Sam Choy's Kai Lanai

Enjoy the sunset in Kona

Famous Chef Sam Choy has put his name on this open-air restaurant and bar perched on a hill in the Keauhou area of Kailua Town, and it is the place to go for sunset and beyond in this part of Kona. 

Two ocean-facing walls have been opened for this location, seamlessly joining the inside/outside experience in a classic Hawaiian way. 

Daily Happy Hour runs from M-Th., 3-5 p.m., a good way to warm up for the always-mind-boggling sunset.

The bar lanai extends out from the covered floor, perfect for late summer evenings.

Fire pits are wonderful in the cool of a Hawaiian winter evening.  Live music happens every Sunday from 6 to 9 p.m.

The bar is usually buzzing with locals, many of them fishermen and women, talking fish, ocean conditions, and telling epic fish stories.

The longtime bartenders are relaxed and professional, and really know their wines.

The full menu is offered at the bar all the way to closing, with dishes done in the classic Sam Choy style: “cuisine as a melting pot of the freshest ingredients from every culture in the Hawaiian Islands . . . true Hawaiian heritage cooking.”