1. 'ULU

0

Kailua-Kona, HI

Cancel

Open app

Search

'ULU

4.2 (429 reviews)
Ultra High-EndSushi Bars, Seafood, Hawaiian
Closed • 5:30 pm - 10:00 PM

'ULU Photos

'ULU ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Romantic
Classy
Good for groups

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - 'ULU

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Restaurant on the ocean
Jerry H.

'Ulu is an al fresco fine dining experience located in the Four Seasons beach area next to the waves and sand. The interior is an elegant outdoor beach feel. The ambiance is near perfection as it faces west for perfect sunsets. The service was exceptional and very helpful. We loved Angie our waitress, who took great care of us and our amazing experience. The fresh seafood and sushi here are the highest quality we ever tasted. The New York steak was cooked to perfection and it was a high quality prime cut. The ahi tuna steak was seared perfectly and seasoned very well. We loved their innovative and unique desserts. The lava crunch cake was mouthy watering and a dream for any chocolate lover. This was one of the best restaurants we ever tried. The restaurant is a must try. 'Ulu is a top 3 restaurant of all time.

Cake
Yurie H.

Atmosphere is amazing and very fancy vibe. I came here for a wedding dinner, view here is gorgeous right in front of the beach. We were served a course menu, I chose the ahi poke, mahi mahi, and cake with ice cream. Ahi poke (6/10)-bland not a lot of flavor but good amount of fish Mahi mahi (7/10)-average fish like how it was light and good portion Cake (8/10)-light and not too rich the ice cream was a huge plus. We also got served appetizers the orange chicken, pork belly bun and tuna roll was all solid. Drinks were also tasty my favorite was the espresso martini. Service is friendly and the restaurant is very fancy. Would love to come back here and try the other food

Kona Kanpachi Crudo. (Pre-Fixe Menu 1 of 3)
Jeff L.

'Ulu is located inside the beautiful Four Seasons Resort. It is located right next to the beach with a gorgeous sunset view. During my last visit, we tried the Beach Tree Restaurant next door so we decided to try 'Ulu this time and boy am I glad we did. This is our last night on the Big Island and our favorite meal of our trip. The hostess led us to a large table right next to ocean. Our servers Doug and Braxton provided the best service ever. Doug is a sweet guy who grew in Southern Cal close to my residence, so we chatted for quite a while and had some good laughs. Braxton has the world's best smile and took the best group photos for us. They made our dining experience memorable. The food too were fantastic. I always try new restaurants hoping we'll get a surprise new experience and 'Ulu definitely delivered. 'Ulu has a pre-fixe menu and a few of us took advantage of the deal. The pre-fixe comes with a Kanpachi Crudo Salad, a Mango Curry Prawn Bowl, and finishes with a Mango Mille-Feuille. The Kanpanchi Crudo Salad was light and the fish was very fresh. My wife really enjoy this appetizer. I tried a little of her Mango Curry Prawn mean course and it was amazing. The Prawns are huge and perfectly cooked so it is not tough. The curry has a good balance so it is not too mild or strong. I never had this flavor before so I was delighted to try it. Doug informed me about a daily catch special with Red Snapper. I had a lot of fish in Hawaii and honestly I don't like most of them because they always comes out a bit dry. However, I know Red Snappers. That fish has the softest texture so I gave in. That dish did not disappoint. The pan fried side of the fish is crispy while the soft delicate inside just melts in your mouth. I like steam Red Snappers for its soft texture and I was very surprised that this pan fried version can offer the same softness inside. Our friend ordered the New York strip. The steak itself can benefit from more marbling but it was not bad. The Miso sauce adds a very rich salty flavor that you don't usually get from a steak dish. My daughter had a crab meat udon and she loved it. She is a fiend for anything noodle. There were crab flavors in every bite and the crab meat portions are generous. At the end, Doug hooked us up with a Vanilla Soufflé dessert to help celebrate our anniversary. The Soufflé was one of the best I ever had. Every item we tried was good and the view from our table was amazing. This was one of my top 5 best dining experience ever. I understand that most people want to book Beach Tree because of the view, but I am telling you don't sleep on 'Ulu. If I return to Big Island next time, I will book 'Ulu again in a heart beat.

Olivia F.

The atmosphere at Ulu is incredible!!! I don't think it gets better than this location. Highly recommend reservations, especially if you want a table with clear view of the water or sunset. Service was amazing as well. We tried the crispy chicken, crab fried rice, crab noodles, and the chocolate soufflé. The chicken app wasn't anything spectacular, noodles were perfectly chewy and generous with the crab, and fried rice was great. The soufflé was the highlight! We went with chocolate but they have a seasonal rotating fruit flavor as well. This takes 25 minutes to make so recommend ordering it early if you know you want to try it. For $$$$ the food is okay, you're absolutely paying for the scenery and service.

Beef and Brocolli, New York Strip
Owen K.

One of the best meals I've had in Hawaii. The setting at Ulu is stunning, the service is polished without feeling stuffy, and the food truly delivers. We ordered the Big Island Ahi Poke, Kona Kampachi Fresh Catch, New York Strip Beef & Broccoli, and the Chocolate Soufflé. Every dish was perfectly prepared, incredibly tender, and full of flavor. An outstanding dining experience from start to finish.

Schelly Y.

Order ahead for that chocolate soufflé! They also have a Kona coffee one. The catch of the day snapper was excellent.

The view from the tables
Scott T.

Having had some disappointing - and very expensive - meals at Big Island resorts where the view was better than the food, we had our expectations in check when deciding to celebrating a special occasion at the Four Seasons. What a surprise. From the moment we tasted the Hualalai oysters - our server, Doug, explained in detail the incredible two year process of raising them - we were stunned. These were the best oysters I have ever had: fresh, plump, full of briny seawater. We took a gamble on the tableside poke (opting for the Kona konpachi) which seemed crazy given the quality of poke available at supermarkets around the island, but were pleasantly surprised again. The crab noodles with ebi butter, king crab, and bok choi had a wonderful mochi texture, and the broiled 1/2 Kona lobster (with a sriracha hollandaise) and fries were perfect. The only miss for us was the grilled daily catch, which was a dry, severe tasting konpachi. The yuzu kosho butter sauce made up for it a bit but only masked how tough the fish was. Obviously the restaurant is beautiful. The location and views are sublime and service is as you would expect at the Four Seasons. If you've been burned before at fancy resort restaurants on the islands, I highly recommend trying 'Ulu.

California Crab Rolls.  A little bland.
Bill S.

Ulu is at the Four Seasons Resort. They have free self-parking and free valet parking. The restaurant is ocean-side and has both outdoor and indoor seating. It has amazing views. It wasn't very busy when we were there. The presentation was perfect. My wife had the Hudson Valley Foie Gras and wasn't impressed. She ordered the Kanpachi which came with a pineapple sambal, crispy garlic, and lemon-soy vinaigrette. It was the highlight of the evening's food for me. She had an amazing crab leg as well. I had Crab Noodles with King Crab, mochi noodles, sweet ebi butter and bok choi. It was solid, but not exceptional. For dessert, we had the chocolate souffle which was very good. They gave my wife a complimentary dessert for her birthday! Our main let-down was our server. She seemed to always be in a hurry, and impatient when we took too long to order. She swooped in and left, often before we could ask for what we needed. The rest of the staff was solid, friendly, responsive and efficient.

Jonathan I.

We had an amazing evening at Ulu at the Four Seasons Kona while celebrating my friend's birthday. The staff went above and beyond to make the surprise truly special. While my friend and I were walking on the beach, our wives checked in for our reservation and weren't sure how to call us over without giving it away. One of the team members actually offered to help and played along perfectly. She walked over and calmly told my friend that his wife had fallen but was okay and wanted him to come quickly. He rushed back, only to be met with laughter and the surprise reveal at the table. Her acting was so convincing, and I couldn't believe she went along with the plan. It really showed how thoughtful and fun the staff is here. On to the food and drinks. Everything was excellent. The cocktails were top quality, balanced, and smooth (no next-day headaches). We ordered the tableside poke, which was some of the best we had on the island. It was fun being able to choose how much of each ingredient we wanted. My wife and I also shared the Tuna Wellington special, which was great. the flaky crust, perfectly cooked tuna, and the foie gras all came together beautifully. For dessert, we were completely surprised. Instead of just a small birthday treat like ice cream, they surprised us with two big soufflés--one for my friend's birthday and another for me, since my birthday was coming up later in the month. Such a thoughtful and generous touch! Between the incredible food, attentive staff, and the beachfront sunset views, Ulu is a gem. The atmosphere matches the quality of the dishes, and the service made the whole evening unforgettable. Highly recommend for a special night out on the Big Island.

Gorgeous property! Ocean front dining. Exceptional cocktails. Our server Landon was-the best of the best local authentic, gracious, professional~ best in class hospitality!!

Steak
Dennis H.

Where are half stars when you need them? I had dinner here during my stay on the Big Island. I really want to give this place 4 stars but for the price I just couldn't. The food is good but nothing amazing. From memory I had the ahi roll. Wok fried beef steak (similar to Vietnamese style Bo luc lac but crispy beef), wife had the ny strip (pretty average and small) and the dessert was the highlight... the chocolate fondue. We also had crab fried rice and crab noodles. Not sure if it was the weather, seasoning or perhaps use of msg. About 1/2 way thru my meal I was guzzling water at an insane rate. I think I had 5-6 glasses haha View was amazing. We went right before sunset. Sit inside if you want to avoid the whiteflies.

Broiled lobster with frites
Amy K.

Unqualified 5 stars! Wish I could give 6. This place is SO on another level. Super Wow!!! Do not miss. Superb beachside seating. Over the top service. Food to die for! Our server Michael not only replaced flatware between courses but he also wiped off the placemats and cleaned all the bread crumbs. When we ordered he discussed with us the timing we would like for the courses. (Did we want the salad and poke together, etc.). The drinks were perfect. The view as you can see is phenomenal. It is so comfortable sitting under the shelter and having the view. The setup keeps it from getting cold or windy and there were no insects to bother us. The table side poke was delicious. The beet salad was lovely and unique. We loved the ahi au poivre and the broiled lobster. If you have not had crab or lobster with Hollandaise, you have not lived. Also, the lobster had tiny pieces of onion and tomato and it was cut up and freed from the shell so it was easy for me to eat, The grilled lemon was only too happy to give its juices to my plate. The chocolate soufflé put this experience over the top! We had the Frank Family Zin which I highly recommend.

Crab noodles
Debbie A.

We had a terrific dinner here and are still raving about the food. Everything we had was delicious! The presentation was stunning and the service was superb. You couldn't get a better setting than watching the sunset over the waves - so delightful!!!

See all

Reviews are largely positive. People highlight the oceanfront ambiance, attentive staff, and fresh seafood, with creative desserts also earning praise.

Read the full review summary in the app

Photo of silvia k.
29
156
262

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Bardia K.

Bardia K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

28 days ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

4 months ago

Helpful 9
Thanks 3
Love this 8
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0
Photo of Jeff L.
23
103
134

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

5 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 1

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Bardia K.

Bardia K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 1

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Bardia K.

Bardia K.

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 2
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

11 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Bardia K.

Bardia K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Matt H.
291
1627
449

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Bardia K.

Bardia K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 1
Photo of Ryan C.
124
53
11

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Patrick O.
25
80
194

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Mary V.
1716
578
13629

2 years ago

Helpful 10
Thanks 4
Love this 8
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of F S.
0
36
21

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 1

6 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 2
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 11

Ask the Community - 'ULU

Can we come as a walk in?

Yes if there is seating at the bar you can grab a spot there or if they have tables they'll seat you but often busy.

I recently received a helpful answer from the Resort manager. The answer said to call at least 7 days before, yet when I call to make a reservation I'm being told that I need to wait until 7 days before the reservation as I'm an outside guest. Help?

Aloha Kyle L., Please call 7 days before the date of desired dining reservation and we’d be happy… 

Planning a trip in August and wondering if you have to be a guest staying at the resort to dine here? Looks like a great spot to go on my honeymoon.

No, you don't have to be a guest, but book far ahead. Call the restaurant. They are on OpenTable but it always says there is no availability.

View All 6 Questions

You might also consider

Miller & Lux - Black truffle Mac n cheese

Miller & Lux

4.4(66 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$$$

Fantastic food and service here! Made a reservation on Open Table…read more Had a nice table on the balcony to see the sunset. Bring sunglasses as the sun gets pretty intense sometimes. Vanh and Kara are super nice! We would come back here again just for their great, friendly service. Food was delicious. NY steak cooked perfectly. Truffle risotto was also tasty. They have the best Truffle crunch fries!! The portions are decent size. Actually, there was so much food, we were too full to eat dessert. We need to order dessert next time.

4.5/5 We actually…read morecame here twice, once on a Saturday night and again on Monday night. I did have high expectations coming here, and for the most part they were met. I have a friend who worked here and recommended servers Tim or Megan, and we had Tim the first night. Megan was off the second night and Tim was sommelier, so we had Amanda. Both were wonderful! We enjoyed the steaks and lobster which is the main thing we came for. The view was also gorgeous, but if you're looking for an oceanfront view, it's a bit far and obscured. Truffle fries were great, too! We got those both times. Caesar salad was made table-side and she was kind enough to include whole anchovies per our request. However, we cared less for the appetizers: steak tartare and the lobster Louie. The side of black truffle Mac and cheese was also not great. The desserts did not impress us either. We chose to pass and go elsewhere the second night. The coconut cake was dry and dense, and the bananas foster (made similarly to those flambé desserts at Hy's steakhouse on Oahu) was really sweet. I think if you're willing to pay the price tag, it's a great spot to watch the sunset with a steak/lobster and phenomenal table-side service.

Photos
Miller & Lux - Dinning room

Dinning room

Miller & Lux - Lobster

Lobster

Miller & Lux - Prince is an expert

See all

Prince is an expert

Residents' Beach House

Residents' Beach House

4.4(100 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$$

5 friends met here for lunch today. 5 ladies completely satisfied and impressed with this…read morerestaurant! Service: outstanding service from the hostess and from our server Lexi. Personalized service, the kind that the best resorts offer, like "how did she know I would want that?" The outstanding service continued from the time we arrived until the last minute before we left. 5 different orders, some of which I already can't remember. One lady loves gazpacho and she raved about this one. My fish tacos were loaded with chunks of spearfish and included all locally sourced greens. Two very large tacos in an order; apparently you can order one and combine with something else on the menu. 5 different desserts, all housemade, three of which are beyond memorable. 1) the Key Lime Pie is actually a monster slice of a Key Lime ICE CREAM pie. The Key Lime ice cream was perfectly copied from a key lime pie. 2) Pineapple Sorbet. More like frozen whipped pineapple than the puréed consistency you'd expect. Loaded with fresh pineapple! Very large serving! 3) Mud Pie, for the friend who orders Mud Pie whenever it's on the menu. She was blown away by the size of the slice and by the quality of every aspect of it. Note: the restaurant is quite a walk from parking. Valets will run you down and back up in a golf cart if you ask. We needed the exercise!

This place was amazing!…read more What a great find. My daughter found it and I'm not sure exactly how but TikTok may have been . We ordered Red curry with fresh catch fish Papaya salad Blackened chicken with rigatoni Pizza They gave us Bread for appetizers And also Gluten free bread is available. Gluten free pizza crust available, made from macadamia nuts. But I didn't order a pizza for myself. I have the red curry with fresh catch fish. The service was excellent. I do not remember our servers name. I just remember that he was filling in from another restaurant and the service really was excellent. It was right on the beach and we got to see the sunset and take some beautiful photos. I was so impressed that they had gluten-free chocolate cake. And it was delicious. Everybody loved it. The only thing I would add is that it was a little bit of a hike from the parking lot and we weren't exactly sure where we were going, but we found it. So you might want to leave a little bit of extra time to get there for your reservation. But definitely make a reservation.

Photos
Residents' Beach House - Outside

Outside

Residents' Beach House
Residents' Beach House - Mudpie

See all

Mudpie

Big Island Abalone

Big Island Abalone

4.7(207 reviews)
8.7 mi
•$$

Big Island Abalone has been on our list of to-do's for a while and we finally booked the farm tour…read morewhen we knew we would run errands in Kona. This place is close to the airport and very easy to find. Our guide Carlos was awesome - very knowledgeable and funny. We learned a lot in the one hour tour. We also got to sample seaweed, sea grapes and abalone at the end of the tour. We went to the food truck afterwards. Service was quick and the staff were really nice. We ordered 1/4 lb of the garlic butter abalone and 1/4 lb of the chilli garlic abalone. Both were great. Sounds expensive but I will say that we had abalone in a similar proportion in Monterey and paid more than double what we did at Big Island Abalone. We already have plans to stop at the food truck again on our way through Kona later this well. Well worth visiting. A must if you love abalone.

Honestly, I didn't know what to expect on this tour, but it was amazing! Learned so much! It was…read morefun! And my kids are still talking about it the day after. (We were there just yesterday) Held the attention of my 8 & 10 year old! Seriously felt like a well put together fun school field trip. I wish we had something like this on the mainland. Parents - you have to bring your kids. They'll learn a lot & have fun doing it. My kids are still talking about the abalone, the eyes & feel super smart deciphering which abalone are boys or girls. And if you don't have kids, go anyways! I learned a lot. Best part, there's a food truck on the premises to try the abalone + other stuff. Yes, it's a bit pricey, but YOU WILL NEVER HAVE SUCH TENDER ABALONE ANYWHERE ELSE!!! You need to stop by and try something off their menu. Garlic butter was our favorite, but my husband really liked the chili oil. The only thing I wished they offered - a summer camp for kids. I feel with such unique operations (go on the tour and learn about it), it's a great way to learn about sustainability, ecosystems, and more. Maybe someone will read my post and think about it. I'm sure parents would love to have their kids immersed in such a wonderful environment. Props to: Carlos. Thank you so much for our tour. My 10 year old loves marine animals & absolutely loved the tour. She can't wait to share with her teacher and classmates what she learned. If we return to the island in the future, we'll definitely be making another stop.

Photos
Big Island Abalone - Eat your hearts desire in abalone

Eat your hearts desire in abalone

Big Island Abalone - Abalone

Abalone

Big Island Abalone - On the grill of a ceramic smoker

See all

On the grill of a ceramic smoker

Kona Seafood Market - kampachi

Kona Seafood Market

4.6(108 reviews)
12.9 mi

Kona Seafood Market gets an absolute 5 stars from me!…read more The fish here was super fresh! They sell a fantastic selection of raw fish and poke. We picked up some poke along with rice and pickled veggies for our sides, and every single bite was sooo fresh and delicious. It's a great little small mom-and-pop shop, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality you get. On top of that, the service was quick, friendly, and efficient. If you're looking for top-notch, incredibly fresh seafood and delicious poke without the high tourist markup, this place is a must-visit!

I have a nut allergy and was going to skip on the food because their salt they use includes tree…read morenuts. The gentlemen working were amazing and after letting them know that I have a nut allergy, they made a whole new batch of poke so that I could have a bowl! They were very kind and did not have a second thought on making the poke to make sure I had a taste of their poke. They ended up slicing a whole new fish for me and If that doesn't show you their hospitality, then you need to see it yourself. Their fish was so fresh (ahi tuna), and the lomi lomi salmon was super refreshing. My girlfriend had the same meal but what they already had chopped up and she said it was just as fresh as the one they made for me. Definitely one of my favorite spots on the Kona side for poki and for their hospitality. 11/10 would come again!

Photos
Kona Seafood Market
Kona Seafood Market
Kona Seafood Market - The shop

See all

The shop

'ULU - sushi - Updated October 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...