Merriman’s Kapalua

Merriman’s Kapalua is a dinner restaurant on a grassy lava-rock point at Kapalua Resort, with an open-air lanai facing the ocean. The view is part of the meal. Keep it in mind when local seafood and a long waterfront dinner sound worth planning an evening around.

Dinner reservations are recommended, and complimentary valet parking is available at the restaurant. The Point is a separate, more casual oceanfront area with a limited menu and no reservations; service there depends on the weather. It’s the flexible option if you don’t need a reserved table.

Hawaiian Regional Cuisine is the broad idea: local fish and island-grown ingredients shape the menu. Examples include tableside ahi poke with Maui onions and inamona, and smoked taro hummus with local vegetables. Menus change with availability, so treat those as dishes to look for rather than promises.

Peter Merriman opened his first signature restaurant in Waimea in 1988. He and twelve other chefs encouraged Hawaiʻi farmers to grow produce and raise meat for local kitchens when imports dominated. The Kapalua location joined the group in 2008, tying its menu to an early push for Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

The oceanfront setting and food draw plenty of praise, but diners’ experiences with service, execution and value vary. Think of it as an occasion meal built around the setting, not a quick or reliably inexpensive scenic-drive stop.