nearby with a view. The views here go on for miles. It is high above the shopping center. I ordered a Raspberry Rita-Tini and their coconut shrimp. The drink was so pretty, with a sugar rim. The generous serving of 8 large shrimp was very tasty. The service was friendly, prices are reasonable, and the menu is great. Check it out. Also, they have a great Happy Hour menu.
We had Dinner Just before sunset, had a limited view of the ocean for a pleasant ambiance. Good portions of food, Service was fast and friendly. Would recommend coming right before 5 PM to avoid the crowds.
This place has a great view! Service is great too. However, food here is just okay unfortunately. We started with drinks -- I ordered the Gecko Juice which is a fun green drink but also ended up being far too sweet for my taste. We had crab cakes, calamari and the crab dip to start -- the crab cakes were just okay but the dip was decent. For dinner, I ordered the Hawaiian chicken. And again, it was just okay -- the food just didn't taste fresh or truly delicious. My entire party felt the same way about their dishes too. If they could change the food that they're serving, that would be helpful. They have the view but that's literally about it.
We often go to the Big Island and we've never tried this place until this year (August 2026). The view was phenomenal. We had a front row seat to a Hawaiian sunset. The service was great. Our server was friendly, attentive and explained the menu about questions that we had. The steak was cooked perfectly and was the chicken. I had an Old Fashioned, which I like to be on the sweeter side. I asked the bartender to make it sweeter, which he did. Perfect! Overall a good experience. read more
4 months ago
6 months ago
Went for dinner and drinks with the family. Run runner was super good. The new manager is SO NICE and was busting his buns all through the crazy night. He SAVED the night on more than one occasion. This is one of our favorite stops as it's super close to our house. The views are undeniably some of the best in Kona. They have amazing outdoor patio areas with fire pits. Perfect for gathering. read more
What a great place! It sits up on a hillside, and is appropriately named! What a beautiful view of the sunset, while enjoying excellent food! They offer pretty much everything from filet mignon to fish and wedges! We enjoyed the edamame for appetizer and went with their fish and wedges selection. Three large portions of Ono in a beer batter glaze, served along with potato wedges and coleslaw. Apparently, about every other night, they have live music, but not this night. Service was right on par, for being in Hawaii, and in a very nice dining atmosphere! We will definitely be coming back, and highly recommend! read more
On our last full day in Hawaii, we decided to finally try this place near our condo for lunch (no reservation - place wasn't very busy). The restaurant is in an unbeatable location with sweeping views from every table, plenty of parking, and open-air seating with good amounts of shade. Service was a little slow to start, but we weren't in a hurry. Once things got rolling, we got our drinks and food pretty quickly. The draft beer selection is limited, but they have a huge cocktail menu and full bar. I ordered the fish and wedges (beer-battered ono with seasoned potato wedges). It came with coleslaw. Fish was 5/5 stars. Wedges were 5/5, too. The coleslaw was 3/5 just because it was underseasoned and not that special. Serving size was generous and I only ate two of the three pieces of perfectly cooked fish. My husband had the kalua pork tacos and he raved about them. The only disappointment was that they were out of the potato mac salad, which he was looking forward to. The sub of seasoned potato wedges worked well, though. read more
10 days ago
The views here are so beautiful. We also came in with no reservation and had no problem getting a table at the edge of the patio. Also loved the easy parking. However, you're not really paying for the food here, which was all pretty mediocre. The rosemary bread was pretty tasty but was just totally squished by the knife provided to cut off slices. I'd maybe come back for drinks and views but skip a full meal. read more
2 months ago
For starters calamari was spectacular. It was thick slices of calamari (not all tentacles), lightly breaded, dipping sauce and a bit of green onion on the plate. We had the seafood pasta and the St. Louis ribs for our main entrees - both very good dishes. We came in late - almost 10 minutes before close and they were gracious and seated us. Service was excellent. The setting here is amazing. Nice open covered lanai. We literally had enough food for 4 people by ordering one appetizer and two entrees. I recommend this place. read more
19 days ago
1 year ago
Ambiance, was over all great! It was a restaurant by the ocean with a view. Service was fantastic. They made sure there was always water in our cups and kept asking how the meal was. I was excited about the food but wasn't impressed at all. I thought the food was pretty basic for what it was and the price of it. It was $80 for two people - just two entrees. read more
1 year ago
TLDR - The place has a good view of the sunset, staff are amazing, but the food is lacking. This restaurant was a recommended place from our Uber driver and I can definitely see the appeal. The place is located at a good vantage point, making it great to see the sunset. It has a nice breezy ambiance thanks to its open setting making it very comfortable regardless of the time of day. The staff is also phenomenal. We made reservations ahead of time and they were kind enough to move our table to a side to get a better view of the sunset. They're friendly, welcoming, and very attentive to our needs. Lastly, the food. Unfortunately, for as much as I wanted to love this place, the food was subpar. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer and I had the Hawaiian chicken as my main dish. The calamari tasted as expected, but wasn't memorable. The chicken was very tasteless and small. On top of the food being bland, it was also very expensive. Overall, the place is just fine. There are lots of great places with nice views of the sunset. In terms of food, it could be better. Nothing was particularly bad, but there's room for improvement. read more
1 year ago
Good service and friendly. Great patio seating. Some seating around little fire place. Great place for sunset. Mostly locals I'd say which is great. Happy Hour Specials you cannot beat anywhere on the island. I highly rave for everything on the happy hour menu; cocktails and food. My go to is edamame and tacos. read more
This is an awesome location. We are staying at The Outrigger and I wanted to enjoy a mid-afternoon drink nearby with a view. The views here go on for miles. It is high above the shopping center. I ordered a Raspberry Rita-Tini and their coconut shrimp. The drink was so pretty, with a sugar rim. The generous serving of 8 large shrimp was very tasty. The service was friendly, prices are reasonable, and the menu is great. Check it out. Also, they have a great Happy Hour menu. read more
3 months ago
We had Dinner Just before sunset, had a limited view of the ocean for a pleasant ambiance. Good portions of food, Service was fast and friendly. Would recommend coming right before 5 PM to avoid the crowds. read more
1 year ago
This place has a great view! Service is great too. However, food here is just okay unfortunately. We started with drinks -- I ordered the Gecko Juice which is a fun green drink but also ended up being far too sweet for my taste. We had crab cakes, calamari and the crab dip to start -- the crab cakes were just okay but the dip was decent. For dinner, I ordered the Hawaiian chicken. And again, it was just okay -- the food just didn't taste fresh or truly delicious. My entire party felt the same way about their dishes too. If they could change the food that they're serving, that would be helpful. They have the view but that's literally about it. read more
8 months ago
We made reservations for 6:15 PM hoping to catch the sunset, but weren't actually seated until around 6:45. To be fair, they were extremely busy and it did feel a bit understaffed, so while the wait was longer than expected, it seemed more like a volume issue than anything intentional. If you're aiming for golden hour, I'd recommend arriving a little earlier than your reservation time just in case. Once we were seated, though, the evening really turned around. The view was beautiful and exactly what you'd hope for from a waterfront dinner in Kona. Service picked up quickly from there and we were able to relax and enjoy the experience. They offer several mai tai options and the house mai tai was excellent. Well balanced, strong without being overpowering, and easily one of the better ones we've had on the island. The blue crab dip was super delicious, slightly on the salty side but paired well with the chips and definitely something I'd order again. We also tried the seafood trio, which was a nice way to sample a few different items in smaller portions. Everything was fresh and thoughtfully prepared. My husband ordered the fish and chips and said it was one of the best he's ever had, which is high praise coming from him. Crisp batter, flaky fish, and not greasy. Overall, despite the initial wait, dinner ended up being a really enjoyable experience with great views, solid cocktails, and well executed seafood. If you plan ahead for timing and sunset, it's a memorable spot for a Kona evening. read more
4 months ago
Just ate at the Sunset Kai Lanai as a last minute dinner decision as we we're driving...Just keep driving and skip this place. Nice looking restaurant close by and with a great view, but service and food definitely need work. Upon arriving took several minutes before we were even acknowledged by anyone as we waited to be seated. Should have taken that as our first warning. Once we sat and placed our food order it took 40 mins before the food came out and what came out was so sad. I ordered the Kai Lanai seafood trio The little veggie skewer was so sad looking. The shrimp looked like they were the previously frozen kind, fish was overcooked, bok chok tasted off, crab cake had some shelsl in it, and the rice was under cooked. My wife's pork chop was at least a little better, but the bok choy on her dish was undercooked. A few bites in and we knew we just wanted to pay and leave ASAP. Not that its needed not even any friendly acknowledgement as we left. This place definitely was the worst meal we had while we were in Kona. read more
10/10 for EVERYTHING. Food: we were very hungry and also craving to enjoy our dinner with sunset, and this happened to be the perfect spot! The Hawaiian chicken is sooo tender and juicy, the beef patty in the burger is juicy and you get it every single bite. The nachos are made from wonton skin and tasted better than regular nachos and matched the Asian flavor so much better! Their key lime pie was a complimentary dessert, and I'm glad that we chose that over the peanut butter cake because this is the BEST crust I've ever had. Macnut is added and the caramel gives you that nice stickiness and crunchiness at the same time! Service: I couldn't catch her name but she was so sweet. She's in dark red hair. She saw that we waited and offered the complimentary dessert, and she also noticed bugs flew into our water and offer us a new one before we even noticed! Ambiance: fantastic place to enjoy the gorgeous famous Kona sunset and delicious Hawaiian food. Recommend for both family and couples! read more
10 months ago
Such a beautiful place to watch the sunset. We went and they had live music which was a bonus. They had one of the best clam chowders I've had which is awesome coming from the northwest. I found the prices to be very reasonable, especially with the view and the food options. read more
Ok so the only reason why we came here because it was close to our Airbnb and for the magical sunsets!!! The restaurant is super pretty! You get an inside outside type of feeling. The bar is in the middle of both and there are comfy chairs to sit outside. I ordered the key lime pie cocktail and wow did it taste like a piece of pie! The perfect tastiness to sweetness. The server was right when he recommended it! My partner ordered an espresso martini and it was perfect. Come here before the sunset and catch a beautiful scene. You won't be disappointed just for that reason alone!! read more
3 months ago
This place is amazing! The view cannot be beat. The service was superb! The moment we walked in, our server, Malama, treated us like we were family. So warm and welcoming! The food was excellent. We will eat here again! We celebrated my husband's birthday here and I'm so glad we did! read more
3 months ago
We love this place! The view is phenomenal. The staff are attentive and practice aloha! The food is great, as is the value for the quality you get. It's been a favorite throughout our time on the island. read more
3 months ago
The view here is amazing. I was a bit hesitant after reading some of the reviews here, but decided that I needed to try it anyway. I was not disappointed. I had been craving fish and chips, with ono of course. The breading was nice and light and not overwhelming. The fish itself was done perfectly and so moist. It really was melt in your mouth. The fries were just the right amount of crispy. The fish pieces were huge, I was barely able to finish half the dish. That worked out fine because my friend thought my fish was super tasty also, so I had help! Our server was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed and the food came out well. This place was definitely worth the visit and not just for the view! read more
1 year ago
The service was fine. The quality of food was very mediocre for the price you're paying I'd hope the food was better. Flavors was bland and steak was beyond overcooked. I also had the seafood trio, the fish was dry and my shrimp was so small. Not worth it sorry. read more
The view from the restaurant was stunning, the vibe inside was clean, inviting relaxing. It was busy on a Friday night, we made reservations for a large group and were seated immediately. Our server recommended the rib eye which at first I wasn't too sure because I'm picky with my meat but boy was I happy to be wrong! The rib eye - I ordered it medium well. It was crunchy on the outside, tender and flavorful on the inside. Best rib eye I've eaten out in a long time. 10/10 recommend. I'm a rice girl so next time I would have substituted the potatoes for white rice. The potatoes in my opinion had good flavor but the rib eye was so good I felt I simply needed an unflavored carb to go with, but that could just be me. Ribs - 10/10 just like they described juicey, fell right off the bone, Our group ordered the salmon, seafood trio, the ahi, fish and chips, calamari and wedges appetizers. Desserts - we ordered all three. The mini malasadas (cinnamon donuts) were scrumptious and served hot. The peanut butter pie was my favorite. Everything was satisfactory, no complaints from our group! Was a pleasant experience. read more
3 months ago
Went here for dinner with my friend the other day and the view was spectacular. Portions are pretty big and the food is yummy. I ordered a lava flow, which was delicious as well. Service was also great! Will definitely be back! read more
1 year ago
5 stars For Sunset Kai Lanai, thank you Justin who made the reservation possible the day before and to our amazing host Leimomi Kahumoku! We were a very large group -- 37 of us who just finished a family reunion the day before. We wanted a final dinner before departing Kona -- and our host handled everything with such grace, warmth, and professionalism. From the moment we arrived, she made us feel so welcome and taken care of. Coordinating a group this size is no easy task, but our host went above and beyond to make sure everyone was comfortable, our orders were taken with care, and the food came out timely and delicious. The service was smooth, friendly, and personalized -- we never felt rushed or overlooked. It truly made our evening special. You could tell she genuinely cared about making it a great experience for all of us. Our whole party was raving afterward about how amazing the dinner was -- not just the food, but the hospitality. If you're ever in Kona and want an unforgettable dining experience, this is the place, the view was beautiful -- and the host is a gem! Thank you again for helping make our trip so memorable. We'll be talking about this dinner for a long time! read more
Great spot in Kona to enjoy beautiful ocean views while you eat, while also avoiding the crowds and parking hassle of the main strip! Sunset Kai lanai is perched at the top of Keauhou shopping center--spectacular views with shopping center parking! The restaurant is very spacious, so we easily got a table right before sunset on a Saturday. And, every table has a view. Great menu. There's no real kids menu, which was fine--my daughters shared an adult entree of ribs, which was huge and delicious, fall-off-the bone tender. My pork was a little dry, but the sides were flavorful. My husband loved his steak. The edamame starter was huge. We appreciated the crayons and paper for kids. We would have had dessert but were too full! read more
3 months ago
We enjoyed Sunset Kai Lanai during our trip to Kona! This open air restaurant had beautiful views, great options for all and fair pricing for the meal options. The 12 oz ribeye was amazing and definitely was bigger than 12 ounces. It was accompanied with chipotle mashed potatoes that brought a perfect zing to the dish! We also added a house salad with sesame seed vinaigrette dressing that was delish! I recommend getting a sunset reservation to ensure beautiful pictures and a great meal! The wait staff was more than willing to help take pictures! read more
11 months ago
When we first arrived, our server barely spoke to us, but we didn't think much of it at first. Once our food came out, though, we were immediately disappointed. Each entrée was around $40, but the portions were small and the plates looked empty -- definitely not worth the price. I ordered the poke nachos and wanted the wasabi on the side, but it was spread all over the dish. I told our server that it was my fault for forgetting to mention it, and he kindly offered to have it remade. However, he didn't come back to our table for over 20 minutes. During that time, we noticed that the ribs came without the fries that were supposed to be included, and our waters sat empty while he spent most of his time talking with other servers instead of checking on his tables. When he finally returned, he told me they were out of the poke nachos and that I could either take my old dish back (which had been sitting in the kitchen for 20+ minutes) or order something else. At that point, I didn't want it anymore, so I just shared with my family. We ended up splitting two meals among the three of us and felt completely ripped off. Another server -- a kind bald man -- actually helped us more than our own server did. He brought us water, silverware, and sauces, and went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of. He was amazing and really the only reason we didn't leave sooner. When our actual server finally dropped off the check, we told him we were very disappointed with the food and service. His response shocked us -- he said, "Yeah, I'm gonna be honest, our food sucks here. We get a lot of complaints, but we're working on it." That really said it all. He offered us a free Key Lime pie as an apology, which we appreciated, but then we waited another 25 minutes for it. My mom was so frustrated she waited in the car, and I eventually had to ask the other (bald) server again to help us -- and of course, he immediately got it boxed up for us. In the end, we tipped $5 since the service was poor and the other server did most of the work. The food was not worth $40-$50 a plate, and the experience was extremely disappointing -- especially since it was our last night in Hawaii. If we had been served by the other server, it might have been a completely different experience, but as it stands, I wouldn't come back or recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more
29 days ago
9 months ago
The views can't be beat. The mai tais were good and the food was good! A cute cat on the wall made it perfect read more
2 years ago
DAY 1 of Vacation - We forsure wanted to eat out for dinner on our first night. We also stumbled upon this restaurant while walking around the shopping center located below. Parking: Free parking lot. They have a very small lot, so finding a spot can be difficult. We gave up after driving in circles for almost 15 min then decided to park down in the shopping center and just walk up. Ambiance/Environment: Such a great experience! We had no idea they had a view of the sunset. We dined at the perfect time around 17:30-18:00. It is an outdoor restaurant, and they seated us near the view. Service: Shout out to our server Douglas! He took great care of us. Quick, efficient, and knowledgeable about the menu. What I ordered: Portions were pretty big. We shared our dishes with one another. 1) Sunset Seafood Pasta - This was so fulfilling. The sauce was absolutely delicious and flavorful. There was also a generous amount of shrimp and scallops. I didn't see much blue crab though. 2) Poke Nachos - We ordered this as an appetizer. Perfect way to start off. Idk what it is, but poke just hits different on the islands. Very mouthwatering. 3) Cocktails - I completely forgot which drinks we ordered, but we enjoyed them all! Very strong and sweet! read more
10 months ago
The view- of the sunset- absolutely beautiful!! And our server was great. Attentive and checked in often. So the food- my meal was good- Ahi- my husband however, did not care for his meal- Filet. Our server again was wonderful and made things right- he took it off the check. read more
1 year ago
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Ask the Community - Sunset Kai Lanai
Is this Sam Choy's restaurant?
It was originally before he sold his interest in it in 2023.
Does anyone know if their regular menu will be available on Valentines Day 2026, or will they have a special menu? There's no info about that on their website .
Do u take resy, we have 12 in our arty?
I'm sure they do... The best sunsets wow!!
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11 months ago
