Kapaa: The Eastern Shore
Kauai’s eastern shore, nicknamed “The Coconut Coast,” is a popular tourist destination and therefore home to a variety of restaurants. It is, for the most part, a casual corner of the island. You’ll find no shortage of affordable, home-style cooking, but topnotch gourmet restaurants are a little harder to come by. A Pacific Cafe is one that made a name for itself years ago and retains its popularity. A few notches down is JR’s Plantation Restaurant, a standby that offers family-style dining with plenty of fresh seafood options.

For a little Mexican flavor, try Norberto’s El Cafe—it is Kauai’s oldest (and arguably best) Mexican restaurant. Health-conscious diners are best directed to Papaya’s Natural Food Market. Everything sold at Papaya’s is whole-grain, organic and eco-safe. The Lizard Lounge is the opposite; it serves American bar food and brews in a lively setting. If the Hawaiian heat kills your appetite for solid food, stop by Lappert’s for a dangerously delicious sundae or
ice cream cone.

Lihue (The North-Eastern Shore)
Lihue is home to two of Kauai’s best-known restaurants: Duke’s Canoe Club and Gaylord’s Restaurant. Duke’s Canoe Club has two levels, the lower being a lounge, the upper a gourmet restaurant. Gaylord’s Restaurant is an award winner thought to be the most romantic restaurant on the island. Kilohana also presents a great luau three nights a week.

For affordable, fresh seafood, Paradise Seafood & Grill is a good choice. This side of the island has a plethora of local and American restaurants to choose from including Tip Top Cafe and Kalapaki Beach Hut. Ms. Dixie’s Deli is a health-conscious option located inside Kauai Athletic Club. If all you have in mind is a great cup of coffee, visit Java Kai.

Hanalei/Princeville (The Northern Shore)
Kauai’s North Shore harbors some of the island’s finest dining. Inside the Princeville Resort, you will find gourmet Italian cuisine and exquisite atmosphere at La Cascata. Just a few minutes west of Princeville are the gourmet restaurants of Hanalei. Located inside the Hanalei Bay Resort & Suites, Bali Hai offers Pacific Rim delicacies, live entertainment and views across the Bay to the famous mountain. Postcards Cafe is known for its rustic-tropical atmosphere and superb “healthy gourmet” food.

Relatively new to the North Shore dining scene is Cajun-inspired Chef Joshua’s Bourbon Street Cafe, which occupies the place that was formerly Hale o Java. The Hanalei Gourmet is another upscale cafe with a menu of creative salads and sandwiches. Visit Polynesian Cafe for veggie treats and tropical smoothies. The Kilauea Bakery and Pau Hana Pizza is, according to many locals, the best place to go for fresh baked bread it transforms into Pau Hana Pizza after 3 p.m. If a sit-down meal isn’t what you have in mind at all, stop by The Farmer’s Market and order your sandwich
to go.

The West Side
There really aren’t many restaurants on this side of the island. In fact there isn’t much to be seen of civilization. Grab something in Waimea on your way out. After a day at one of the parks, enjoy a cold micro-brewed beer at Waimea Brewing Co.

Poipu and the South Shore
The South Shore offers plenty of dining options, although most of its gourmet scene is contained within the resort hotels. The Hyatt Regency alone houses five restaurants and several lounges, two of which (Ilima Terrace and Dondero’s) fall in the “gourmet” category. Ilima Terrace is known for its delicious and ever-changing buffet;Dondero’s offers fabulous ambiance and quality Italian cuisine.

One of the region’s better-known seafood restaurants is Brennecke’s Beach Broiler. The beach in front of Brennecke’s is frequented by surfers and body-boarders. For a different kind of ambiance, try Camp House Grill. This family-style restaurant is situated inside a renovated camp house—the kind of structure in which Kauai’s foreign laborers used to live.

Pizza fans, rejoice! Two of Kauai’s best pizza restaurants are located on this side: Pizzetta and Brick Oven Pizza. For patio dining and quality sandwiches, try Poipu Bay Grill & Bar (located on a golf course). Don’t miss Toi’s Thai Restaurant if you are craving curry. A number of charming little coffee houses dot this “hotel row.” Two worth mentioning are Kalaheo Coffee Co and the aforementioned Java Kai, formerly Island Java.

While not everyone has the same dining expectations, most people can appreciate an award-winning gourmet menu or a cost efficient café, if it turns up at the right time. Of these, Kauai has plenty. Its other strong suit is, of course, its ambiance. Breathtaking views, oceanfront dining, garden terraces and other little pieces of Paradise can be enjoyed no matter where you sit or what’s on the menu.