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Oahu is undergoing something of a renaissance at both ends of the dining spectrum. You can splurge on world-class contemporary cuisine at destination restaurants and explore local flavors at popular, very affordable holes in the wall. Whatever your taste and budget, you’ll find places that pique your interest and palate.
You may wish to budget for a pricey dining experience at the very top of the restaurant food chain, where chefs Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi, George Mavrothalassitis, Chris Kajioka, and others you've seen on the Food Network and Travel Channel put a sophisticated spin on local foods and flavors. Savor dishes that take cues from Japan, China, Korea, the Philippines, the United States, and Europe, then are filtered through an Island sensibility. Take advantage of the location and order the superb local fish—mahimahi, opakaka, ono, and opah.
Spend the rest of your food dollars where budget-conscious locals do: in plate-lunch places and small ethnic eateries, at roadside stands and lunch wagons, or at window-in-the-wall delis. Snack on a musubi (a handheld rice ball wrapped with seaweed and often topped with Spam), slurp shave ice with red-bean paste, or order Filipino pork adobo with two scoops of rice and macaroni salad.
In Waikiki, where most visitors stay, you can find choices from upscale dining rooms with a view to Japanese noodle shops. When you’re ready to explore, hop in the car, or on the trolley or bus—by going just a few miles in any direction, you can save money and eat like a local.
Kaimuki's Waialae Avenue, for example, is a critical mass of good eats and drinks. There you’ll find an espresso bar, a Chinese bakery, a patisserie, an Italian bistro, a dim-sum restaurant, Mexican food, and a Hawaiian regional-cuisine standout (3660 on the Rise)—all in three blocks, and 10 minutes from Waikiki. Chinatown, 15 minutes in the other direction and easily reached by the Waikiki Trolley, is another dining (and shopping) treasure, not only for Chinese but also Vietnamese, Filipino, Malaysian, and Indian food, and even a chic little tea shop. Kakaako, the developing urban area between Waikiki and Chinatown, also offers a mix of local eateries, upscale restaurants, and ethnic takeout.
Outside Honolulu and Waikiki there are fewer dining options, but restaurants tend to be filled with locals and are cheaper and more casual. Windward Oahu's dining scene has improved greatly in recent years due to the visitors to Kailua and Lanikai beaches, so everything from plate lunches to Latin foods to creative regional offerings can be found there. Across the rest of the island, the cuisine is mainly American—great if you're traveling with kids—but there are a handful of Italian and Asian places worth trying as well.
This food truck in the Manuhealii parking lot serves delicious, made-to-order malasadas (Portuguese donuts) that are crispy and dark brown on the outside and soft, chewy, and sweet on the inside. They're also denser than those found at some other bakeries on the island. This means that they're probably more authentic to the original Portuguese recipe.
Follow a narrow beach pathway (between The Cheesecake Factory and Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort) lined with surfboards to reach this takeout spot specializing in banán, a frozen, vegan-friendly dessert made with local bananas and containing no added sugar. Other snack options include smoothies, smoothie bowls, and ulu (breadfruit) waffles. Try the “Riss Moore” flavor, filled with tropical fruits and named after surfer Carissa Moore, the 2020 Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion. There's no seating here, but Banán is steps from the beach and the main drag in Waikiki.
Well established as a local favorite, this unassuming restaurant is situated in a strip mall near Diamond Head and away from the bustle of Waikiki. It's a great spot to grab a bagel or açai bowl in the morning or to linger over a post-sunset dinner—perhaps enjoying seared scallops with cauliflower puree, a pork chop with braised fennel, or one of the pasta dishes, including the chef’s signature cacio e pepe featuring cheese imported from Italy’s Dolomites region. Interesting cocktails, a full wine list, and tantalizing desserts (the coconut panna cotta is incredibly light and creamy) round out the offerings. The interior is basic, but there's also seating on the patio out front.
Enjoy sunset views over the yacht harbor, live music, and signature "Guy-Tai" cocktails at this Waikiki landmark opened in 1969 by surfing legend Joey Cabell. The extensive menu maintains the midcentury notion of fine dining, with oysters Rockefeller, shrimp cocktail, and steaks (including a bison tenderloin from Ted Turner's ranch) alongside poke, macadamia-nut-crusted mahimahi, and the fan-favorite "Joey's ahi mignon." Early birds can take advantage of the "surf break" menu, and there's also a very popular weekend brunch (book in advance). Regulars perch at the bar, and in the dining room, local families, couples, and tourists feast amid the dark, cork-lined walls while admiring the lovely marina.
Tucked away on the second floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center, this stylish, sleek, and cozy spot has a selection of more than 40 international wines by the glass—all served via a high-tech vending machine that uses prepaid cards. The food menu is limited, but a few favorites include oversize Wagyu burgers, poke bites with nori chips, and cheese and charcuterie plates. The restaurant also offers breakfast, lunch (featuring small plates), and a happy hour (3–6 pm) with discount wines and light bites at the bar.
Putting a playful and creative spin on Hawaii regional cuisine, Kapa Hale has elegantly presented, upscale, fusion cuisine and cocktails by a local-boy chef. Menu items are changed seasonally and sourced locally with fun, wordplay names for different dishes.
When Lee Anne Wong, best known as a competitor on the first season of Bravo's Top Chef, moved to the Islands, foodies waited with bated breath for this, her first restaurant. It's a lively yet laid-back café, where she took the concept of breakfast and flipped it, creating innovative dishes like Elvis's Revenge, a peanut butter and banana tempura sandwich with candied bacon, and her signature dumplings, which change daily.
Michael Mina, a James Beard Award winner, designed an exceptional line-to-table menu that celebrates the local catch and matches the panoramic views from indoor and lanai oceanfront tables. This might be the only restaurant in Hawaii (or the world) to have an on-site “fish sommelier,” who guides you through the mind-boggling array of cooking techniques, flavorings, and portions—from fillet to whole fish—and helps you choose the best matches for your particular palate. Validate your ticket for free valet parking during your meal.
The "M" and "W" team of husband-and-wife chefs Michelle Karr-Ueko and Wade Ueko combine their collective experience (20 years alongside chef Alan Wong, a side step to the famed French Laundry, and some serious kitchen time at comfort food icon Zippy's) to create a uniquely local menu with a decidedly upscale twist. Michelle's flair for sweets has resulted in a dessert menu as long as the main one, including tropical fruit creamsicle brûlée, an MW candy bar, and the frozen lilikoi (Hawaiian passion fruit) soufflé.
Lyonnaise chef Nico Chaiz's harborside restaurant is steps from the Honolulu Fish Auction, which explains his "line-to-plate" concept—super-fresh fish dishes at a reasonable price. But he lets his French flag fly in dishes like steak frites and bouillabaisse, too. Lunch focuses on local-style plate lunches and serves more of a local workers crowd. Come dinnertime, you'll see a mix of tourists and kamaaina here for beers on tap, cocktails, almost nightly music, and an excellent menu across the board. Although most indoor tables have harbor views, try to get a table on the lanai. If you're staying in a place with a kitchen and need to stock up, note that the fish market also sells prepared foods like poke, soups, and stews. In Kailua, there's a Nico's serving almost the same menu as the original at Pier 38.
Perched along the seawall at historic Gray's Beach, in the luxe Halekulani resort, Orchids is a locus of power breakfasters, ladies who lunch, and those celebrating special occasions at Sunday brunch or dinner. The louvered walls are open to the breezes, sprays of orchids add color, the contemporary international dishes are perfectly prepared, and the wine list is intriguing. Highlights of chef Christian Testa's menu include a prime beef filet appetizer from Harris Ranch, a special lasagnette dish, and an abundance of seafood options. Enjoy sunset cocktails at the adjacent open-air bar, House Without A Key.
Every item on the modern American menu at this small, sophisticated, James Beard Award–nominee is carefully concocted and artfully plated. You can order à la carte or indulge in the pricey tasting menu at the Chef's Counter; dessert is a must thanks to pastry chef Mimi Mendoza's delectable works of art. The same owners also operate the swanky bar Podmore, nearby.
Chef Andrew Le's casual noodle house attracts downtown office workers by day and becomes a creative contemporary restaurant at night, pulling in serious chowhounds. Drawing on both his Vietnamese heritage and multicultural island flavors, the talented, playful Le is a wizard with spice and acid, turning out dishes of layered flavor. The restaurant has food stands at farmers' markets, and its sister restaurant, Piggy Smalls, serves a scaled-down but similar menu.
Tiki's is the kind of fun place people come to Waikiki for: a retro–South Pacific spot with a back-of-the-bar faux volcano, open-air lounge with live local music, indoor-outdoor dining, and a fantastic view of the beach across the street. Chef Ronnie Nasuti turns out beautifully composed plates and puts fresh twists on the super-familiar—like spicy "volcano" chicken wings, watermelon and feta salad, or Thai-style shrimp puttanesca. Be sure to try one of the mai tais, which come in a variety of flavors, then settle in and stay a while. There's live music on most nights and an upbeat crowd at the bar. It may look like a place designed for tourists, but it's the locals who come back again and again.
At this bright, lively, upscale food court on the third floor of the Royal Hawaiian Center, you can feast on local and Japanese options ranging from massive, juicy burgers to spicy shrimp tacos to exquisite smoothies topped with colorful, edible designs—all emphasizing the use of fresh, local ingredients. Vendors here include Five Star Shrimp, Milk, JTRRD, Meatally Boys, POTAMA (Pork Tamago Onigiri), Honolulu Burger Co., Surfer’s Cafe, and Tap Bar. Best of all, you don’t need to try just one vendor—you can mix and match and enjoy tasty selections from several. There’s plenty of seating, and you can also shop for local art and cool island souvenirs.
Dating from 1922, this historic café surrounded by the verdant Manoa Valley landscape is part of the Hawaii Salvation Army headquarters and has been independently operated by Ross and Stefanie Anderson since late 2018. A short menu of simple, delicious breakfast and lunch items are ordered at the counter and delivered to your chosen table, either inside the cozy, multiroom bungalow or on the covered lanai. The Waioli staff is largely made up of people in recovery from substance abuse who are learning the restaurant and kitchen trade, and a 3% vocational training fee is added to all checks, bringing the former tearoom back to its roots as a kitchen skills program for orphaned girls. There's a cute gift shop and plenty of space to linger in the lushness.
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