10 Best Restuarants in Lihue that Shouldn't be Missed

Naupaka Terrace is nestled inside of the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort, and is a naturally bright venue offering local cuisine and gorgeous Hawaiian scenery. The plantation-style restaurant features creative Hawaiian and Pan Pacific cuisine, Asian inspired dishes, fresh island catch, aged beef, salads, and pastas. Sitting on the terrace offers views of waterfalls, fish ponds and native foliage. Breakfast is served daily 6:30 to 11 a.m. and offers an all-you-can-eat buffet or and a la carte menu. Dinner is served daily 6 to 9 p.m and features steak and seafood entrees and local favorites with a Polynesian, Hawaiian and Asian touch. On Saturday evenings guests can enjoy our popular seafood buffet.

Naupaka Terrace is nestled inside of the Aqua Kauai Beach Resort, and is a naturally bright venue offering local cuisine and gorgeous Hawaiian scenery. The plantation-style restaurant features creative Hawaiian and Pan Pacific cuisine, Asian inspired dishes, fresh island catch, aged beef, salads, and pastas. Sitting on the terrace offers views of waterfalls, fish ponds and native foliage. Breakfast is served daily 6:30 to 11 a.m. and offers an all-you-can-eat buffet or and a la carte menu. Dinner is served daily 6 to 9 p.m and features steak and seafood entrees and local favorites with a Polynesian, Hawaiian and Asian touch. On Saturday evenings guests can enjoy our popular seafood buffet.

Awarded for creating some of the island's best cuisine, Cafe Portofino also graces diners with an open air setting and soothing views of Kalapaki Bay and the Kauai landscape. The menu focuses on northern Italian dishes, and you'll find sweetbreads, rabbit, osso bucco, and fresh seafood to tempt your palate. The range of pastas is also satisfying, as is the substantial antipasti selection. An outdoor deck affords the best vantage point for the beautiful scenery, and live music adds a pleasant detail to a terrific dinner. The owner and chef is a genuine Italian, which shines through on the quality of food.

This hotel-sponsored luau provides a healthy dose of spectacle, music, and authentic Hawaiian foods. The evening show, Havaiki Nui, begins with a torch-lighting ceremony on the edge of the ocean, heralded by the call of the conch shell. As it progresses, the luau showcases native crafts and costume, along with music and dance performances from cultures throughout the Pacific. The menu includes traditional fare like kalua pig, fresh fish, lomi salmon, and haupia (coconut pudding). Huge luaus are a traditional Hawaiian celebration that locals still practice. Luaus are commonly held for first birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and often for graduation parties.

A relaxed, poolside setting characterizes this hotel restaurant, favored by guests and frequented by other diners, too. Located at the Marriott in Lihue, the comfortable place features a menu whose inspiration is culled from Polynesian and Asian culinary traditions, with a few other sparks as well. Breakfast and dinner maintain the theme of delicious food and attentive service. Just a few short minutes from the cruise port, Kukui's is easily accessible for those spending the day on land, and taking a break from the cruise ship. Enjoy the sun and ocean while sipping on a cocktail and explore the luxurious grounds of the hotel.

Kalapaki Bay makes a stunning backdrop for this lively restaurant, which is popular with visitors to eastern Kauai. The outdoor deck offers terrific ambiance, although the maritime-themed interior is inviting on its own. Ocean-fresh seafood is a delicious standard and includes ahi and crab napoleon, baked lobster tail, sauteed scallops, and coconut shrimp. Pastas also find a ready audience, as does the signature slavonic steak, thinly sliced and dressed with a sauce of wine, butter, and garlic. Other possibilities include lamb chops, beef medallions, pork ribs, and cold-smoked Cornish hen. JJ's has a pure chart house feeling with sailboats hanging from the ceiling and fish everywhere.

In tribute to Duke Kahanamoku, Hawaii's renowned swimmer, surfer, and Olympic athlete, this casual restaurant offers patrons a bit of island culture. An indoor waterfall, live Hawaiian music, and fresh local seafood are among the attractions that have folks returning again and again. Lunchtime brings quesadillas, burgers, pizza, and sandwiches, while dinner offers steaks and an abundance of just-caught fish, prepared to your specifications. An incredible salad bar also pulls in patrons, and the hula pie, a house special, is not-to-be-missed. Lunch here is amazing, but if you're looking for nightlife this is a great spot too, live music and dancing after dark.

The flavor of old Hawaii runs strong at this circa-1930 Tudor estate, which was once the home of a sugar plantation executive. These days, the mansion and its surrounding 35 acres have been opened to the public as a series of quaint shops and this delightful restaurant. The dining room affords wonderful views and also allows diners to indulge in such fare as fresh seafood, steaks, lamb, and kalua pork. Lunch adds in lighter dishes, including sandwiches and salads, and the courtyard makes an ideal place to relax with a cool drink and good company. As one of Kauai's more upscale eatery, Gaylord's is perfect for a date night or nice family dinner.