Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar

Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar Restaurant Review:

Manta & Pavilion Wine Bar at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel overlooks a cove where you can often spot manta rays swimming near the shore at night. The sprawling restaurant offers both indoor and outdoor seating as well as a glassed-in private room where guests can still enjoy the ocean views. White tablecloths bring a touch of elegance, and the exhibition-style kitchen shows off the chefs at work. The menu, once overseen by executive chef Peter Pahk, is now under the direction of chef de cuisine Johnny Loua. Highlights include sustainable fish and local meats and produce. (Diners can request gluten-free selections from their servers.) Start with Big Island goat cheese ravioli or the kabocha pumpkin bisque. Among the salads, you may find heart of palm and Nakano Farm yellow tomato with sweet onion, basil, Meyer lemon and extra virgin olive oil. Continue with mains like the grilled bone-in rib-eye with au poivre compound butter. Petits fours and macadamia nuts covered in white chocolate precede desserts like soufflés topped with vanilla sauce. Traditional eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles and much more can be found at the breakfast and brunch buffets. The comprehensive wine list, which is heavy on California labels, is a legacy of Laurance S. Rockefeller’s devotion to fine living. (He was the visionary behind this dream property.) The restaurant boasts a high-tech Enomatic system that dispenses tasting-size pours of wines. Local beers and tropical cocktails are also available. Service is friendly and efficient.