Ka Lihikai is an absolute gem in Hilo! Set right on the ocean, the views are simply breathtaking — you can feel the sea breeze and watch the waves roll in while you dine. The open-air design makes the whole experience relaxed and refreshing, truly capturing the spirit of Hawai‘i.
The staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming, always attentive and full of aloha. The large bar area is a great place to unwind with a drink, and the atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between casual comfort and island elegance.
And the food — wow! Everything is fresh and full of flavor, but the standout has to be their pizzas: large, perfectly baked, and absolutely delicious. Each pie is loaded with high-quality ingredients and cooked to perfection.
Ka Lihikai combines amazing oceanfront ambiance, great service, and fantastic food — it’s easily one of the best dining spots in Hilo. Highly recommended for locals and visitors alike!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
hilotraveler hill
The food here is excellent as are the drinks. But beware of the bar order . II you ask for a specific type of liquor like blanco teqila. It cost $32 dollars for a cadilac margarita. I then went to another restaurant and ordered the same thing using blanco and it cost $16.00. Not drinking here anymore.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Kristoffer
This restaurant is funny. Sat for a table of one. Waited for a server for 30mins. Nobody came, no water, no nothing. They’ll just sit you and leave you alone since they are busy with their own business. One customer went to the bar to order since he was frustrated like me. But was told to wait for a server lol. I just left as this shouldnt be a restaurant in a hotel. Its an early afternoon with more staff than customers but that was still the service.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kekoa
Quiet, warm atmosphere at an open wall area at the edge of Hilo bay. Can be busy so some patience is needed but the service is friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Anish Deshmukh
Very solid brunch place. Highly recommend for the view and cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Shelley Lewis
This restaurant is located poolside/seaside at the Grand Naniloa Hilton Double Tree. So you get a great view and good food. The food and service well exceeded our expectations and is one of the best things about the hotel. We had the plate lunch and pizza, both were delicious. They had a nice kids menu including chicken strips. My son really enjoyed them and there were so many we had some left over for a midnight snack. As a bonus, there is live Hawaiian music and hula some evenings.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pammy Eayrs
My first time on the big island we stayed at the Hilton. The poolside bar was amazing. Justin was our bartender. She made the most wonderful drinks. Our food was awesome. Nothing but big Hawaiian vibes and super serene sweet company. I will be coming back as soon as I can Definitely recommend for anybody coming to the big island even if you don’t stay at the Hilton come over and have a drink. They’re delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Fries
Edward Court
Five stars across the board for Ka Lihikai Restaurant and Bar. The atmosphere was absolutely incredible, laid back, welcoming, and full of good vibes. But the real highlight of my visit was Nicole behind the bar. Her service was phenomenal, and she made me hands down the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had. It was perfectly balanced and topped with the most amazing garnishes, including a huge shrimp that was out of this world. Nicole made me feel like the number one customer from the moment I walked in. Can’t wait to come back. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Randy T
Had the cheeseburger for dinner every night, which was very good. Others liked the pizzas. The wait staff were awesome. It is pretty pricey, but the hotel food credit made it reasonable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Danton Batty
The food was excellent for dinner service. We had the lunch plate and fresh catch of the day special. If you’re staying at the Hilton and need a relaxing night this is the perfect spot.
This is the fruit bowl what you get after waiting an hour for receiving a horrible service…consider not paying the breakfast here, way better options in local restaurants for way better prices…terrible experience…and the atmosphere of the place inside feels like very bad conserved place full of water that nobody cares taking care of … run far from here
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Jhonelyn Arcangel
Must go! Overlooking Mauna Kea. Outstanding views. Enjoyed their white pie and Hamakua pies ( pizza) and truffle fries. Their cocktails no complaints about it. Outstanding customer services.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
John G
We had a great breakfast there and a beautiful view of Mauna Kea and the bay and grounds the Loco Moco was fantastic. Instead of burger they give you a large piece of short rib with kimchee rice and gravy. It was 5 star delicious and the special crafted drinks!!!! Would definitely recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
alice brown
The service was great but the food was not. Not even a decent veggie option. I had to get a pizza that tasted like a frozen one. My boyfriend had the pork tacos that he said were drenched in cheap barbecue sauce. However the mai tais were good. I wouldn't come back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 5
Lauren
The food was alright, but the rest of our experience made us only eat here to use up our free food credits. Our first night for dinner we were seated for at least 15 minutes before even getting a server to come by; we had to go search for someone to see why no one had come by. Our server came over and apologized saying there was confusion on who was taking our table, but we noticed later our server seemed to be hanging out with her friends at another table to were also eating there rather than checking on her other tables. She was not attentive at getting us refills on drinks, seeing if we needed anything, nothing… She was taking photos of her friends and even walked out with them and we didn’t see her for a while. Even when we were done eating, we had to chase her down for the check after not seeing her for a while.
We came back for breakfast and our service wasn’t quite as bad, but did require asking multiple times for things because our server would forget.
Overall I think the servers need better training here and more oversight from management to ensure customers are being taken care of when dining here.
Additionally, the location of the restaurant next to the hotel pool is not ideal…we were dining in the outdoor seats and some adult man seemed to be doing a dare and cannon-balled into the pool while his friends filmed from up above us. Thankfully we were just outside the splash zone, but any closer and we would have been soaked. It’s hard to believe an adult (maybe 40ish years old) did this as well…not sure how to resolve this since the pool cannot be relocated, maybe fencing off the area to at least prevent the running start, or having better oversight here from the restaurant staff as well if they see something like this happen they can intervene.
Ka Lihikai is an absolute gem in Hilo! Set right on the ocean, the views are simply breathtaking — you can feel the sea breeze and watch the waves roll in while you dine. The open-air design makes the whole experience relaxed and refreshing, truly capturing the spirit of Hawai‘i.
The staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming, always attentive and full of aloha. The large bar area is a great place to unwind with a drink, and the atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between casual comfort and island elegance.
And the food — wow! Everything is fresh and full of flavor, but the standout has to be their pizzas: large, perfectly baked, and absolutely delicious. Each pie is loaded with high-quality ingredients and cooked to perfection.
Ka Lihikai combines amazing oceanfront ambiance, great service, and fantastic food — it’s easily one of the best dining spots in Hilo. Highly recommended for locals and visitors alike!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food here is excellent as are the drinks. But beware of the bar order . II you ask for a specific type of liquor like blanco teqila. It cost $32 dollars for a cadilac margarita. I then went to another restaurant and ordered the same thing using blanco and it cost $16.00. Not drinking here anymore.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
This restaurant is funny. Sat for a table of one. Waited for a server for 30mins. Nobody came, no water, no nothing. They’ll just sit you and leave you alone since they are busy with their own business. One customer went to the bar to order since he was frustrated like me. But was told to wait for a server lol. I just left as this shouldnt be a restaurant in a hotel. Its an early afternoon with more staff than customers but that was still the service.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Quiet, warm atmosphere at an open wall area at the edge of Hilo bay. Can be busy so some patience is needed but the service is friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Very solid brunch place. Highly recommend for the view and cocktails!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
This restaurant is located poolside/seaside at the Grand Naniloa Hilton Double Tree. So you get a great view and good food. The food and service well exceeded our expectations and is one of the best things about the hotel. We had the plate lunch and pizza, both were delicious. They had a nice kids menu including chicken strips. My son really enjoyed them and there were so many we had some left over for a midnight snack.
As a bonus, there is live Hawaiian music and hula some evenings.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My first time on the big island we stayed at the Hilton. The poolside bar was amazing. Justin was our bartender. She made the most wonderful drinks. Our food was awesome. Nothing but big Hawaiian vibes and super serene sweet company. I will be coming back as soon as I can Definitely recommend for anybody coming to the big island even if you don’t stay at the Hilton come over and have a drink. They’re delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Truffle Fries
Five stars across the board for Ka Lihikai Restaurant and Bar. The atmosphere was absolutely incredible, laid back, welcoming, and full of good vibes. But the real highlight of my visit was Nicole behind the bar. Her service was phenomenal, and she made me hands down the best Bloody Mary I’ve ever had. It was perfectly balanced and topped with the most amazing garnishes, including a huge shrimp that was out of this world. Nicole made me feel like the number one customer from the moment I walked in. Can’t wait to come back. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Had the cheeseburger for dinner every night, which was very good. Others liked the pizzas. The wait staff were awesome. It is pretty pricey, but the hotel food credit made it reasonable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was excellent for dinner service. We had the lunch plate and fresh catch of the day special. If you’re staying at the Hilton and need a relaxing night this is the perfect spot.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This is the fruit bowl what you get after waiting an hour for receiving a horrible service…consider not paying the breakfast here, way better options in local restaurants for way better prices…terrible experience…and the atmosphere of the place inside feels like very bad conserved place full of water that nobody cares taking care of … run far from here
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Must go! Overlooking Mauna Kea. Outstanding views. Enjoyed their white pie and Hamakua pies ( pizza) and truffle fries. Their cocktails no complaints about it. Outstanding customer services.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a great breakfast there and a beautiful view of Mauna Kea and the bay and grounds the Loco Moco was fantastic. Instead of burger they give you a large piece of short rib with kimchee rice and gravy. It was 5 star delicious and the special crafted drinks!!!! Would definitely recommend
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service was great but the food was not. Not even a decent veggie option. I had to get a pizza that tasted like a frozen one. My boyfriend had the pork tacos that he said were drenched in cheap barbecue sauce. However the mai tais were good. I wouldn't come back.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 5
The food was alright, but the rest of our experience made us only eat here to use up our free food credits.
Our first night for dinner we were seated for at least 15 minutes before even getting a server to come by; we had to go search for someone to see why no one had come by. Our server came over and apologized saying there was confusion on who was taking our table, but we noticed later our server seemed to be hanging out with her friends at another table to were also eating there rather than checking on her other tables. She was not attentive at getting us refills on drinks, seeing if we needed anything, nothing…
She was taking photos of her friends and even walked out with them and we didn’t see her for a while. Even when we were done eating, we had to chase her down for the check after not seeing her for a while.
We came back for breakfast and our service wasn’t quite as bad, but did require asking multiple times for things because our server would forget.
Overall I think the servers need better training here and more oversight from management to ensure customers are being taken care of when dining here.
Additionally, the location of the restaurant next to the hotel pool is not ideal…we were dining in the outdoor seats and some adult man seemed to be doing a dare and cannon-balled into the pool while his friends filmed from up above us. Thankfully we were just outside the splash zone, but any closer and we would have been soaked. It’s hard to believe an adult (maybe 40ish years old) did this as well…not sure how to resolve this since the pool cannot be relocated, maybe fencing off the area to at least prevent the running start, or having better oversight here from the restaurant staff as well if they see something like this happen they can intervene.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
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