28 Best Restaurants in Maui, Hawaii

Classically trained French chef Gerard Reversade, who started as an apprentice in acclaimed Paris restaurants when he was just 14, has for more than three decades remained true to his Gascony roots. He cooks his way, utilizing island ingredients in such dishes as escargots forestière (with garlic and mushrooms), chilled cucumber soup, and the ahi tartare with taro chips; the wine list is first-class, and the dessert list is extensive.

Chef-restaurateur Beverly Gannon's first restaurant remains a culinary destination after more than 30 years, serving exquisite dishes like Bev's Famous Crab Pizza, sashimi napoleon, BBQ pork sandwich, and the macadamia nut--crusted fresh catch. There are daily and nightly specials, hand-crafted cocktails, and local beers as well. The big, rambling former plantation store has two dining rooms; both are usually full, so reservations are encouraged.

Located inside the Hyatt Regency, this spot sits atop a man-made pool grotto and offers stunning ocean views and a gorgeous glassed-in sushi bar. The views aside, it's the food that makes Japengo worth a visit; the fresh local fish is well prepared—as are the sushi and hand rolls—and the desserts are amazing. Don't be afraid to get a little adventurous with trying items that may seem unfamiliar.

This signature restaurant at Maui's most stylish luxury resort, Andaz Maui at Wailea, has it all: ingredients sourced within the Islands, marvelous wine list, stellar service, and spectacular views from every table. The whole space has been masterfully designed with the gorgeous exhibition kitchen as the focal point of the restaurant and both indoor and outdoor seating wrapping around the space. The breakfast buffet includes endless, tasty options and dinner presents the perfect opportunity to linger over unique fish, seafood, and steak preparations.

The menu at this oceanfront standout features interesting local-style Hawaiian food fusions. There's a focus on ingredients that promote local sustainability, and the cocktails and wine list are great, too. Daily brunch and happy hours keep guests happy all day, and a late night menu on Friday and Saturday features raw fish and wagyu plus discounted cocktails.

Few restaurants in Maui have the reputation of this North Shore eatery, tucked into a small cove just off the highway on the Road to Hana. You’ll pay for the quality of your meal, but it’s worth the splurge; the fish comes from as close as Maui’s shores to as far away as the deep waters of Antarctica, and the daily menu often tells the story of that catch.

Perched above the postcard-perfect Kapalua Bay, this is the place to impress your date, as Chef Peter Merriman highlights the Islands’ bounty by using fresh seafood and ingredients from local farms. A nightly changing prix-fixe menu ($120) features stunning dishes that represent land and sea options and a vegetarian option that abounds with local produce. A keiki (children's) menu is also available for $30.

"Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto's eponymous restaurant, located at the Andaz Maui resort, has some of Maui's most creative presentations and, arguably, some of its best food. Poolside outdoor tables that sit directly under the stars, a bustling dining room, and a sushi bar all make it a lively choice, but the food is ultimately the reason to go. Feast on slices of tuna pizza, indulge in premium Wagyu beef (carpaccio or filet), and splurge on some of the best sushi in Maui.

Find some of the best seafood on the Island at this elegant eatery inside the Fairmont Kea Lani. This dinner-only restaurant sources the freshest fish possible, and often has beautifully prepared offerings, like opakapaka (pink snapper), that other fish restaurants don’t. The wine list is large and diverse and the evening views of the hotel pool underneath tiki torch-lit palm trees add to the ambiance.

Roy Yamaguchi is a James Beard Award–winning chef and the granddaddy of East-meets-West cuisine. His eponymous Maui restaurant, located next to the golf course clubhouse near Kaanapali's main entrance, features signature dishes like fire-grilled, Szechuan-spiced baby back ribs, Roy's original blackened ahi, and hibachi-style grilled salmon, as well as an exceptionally user-friendly wine list.

With locations on three islands, Sansei takes sushi, sashimi, and contemporary Japanese food to a new level. If you're a fish or shellfish lover, this is the place for you. There are great deals on sushi and small plates for early birds. Reservations can be hard to come by, making take out for a beach picnic a nice option.

Built in the 1960s at the Napili Kai Beach Resort, before there were laws forbidding construction so close to the beach, this restaurant is literally footsteps away from gorgeous Napili Bay. Wear your beach wrap to breakfast and enjoy the signature oven-baked pancakes or the beautifully delicious Molokai sweet potato egg frittata; the menu also offers fish from Hawaiian waters and fresh local produce.

To enter the only steak house in West Maui, you descend a grand staircase into an amber-lighted dining room with soaring ceilings and a massive artificial lagoon complete with swans, ducks, waterfalls, and tropical gardens. Chef Amy Mayers' classic menu features favorites like the bone-in rib eye and Tomahawk steaks with accompaniments including five house-made sauces and a variety of sides and seafood add-ons, as well as lighter plates like shrimp cocktail and the must-try black and blue ahi starter. The wine selection is one of Kaanapali's best.

It's more "Island-style" than Hawaii-style—and yes, it's a chain—but the food is consistently great, the service is filled with aloha, and the ambience is Island refined. The cocktails are among the best and most creative on the Island and include well-priced non-alcoholic options. Guests can enjoy live music Wednesday through Saturday evenings.

This eclectic farm-to-table dinner spot is an open-air, ocean-view restaurant and lounge. Classic Hawaiian recipes combined with Mediterranean cooking techniques result in unique, fresh, coastal cuisine. The Ritz-Carlton resort has an organic garden that provides fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables utilized in the dishes. Opt for a traditional dinner setting, or get cozy next to one of the surrounding fire pits. Time it right and enjoy the nightly fire-knife dance at 7:30 pm near the restaurant entrance.

Though it may seem like a tourist trap, this oceanside restaurant does not disappoint in the quality of its food, paired with an ambience steeped in Hawaiian history. The restaurant is named for famed surfer Duke Kahanamoku, and guests can learn about his life through memorabilia throughout. The seafood menu is downright astounding, and the famous Hula Pie—macadamia nut ice cream on a cookie crust served with hot fudge—might have you rushing to get to dessert, but you’ll definitely want to linger over dinner and drinks while enjoying nightly live music.

Overlooking the ocean from a bluff above Wailea Beach, this outdoor Italian restaurant at Four Seasons Resort Maui is Wailea's only oceanfront restaurant. For lunch, indulge in the catch of the day, artisanal sandwiches, or one of a variety of stone-baked pizzas. At dinner, try the Italian-inspired salads and house-made pasta.

This oceanfront fish house and pizza restaurant began as a way to showcase the work of celebrity chef Mark Ellman before recently changing ownership. Guests can expect a lot of their favorite dishes to remain on the menu, with some fun food and cocktail additions to come. Much of the seafood comes from New England and the Pacific Northwest, and the pizzas are cooked in a wood-fired brick oven.

The 5,000 square-foot venue Huihui, meaning “constellation,” is a new shining star in the culinary scene in Hawaii. Executive Chef Tom Muromoto created a menu featuring unique Hawaiian dishes using fresh local ingredients, showcasing the Island's diversity. The restaurant also serves as an educational tool for Hawaiian cuisine, cooking, and traditions in wayfinding. Micro-greens, ulu, venison, and fresh ocean fish are some of the island's offerings woven into modern fusion cuisine. A calm dining experience and breathtaking ocean views are the perfect backdrops for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Savor a cup of signature coffee and Poi French Toast in the morning, grab a venison burger and Poke Holokai for lunch, or paddle your way back at sunset for Pau Hana in the lounge for locally inspired cocktails like the Lilikoi Mojito and Smoked Li Hing Margarita. Traditional Hawaiian cooking is the focus of dinner service from koala (barbecue), lawalu (wrapped in a ti leaf and grilled), and Chef Muromoto’s signature Laulau steamed in luau (taro leaf).

This Polynesian-style thatch-roof, open-air restaurant "floats" atop a saltwater lagoon, which gives it an exotic romantic feel that's suited for special occasions. Daily breakfast features hearty, yet elegant options. The restaurant is named for Hawaii's state fish, so it's wise to try at least one seafood dish at dinner. There are also flavorful options like prime beef and lobster, unique combinations like ahi (yellowfin tuna) and foie gras, and a not-to-be-missed dessert menu.

The menu at Ko—which means "sugarcane" in Hawaiian—features dishes from the many cultures of the plantation era, some of which are local family recipes. Executive Chef Emeritus Tylun Pang created a menu featuring modern, innovative twists to Hawaiian, Chinese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean, and Japanese dishes. Their new Sunday brunch is somehow both inventive and authentic, featuring Asian-inspired and local-style dishes, live music, and a massive "Big Kahuna" Bloody Mary for four. Private dining experiences are available in Ko Garden.

At the top of many "best restaurants" lists, this expensive upscale bistro is about as fashionably chic as it gets on Maui, and the interior is as pretty as the patrons. Wagyu beef ravioli, bufala salad with locally grown tomatoes, and Kona-coffee–roasted rack of lamb are a few of the classics customers demand; the full menu—including dessert—is available at the bar.

Set in an intimate location on the beach, Mama's has been the Maui destination for special occasions for almost four decades. A path of gecko-shape stones leads to an ever-changing fantasyland of Hawaiian kitsch, where savvy servers can explain the various fish types and preparations, and you'd be wise to heed their recommendation; the fish is so fresh that the daily menu lists who caught it that morning.

Fine dining is beginning to take a foothold in Paia, and the seasonal, handcrafted plates that are served at nyloS are certainly helping. The chef’s table concept makes for an intimate and memorable experience as there are only 14 seats in the restaurant and two seatings for the unique, prix fixe menu per night.

Sophisticated outdoor dining on the beach (yes, truly on the beach) and creative Island cuisine using local, fresh-caught fish and greens and veggies grown in the restaurant's own Upcountry Oo Farm (and, quite possibly, picked that very morning)—this is the Maui dining experience you've been dreaming about. Start with a variety of fresh vegetable dishes on the appetizer menu, move on to any of the fantastic fresh fish dishes, and for dessert, finish with the banana bread ice cream sandwich.

This restaurant proves that good food doesn't need to be complicated, using many local Maui products to do what the Italians do best: craft simple, delicious food that lets the ingredients shine. Must-haves include the panfried gnocchi Genovese, risotto-crusted fresh catch, and the deconstructed tiramisu.

This upscale Italian restaurant's setting right on spectacular Keawakapu Beach, with views of Molokini and Kahoolawe, is irresistible. The brunch menu lasts until 2 pm, and dinner has a decidedly Italian bent, with dishes like seared ahi over lemon-butter pasta and veal osso buco. In whale season, they even set binoculars on the table so you can watch for whales from your table.

It's a marriage made in Hawaii heaven: the California cuisine of celebrity-chef Wolfgang Puck combined with Maui flavors and served lobby-level and oceanfront at the luxurious Four Seasons Resort Maui. Try the spicy ahi (yellowfin tuna) poke in sesame-miso cones to start and then see what the chef can do with some of Maui's fantastic local fish. It will cost you, but the service is spot-on, and the contemporary interior allows the food to claim the spotlight.