Best Restaurants on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi for a Date
Part of our Hawaiʻi Island dating guide.
Other islands: Oʻahu · Maui · Kauaʻi
Short answer: for a special-occasion dinner on Hawaiʻi Island, book a Kohala Coast oceanfront table at sunset, such as Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid. For farm-to-table food in cooler upcountry air, try Merriman's in Waimea. For a relaxed, local evening on the Hilo side, go with Café Pesto. All the details below come from each restaurant's own website. Hours change, so confirm before you go.
Hilo side
Café Pesto says it has served the island of Hawaiʻi since 1988, with menus that reflect the ethnic diversity of the island community. It lists press mentions from Zagat, Fodor's, Food & Wine and Honolulu Magazine. It takes reservations, which helps on a date night. Make it an all-day Hilo date by starting at the Hilo Farmers Market (big market days are Wednesday and Saturday).
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Waimea (upcountry)
A farm-to-table restaurant at 65-1227 Opelo Road, Kamuela. Its site lists lunch Monday–Saturday (11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.), dinner (5–8:30 p.m.) and Sunday brunch (10:30 a.m.–1 p.m.). Reservations are highly recommended. Merriman's notes it's upcountry, about 25 minutes above the Kohala Coast resorts, so plan who's driving. Upcountry makes a change from a beach dinner.
Kona and Kohala side
An oceanfront dinner restaurant at the Fairmont Orchid on the Kohala Coast, open daily 5:30–8:30 p.m. with live entertainment during those hours, according to Fairmont. The menu features Hawaiian flavors, fresh seafood and farm-to-table produce. Reservations are recommended. Book a table for around sunset.
An oceanfront resort restaurant at Hualālai, with resort pricing. Check the resort's dining page for current hours and reservations.
A casual option at 75-5801 Aliʻi Drive, Kailua-Kona. The restaurant lists daily hours of 7 a.m.–8:30 p.m., with breakfast served until 12:30 p.m. It's a good fit for a low-pressure breakfast or lunch date where you don't want resort prices.
How to choose
- First date: breakfast or lunch on Aliʻi Drive, or the Hilo market and lunch downtown. It's daytime and public, and easy to keep short. See our first-date safety tips.
- Third date or later: Café Pesto in Hilo or Merriman's in Waimea.
- Anniversary: a Kohala Coast sunset table. Our anniversary ideas guide covers more milestone plans.
Kona or Hilo?
The island is big. Driving between Hilo and the Kohala Coast takes a real chunk of the day, so pick a side for the date. Our Kona vs. Hilo guide explains the difference, and Big Island first-date ideas and hidden gems cover the rest of the day.
Turn dinner into a full-day date
Kohala Coast: beach, then sunset dinner. Hāpuna Beach State Recreation Area is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and the gates close at 8 p.m. Hawaiʻi residents get in and park free with a driver's license or state ID. Non-residents pay $5 per person and $10 per vehicle, by credit card only. It has lifeguards, but State Parks warns of dangerous rip currents and shore breaks during high surf, and says waves over 3 feet are for experts only. From there, Brown's Beach House is a short drive for a 5:30 p.m. sunset seating.
Hilo side: volcano, then dinner. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park charges $30 per private vehicle for a pass valid for seven days. The park doesn't accept cash. If you visit often, the Hawaiʻi Tri-Park Annual Pass is $55. Spend the afternoon in the park, then drive down to Hilo for dinner at Café Pesto.
Waimea: stars after dinner. If you'd rather let someone else drive up the mountain, Mauna Kea Summit Adventures lists its sunset and stargazing tour from $330 per person, before taxes and fees. Save it for an anniversary rather than a first date.
Date-night tips for the Big Island
- Reserve ahead. Brown's Beach House and Merriman's both recommend reservations.
- Plan the drive home. Roads between towns are long and dark at night. Agree on who's driving before the wine list arrives.
- Split the check, or don't. Talk about it before you get to the table, so nobody's surprised.
FAQ
What's the most romantic restaurant on the Big Island? For a sunset view, an oceanfront Kohala Coast table such as Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid (dinner daily, 5:30–8:30 p.m.). For a relaxed local night, Café Pesto in Hilo.
Is Brown's Beach House at Mauna Lani? No. Fairmont lists Brown's Beach House at the Fairmont Orchid on the Kohala Coast.
Where can we get a casual date breakfast in Kona? Island Lava Java on Aliʻi Drive serves breakfast daily until 12:30 p.m.