Cane & Canoe

I really hope this restaurant makes it for the long haul because it was really good. The setting is also peaceful and has a great view of the ocean at sunset. The live music was also a win. I love the burrata salad to start, it was the highlight of my meal. I had the lamb for my entrée and it was cooked perfectly (although I didn’t really care for the veggies and potatoes it came with, the meat made up for it). For dessert I had the coconut cake with salted caramel ice cream. The salted caramel was the best part! Service was excellent and complimentary valet parking was appreciated.

Cane & Canoe’s strong points are its service and its wine selection; however, I think Merriman’s (just down the road) has the whole package — amazing food, drinks, service, live music, and beautiful panoramic views of the ocean and Molokai! We were curious to try the new restaurant on the block and came here for an elaborate dinner. We had the following: tuna sashimi, hamachi poke, tomato/​melon/​burrata salad, sesame seared mahi mahi, kobe ribeye, and coconut cake (courtesy of the house for my birthday). The bread (taro and sweet potato round rolls), appetizers, salad, and dessert were good, but the mahi mahi was extremely dry/​overcooked and the kobe ribeye was over-​seasoned. Since this is an expensive $$$$ restaurant, I had higher expectations for the quality of food, but I will say the service was amazing and most of the food was good. I just think you get more for your money right next door at Merriman’s.
+1 — Extremely attentive & friendly service
+1 — Most food was good
+1 — Great wine selection with decanters
–1 — EXPENSIVE $$$$
–1 — Fish overcooked and meat over-​seasoned — not consistently good

I don’t like giving negative reviews but Unilocal wouldn’t be of value if we weren’t honest. And honestly, I wouldn’t go back. Service was meh. Wine selections was so-​so. My mahi-​mahi was okay but bland; I expect more for the $ 40ish price point. My husband’s jidori chicken was a generous portion but overly salty — and for the past two weeks we’ve eaten lots of places without finding food too salty. Our side of Brussels sprouts was chewy and flavorless, and we normally love brussels. My advice: go to Merriman’s or Sansei instead!

This was our first time at Cane and Canoe, and we were not disappointed. We had an excellent meal, with excellent service in a great setting. After coming to Maui every year for 38 years, this is now in our top 3 restaurants. We started with the Surfing Goat Cheese Tempura and it was incredible with the roasted beets. Next we had the Grilled Lamb Chops and the Pacific Rim Cioppino. I am going to have a hard time ordering anything else after having the cioppino, it was wonderful. My wife loved the lamb chops. We ended the evening with the Coconut Cake, which was delicious as well. If you like cucumber and gin then the Kamuela Fizz will not disappoint you, a great cocktail. Now the service, it was some of the best we have ever had on the islands, Allison and the other servers made us feel like we were ohana. One small detail she did at the end of the evening, which impressed me, was to have our car brought around by the valet so it was waiting for us when we came out. We will certainly be back again, sooner then later!

Epic — At every level!
We were greeted by Manager, Drew Schaffer and made to feel very special and valued as guests at their beautiful restaurant. The food was out of this world — kudos to the chef! Service was phenomenal — 1^st class, setting and ambiance simply beautiful. After dinner drinks in the bar, where Mitch served up great drinks and made sure our ride back to the Ritz was all set for us. Gratitude and a huge THANK YOU to everyone at Cane & Canoe for making this a very special evening in Maui! 5 stars and 2 thumbs up!

Aloha,
My wife and I are very fortunate to live here on this beautiful Island of Maui and this was our 2^nd anniversary and we could not decide were to spend the occasion, so I put the names of different restaurants in the Kapalua area in a hat, (which I won’t mention, but one was Cane & Canoe) and when we pick the same restaurant together, that’s where we would go … but after 6 try’s we finally picked the same, but … it was not Cane & Canoe. We both said … NOOooooo … and we both looked at each other and said, we are going to Cane & Canoe instead !!!
With that said, we were not disappointed at all. This was our 5^th time visiting Cane & Canoe and each and every time the experience and food just keeps getting better.
Cane & Canoe is a must if you are visiting Maui or if you happen to live here.
Mahalo Nui Loa …
Ps … oooohhhh… the sweet potato bread !!!

Wow, what a great restaurant. We went here on our second night in Maui and were very impressed with the food, view, live music, and service!
It is inside the Montage hotel in Kapalua and this hotel is divine. We will be staying here next time. Its not directly on the ocean but the view was spectacular and the live music was a real treat.
For food, we got the Jidori chicken and the Tempura Ahi. To start we got the garden salad and the burrata melon starter. Oh my the burrata was to die for. I loved it and have been craving it since. Get this for sure. The Tempura Ahi was also good. I also got the coffee ice cream, so good!
If you are visiting Maui and looking for a nice classy place with great service, go here. The hotel staff was even helpful to help us find the restaurant since there is bar to the right, I walked there thinking that was the restaurant, I was wrong but the bartender was friendly and helpful.
Its about a $ 20 – 30 Über ride from Kaanapali and totally worth it!

OkAmazing. First of all the surroundings are just beautiful. Palm trees and a view of the water add to the peaceful outdoor ambience. My mahi mahi was moist and tender and the sauce was a nice finish. My husband had the lamb chops and he is so particular about his meat. He was not disappointed. The ribeye was delicious — tender and perfectly prepared. Worth the trip to Kapalua.

The moment you arrive at Cane & Canoe you know you are in for a phenomenal dining experience. The restaurant is located at the gorgeous Montage property with expansive views of the Kapaula Bay. We dined with Cane & Canoe for dinner last Wednesday with friends and ABSOLUTELY loved our entire experience.
We had a 530 PM rese which was perfect timing for the sunset during our meal. Drinks were dirty martinis for the girls and a few whiskey cocktails for the husbands. All were crafted, stirred and shaken perfectly. Apps we had the poke and tempura all presented like edible artwork so pretty and SO yummy! Dinner literally all four of our dishes were home runs well there were four so let’s call it a grand slam. Local Hawaiian snapper, Seared Tempura Ahi, Filet Minon and Grilled Lamb Chops all to die for. We each tired everything and could not pick a favorite we loved them all so much. The fresh ingredients, local flavor and beautiful presentations made every dish just too good.
Staff is amazing, ocean views with live music and as you can tell spectacular food n drinks! Cannot wait to return on our next trip to Maui. Or even one more time while we are still here.

Exceptional dinning experience! We are here for two weeks on our honeymoon and we will definitely be back before we leave! You must try Cane & Canoe if you are visiting Maui! The food and the service was impeccable! They really pay attention to detail, every ingredient was perfectly balanced with the dish, It was like art in your mouth! The staff is highly trained, the timing of our food was so perfect. The staff was friendly and knowledgable, from our wine to dessert! I highly recommend Cane & Canoe especially if you are foodies like us, we put this place on the top of our list! Aloha

First off, Cane and Canoe is in the AMAZING Montage, so 2 stars for being on such an amazing and truly stunning property.
Came for Easter dinner buffet which was quite the spread. Typical salads, 3 types of poke, fresh shrimp, lamb, fish, chicken and prime rib; all of the essentials for a good buffet. Everything was good, nothing too crazy to write home about.
I will absolutely come back for the regular menu on my next visit.

Literally the best meal we had on Maui and this was our second visit in two years. The food here was so good we came here for my sisters birthday on our first night, and then as our farewell dinner on one of our last nights. The view is impeccable, the service is amazing… and the food is to die for.
Best items:
YOU MUST GET THE FILET
The buns /​taro rolls /​taro foccacia that they serve before dinner are absolutely amazing and they change each night
Kabocha squash salad was amazing
I’d say, stay away from the gnocci or any fish dishes here. Very bland but still well prepared. You’d just be missing out on the amazing Filet. The best I’ve ever had.
Great cocktails too!

Delicious. We are staying at the Montage and decided to try this place out. There is reason to be hesitant about eating at hotel restaurants – particularly those with high prices. We were very pleased with our meal.
The atmosphere is excellent. The Montage is beautiful and the restaurant is situated in a great location. The wine list is thoughtful, but pricy.
Normally I do not comment on bread, but we started with some outstanding potato rolls that came with butter and a basil spread. I would have been happy having ten of those rolls.
I had the lamb chops medium rare. They were incredible, perhaps best I ever had with a very nice char. The sides were great also, potatoes and a ratatouille type vegetable.
For dessert we went with server’s recommendation. It was some fried dough with passion fruit and chocolate sauce on the side. It was really nice.
I definitely recommend this place whether you are staying or not.

This place was amazing for a sunset dinner for my birthday with my friends! The waitstaff was warm and sincere and very accommodating as some of my friends are picky and have strange tastes. The food was all amazing except the soba gnocchi. Do not get that. Gross. And I love gnocchi and soba noodles. But everything else was beyond our expectations. I work at the Ritz-​Carlton and definitely know food. Happy dining!

We ate here twice during our stay at Montage. Service was impeccable, food was wonderful, but the true star of the show here is the ambiance. Live music from the one smooth dude and his guitar in the corner and the lit torches and tradewinds gently swaying the trees — this is HAWAII.
Don’t miss Cane & Canoe. What a memorable experience. Writing this makes me want to go back right now!

My husband, son (9), and I had dinner here earlier this week. The view is beautiful, service very friendly and dinner was great. It easily rivals Merrimans which is one of our favorites. I’m not sure why it wasn’t crowded. Yes, prices are high but similar to all comparable restaurants on the island.

The view which looks onto the courtyard and ocean, simply beautiful. Brunch was nice, though nothing spectacular. You’re come for the view and service, which is supreme! We did enjoy our waiter; she had plenty to share with respect of the other islands and what’s happening around Hawaii in general. This is one of the things that I appreciate about coming to the islands and how helpful the local people are… Why can’t this be everywhere I travel? The grounds are spectacular with expansive views throughout! Kapalua is a special place indeed.

This review is for happy hour only. The drinks were great. I probably had the best aviation I have ever had here. However, the happy hour is deceiving. The website advertises that happy hour is 50% off. It does not specify that only select drinks are 50% off. Luckily we called our bartender on it and he explained that happy hour was only on «Mai tais and select wines» but that he would «give it to us anyway». I do not appreciate the fact that we had to ask about the happy hour. Nowhere in writing does it say that only select drinks are happy hour price. This felt really shady. Why advertise that happy hour is half off. I do not expect this kind of service from the Montage. Extremely disappointing.

Beautiful, green, graced by the cool breeze of mild trade winds, and just about as close to paradise as you can get. It’s no surprise the Montage decided to purchase the property in this perfect slice of heaven. The restaurant is an open-​concept dining room; you have an uninterrupted view of the beautiful courtyard and Kapalua bay.
Our server was sweet, but her memory failed to serve her a couple times. We had to make a couple requests repeatedly before she delivered. That said, she always had a smile and other than having to repeat a couple requests, I don’t think anyone in my party had any serious issues with the service. Still, pays to have a sharp memory, especially at this price point.
— Bread basket. Sourdough rolls and Molokai sweet potato biscuits. Soft butter with hawaiian salt and a taro leaf pesto. The pesto was so good. I didn’t even know that people ate the taro greens… I knew you could use them like banana leaves to make lau-​lau, but I didn’t know they were utilized for many other things. The sweet potato biscuits combined with the pesto to make a flavor party in my facehole. Awesome… Totally freakin’ awesome.
— Hamachi poke, avocado, caviar, atop a seaweed salad, with taro chips. This didn’t wow me… At all. I rarely say this in Maui, but the fish didn’t seem like the freshest batch I’ve ever experienced… Again, for the price point, I expected more. The seaweed salad was quite nice, however… Fresh and vibrant.
— Octopus and Pork Belly, Molokai sweet potato, mango purée, pickled shallots, kimchi purée. This was good enough to eat TWICE. The pork belly was so soft, it practically melted in my mouth. However, the fat that rendered out during the frying process was retained inside the fried crust resulting in a rather greasy bite, at time. The octopus was some of the best I’ve ever had. The potatoes were good, but there was too much potato on the plate for the amount of protein. The purées were both freakin’ awesome, and if you don’t like pickled shallots, you’re just wasting your life. :)
— Duck Confit Pappardelle — Stewed Tomatoes, Swiss Chard, Duck Sauce, Black Cardimom. This was pretty good, but as I work in an Italian restaurant, I eat some mighty delicious pasta and the duck sauce was a bit too thin and didn’t really «marry» with the pasta. Instead, the sauce was more of a broth that the pasta sat in. That being said, the duck confit was awesome and there was an aggressive spice to the dish that made me want to go back for a second bite.
— Filet Mignon, Gorgonzola Pain Perdu, Port Onion Soubise, Mushrooms, Arugula, Red Wine-​Shallot Reduction. The steak was flawless. Cooked to the most beautiful medium-​rare I may have EVER seen. The pain perdu was cute, but a bit of overkill – half the size would have sufficed. The arugula was not lost on me, as I love that stuff, especially with steak… That peppery notes were SO welcomed to the bold flavors of the steak. Whoever decided to put the sweet, stewed onion soubise on the dish was one smart person. The sauce was good, but the steak was the real star in this dish (as it should be).
— Chicken, Brussels, Haricot Vert, Forbidden Rice, and Chicken Jus. This was the most pedestrian dish of the evening. I guess it makes sense, as chicken dishes tend to be the safe, mild, go-​to of many menus. That said, The chicken was cooked beautifully. Other than that, nothing about this dish made an impression. Maybe a nice lemon vin on the brussels would be a nice touch, prior to plating. While it was nicely cooked, it was a very monotonous dish.
— Vanilla Panna Cotta, Lillikoi, Whipped Cream, Basil Caviar (spherified), Short Bread Cookies. Anyone who knows me is very aware that I really don’t like dessert, mostly because it’s often too sweet. This dessert was beautiful in so many ways. The panna cotta was silky smooth, no graininess… And mild. The acidity of the lillikoi (passionfruit) was complimented perfectly by the snap of the basil caviar beads. Together with the cream and mildly sweet panna cotta, the acidity and bitterness were rounded out perfectly.
OVERALL. It’s not cheap… But who is expecting the premier restaurant at the Montage Kapalua Bay?!? A few things kinda fell short of what I was expecting, but the steak dish and the octo/​pork belly were quite memorable, as was the revelatory taro green pesto. Moreover, the dessert we enjoyed was familiar but ever so slightly innovative with the addition of spherified basil «caviar.» If you have some coin, want a BEAUTIFUL view and a tasty meal, by all means, this is your spot.
Stunning views, great open-​concept dining room, and innovative dishes. Nice to see a place in Maui that isn’t simply offering Macadamia-​crusted Mahi-​Mahi, like everyone else (not that there’s anything wrong with Mac-​nut fish). I look forward to a second visit, so I can make a true assessment of the kitchen’s chops.

It’s more of a 3 ½ star as the service really shines.
Took hubby there for a surprise birthday dinner after he flew in just a few hours before. Our foodie friends had gone there a week before and enjoyed it so I wanted to take advantage of trying this relatively new restaurant.
The service was excellent and attentive and they definitely want to please you by allowing us to request a drink that wasn’t on the menu to accommodating food allergies and the sun factor
Bread — Absolutely loved the Molokai sweet potato bread with the ulu (breadfruit hummus) that we ended up getting a refill.
Grilled octopus — it was a little too charred for my taste which meant it was chewier than I would like it as well. For the price, not worth it.
Monchong — Nicely cooked so it was moist and the 3 small Kauai shrimps make this the best dish of the night
Ono Special — Nice flavors with the curry butter but prefer the Monchong
Dessert — We did not order dessert since we were full but our server was super sweet and ended up giving us a free dessert for hubby’s birthday which was very good
So why the 3 stars, it is mainly the pricing for what you get. For that price, I am expecting almost Mama’s Fish House quality and I believe about $ 20 for 3 small pieces of charred octopus was not worth it. Entrees run from the high $ 30’s to upper $ 50s with most in the mid-40’s range. Good but not memorable enough for the price.