Post #435136 by Hibiscus on Thu, Feb 19, 2009 9:35 AM

Aloha, sweetpea! I was down in that part of Kauai (at Kiahuna Plantation) in November, and it was great. You're not far from Poipu Shopping Village, which has a place called Keoki's Paradise http://www.keokisparadise.com/ . It's kind of "nouveau tiki" - they've tried to get the vibe, and while it's worth a visit just because you're so close, don't expect great drinks. We were pretty disappointed. Maybe we just had a bad bartender and you'll have better luck. The food was quite good, though, and like I said, since you're so close, it's worth doing.

Also nearby and worth a look is CasaBlanca restaurant, just down the road a bit more from the Poipu Shopping Village, at the Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club. It sounds all country-clubby from the name, but it was actually a very laid-back little restaurant and bar with nice food, very good drinks, and a local guy playing guitar (at least the night we were there he was). Very relaxed and a nice vibe.

Another recommendation in your neighborhood - though it's not tiki per se - is Plantation Gardens at Kiahuna Plantation. Fabulous (though pricey) restaurant set in an orchid garden. The best food we ate on the whole trip! It was our big splurge meal, and it was worth every penny! The drinks were great, too. Reservations are a must, though.

If you can do a little road trip, check out Tahiti Nui up in Hanalei (see this post for details - http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=30561&forum=16&13 )for wonderful old-school tiki.

Have a great time!