Not really. We are blessed with many decent restaurants but no place to get too excited over. Pacific Cafe was the best but it folded a couple of years back. Some think Roy's is special -- I haven't been able to get past the food court feel of the location.

With a gun to my head to name a restaurant here worth of Michelin consideration --- I'd say my goodbyes.

If you want a rec for a private chef- try Brandon Reed at 808 822-9332.

(Windward Market). Or take away and cook exactly what you want

I agree with Dave -- there are nota lot of must not misses. And I still hope that Chef Jean-Marie returns one day.

HOweer, if you are staying at Moloaa Bay, check out Pau Hana BAkery and Pizza up at Kiluaea at Kong Lung Center. It is a laid-back, quiet palce for pastries and really good pizza. I think you will like it.

Thanks for the feedback. A good bakery is hard to come by, so I appreciate the tip. I've heard that Kauai is not a culinary destination, but I'm mostly going for the hiking and kayaking. Sounds like I wil be doing most of the cooking:)

Most of the posts that I've read list The Beach House as the best place to have an evening out. Even if not worthy of a Michelin star, is this the best Kauai has to offer? I've considered Roy's because I love pacific rim cuisine, but I can't see spending that much on a meal in what has essentially become a chain restaurant. The strip mall atmosphere sounds very unappetizing.

I am not a fan of Roy's - poor location, breathtakingly overpriced food, and noisy noisy noisy. Far better to go to Keoki's Paradise and revel in the kitsch.

I really enjoyed the Kau Kau tin at Waimea steakhouse - no, it's probably not the best tempura you'll ever have, but a lot of the experience of dining out comes with the setting - I'd much rather dine in a former plantation home than a strip mall.

Speaking of plantations, Gaylord's has had some interesting menu items - though you might find the painfully slow service unacceptable.

No, Kauai is not known for its abundance of fancy-pants restaurants, but if you'd like to try some laid back local style food, you won't starve. We had a massive plate lunch somewhere in Hanalei - can't recall the name, but it was probably Hanalei Mixed Plate, now that it's closed. Man, I love kalua pork! We enjoyed the sushi and the udon bowl at Tokyo Lobby in Nawiliwili in 04- they seemed genuinely surprised that any tourists had found them.

And then, of course, DH's favorite - Genki Sushi at Kukui Grove. I just love the conveyor belt - though there's never unagi and by the time I order it, I've eaten so much other stuff that I'm not hungry!

The Beach House has a lovely setting and the food is good, but I think we enjoyed our $10 picnic on the lawn more than our $200 anniversary dinner. We would have liked to have tried Denny's recent recommendation - Kiahuna Plantation Gardens, but just didn't get there this last trip.

In Moloa'a, you're close enough to Duane's Ono burger that you should probably give it a try for lunch, but not what I'd call romantic by any stretch of the imagination. On the East side in Kapaa, I think Hukilau Lanai is very good. Kintaro's in Kapaa is also great if you like Japanese / sushi, but I'm more of a Genki's (cheap) guy myself.

Sushi is my adsolute favorite food, but I think I'll pass on the Genki sushi. I grew up on Japanese food, so I'm very picky abou my nigiri.

I will look into Gaylord's and Keoki Paradise, however. Slow service is not an issue for me when in good company.

I've read both good and bad things about the burger joint in Anahola, so I should probably go see for myself.

Thanks again!

Hamura's Saimin off of Kress Street in Lihue was one of our favorites. Also the Hukilau Lanai has a five course wine and food taster that was excellent. We also enjoyed the Beach House., especially the mac nut crab cakes.

There are a number of pretty nice places to eat in Poipu.

I personally really like Keoki's but it is not a very quiet restaurant especially when they are busy. We prefer to sit in the bar and eat fish tacos but the restaurant is also very good and has excellent fish dishes.

We also really like the quiet atmosphere of Plantation Gardens. It is has always been very consistent over the years and never too crowded or loud. It has a lovely view of the gardens and is built in an old planation house.

My husband loves Dondero's (at the Hyatt) and eats there everytime he is on Kauai (4X a year for business).

The Beach House has been very inconsistent in the past few years. It used to be owned by the owners of A Pacific Cafe and it was wonderful then! The last several visits have left us wanting more. The service and food were just OK. Our last visit (June 2006), I felt like we were an annoyance to the waiter whenever we asked for anything. Have pupus and a cocktail at sunset and try one of other places in Poipu.

I agree with the other posts about Roy's. It's also very loud because of the location and tight seeing arrangements.

We usually make a trip to Gaylord's when we visit but we like it for either lunch or Sunday Brunch.

Brenneke's in Poipu is also a very fun place for lunch.

After having written off Roy's and Beach House, we like Casa d Amici down in Poipu for good Italian food and very creative menu (fairly decent wine list also). No beach view though.