Theatery

Gorgeous views. Server was phenomenal. However the food was not as depicted on the menu. I had a bird's best salad that was supposed to have a poached egg. The egg came as deepfried breaded egg that was hard-boiled. When I asked for a poached egg the kitchen responded it would take 15 minutes. Maybe that's the problem. Short rib was so tough it couldn't be cut. Shrimp side was supposed to come with three shrimp but only had two. Salmon was delicious however. It was a rainy day so maybe it impacted kitchen morale? I hope they can fix things because this place has the makings of something special.

We had an amazing fine dining experience. EVERYTHING was outstanding, service was excellent and the view from the terrace was more than beautiful. Farm to table eating on another level. And....we are from NYC, Manhattan, one of the best places to eat in the world ;-) Try the bone marrow!

Wonderful relaxed place next to the historic community theater. You can hear the actors warming up for the performance. Varied menu all locally sourced. Delightful place to watch the sunset while having a great dinner. Menu is à la carte so it can be pricey. Delicious coconut rice. Very cozy feel with everyone having a really good time.

We were looking for a place to stop to enjoy ocean views, have a drink and get a small bite to eat and Theatery was it! We sat at the bar (4 seats in total), enjoyed to sunset and out of this world Pupus (appetizers). I had The Sun and the Sea cocktail… honestly on of the best I’ve ever had. They have a pre and post sunset happy hour. The staff was so friendly and welcoming even though the restaurant was extremely busy when we stopped in, they managed to make our quick stop very special.

Exquisite dining experience! My husband had the pounded ahi tuna and it literally brought tears to his eyes, sharing it was by far the best dish he has ever eaten in his entire life. My short ribs and his kanpachi were amazing. We finished with a melon soup with basil oil that was incredible. We were tickled to find out we eating a meal prepared by legendary chef Stewart Woodman, the icing on the brulee! As lovely as out meal was, it was made even better by John, who provided exceptional service and was equally excited to serve this delicious food as we were to eat it!

What a treat to find a restaurant of this caliber and style in this part of the island. The theme is just brilliant, and often interwoven with whatever is playing at the historic theatre attached to it. It's elegant, nostalgic, but still 100% quirky Big Island. You may read other reviews from self-proclaimed "foodies" who critique Chef's choices for salt and acidity and think a dish needs to be different in order to be "proper." This kind of haughtiness doesn't belong here. This is a chef who has worked in some of the most respected kitchens in the country, and what you are experiencing is his specific interpretation of a dish. If it's not to your taste, it's your fault...not his. Each dish here is executed exquisitely and purposefully, and my crew (I'm a chef, and my friends have accumulated HUNDREDS of Michelin stars when dining around the world) was deeply and profoundly impressed. We arrived at happy hour to enjoy sunset drinks before our reservation, and the cocktail program here is strong and sophisticated. (The names are twists on cinematic tropes, and the drinks are exceptionally well balanced...a very welcome divergence from the uber-sweet woo-girl cocktails found in so many bars here.) Since we were 4, we were able to order a good portion of the menu, so we could each experience 10 dishes. The menu will change by the time YOU read this, so it's mostly irrelevant to discuss specific dishes, but it appears that some version of the Pounded Ahi dish is often on offer, and it was truly exceptional. An expertly crafted melange of textures, with the rich foie gras dusting delightfully contrasting the lean, smooth ahi, and crunchy cabbage rounding out the bottom. The lamb shank, which also appears to be a perennial player, was the single best lamb dish I've had in my life. (One reviewer said it reminded them of a mainland winter dish and didn't belong here, which is ludicrous. This isn't a tourist restaurant, there's not a resort for miles...this is a place for locals to experience fine dining without going to an overpriced resort and be surrounded by tourists.) The signature tableside Bananas Foster was a must-order. My friend is a New Orleans native, and bartended there for 2 decades. She is LOATHE to offer praise for a New Orleans signature dish anywhere other than home, and she begrudgingly acknowledged that the Bananas Foster here was better than at Brennan's...which is where the dish was invented. I still can't believe she said that. What also struck me was the pricing. By the time my group of 4 finished our 10 plates, had each had a cocktail, AND a bottle of wine, the tab was $75 each. I'm certain I've never had a meal of this caliber on the mainland for that cheap, and certainly not with this view, this laid-back ambience, and this whimsically themed. I desperately hope this place gets patronized enough to stick around, as it will become our priority reservation each time we come to the Big Island. We normally stay in Puna which means we'll be reworking our standard itinerary to accommodate a dinner here.) TL/DR: This is the best restaurant on the island right now, and a dinner here will be one of the highlights of your trip. We're still talking about it days later.

The Theatery is one of my favorite fancy restaurants in Kona! Their food is next level delicious and offers a classy, elegant, fun evening vibe. My favorite appetizer is the pounded ahi. All of their food is created by a chef and they change out their specials regularly. I also loved the banana ice cream dessert, which is made right in front of you at the table! This restaurant is partnered with Puma Chocolate Company and incorporates their chocolate with the desserts. I will definitely be going back! :) We went on a night when they did not have a show at the theatre, so parking was easily accessible. I imagine that parking will be more difficult on show nights. I believe on Wednesday nights they do a Kama’aina discount.

We were excited to try this place. An experienced NYC Chef, an interesting menu, plenty of locals -not too touristy. Our server was a bit behind the curve but the place was not full or busy. We waited a bit for a greeting and to give our drink order. I knew what I wanted when I saw Mai Tai on the menu—it was a Saturday night at sunset! They were out. I tried a vodka drink, that was spilled on me upon delivery. It would’ve been better hospitality if the server had replaced the drink and brought me soda water and a cloth napkin to rub it out of my dress (a red drink). He apologized and brought a paper napkin (disintegrates on fabric). We tried the green bean salad with “crispy rice paper” and a beet salad. The portion size is a bit small for the price. The bean salad had maybe 3 green beans fillet’s in half, red bells, soggy fried rice paper and a dressing that was unpleasantly sweet. In Hawaii I would expect more of a a bounty of their great local produce and flavors. Like a mango ginger chopped salad or more tropical vibe like kale with coconut lime macadamia. I’d like to see the chef integrate more Hawai’i flavors. The flavors felt a little too “winter on the mainland”. Next we had short ribs and yellowtail in a lemongrass taro coconut red curry. The ribs were tender and in a thick gravy, the pomme puree perfect, but the set felt heavy handed for the summer weather. The fish was ok, but the flavors were not as described on the menu. The curry needed to be more bold, with more ginger, lime leaf, more spice, more acid, more herbs. It was a boring sauce which is surprising when you’re surrounded by so much vibrancy of nature. For dessert we tried the mango soup with a lemongrass sorber(?) and fried ginger. This is a fun fine dining classic from back in the day. It was good, altho I’d have added more lime to punch up the soup and the fried ginger could have popped more with a dusting of ginger sugar and more tender young ginger —these were fibrous. Overall this place does stand out on the Big Island as a must try. The interior is very pretty. The patio could use a bit more polishing to match the decor. Service could improve, this place is pricy. And with the Chef’s resume and pedigree, flavors should be better/bolder.

We just had dinner here and the ambiance was lovely, warm, welcoming, and beautifully set up. We tried the lamb, which was absolutely delicious, and the mushroom pasta, which was just okay. Unfortunately, it wasn’t our luckiest night when it came to service. Our server seemed a bit off. We waited around 30 minutes before she took our order. Even though one of our friends was parking the car, we had his order ready, but she didn’t acknowledge us until we flagged down a few different staff members. When the food finally arrived, our grandma was given the wrong dish. The server apologized, but it really disrupted the meal. We all ended up eating very slowly, trying to wait for her correct dish to arrive so we could enjoy dinner together. It took the joy out of what should’ve been a special night. She also missed the tone of the moment, trying to lighten things up with jokes when we were clearly frustrated. At the end, we ordered three desserts and she comped one as an apology. While we appreciate the gesture, comping an $11 dessert didn’t quite make up for the dinner experience being off. I really want to believe this was just an off night, because the food and ambiance do have a lot of potential. Hopefully, service will be more attentive next time. Obs: small portions (except for the lamb), I left a bit hungry..

Let's just start off with, this was one of the best steaks iv ever had sooo tender melt in your mouth! All local to the island. I been wanting to try them since they opened and it's definitely I think one of the BEST restaurants on the island for sure! unique and different then all the other "fancy restaurants" that literally have the same exact sysco orderd food. The theatery has an amazing renowned chef who takes pride in their dishes, all fresh local ingredients. The views, the atmosphere, the service and of course the food is top notch! This is my now go to place for when I want to celebrate something special. My mom and I shared the bone marrow and the ulu dauphine both were fantastic!! I have been dreaming of that bone marrow ever since I saw they had it and it did not disappoint!!! We both got their dinner special steak filet with a lobster sauce and it was phenomenal!!! Melt in your mouth I savored every Bite! I also got an espresso martini which was delicious! We got a dessert to go the puna chocolate Panna cotta with ube...and it was also soooo good perfect for later after we were over our food coma 😋...our server Gram was exceptional and extremely nice and attentive, couldn't have asked for a better experience! will definitely be coming back and recommending to everyone!