Napua at Mauna Lani Beach Club

This place blew my expectations away. It’s a little annoying to get to during the day. You have to park about a 15 minute walk away. They tell you it’s much less than that if you call. The shaved ice martini machine was down so they blended my shaved ice drink together. It was so incredible I had to have two of them. They were out of the steak salad so I ordered the fish of the day on a salad and it was incredible. The calamari was also delicious and very different than what you find at most restaurants. Our waitress was attentive and kind. Plus the view! All around a fabulous lunch!

absolutely the best service n drinks!!! Started with the lilikoi Cosmo then tried their famous Mai Tai accompanied withe the chefs carnita Fries ordered the Chicken quesadilla and flattened Calamari which both were to Die For!!! Then we get a special poke, then it’s heaven in mouth. By far the best time now to lounge in the private cabana n soak our asses in the ocean

Food was out of this world! Love the open area seating and atmosphere at this restaurant. The live music was a nice surprise. Our waitress was outstanding and extremely knowledgeable about the food and especially about the fish. She was quite impressive. I had a dish that included scallops and now I am obsessed with making them. Everything about the experience was great and I can’t wait to go back next year!

Love this place. Our waitress was on point she recommends my boyfriend a great wine to go with his steak. The décor was beachy but done very tastefully. I ate all of my food it was so delicious. I will honestly come here again but this time a little earlier so I can see the beach. The restaurant is on the biggest resort in Wameia and is right near the beach. There is live music playing also. I can’t wait to visit this restaurant again.

The best coconut cake that I have ever eaten! The food was amazing, the views are incredible and the staff is very friendly. I highly recommend this spot for a special occasion or if you are just craving some otherworldly cake.

I think the reason the reviews on this place are high is because the view is outstanding. The setting is wonderful. We had lunch here on January 9^th, 2016 and we both thought the food was below average. I ordered the pastrami sandwich (based on reviews) and was pretty appalled when I saw it. It looked a fatty, bacon sandwich with gooey, melted cheese all over it. Perfect if you don’t care what/​how you eat! It was one of the worst sandwiches I’ve had in a really long time. Not sure why this item got all the good reviews. The supposedly fresh bread was also not good (really boring, thick bread). My husband had the fish sandwich (mahi-​mahi) & he didn’t like his either. Thought it tasted really «fishy.» My mai tai was good, however. He ordered a margarita and it was very sugary and sweet (i.e. weak and not good).
We’ve been here on two other occasions and ordered the fish tacos; those were okay. The best reason to come is the view; be careful with the food!

Worst food I’ve had on the island. Ordered the quinoa salad. The chicken was cold and tasted old. I couldn’t find anything in the salad that I could eat, so I sent it back and ordered what the waitress suggested, which was noodles and shrimp. It was not good either. The flies did me in. I’m definitely not returning.

Had dinner last night. Food was excellent. Beautiful location. We even saw some Humpback whales.

First of all everybody that says its hard to find the restaurant it’s true. But once you find it it’s worthwhile. The restaurant was gorgeous, the view is spectacular and the ambiance in general was really special. We had the shrimp appetizer which was tasty and then the Ahi which was very good.

Darling little restaurant with friendly staff, a beautiful view and an intimate atmosphere. The food, unfortunately, was a total disappointment.
My husband ordered a salad and a steak. I ordered the shrimp salad with green papaya and the fish special (mahi, I think). My husbands salad was dry and flavorless. Even the extra dressing couldn’t help it. His steak was not properly seasoned and completely forgettable. My Thai shrimp salad was not only flavorless (how is that possible with Thai basil???), but it was missing one of the key ingredients – green papaya!!! I mentioned it to my waitress and she proceeded to tell me that the kitchen was out. Total let down. The shrimp were rubbery and tasteless as well. My fish entrée came out and was beautifully presented. Unfortunately, the fish had been poorly portioned. I had the entire vein (I think that is what it was) and I ended up wasting half of it because it was completely inedible and impossible to cut. The veggies were hardly cooked (yes, I like crunchy veggies, but these were raw) and the flavor, again, was nonexistent. The food was so lackluster, we didn’t even bother to look at dessert. Such a letdown!!! If they could get the kitchen to match the front of the house experience, it would be a great place to dine.

Delicious!!! Finding the place is not easy as there is no signage at all. Apparently the HOA won’t allow them any signage.
Dinner at sunset here is perfect. Beautiful sunset and views. The day we came it was especially blustery and windy and the staff were able to accommodate our request to move inside. Everyone is nice and helpful.
The house margarita was devoured immediately.
The lamb chops were scrumptious and finger licking good. I sprinkled a little hawaiian sea salt and it gave a nice little bite. Highly recommend.
The catch of the day was cooked perfectly moist on a bed of purple sweet potato which had a wonderful earthy taste.
The massive mud pie passed by our table and we ordered one and packed it in.
Overall an amazing meal.
Definitely worth finding.

I was looking for a romantic place to dine for our first wedding anniversary and stumbled upon this place through Unilocal.It was exactly what I was looking for!
Beautiful, private location over looking the water with authentic Hawaiian Grammy winning musicians to add to the romance. Friendly, professional staff. Owner was on hand to open wine and answer questions. Server was exceptional, very knowledgeable about the menu and always right there when you needed something. Extensive wine list, not the usual fair, but well thought out and hand picked by the owner. Was also impressed that they kept at a correct temp for the Hawaiian humidity. They grow their own vegetables and buy local meats and fish. And it showed in the freshness and delicate taste. Everything we had was off the charts! The Ono special was excellent and so was the calamari and Strawberry salad.
Highly recommend. Will definitely be back!

We visited Napua on November 13^th, and it was the beautiful ending to a 9 day Hawaiian Vacation. With a party of 9 and celebrating my mother’s 65^th birthday, we were looking for a restaurant to really deliver. Angie was our server and took care of us like we were family. The restaurant was not crowded and the views were breathtaking. As if that wasn’t enough, the food was perfectly cooked, served, and presented. If you want Hawaii at its finest, reserve a table at Napua.

So happy I found this hidden gem on my last trip to the Big Island. It’s tucked in near Mauna Lani and caters to the homeowners there, but open to anyone. Small in size, it’s cozy, classy and understated. In addition to the gorgeous ocean view, I appreciated the little touches on the table — a mini terrarium with fresh flora and fauna and gorgeous koa wood carved salt vessel for black hawaiian sea salt. The menu was sourced from local farms and of course, local catch. My meal was delicious and the staff was warm and genuinely interested in making sure the entire experience was pleasant and satisfying.
Jeremy was very helpful with my wine selection and interesting to converse with. Coral gave exceptional service. I’d return in a heartbeat for dinner or a cocktail at the cool sunken bar, accompanied by nice guitar music.

This place is goes above and beyond. I have been coming to the mania lani hotel, point, and the golf villas for the last 20 years. Napua is a great place to have a great cocktail and watch the sun go down. This place should be on a postcard saying «wish you were here» the food is top notch and the servers are the best! You must stop by if you get a chance to come to the big island.

One of the few Michelin worthy restaurant on the island. Exceptional food, artsy plating, and ESP capable waitresses.

Superb dining on all dimensions. Outstanding food and libations, excellent service, Hawaiian music, and the sunset over the ocean. I had the Ahi Poke, and my sister had one of the shrimp pupus. Unusual drinks, including the shaved ice martini (an adult version of a sno-​cone) and the mango margerita. Lovely way to end our vacation on the Big Island!

I had a chance to eat lunch here with friends on my last trip to the Big Island. We were in the area and they said that it was a nice place to eat.
We pulled in, passing the gated area… and walked into the restaurant. Once we were seated… it had a beautiful view of the ocean. The restaurant is open air and it is a good spot for people watching as well… lots of ‘crisping’ people enjoying the sand and ocean.
Our service was good here… the waitstaff was very attentive and polite. Were were given menus and we decided on the following:
Shave ice martini
This was prettier than it tasted… in the beginning. But once the shave ice melted… it was reverse… it tasted better than it looked… funny how that works.
Ahupua’a salad
The wife’s salad was good… it had local greens, strawberries, tomatoes, and goat cheese. It just didn’t seem like it had the right amount of ingredients… it needed more strawberries and tomatoes.
Mahi mahi fish and chips
Mine was tasty… the batter was a beautiful color of brown, speckled with herbs… but the flavor wasn’t as appealing as I thought it was going to be. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, but under seasoned.
I would go back to try more food… maybe dinner. Definitely a great view.

We thought we had to be part of the Mauna Lani Beach Club to eat here for dinner but that is not the case. Anyone can drive into the resort and dine here. I’m not sure if it’s the same for lunch. It’s a fancier restaurant so I was glad I wore a cute, flowy summer dress and my boyfriend had on a collared dress shirt and shorts.
The view, gorgeous and romantic. The food, «meh». It’s very pricey and I think you really pay for the service, presentation and the view. I ordered a shaved ice martini. It was very cute, but forgettable taste-​wise. The most memorable was the fresh catch ahi tuna sashimi which beautifully presented in slices served with pickled veggies and tasted very fresh. The poke was good but of course not the best I’ve had on the Big Island. We both ordered a fresh catch for our main dish but didn’t like it very much because it tasted bland and dry. The highlight of our night was of course the dessert! It was so good I ate most of it. We ordered fried banana with ice cream. The fried banana is wrapped in a thin wonton kind of wrap, deep fried, served with ice cream and drizzled with caramel. Crunchy, sweet, and creamy!
Our waitress was nice and friendly and offered to take pictures for us at different angles until we got the best shot. We came for dinner while the sun was still up and got to see the sunset during dinner. They light the tiki torches once the sun sets which makes the mood very romantic. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and privacy here. There weren’t any screaming kids running around.

Napua means «The Flowers». It is located on Kaniku (off Mauna Lani Drive), in the private Mauna Lani Beach Club. While the Club is private, the restaurant is open to the public. The Kalahuipua’a fishponds along the walk from where you park to the restaurant are historic. They were once used to raise i’a (fish) for the ali’i (Hawaiian royalty).
To drink, I had the signature shave ice martini ($ 12 — Grey goose vodka, liliko’i, pineapple and a splash of coconut). Unfortunately, the drink looked better than it tasted. It didn’t taste like much, the ice was crushed vs shave, but the initial view is pretty cool. I’m glad it didn’t cost more: 3 Stars. My cousins had smoothies @ $ 8/​each: Garden variety, but very, very pricey.
We started w/​the BLT ($ 17 — Pork belly, local greens and tomato purée atop focaccia bread). Secondarily, two of us split a ahupua’a salad ($ 10 — Locally grown hirabara greens & wow farms tomato, w/​a honey vinagerette and goat cheese).
The BLT looked appetizing. But the tomato purée didn’t taste good, and the pork belly was more like bacon. This dish was poorly executed: 2 Stars.
Second dish: First of all, the name ahupua’a makes no sense. Ahupua’a means heaps of stones (ahu) for pigs (pua’a). The boundary markers for ahupua’a were traditionally heaps of stones used to put offers to the island chief, which was often a pig. In any case the local greens & tomatoes were very tasty. However, the combination of the remainder of the ingredients was nothing special: 3 Stars.
For our entrees, I had the Kaua’i ‘opae (Kaua’i prawns) w/​the fresh catch — a’uku: Broadbill swordfish ($ 36 — Lobster miso & kumbocha pumpkin purée). My cousins ordered the Chef’s special ($ 38 — Ono w/​tako kimchee poke & mashed taro); Local, grass-​fed filet mignon ($ 34 — w/​bacon, poha berry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes & local asparagus); Baby back ribs w/​guava bbq sauce ($ 32). Sorry, no pics for the latter three items because my cousins were getting sick of me taking pics of their food.
While the a’uku was dry from being overcooked, the ‘opae were excellent. They were really sweet and you could taste the difference vs other kinds of prawns. The only thing that could have been better w/​the prawns was to have cooked them less: 2 Stars for the a’uku & 4 Stars for the ‘opae.
Likewise, the ono was also overcooked, but not as bad as the a’uku. However, the side dishes were very good. The tako in the poke was tender, and the kimchee had a nice kick. Additionally, the mashed taro was really smooth: 3 Stars for the ono, 4 Stars for the sides.
The filet was very good. My cousin killed it! The locally grass fed beef has a clean, distinctive taste. In addition, the sides were also very good. The garlic mash were nice and smooth, and the vegetables were crunchy: 4 Stars.
Lastly, the ribs were also very good. The meat was smoked, so it came out super tender. Additionally, the guava bbq sauce was also very unique and flavorful. Nonetheless, the price for ½ a rack was too high: 3 Stars.
Leilani, our waitress was awesome! She was super friendly, knowledgable about the menu, and very proactive. Plus she olelo Hawai’i (spoke Hawaiian). It was nice to chat w/​her in our native tongue. The wait staff was also excellent. Water was refilled w/​o asking, dishes were cleared quickly, and the koena (leftovers) were wrapped nicely. The only thing that could have been better was the wait time w/​the kitchen. There was a long gap between dishes: 5+++ Stars for Leilani, 5 Stars for waitstaff, but 2 Stars for the kitchen.
The ambiance is amazing. There is a beautiful Hawaiian tapestry at the entrance, and live music. In addition, the view of the beach is fantastic. Lastly, the Kalahuipua’a fishponds are really cool. The only area for improvement could have been fans on the patio tables. After the wind died down it became very warm: 5 Stars despite the latter item.
Despite the mixed ratings on the food, I would come back to «The Flowers» to enjoy the excellent service and the amazing view and surroundings. It is a very unique place. BTW, dinner is better for parking vs lunch. The private gate is not open til later in the day. You would have a long walk at lunch time.