The Best Restaurants In Kauai With a View

When it comes to impressive scenery, Kauai is one of the best islands in Hawaii for unmatched natural beauty. Thanks to a warm and wet climate, plants and greenery absolutely thrive across the island, providing a lush background to miles and miles of unspoiled beaches and coastline.

If you’re planning a trip to Kauai then you’ll likely be trying to see as much of the island’s scenery as possible, be that through hikes, beach trips and even helicopter rides if you’re really pushing the boat out. But another fantastic way to enjoy the beauty of Kauai is to dine out at a restaurant that offers its guests incredible views, be that of the beach, the forests or the ocean.

There are plenty of outstanding places to eat in Kauai, so it can be tricky to choose where to begin when it comes to finding a restaurant that offers dining with views. To make your life easier, here’s our hand-picked list of the best restaurants in Kauai with a view that offers wonderful food and an exceptional setting for you to enjoy breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Beach House, Poipu

The Beach House is one of Kauai’s best-loved restaurants and is a strong contender for one of the island’s best restaurants with a beach view. Located just along from Lawa’i Beach in Poipu on the south shore, you can enjoy incredible ocean views as you dine in a luxurious yet warm and friendly environment that promises a truly memorable experience.

If you’re looking for classic Hawaiian hospitality then owners Peter Merriman and William Terry deliver exactly that in their beachfront restaurant that benefits from gorgeous surrounding coastal scenery. The Beach House has won numerous awards for its food and customer experience, as well as frequently being mentioned in local and international publications as one of the best places to eat on the island.

The food served at The Beach House puts a Pacific Rim spin on classic island cuisine, with dinner served from mid-afternoon and a menu that focuses on making the most of local ingredients. Head chef Marshall Blanchard is renowned for his approach to catering and takes a creative approach to the dishes on offer, with seasonal specials frequently making an appearance.

If you’re seeing recommendations for the best Kauai restaurants on the beach then they don’t come much better than The Beach House, and we recommend booking a table in the early evening so you can watch the sunset as you dine and experience some of the most incredible views on the south shore. It’s such a scenic location that the restaurant is actually frequently used as a wedding venue, so you can be sure that you’re eating in front of some very photogenic scenery.

Lava Lava Beach Club, Kapaʻa

Lava Lava Beach Club is a Kauai restaurant that is most notable for offering the island's only ‘toes in the sand’ dining experience. If you want to enjoy classic island cuisine without really having to leave the beach, this is the place for you.

You’ll find Lava Lava as part of the Kauai Shores Hotel in the Waikoloa Beach Resort just south of Anaehoomalu Beach. It offers an open-air dining experience overlooking the ocean with the option to sit at a table out on the sand, enjoying outstanding hospitality while still feeling as close to the beach as possible.

The food on offer at Lava Lava Beach Club includes breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, meaning that you can drop in for a bite to eat whatever time you visit. Classic Hawaiin dishes take center stage on the menu, each presented beautifully and made with fresh, local ingredients where possible.

There are no table reservations available at Lava Lava, but there are plenty of tables so you’re likely to get a seat unless it’s particularly busy. Live musicians frequently perform for guests and the ocean is only a short walk away, so if you’re looking for a laid-back dining experience with outstanding scenery, this is undeniably one of the best Kauai restaurants with a view.

The real winning feature is that each of the tables is out on the beach, allowing you to dig your feet into the sand as you dine and appreciate a true seaside dining experience.

Opakapaka Bar & Grill, Wainiha

Opakapaka Bar & Grill is one of the only Kauai north shore restaurants with a beach view, so if you’re staying on this side of the island and are looking for a beautiful dining experience, we strongly recommend you plan a visit.

Located in the Hanalei Colony Resort, Opakapaka was opened in 2017 by Gregg Fraser, who fell in love with the location in Wainiha when he was a teenager and finally brought his dreams to life of creating an oceanfront dining spot. Not only can you enjoy some stunning Kauai views of the North Shore coastline, but traveling to this restaurant also takes you past some of the island’s iconic landmarks including Kīlauea Lighthouse and Hanalei Bridge.

The atmosphere in Opakapaka is welcoming and relaxed, offering a casual dining experience with some seriously good food on the menu. Local flavors and ingredients take center stage, with plenty of dishes created from products that have been bought from a nearby market on the very same day.

We recommend booking a table if you want to make the most of dining with views of the beach and the ocean on Kauai’s north shore. Huge windows bring the scenery right inside the restaurant, creating a wonderful experience of the island that is truly a feast for all of your senses.

Sam’s Ocean View, Kapaʻa

Sam’s Ocean View is another place that is renowned across the island for its impressive oceanfront dining. A colorful waterfront restaurant with a beach view, Sam’s has an open front that really brings the outside in no matter where you’re sitting as you eat, overlooking the coast of Kapaʻa on the east shore of the island.

This popular Kauai beachfront restaurant is named after the owner Samantha Reynolds, who was originally from South Africa and settled on the island in 2013 before opening Sam’s Ocean View several years later. The food on offer is a mix of American and Hawaiian dishes, with every meal made fresh to order and plenty of local products used across the menu.

Booking in advance is strongly recommended if you’re planning a visit to this restaurant, as its reputation for having some of the best views in Kauai as you dine means that it’s often packed with visitors. The atmosphere is laid-back but the service is excellent, and of course, the views of the beach and the ocean are incredible.

Oasis on the Beach, Kapaʻa

Oasis on the Beach began its life as Kauai’s first farm-to-table restaurant and has kept that commitment to sustainability ever since it opened. Only local ingredients are used in all of the dishes available, promising a truly authentic dining experience in one of the best places to eat in Kauai.

Every table at Oasis has a view of the ocean, whether you want to dine out on the terrace or undercover if the weather’s looking unpredictable. The restaurant’s location within the Waipouli Beach Resort means that you can enjoy some of Kapa’a’s finest beachfront scenery as you eat, with the option to admire your surroundings further with a stroll along the nearby beachfront path.

The food served at Oasis on the Beach is authentically Hawaiian, made even more delicious by the freshness of the ingredients. The menu tends to change as the chefs like to experiment with seasonal specials and new approaches to classic dishes, but you can be assured by the reviews that everything you eat here will be absolutely delicious.

Making a reservation at this Kauai restaurant isn’t essential, but if you’re planning a visit at the weekend then it’s a good idea to book ahead to ensure you get a seat. Evening dining provides some of the most beautiful ocean views as you eat, particularly if you’re at a table on the terrace.

Duke’s Restaurant, Lihue

Last on our list of the best restaurants in Kauai with a view is a firm favorite amongst locals and tourists alike. Named after legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku, this beachfront seafood eatery treats diners to some of the most spectacular scenery on the island all from the comfort of their tables.

Duke Kahanamoku visited Kauai several times and surfed in Nawiliwili Bay which his namesake restaurant now overlooks. Not only can you enjoy views of the beautiful curving bay, but you also have the Ha’upu mountains in the distance, making this a fantastic location to soak up some of Kauai’s finest coastal scenery and landscapes.

This isn’t only a top-rated restaurant because of its location and legacy however; the food and drink is also outstanding. Enjoy a wide range of different dishes and deals, from the famous Taco Tuesday to Sunday brunch or surf and turf, alongside a more formal dinner menu if you’re eating out for a special occasion.

Duke’s restaurant is a great option for visitors staying on the southeast side of the island, with a really lively bar and plenty of seating, although we do recommend making a reservation if you’re really keen to eat here. It's also a great spot for arrival and departure dining, as they almost always have availability and the restaurant is 5 minutes from the airport.

Whether you’re dropping in for lunch or looking for somewhere laid back and fun for dinner, this is a fantastic spot for the whole family.

Summary

There are plenty of wonderful places to eat around Kauai, and one of the best ways to really get a feel for the island and its community is to eat at local restaurants and enjoy the dishes on offer as well as the beautiful scenery surrounding you. This list is by no means exhaustive, but offers a great range of choices no matter where you’re staying on the island, so you can plan a dining experience with views you’ll never forget.

If you’re planning a vacation in Kauai and are looking for somewhere to stay on the island, Pure Kauai has a stunning selection of rental properties that are ideal for an unforgettable trip away. For more information or personal recommendations from our team, get in touch and find out how we can help.

Published on Wednesday, November 16, 2022