Kaimukī$$$
Mud Hen Water
Hawaiʻi Regional · Farm-to-table
Ed Kenney's Kaimukī restaurant cooking Hawaiʻi-sourced dishes; dinner Tue-Sun and weekend brunch.
James Beard semifinalist 2026
Guide
Do you need reservations?
Book ahead for tasting menus, hotel fine dining and sunset seatings. Plate lunch, poke, bakeries and shave ice are walk-in.
Book ahead
Kalihi$$$
Yohei Sushi
Sushi · Japanese
Traditional sushi bar in Kalihi's Kokea Center strip mall; 2026 Hale ʻAina Best Overall Japanese Gold.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Gold
Ala Moana$$$
Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant
Chinese · Dim sum · Seafood
Hong Kong-style seafood and dim sum restaurant on Ala Moana Center's Hoʻokipa Terrace.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Gold
Waikīkī$$$
Zigu
Izakaya · Japanese
Waikīkī izakaya on Seaside Ave featuring Hawaiʻi-sourced ingredients and an extensive sake list.
Hale ʻAina 2026 SilverHappy hourOpen late
Waikīkī$$$
Monkeypod Kitchen Waikīkī
American · Pizza · Bars & pubs
Peter Merriman's Monkeypod at the Outrigger Reef; three happy hours daily including late night added in 2026.
James Beard semifinalist 2026Happy hourOpen late
Kaimukī$$$
The Pig & the Lady
Vietnamese · Fusion
Le family's Vietnamese restaurant, moved from Chinatown (closed Aug 2025) to Kaimukī's Civil Beat Plaza in Oct 2025.
James Beard semifinalist 2026
Waikīkī$$$
Botanico Waikīkī
Mediterranean · Seafood
Mediterranean restaurant on the ground floor of Waikīkī Shopping Plaza; 3-hour validated parking.
Hale ʻAina 2026 SilverHappy hourOpen late
Downtown$$$
Bar Leather Apron
Cocktail bars
Downtown cocktail bar that won the 2023 James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar; reservations recommended.
James Beard Outstanding Bar 2023
Chinatown$$$
Fête
American · Farm-to-table
Chinatown New American restaurant from chef Robynne Maiʻi, 2022 James Beard Best Chef: Northwest & Pacific.
James Beard Best Chef 2022
Ward Village$$$
Merriman's Honolulu
Hawaiʻi Regional · Farm-to-table
Peter Merriman's Ward Village farm-to-table restaurant; Merriman was a 2026 James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur semifinalist.
James Beard semifinalist 2026
Waikīkī$$$$
Hy's Steak House
Steakhouses
Waikīkī steakhouse marking 50 years in Nov 2026; island-formal dress, live music Wed-Sun.
Happy hour
Diamond Head$$$$
Michel's at the Colony Surf
French · Fine dining
Oceanfront French fine-dining room at the Colony Surf near Diamond Head; dinner nightly, complimentary valet.
Ocean view
Kāhala$$$
Arancino at The Kāhala
Italian
Italian dinner restaurant inside The Kāhala Hotel & Resort, part of the Arancino group.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Silver
Waikīkī$$$$
La Mer
French · Fine dining
Halekulani's oceanfront French fine-dining room; Forbes Five-Star for 2026, dinner Tue-Sat.
Ocean view
Waikīkī$$$
Earls Kitchen + Bar Waikīkī
American
Canadian chain's first Hawaiʻi location, a 13,000 sq ft space in the former California Pizza Kitchen.
Hale ʻAina 2026 BronzeHappy hour
Kāhala$$$$
Alan Wong's at The Kāhala
Hawaiʻi Regional · Fine dining
Alan Wong's return restaurant, opened Apr 8, 2026 in the former Hoku's space at The Kāhala; dinner Tue-Sat.
Open late
Waikīkī$$$
Duke's Waikiki
American · Seafood · Bars & pubs
Beachfront Waikīkī restaurant and Barefoot Bar named for Duke Kahanamoku; happy hour and live music daily.
Happy hourOcean view
Waikīkī$$$
RumFire
Cocktail bars · Pacific Rim
Beachfront rum bar and restaurant at the Sheraton Waikiki with fire pits and two nightly Aloha Hours.
Happy hourOpen lateOcean view
Waikīkī$$$
SKY Waikiki
Cocktail bars · Seafood
Rooftop bar and raw bar 19 floors above Kalākaua Ave; known for sunset cocktails and oysters.
Happy hourOcean view
Waikīkī$$$$
Wolfgang's Steakhouse
Steakhouses
Dry-aged steakhouse on the third level of Royal Hawaiian Center with a daily bar-only happy hour.
Happy hour
Kakaʻako$$$$
53 By The Sea
Fine dining · Pacific Rim
Kakaʻako waterfront restaurant with Diamond Head views; dinner Wed-Sun, Sunday brunch, business-casual dress.
Ocean view
Waikīkī$$$$
Azure
Seafood · Fine dining
Beachfront seafood dinner restaurant at The Royal Hawaiian; open Wed-Sun evenings.
Ocean view
Diamond Head$$$
Hau Tree
Hawaiʻi Regional · Breakfast & brunch · Seafood
Beachfront restaurant at Kaimana Beach Hotel serving brunch and dinner on Sans Souci beach.
Happy hourOcean view
Kakaʻako$$$
Istanbul
Turkish · Mediterranean
Turkish restaurant in Ward Village from mother-daughter chefs Nili Yildirim and Ahu Hettema; mezze and pide.
Chinatown$$$
Livestock Tavern
American · Bars & pubs
Chinatown tavern serving meat-centric American dinners Tuesday-Sunday plus weekend brunch.
Open late
Kapolei & Ko Olina$$$
Monkeypod Kitchen Ko Olina
American · Pizza · Bars & pubs
Peter Merriman's Monkeypod Kitchen at Ko Olina Station; lunch and dinner daily.
Open late
Waikīkī$$$$
Orchids
Seafood · Breakfast & brunch · Pacific Rim
Halekulani's open-air oceanfront restaurant with Diamond Head views, known for Sunday brunch with live piano.
Ocean view
Kakaʻako$$$$
Yakitori Torishin
Japanese · Fine dining
Honolulu outpost of the formerly Michelin-starred NYC yakitori bar; omakase-only at Aeʻo, Ward Village.
Kailua$$$
Buzz's Original Steak House
Steakhouses · Seafood
Kailua steak house across from Kailua Beach Park, little changed in decades; reserve for dinner.
Kailua$$$
Faria
Fusion
Chef Kawehi Haug's "Pacifika Portuguese" restaurant in Kailua; Oʻahu's first Portuguese restaurant.
Chinatown$$$$
Senia
Fine dining · Fusion
Chef Anthony Rush's Chinatown restaurant: à la carte dining room plus an 8-seat Fri-Sat chef's counter tasting menu.
Ala Moana$$$$
The Signature Prime Steak & Seafood
Steakhouses · Seafood · Fine dining
Steakhouse on the 36th floor of the Ala Moana Hotel next to Ala Moana Center; nightly happy hour with half-off pupu reported.
Kakaʻako$$$
MW Restaurant
Hawaiʻi Regional
Hawaiʻi regional restaurant from Wade Ueoka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka, now on the 2nd floor of the Velocity Honolulu building.
Walk in
Kalihi$$
Helena's Hawaiian Food
Hawaiian food
Kalihi Hawaiian-food counter since 1946, known for pipikaula; James Beard America's Classic and 2026 Hale ʻAina Gold.
James Beard America’s Classic 2000
Waipahu$$
Highway Inn Waipahu
Hawaiian food · Plate lunch & local food
Original Highway Inn, a Waipahu Hawaiian-food restaurant dating to 1947; relocated within Waipahu.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Silver
Kakaʻako$$
Highway Inn Kakaʻako
Hawaiian food · Plate lunch & local food
Kakaʻako branch of the Waipahu Hawaiian-food restaurant founded in 1947; serves laulau, kalua pig and plate lunches.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Silver
Kāneʻohe$$
Waiāhole Poi Factory
Hawaiian food
Hawaiian food stand in a historic Waiāhole Valley poi factory building; second counter at Windward Mall.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Bronze
ʻAiea & Pearl City$$
Anna Miller's
American · Breakfast & brunch
1970s-era Pearlridge-area coffee shop and pie house in ʻAiea; Honolulu Magazine's 2026 old-school restaurant pick.
Hale ʻAina 2026
Kaimukī$$
Café Kaila
Breakfast & brunch · American
Market City breakfast spot known for fruit-topped pancakes and waffles; 2026 Hale ʻAina Best Breakfast Gold.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Gold
Kapahulu$$$
Tonkatsu Tamafuji
Japanese
Kapahulu tonkatsu specialist frying Kurobuta pork cutlets; long dinner lines are common.
Hale ʻAina 2026 Gold
North Shore$
Matsumoto Shave Ice
Shave ice & dessert
Haleʻiwa shave ice shop founded in 1951; marked 75 years in business in 2026.
Waipahu$$
Elena's Home of Finest Filipino Foods
Filipino
Waipahu Filipino restaurant founded 1974 by the Butuyan family; known for the pork adobo fried rice omelet.
Kapahulu$
Leonard's Bakery
Bakeries & malasadas · Shave ice & dessert
Kapahulu Portuguese bakery making malasadas since 1952; plain sugar and filled malasada puffs.
Liliha$
Liliha Bakery Kuakini
Bakeries & malasadas · Breakfast & brunch · American
Original 1950 Liliha Bakery with its old-school counter diner; known for coco puffs.
Kapahulu$
Rainbow Drive-In Kapahulu
Plate lunch & local food
Original Rainbow Drive-In plate-lunch stand, open since 1961 on Kanaina Ave near Kapahulu; known for mix plates and loco moco.
North Shore$$
Kahuku Farms Café
Farm-to-table · Coffee
Café on a working Kahuku family farm; farm-to-table plates and smoothies, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
North Shore$$
Pupukea Grill
Food trucks · Poke · Vegan & vegetarian
Sister-run food truck across from Sharks Cove since 2008; poke bowls, plates and vegan tacos.
North Shore$$$
Haleiwa Joe's
Seafood · Steakhouses · American
Harbor-side Haleʻiwa seafood and steak house since 1998; known for coconut shrimp and prime rib. No reservations.
Waikīkī$
Musubi Cafe Iyasume
Japanese · Plate lunch & local food
Takeout musubi and bento shop on Kūhiō Ave at the Aqua Pacific Monarch; part of a small Honolulu chain.
Kalihi$
Nisshodo Candy Store
Shave ice & dessert · Japanese · Bakeries & malasadas
Century-old Kalihi mochi shop making traditional Japanese sweets; chichi dango often sells out daily.
ʻAiea & Pearl City$
Forty Niner Restaurant
Plate lunch & local food · Udon & noodles
Old-time ʻAiea diner on the Hawaiʻi historic register, best known for inexpensive saimin; short drive from Pearl Harbor.
North Shore$$
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck
Food trucks · Seafood
Graffiti-covered Kahuku truck serving garlic shrimp scampi plates; lines peak Dec-Mar.
Kalihi$
Alicia's Market
Poke · Plate lunch & local food
Family-run Kalihi market and deli back in its original Mokauea St spot after a fire; known for poke and roast meats.
Chinatown$$
Bar 35
Bars & pubs · Pizza
Downtown/Chinatown bar on Hotel Street with indoor-outdoor space, pizzas, a big beer list and weekend DJs.
Waikīkī$$$
House Without a Key
Bars & pubs · American · Cocktail bars
Halekulani's oceanfront lanai under a kiawe tree; nightly hula and Hawaiian music about 5:30-8:30pm.
Ocean view
Kalihi$
Kamehameha Bakery
Bakeries & malasadas
Pre-dawn Kalihi bakery known for purple poi-glazed donuts and malasadas; popular items sell out later in the day.
North Shore$
Kono's
Breakfast & brunch · American
Haleʻiwa counter known for 12-hour kālua pork and Breakfast Bomber burritos.
Chinatown$
Lam's Kitchen
Chinese · Udon & noodles
Chinatown Cantonese noodle shop for wonton min and roast meats; renovated and expanded, reopening Dec 2025.
Chinatown$$
Legend Seafood Restaurant
Dim sum · Chinese · Seafood
Cantonese dim sum and seafood hall in Chinatown Cultural Plaza; weekend tables fill early with families.
Airport & Iwilei$$
Liliha Bakery Nimitz
Bakeries & malasadas · Breakfast & brunch · American
Larger sit-down Liliha Bakery on Nimitz Highway serving all-day diner food and coco puffs.
Chinatown$
Maguro Brothers Chinatown
Poke · Seafood · Japanese
Fishmonger-run poke and sashimi counter inside Kekaulike Market; daytime only and often sells out by noon.
Waikīkī$
Marugame Udon Waikīkī
Udon & noodles · Japanese
Cafeteria-style Kuhio Ave udon shop with noodles made in view and a la carte tempura; lines are common.
Kapolei & Ko Olina$$
MENSHO Hawaiʻi
Ramen · Japanese
First Hawaiʻi shop of the Tokyo ramen brand MENSHO, at Ka Makana Aliʻi in Kapolei. It opened for dinner in May 2026 and added walk-in lunch service in September 2026.
Hawaiʻi Kai$$
Moena Café
Breakfast & brunch
Koko Marina brunch café popular after Koko Head hikes; weekend lines after 8:30am.
Kailua$$
Moke's Bread & Breakfast
Breakfast & brunch
Kailua breakfast spot known for lilikoʻi pancakes and handmade corned beef hash; closed Tuesdays, fills early.
Airport & Iwilei$$
Nico's Pier 38
Seafood · Plate lunch & local food
Harborside Pier 38 seafood restaurant and fish market; nightly live music listed through 2026.
Kapahulu$
Ono Seafood
Poke · Seafood
Small Kapahulu poke counter known for made-to-order shoyu and spicy ahi bowls; often sells out.
Waikīkī$$
Thai Tacos
Thai · Mexican & tacos · Food trucks
Thai-Mexican fusion taco trailer in Waikīkī; three tacos about $18-21, vegan tofu option.
Sponsored
McCully$
Waiola Shave Ice (Waiola St)
Shave ice & dessert
Original Waiola shave ice shop on Waiola St with fine-shaved ice and old-school toppings.
Kapahulu$
Waiola Shave Ice Kapahulu
Shave ice & dessert
Kapahulu branch of Waiola Shave Ice on Mokihana St, off Kapahulu Ave.
Mōʻiliʻili$
Yama's Fish Market
Hawaiian food · Poke · Plate lunch & local food
Takeout-only Mōʻiliʻili fish market and deli for Hawaiian plates, poke and haupia pie.
Kaimukī$
Fresh Catch Kaimukī
Poke · Seafood · Plate lunch & local food
Waiʻalae Ave poke and seafood counter with a few tables; sister shop in Kāneʻohe.
Kāneʻohe$
Fresh Catch Kāneʻohe
Poke · Seafood
Kāneʻohe poke shop and fish market, the larger of Fresh Catch's two locations.
Mōʻiliʻili$$
Peace Café
Vegan & vegetarian
All-vegan café on South King Street in Mōʻiliʻili serving plate lunches, bentos and baked goods.
Kalihi$
Rainbow Drive-In Kalihi
Plate lunch & local food
Second Rainbow Drive-In, opened 2018 at School and Houghtailing streets with the Kapahulu menu.
Ala Moana$$
Side Street Inn (Hopaka)
Plate lunch & local food · Bars & pubs
Original Side Street Inn near Ala Moana, a pau hana spot for family-style local plates.