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Restaurant advice - Big Island

C

CatLovers

TUG Review Crew: Veteran
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Our good friends are traveling with us to the Big Island and will be renewing their marriage vows for their 30th anniversary on November 9. After the sunset ceremony on Kuki'o Beach right in front of the Four Seasons Resort, we're planning on taking them to dinner to celebrate.

I have made a reservation at the Pahu ia Restaurant right in the Four Seasons but TripAdvisor has mixed reviews on this place. Do any TUGgers have another recommendation? We are not staying at the Four Seasons and we will of course have vehicles so driving will not be a problem. We want to make this a very special evening for them, so I'd really appreciate some suggestions.
 
Restaurant

You could take them to Roy's in the King's Shops at Waikoloa if it's still open.
Also there is a place that I liked when we were last on the Big Island 2 years ago called Jamison's on Allii Drive which sits right on the ocean.

If you want to go for a drive and have an excellent dinner, drive to Waimea and go to Merriman's. One of the best dinners we had on the big island
 
I would second Roy's. This is one of the original Roy locations before it became a franchise operation and moved to the mainland.

We ate there a month ago and it was great.
 
Is Roy's "fancy" enough?

I think you know what I mean -- normally we are very casual people, but this is one night when I want to go all out.
 
No, to Roy's. Good food, but VERY loud and the setting is nothing special.

We celebrated our dd's 21st birthday at the Pahu i`a restaurant at the Four Seasons. We thought it was wonderful.

We've also had excellent dinners at Brown's (Fairmont Orchid) and the Canoe House (Mauna Lani).
 
Luanne said:
No, to Roy's. Good food, but VERY loud and the setting is nothing special.

We celebrated our dd's 21st birthday at the Pahu i`a restaurant at the Four Seasons. We thought it was wonderful.

We've also had excellent dinners at Brown's (Fairmont Orchid) and the Canoe House (Mauna Lani).
Click to expand...

Agree completely with Luanne,

Roy's is too noisy in a shopping complex - Both Brown's and Canoe House have a romantic setting with wonderful service and great menus. If you make a reservation at either, let them know it is a special occasion.

I also would not rule out Pahu i`a at the Four Seasons. I do not believe you will be disappointed with any of the three choices.
 
Romantic

I would go to the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani Resort. If you want them to have a romantic dinner by the ocean this is the place. You can request a table in front so you won't have any tables between you and the ocean. If you get there before sunset you will see the lighting of the Tiki lights which is done in great Hawaii fashion. We went there last year to celebrate out best friends aniversary and it was a very nice experience. It's great for pictures with ocean in the background. It will be an evening to remember.
 
J&N said:
I would go to the Canoe House at the Mauna Lani Resort. If you want them to have a romantic dinner by the ocean this is the place. You can request a table in front so you won't have any tables between you and the ocean. If you get there before sunset you will see the lighting of the Tiki lights which is done in great Hawaii fashion. We went there last year to celebrate out best friends aniversary and it was a very nice experience. It's great for pictures with ocean in the background. It will be an evening to remember.
Click to expand...

Very similar to our experience at Pahu i`a. We were right next to the water, and watched the lighting of the Tiki torches.
 
Check out the reviews for Merriman's in Kamuela. It's our favorite place on the BI. Excellent service and they'll do something special for the occasion.
 
wa.mama said:
Check out the reviews for Merriman's in Kamuela. It's our favorite place on the BI. Excellent service and they'll do something special for the occasion.
Click to expand...

Excellent restaurant as well. But again, in my opinion, not special enough. One of the things I really want for a special dinner in Hawaii is to be able to eat outside and be near the water. :D

Merrimans:
img_2662.JPG


Four Seasons:
KON_007_616x493.jpg
 
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Pahu i'a

We are on the BI every couple of years for our anniversary in October. It is rare that we splurge that much for a special occasion but with the quality of the food and the location right on the water, we always say "but it was worth it". Not tried the orchid and we love Roy's and Merriman's, but between those three, Pahu i'a wins hands down.

The photo of Pahu i'a doesn't even show the seating closest to the water. If you think that's good, wait until you see that.
 
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Ray Taft said:
The photo of Pahu i'a doesn't even show the seating closest to the water. If you think that's good, wait until you see that.
Click to expand...

Right. I was trying to find a picture with the view from the tables closest to the water and couldn't find one. And the ones I took while we were there didn't come out very well.

The entire resort is incredible! The first time I went there was for lunch. Their lunch time restaurant is fun too. It's right by the pool and on the beach. I thought it would be fun for dh and I to spend one night there on a trip to the Big Island and leave the dds at the timeshare. That was until I saw their prices. The least expensive rooms were around $800/night and those were up on the hill, with no ocean access! :eek: The beach front rooms were, of course, much more. And their Presidential suite was $10,000/night.
 
tripadvisor is not very useful for luxury properties.

the quote ill give you for Pahui'a is this >
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/13680788-post46.html
Dinner, on the other hand, was spectacular. I arranged for a special tasting (not offered on the menu). Chef Jacob was happy to oblige, personally calling me to find out our preferences and restrictions. With a couple small guidelines, we let him have carte blanche, and what a wonderful job he did. Very fish centric, heavily raw/crudo, and a bit of local island beef. $160 per person. Easily 1, possibly 2 michelin star quality in both food and service.
Click to expand...

FS hualalai is one of the best regarded hotels in the world. rates currently from $500. but you can also rent one of the condos direct from owner for less. :cool:
 
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We would second the recommendation for Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid!

Happy Anniversary
 
Thanks everyone!

Thanks everyone! Based on the advice received here, we've decided to go with our first instinct and keep our reservation at the Pahu i'a at the Four Seasons. We really do want to make this a special evening for our friends and it looks like this is one of the best choices (despite the TripAdvisor reviews). I'll post after and give you all an update.
 
Thanks everyone for your input and advice. We went to Pahu i'a for the after-"wedding" dinner. It was everything we had hoped for ... and more. Great ambiance, fantastic food, exceptional service. They knew what we were celebrating so they gave us the best table in the house, and the staff were very attentive and really made the evening SPECIAL. Our friends were absolutely thrilled with their special evening!

A couple of nights later, we went to Roy's at the Kings Shops as well. The food and service were also exceptional, but Pahu i'a was definitely our better choice because of the atmosphere.

I would return to both restaurants in a heartbeat, thanks everyone!
 
Glad you had such a wonderful experience. :D
 
Thanks for followup

Thanks for your followup report. Love happy endings!
 
Thank you for the follow up

We have had dinner at Brown's and loved it as well and was glad you had such a wonderful time at the Four Seasons. We did the Sat. evening bbq or something like that and it was good. But, we enjoy a more serene experience and will definitely try the restaurant our next trip - hopefully in January. All the best..........
 
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