Gerard's Restaurant, Lahaina

The very first thing I do after I book my flight back to Maui is make reservations at Gerard’s Restaurant. I usually try to go twice. Food and service at this wonderful establishment. Always the 'right' spot for a romantic dinner. My hats off to Gerard -

It has been a long time since I was this disappointed in a culinary experience. While the ambience is pleasant, sitting outside, and the service good, if not a bit high and mighty in attitude, the food was appalling. My wife (previously a professional chef) and I started with the Shrimp Bisque; I would imagine we would have been more pleased eating a can of clam chowder from a grocery store. Seafood bisque should be elegant and subtle, this soup smelled strongly of the pier where the local catch is brought in. Next we were hopeful that our seared Foie Gras would recover the mood. Sadly, it was served on French Toast. Sweet and savory, yes, this was just syrupy. Such a waste. The final blows to a disappointing evening were the roasted quail and veal sweetbread entrees. The quail tasted as though someone went down to the Banyan tree and netted a couple of local scroungy pigeons. My entree of veal sweetbreads was so heinous that if I were to describe it, this review would not be posted. I should also mention that this restaurant is the most expensive I have been too in Lahaina. The entrees start in the low $30's and we paid $24 for the foie gras, which wouldn't have stung if it was enjoyable. After coming to Maui for over 15 years and finally eating at Gerard's, we were not simply disappointed, we were insulted. Go to I'o or Sansei and have yourself a truly nice dinning experience.

I have dined at many of the restaurants on Maui over the years and I keep going back to Gerard's as my pick for the best. Top notch professional service, pleasant ant romantic setting and without question the best cuisine. It's not uncommon to see Gerard himself working in the restaurant on any given night. After 25 years in business, Gerard and his staff continue to get it right every night. I crave the smoked salmon and ahi tuna carpaccio, the rack of lamb and of course the Hawaiian Snapper fish.

Gerard has come up with a unique combination of French haut-cuisine combined with local tropical ingredients. Sounds like something you might find in Tahiti, but it is right here in the US, and it is good! We started with the Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms in Puff Pastry, which was great. My wife had the pork tenderloin with a side of carrots and mushroom and (I think) guava. The tenderloin was marinated for 2 days in an Asian flavoured marinade before being cooked to perfection and covered with an outstandingly good, yet subtle butter sauce. The carrots, mushrooms, and guava had an orange juice glaze with whole coriander seeds that gave it a fresh, yet spicy flavour which worked really well. I had the filet mignon with tarragon butter on top, cooked exactly as I had ordered it, with sides of carrot-mash potatoes, and a banana salsa with little yummy fried chips that I couldn't identify. For dessert, tiny little chocolate mousse filled profiteroles. Hmm, hmm! Combined with the Zin we were drinking, it was a heavenly end to the meal. The service was also great, attentive without being overbearing. The assistant chef even came out to talk with us at our request and go over how he made these delectable dishes for us. Since we were the last customers for the evening, he could spend 20 minutes talking with us and explaining the dishes and his own background and philosophy. I really have to think hard to come up with anything negative about this place. The only thing I can think of is that I would have preferred the choux of the profiteroles to be more fresh. They were cold and a little dried out, so it seems like the whole desert came right out of the fridge instead of being freshly assembled. They still tasted good though, and were very artfully presented in a straight line on a long narrow plate drizzled with fruit coulis. But, if that is the worst thing I could say about the place, well then they are doing a pretty darn good job! Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner there, and I'd highly recommend it.

The setting is very romantic ( a Victorian house, converted into a restaurant), and the food is creative & delicious. The rooms are small, and dimly lit, and the service is gracious. It is a place to go for a special event (anniversary, honeymoon, etc.). It is expensive, but worth it for a special memory in the magical town of Lahaina. Aloha, Paul

I've had the pleasure of dining at Gerard's several times over the years and can honestly say that it's the best restaurant on the island. A couple meals here is as much a part of my visits to Maui as going to the beach! Don't miss it!

The mushrooms in puff pastry are to die for. Excellent service, ambiance and food. My favorite Maui restaurant.