The Kona Inn Restaurant, situated on the waterfront in the heart of old Kona town, offers one of the most beautiful restaurant settings in the world. The open air environment in our main dining area with unobstructed views of the Kona sunsets offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a romantic dinner accompanied by the wonderful sounds of waves breaking on the Kona shore.

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our comfortable table lanai creates a setting unsurpassable on the Big Island of Hawaii. The Kona Inn's mammoth horseshoe-shaped all-Koa-wood bar is a world famous watering hole. Sitting at the bar, you are afforded an unique open air environment with unparalleled views of picturesque Kailua bay. Here, the Mai Tai is king along with the coldest beer on the Big Island.

Best Restaurant Atmosphere  -  Leeward: Kona Inn
The Kona Inn, on Kona's famous Ali'i Drive, has a long history of hospitality and the dining rooms face the beautiful deep-blue ocean water. The newly renovated bar at Kona Inn is one of the best spots on the island for watching your worries roll out to sea with the tides. The menu accent is on fresh fish that is brought in each day by the local fishermen. There is no question that the atmosphere at Kona Inn is representative of what people are looking for in Hawai'i - tropical breezes, pounding waves, coconut trees, and a drink with an umbrella in it."

The Story of the Historic Kona Inn

In 1928, the Kona Inn was built by the Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company. This venture was considered to be a pioneering effort in the neighbor island hotel industry. Previous to the Kona Inn, the passengers aboard the company's steamers had only haphazard room arrangements at outlying stops. An editorial in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin Feb 7, 1928 summed up the enthusiasm of the new venture. "The land of the first Kamehameha; the land which cradled the old Federation of the Hawaiian Islands; the storied land where an English ship's captain was worshipped before natives found him human and slew him there, is to be opened at last to the comfort-loving tourists of the world. Soon after the completion of the hotel, the territory will have cause to be grateful to the foresight and enterprise of Inter-Island."

The rambling 2-story Hawaiian structure, carefully designed to blend with the Palm fringed Kona shore, found its 20 rooms booked solidly for months in advance. The Kona Inn became Hawaii's favorite refuge for kamaainas as well as the world traveler. The new hostelry was responsible for the popularity of the colorful Kona Coast. The Inn was also instrumental in developing the Kona Coast as one of the world's greatest fishing areas. With the Inn as unofficial headquarters, the place has attracted marlin fishermen from all over the globe. Despite the passage of time and pressures of growth, the Kona Inn still blends in harmony with its environment. The nostalgia of the past is an important factor in the Kona Inn's lasting popularity.