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    Sunset Kai Lanai

    3.9 (258 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Order Sunset Kai Lanai Takeout or Delivery

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    SUNSET KAI LANAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Touristy
    Romantic

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    Recommended Reviews - Sunset Kai Lanai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Views of the ocean for miles
    Elaine F.

    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.

    Mai tai and an ipa
    Tiffany M.

    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.

    Ashlynn W.

    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.

    Sunset view
    Brandon C.

    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.

    Beef Tacos
    Sarahbeth M.

    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.

    Crab Cakes
    Vanessa H.

    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.

    Crab dip and crab rangoon.
    Patricia B.

    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.

    Hawaiian Chicken
    Lydia C.

    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!

    Max Y.

    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!!

    View
    Amy K.

    What a difference a year makes! Service was still great but food was edible, tasty even. Beer was cold. My friends told me this place is better and it is. And of course the wonderful view! Laid back vibe.

    Ono fish and chips
    Angie K.

    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!

    Poke nachos. Not worth $25.95, only had like 6-8 pieces of fish.
    Angela L.

    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.

    Fish and chips
    Brooke V.

    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.

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    Really great food and amazing service. We didn't feel like tourists being taken care of, we felt like old friends catching up.

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    Sunset Kai Lanai Reviews in Other Languages

    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!!

    Are they open for lunch?

    Yes, every day starting at 11am.

    View All 5 Questions

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    Sunset Terrace - Pulled Pork Sandwich

    Sunset Terrace

    3.9(151 reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$

    Sunset Terrace has fallen from its former glory days of "Ono" food, tasty cocktails and stellar…read moreservice to offering bland and overpriced consumables accompanied by inconsistent service depending on the day you visit. As Wyndham owners and business professionals, we understand that sometimes our expectations far exceed our experiences. However, since the prior co-owner left, this place continues its downward trajectory. Current ownership and management should be held accountable for this continued disappointment we have experienced in the last five years. After speaking with other Wyndham owners and local business professionals we have discovered this has been a growing concern due to poor bar and grill leadership. The "golden rule" in the service industry is simple and relative to the best selling book in the world if that's your belief. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." In an environment that should appeal to all of your sensory emotions, Sunset Terrace management and ownership has failed to live up to that expectation through witnessed outbursts of rudeness and belligerence that have forced us and our neighbors and colleagues to find alternative accommodations and dining experiences until Wyndham rectifies this ongoing display of poor restaurant behavior and inconsistent service. In fact, the only thing consistent is the sunset view.

    Friendly staff and fresh food. Amazing view and good food what else can you ask for? We love the…read morewedge salad, coconut shrimp, and of course the generous portion of fries. One of the best drinks they serve is the Sunset Runner, and if you're lucky Michael or Chelsea will be working. Let's not forget the live music nightly.

    Photos
    Sunset Terrace - The bar

    The bar

    Sunset Terrace - Yogurt parfait

    Yogurt parfait

    Sunset Terrace - Sunset Terrace

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    Sunset Terrace

    The Theatery - Lamb shank

    The Theatery

    4.6(105 reviews)
    3.5 mi
    $$$

    Everything we ordered was cooked perfectly. We chose the bone marrow, lamb shank and short rib. The…read morebone marrow was the best we've ever had. We ended with "Hannah's" bananas foster and it was sinful! My dad was having trouble with a wound he got earlier in the day and the team came to the rescue with their first aid kit so we didn't have to leave the dinner we were looking forward to. Above and beyond!

    Eating at the Theatery was truly an experience. At first we were getting antsy, thinking why our…read morefood was taking so long, no one had checked on us but as we drove home after dinner we realized that we've become so accustomed to swallowing food at a restauraunt and running out, hour max. Dinner at the Theatery was such a wonderful experience, it starts when you walk into the restauraunt and are greeted by the gorgeous Hawaiian sky, an indoor outdoor experience. The decor, ambiance, music, seating arrangements, lighting, it feels intentional, intimate and classy. We ordered appetizers - focaccia and grilled flatbread. Focaccia 10/10 - crunchy, yet soft, grilled flavor and the butter. Mmmmmmmm yum. Grilled flatbread 5/10 - not what I expected... Lychee martini 10/10 - classy, tropical, sweet but not too sweet ;-) I ordered the glazed lamb shank - the flavor was beautiful, the meat was juicey, soft and fell off the bone, paired with coconut rice and coconut curry. It was an amazing mixture of different flavors that worked so well together. I think we also got the Kanpachi - it was good but the lamb was our favorite. Finished off the evening with the dessert show with the banana foster - it was way too sweet for me but the show was very entertaining to watch :-). Our favorite dessert was the lilikoi crème Brûlée. (Not pictured). Perfect balance between sweet and savory. Crunchy yet creamy. So delicious!! We loved our experience at the theatery - dining felt like an experience, indulging in the art of eating and enjoying conversation with your dining partner. Will go again.

    Photos
    The Theatery - Inside

    Inside

    The Theatery - Kanpachi with house-made gnochhi

    Kanpachi with house-made gnochhi

    The Theatery - Digestif

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    Digestif

    Sunset Kai Lanai - hawaiian - Updated May 2026

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