Maui Dinner Recommendation

[jkbec101]

We'll be on the POA in June and my wife and I are looking for a nice, maybe a bit romantic restaurant for dinner on Maui.  We already have plans to go to Mama's Fish house for lunch, so we're looking for somewhere else.

 

Thanks!

[Silver Sweethearts]

4 hours ago, jkbec101 said:

We'll be on the POA in June and my wife and I are looking for a nice, maybe a bit romantic restaurant for dinner on Maui.  We already have plans to go to Mama's Fish house for lunch, so we're looking for somewhere else.

Can you be a bit more specific about the type of food you enjoy, your budget, general location and so on so the choices can be narrowed down?  Mahalo.

[princeton123211]

16 hours ago, jkbec101 said:

We'll be on the POA in June and my wife and I are looking for a nice, maybe a bit romantic restaurant for dinner on Maui.  We already have plans to go to Mama's Fish house for lunch, so we're looking for somewhere else.

Normally would have recommended Lahaina Grill which I always considered to be the best overall restaurant on the island-- unfortunately it is now gone with the fire. 

 

Up in Kapalua Cane & Canoe (and the adjacent Hideaway Bar) are favorites with great atmosphere and are at the Montage which is fun to poke around in. Merrimans close by would get honorable mention that way.

 

Down in Wailea, The Restaurant at Hotel Wailea is quite romantic (and it's at a hotel that prides itself in being child free which for me at least makes it even more romantic!). The adjacent Birdcage lounge is great pre or post dinner for drinks. 

 

Also in Wailea we've had very good meals at Spago at the Four Seasons. Its a chain and its not super romantic but it is consistently good. If you've had dinner at the one in Beverly Hills or elsewhere its not worth going out of your way for.

 

 

[jkbec101]

15 hours ago, Silver Sweethearts said:

Can you be a bit more specific about the type of food you enjoy, your budget, general location and so on so the choices can be narrowed down?  Mahalo.

We'll skip Chinese, Tai and Vietnamese, most everything else would be ok.  Not concerned about budget, but not looking to spend $500/person though.  As for location, give me the entire island, as I have no clue where we will be, plus we're willing to travel and we're used to it living in Southern California.

[princeton123211]

17 hours ago, jkbec101 said:

As for location, give me the entire island, as I have no clue where we will be, plus we're willing to travel and we're used to it living in Southern California.

You have to consider that its not as easy or quick to get around the island as it is in Southern California. There are no highways that even close to represent the freeway system etc. Your ship will dock in Kahului which is a considerable travel time to the main resort areas of Kapalua (just under an hour each way), Kaanapali (45 minutes), and Wailea (closest at about a half hour each way without traffic). With the exception of Wailea the road in and out is two lanes and can see considerable backups at times which can stretch drive times. 

 

Mama's is close to the port so that's not a big deal. But if you were to continue to Hana, which is a modest 50 miles from the port, it will take you over 2 hours on switchback roads. 

 

The point being, given travel times can be long over short distances, you need to be more strategic unless you want to spend the entire time in the car. I would pick two general areas for each day of your stay and base dining on that. 

[Silver Sweethearts]

11 hours ago, princeton123211 said:

The point being, given travel times can be long over short distances, you need to be more strategic unless you want to spend the entire time in the car. I would pick two general areas for each day of your stay and base dining on that. 

You can pretty much divide Maui into five segments, and we offer this as a general idea of what is where out there and is our opinion only.  South Maui takes in Wailea and Kihei.  Wailea is mostly upscale resort restaurants and smaller storefront restaurants.  Mama's Fish House dominates the north side, though many like to include funky Paia and its casual vibe.  Central Maui is more business than romantic places.  Upcountry is casual and quiet.  We do not list the west side (Lahaina, Kaanapali, Kapalua, etc.) because it has a lot of healing to do yet.   

[Silver Sweethearts]

Thank you for the thank you.  We have been following your progress and achievements on this roll call for some time now and it sounds like you have everything in gear.  We wish you fair winds and following seas!

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I'd stick to Wailea, so Nick's Fishmarket, Spago, Ferraro's, Gather (formerly Gannon's and still a Bev Gannon restaurant) and Hotel Wailea.