Going out to eat can be one of the most fun things to do in Honolulu. We love sampling the best restaurants in Waikiki to find the freshest food and experience the most fantastic flavors. From Japanese to French, there’s a restaurant to suit every palate. Join us on this tour of our favorite places to eat.
Hawaiian and Seafood
Hawaii is an island nation that specializes in seafood. We highly recommend dining on fresh fish at the following restaurants.
1. Azure Restaurant
Azure Restaurant offers beachfront dining at its best, with world-class cuisine and gorgeous architecture. Wednesday through Sunday evenings, Azure serves four courses of delicious dishes. The peaceful waterfront setting complements the delicate flavors of the food.
After your meal, stick around for a craft cocktail or two. From mai tai punch to Azure’s twist on a classic piña colada, the beautifully garnished drinks will leave you feeling relaxed and refreshed.
2. Hula Grill Waikiki
If you’re looking for authentic Hawaiian flavors, look no further than Hula Grill Waikiki. All ingredients are sourced daily from local farmers and fishermen. The fish are locally caught using nature-friendly line fishing methods, and the produce comes fresh from the island’s own soil.
Check out the house’s Hula Pie, a decadent dessert featuring whipped cream, toasted macadamia nuts, and hot fudge. It has a long history, having gained the title of “what the sailors swam ashore for” at the owners’ first restaurant in Maui.
Hula Grill is open seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. Be sure to check out the cocktail list, which features fresh flavors, like coconut and pineapple.
3. Eating House 1849
Fresh oysters, flame-grilled meats, and fruity cocktails—Eating House 1849 has everything you need for a delicious meal.
Chef Roy Yamaguchi uses ingredients sourced from local farmers, foragers, ranchers, and fishermen and blends them with global flavors to create memorable meals. Check out the Kauai curried clams and Thai spiced watermelon poke to experience a fascinating combination of cuisines.
With a convenient location in International Market Place, Eating House 1849 is open every day from 4 to 9 p.m. for dinner. The first hour is happy hour, with great deals on craft cocktails and more. You can also drop in on weekends from 10:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. for brunch.
Japanese Restaurants
Japanese cuisine is huge in Honolulu. Spending an evening sharing sushi platters or slurping down noodles is one of the best things to do in Oahu for couples.
4. Restaurant Suntory
Restaurant Suntory has long been the go-to location for authentic Japanese cuisine in Waikiki. The restaurant opened more than 40 years ago and serves kaiseki, omakase, and sushi. The special dishes change with the seasons, ensuring you always receive the freshest and best food.
Visit at lunchtime for excellent value deals, or stop by for dinner and enjoy a full course of seafood and Asian specialties. In between, you can hang out in the lounge café.
5. Ginza Bairin - Tonkatsu & Yoshoku Bistro Rooms
Ginza Bairin offers two dining options—the Tonkatsu Room and the Yoshoku Bistro Room. Its founder, Nobukatsu Shibuya, started the family’s first restaurant in 1927. Three generations later, the Shibuya family is still serving up authentic Japanese cuisine.
The restaurant opens every day from 11 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. and offers dine-in and take-out options. Be sure to try one of the pork katsu dishes with a side order of crab cream croquettes. The food is heavily inspired by Japan’s Meiji Restoration Period, making Ginza Bairin unique among Japanese restaurants in Waikiki.
6. Momosan Waikiki
Noodles are the name of the game at Momosan Waikiki. No matter what type of day you've had, a bowl of signature tonkotsu ramen always provides the perfect pick-me-up. At least, that’s what works for us when we’ve been training hard.
Momosan welcomes everyone, whether you plan to dine alone at the bar or share one of the long tables with a large group of friends. The chatty, friendly environment makes it easy to feel at home.
Momosan also specializes in sake. Five varieties are featured on the menu, all available by the glass or bottle. Enjoy a five-year koshu featuring sweet chili and honey or the fresh and clean aftertaste of sparkling nigori.
7. TsuroTonTan
TsuroTonTan in Honolulu specializes in fat udon noodles smothered in a rich sauce. The restaurant is open from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. During happy hour, which lasts all day until 5:30 p.m., you'll get great deals on food and beverages.
The venue also serves marinated meats and sushi rolls. Wondering how the restaurant got its name? "Tsuro" refers to the noise people make when slurping noodles, while "ton" and "tan" are the sounds of kneading or shaping and cutting udon.
This restaurant is a feast for the senses. Every meal is beautifully presented with seasonings, including aromatic bonito flakes and savory kombu kelp.
International and Fusion
You can find any kind of cuisine in Honolulu. Check out this list of the hottest restaurants and best bars in Waikiki.
8. Roy's Waikiki
Roy’s Waikiki offers a premium blend of cuisines, mixing flavors from Asia, Hawaii, and beyond. Order takeout, dine in the comfortable dining room, or seat yourself at the outdoor bar to watch the world go by on Lewers Street.
Try the Hawaii crab cakes with spicy sesame butter, savor a frying dragon roll with wasabi butter, or sip on a pineapple-infused Hawaiian martini. Round off your meal with one of the venue's sweet dessert wines.
The fixed-price menu offers great value for your money, with a smorgasbord of internationally-inspired treats.
9. Aloha Table Waikiki
You can expect a warm welcome at Aloha Table Waikiki, where friendly waitstaff goes the extra mile to ensure you have a great time. With indoor and outdoor seating, it's an excellent place to bring a special someone for an enjoyable date.
While all the food served here is delicious, the chef recommends the premium Kobe-style beef loco moco. While most restaurants in Waikiki close relatively early, Aloha Table Waikiki is open until 11 p.m. every night.
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10. Tommy Bahama Restaurant
Welcome to the Tommy Bahama Restaurant, where farm-to-table dishes are served in a beautiful setting. Choose a table on your preferred floor of this three-story restaurant, which includes an open-air rooftop with a firepit and views of Honolulu.
With live music every night, it's one of the hottest spots in town, so book in advance to guarantee your spot. If you can’t get a table, don’t worry. Takeout is available, ensuring you never have to miss out on the restaurant’s world-famous coconut shrimp, blackened mahi mahi tacos, or scallop sliders.
Tommy Bahama is open daily from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., with live music starting at 5 p.m. It's located on Beachwalk Drive, which is also packed with excellent shopping opportunities.
11. Orchids at Halekulani
Enjoy elegant waterfront dining at Orchids at Halekulani, one of the top restaurants in Oahu. It's been featured in the Forbes Travel Guide and has received awards from Hawaii Magazine and Honolulu Magazine.
The venue is known for its Sparkling Sunday Brunch, served from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. This buffet-style brunch features an ice-cream sundae bar, carving stations, prosecco, and sparkling cider. Select creations from Halekulani Bakery are also available.
You can visit Orchids for breakfast, lunch, or dinner on other days of the week. Expect lightly seasoned, Mediterranean-style dishes prepared using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. The chef recommends the grilled octopus, served Gallega style, or the lobster salad.
One of our favorite menu items is the hamachi crudo, which pairs citrus-marinated hamachi with oranges, sea asparagus, and pressed watermelon in a delicate and divine dish.
Specialty and Unique Dining Experiences
Searching for a unique dining experience in Waikiki? Check out this eclectic selection of restaurants.
12. House Without A Key
If House Without A Key sounds familiar, it's because the restaurant was featured in a Charlie Chan novel and was once a favorite haunt of novelist Earnest Hemingway. Want to sit where he sat? Reserve Table 97. We suggest you try the restaurant's signature mai tai—they're as refreshing as they are delicious.
Sip your drink as you relax in the shade of its Kiawe Tree, which is more than 130 years old. Live music and hula dancers complete the soulful atmosphere.
Chef Jarrin Otake serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day. For the freshest fish you'll ever taste, go for the catch of the day. The menu also includes plenty of classics, including steaks and burgers. Its carefully curated wine list ensures you'll always find the perfect pairing to accompany your meal.
13. Maguro Brothers Hawaii
Maguro Brothers Hawaii has two locations, but both are open Monday through Saturday. The Chinatown location serves breakfast and lunch from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m., and the recently opened Waikiki restaurant is open for dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Both offer premium sashimi and Hawaiian-style poke. Much of the fish is locally caught and is deliciously fresh and flavorful. Order from the menu, or build your own custom platter. We recommend dining in, but you can also order your food ahead and pick it up later.
14. Tim Ho Wan
You’ll find Tim Ho Wan in the Royal Hawaiian Center in Honolulu. Open seven days a week from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m., this restaurant offers the best dim sum in town! Feast on pan-fried dumplings, steamed beef balls with bean curd skin, braised chicken feet, baked BBQ pork buns, and wonton in spicy sauce.
For dessert, don’t miss the lava custard sesame balls. Accompany your meal with jasmine green tea shipped in from Taiwan, sip on a Mango Slush, or enjoy a signature Hong Kong iced milk tea. Too worn out after a long day of sightseeing to dine in? Order takeout to take back to your resort or pack it for a picnic on the beach.
15. La Mer
If you’re looking for a sophisticated dining experience, head to La Mer, Hawaii’s only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant. Savor the peaceful Hawaiian scenery while dining on refined French cuisine. The wine list is extensive and carefully curated to ensure exquisite pairings.
La Mer is open from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. This venue has a dress code: slacks, dinner jackets, and a long-sleeved shirt with a collar are required. Please note that children under eight years old are not permitted.
After your meal, enjoy a cocktail in Honolulu’s most elegant lounge, L’Aperitif cocktail bar. The team will ensure you receive a drink that perfectly matches your tastes and mood.
Discover Your Next Favorite Meal in Waikiki's Culinary Paradise
The best food in Waikiki does more than fuel your body. It can also inspire your imagination and nourish your soul. We like to think our shows in Honolulu do the same. Our writers, musicians, and choreographers create shows that take your emotions on a roller-coaster ride.
Follow our performers as they tell stories that stir up your appetite for sorrow and joy while their gravity-defying acrobatic antics keep you on the edge of your seat. We can’t wait to see you in the audience of our theater. Why not come along to a post-dinner show?