Bruce T. Marston was a Californian serving in Tahiti as a Lt. Colonel in the U.S. Air Force. There, he met Louise, who was from Tubuai, just south of Tahiti. They fell in love, and moved to the town of Hanalei on the north side of the island of Kauai in Hawaii. There, in 1963, they opened Tahiti Nui.

Tahiti Nui became the go-to gathering place for Kauai's north shore, with musicians, hula dancing, and occasional singing from "Auntie Louise" Marston herself. Louise passed away in 2003, and Tahiti Nui is now run by Bruce and Louise's son, Christian.

Tahiti Nui makes an appearance in the 2011 film The Descendants.

The restaurant serves a mix of Hawaiian seafood standards and Italian food. The drink menu is limited, but they do have their own Mai Tai recipe, which they've been serving since they first opened. They still have live music and hula dancing.

The walls are lined with lauhala matting and bamboo, with Oceanic art pieces hanging here and there. The small round tabletops are painted with Polynesian designs, and the barstools are carved tikis. There is a small curio shop attached to the restaurant.