4 Best Seafood Restaurants near Kailua

“Fresh seafood prepared how you like it! Delicious and a must if you are in Maui. I had the Ono in white wine,garlic and butter. Served over Cajun rice. The portions are very generous.“

“As a first time visitor to the Aloha state of Hawaii I was very impressed with the music, atmosphere, food, and the employees were AWESOME! Our waitress Josslyn was EXTREMELY AWESOME with her services. MAHALO SO MUCH FOR THE BEST RESTAURANT FOOD EVER.“

“The better half of the world food tour duo trekked over to Kailua and met me at Gaslamp, on Ho'olai St. The parking lot was full so we both found parking on the street. Hah, when I got back to my car, I found another car illegally parked behind me. So, parking appears to be an issue in this area.

There is no signage outside that tells you it’s Gaslamp, the signage says Kailua Town Pub and Grill. You have to go past the left side of the bar to a door, give a wait staff the secret passcode (which I failed to remember) and be taken through a door behind you, up a steep staircase to a small space overlooking the bar downstairs. There are about six tables and it’s a very dark space.

Natalie was our server and we started with a Botanist gin & tonic ($18) and a glass of J Lassalle Champagne ($25). I didn’t have any details about the wine, but it was not complex and was lacking bubbles.

We ordered the Kagoshima Wagyu Carpaccio($32) and the Escargot Bone Marrow ($42) to start. The carpaccio was a visual treat with capers, thin slices of radish, dill, pecorino and caviar. It tasted as good as it looked. The bone marrow was even better … two large bones topped with garlic buttered escargot, decorated with blistered tomatoes, and an arugula salad with two pieces of grilled sourdough. So unctuous, so decadent, so divine!

We split two entrees … The Wagyu Sampler (market price, it was $179), and the Black Truffle Risotto ($54). We added extra truffle ($12) and a side of Miso Brussels Sprouts ($16). The sampler came with two pieces of A5 “Snow Beef”, a piece of American “Wagyu” Filet Mignon, and pieces of ribeye an NY striploin, 12oz in all, and two sauces. The risotto contained sea asparagus, mascarpone and mozzarella cheeses, Hamakua mushrooms, and tomatoes. I consider the extra black truffle mandatory … It’s not special without it.

We ended our meal by sharing a Tiramisu ($12) and I had an espresso ($5). The tiramisu was very good, made in the classic style with pieces of fruit on top.

There was live music … a saxophonist played soft jazz starting at 6:30pm. It was our kind of music. Service was fine … we asked Natalie to slow down the delivery of food, and she ensured it was so. The food was great and we enjoyed our first visit to Gaslamp. One note: they apply a service charge if you use a credit card … It seems to be the new norm. Highly recommended (4.5), even if you must search for parking.“

“We drove here from Waikiki on a whim and glad we came. All the food was great, fresh and super tasty. The chestnut tart was a wonderful surprise.

The service is worth noting. The wait staff are patient and do great. The bartender also roams and checks in. Not sure if we will ever make it back here again but it was well worth it.“