Where to eat
Luaus
When you return home from your trip to Hawaii, one question that you almost certainly will be asked is "Did you go to a luau?" Trust me on this one. Everyone thinks everyone who goes to Hawaii goes to a luau. Here is some information about luaus located on the island of Oahu.
One of the best things about going on vacation is experiencing the local cuisine. Hawaii has a lot to offer in that category. For a glossary of food terms you are likely to encounter while on your vacation in Hawaii, click here.
One of the sources I like to use when deciding where to go for dinner is the Honolulu Advertiser's annual "Hawaii's Best Restaurants" guide. You can find reviews there for most of the best restaurants on Oahu. There are some great choices in Waikiki. The list below contains links to each restaurant's website as well as a short description found on their website.
Island Contemporary
Bali by the Sea, Hilton Hawaiian Village - Bali by the Sea offers one of the finest oceanside dining experiences in the Islands. Here, you will savor the award-winning Pacific Rim cuisine in our open-air dining room, which offers stunning views of Waikiki Beach. Offering fine dining in a refreshingly relaxed atmosphere, you'll enjoy culinary creations in a setting caressed by gentle breezes with sounds of the ocean just steps away.
Holokai Grill - Holokai Grill is a 152-seat restaurant and lounge located at the Waikiki Beach Walk. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner showcasing first rate, Pacific Rim cuisine, Holokai Grill provides a carefree, casual dining experience. Along with our live, contemporary Hawaiian entertainment, the staff and décor fosters a vibrant and fun sense of place that reflects the spirit of aloha and Polynesian adventure. The allure of our menu, featuring dishes prepared with fresh, locally grown ingredients and our specialty drinks prepared with fresh fruit will help make dining at Holokai Grill an experience to remember and revisit again and again.
Duke's Canoe Club - It's what you came for - authentic Waikiki. You are invited to experience old Waikiki at Duke's, the world-famous restaurant named for our favorite son, Duke Kahanamoku. Right between two of our most spectacular grand hotels on Waikiki beach, the Moana Surfrider and the Royal Hawaiian, Duke's has been a driving force in reinvigorating Waikiki with Hawaiian culture and lore. Our staff invites you into our ohana (Hawaiian for family) as we offer delicious original Hawaiian-influenced cuisine, a generous helping of Aloha spirit, and one of the most famous views found anywhere. With the sun-setting, dinner at Duke's is less like a meal and more like a dream. With the surf crashing before you, and the palms rustling together, the Lilikoi sisters stroll from table to table singing and playing the gentle rhythms of old Hawaiian songs.
Hula Grill Waikiki - This charming plantation style restaurant is located at the water's edge and in the spectacular Outrigger Waikiki Hotel on Waikiki Beach. We are hau'oli (Hawaiian for happy) to offer you a perfect vantage point to watch the morning light play on Diamond Head or take in a fiery sunset. Whether you would like to start your day with pineapple pancakes for breakfast or begin your evening with a dinner of delicious Hawaii regional seafood and prime steaks, including fresh fish and locally grown produce. You'll find we lovingly prepare all our dishes to reflect the beauty and richness of the islands.
Roy's Waikiki - Nowhere else will you find a culinary experience quite like the flavors, textures and colors created in Roy's kitchens. Combining the freshest local ingredients with European sauces and bold Asian spices, each creation leaves you with the feeling that you've just found paradise. Roy's features the finest seafood, with a focus on delicacies from the oceans surrounding Hawaii. You will find such offerings as Ono, Opakapaka and Onaga in addition to an array of hand-cut meats, sushi and fresh shell fish.
Orchids - Orchids is Halekulani's casually elegant oceanfront restaurant, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner amidst a abundance of brightly-colored tropical orchids. Innovative creations are presented throughout the day in a relaxed, idyllic setting. Specialties include ahi-seared sashimi with Cajun spices, island-raised moi with hearts of palm, and oriental style steamed onaga.
Prince Court - Famed for Contemporary Island Cuisine, the Prince Court is a subtle blend of the classic culinary techniques of East and West, prepared with fresh island produce from land and sea. Spectacular views of Ala Wai Yacht Harbor and the island's beautiful sunset are a focal point from the restaurant's glass walls.
Tiki's Grill & Bar - Tiki's has the charm and aura of the old tiki bars from the 1950s and '60s. The interior features palm wood flooring, fish nets hanging from the ceiling, with rock, plus 50 hand-carved masks, statues and war clubs from different regions around the Pacific and original framed art flanking the dining room walls. Tiki's offers lanai seating with beautiful sunsets on Kuhio Beach. A 30-foot, man made volcano is the showpiece in the bar, where pupu, tropical drinks and refreshing cocktails are served. Tiki's menu celebrates the flavors and ingredients of the islands. Tempting signature appetizers include Coconut Shrimp, Calamari Katsu and Kalua Pig Quesadillas.
American
Diamond Head Grill - A short walk from exciting Waikiki beach and nestled at the base of Diamond Head crater. While lounging on the contemporary and stylish furniture enjoy the views of Kapiolani Park and Diamond Head Crater that can't be matched by any other Waikiki location. Passion for food is the most important quality of a successful chef" and at Diamond Head Grill, diners will definitely delight in the creations of Chef Lalica's passion where he presents his own unique style of French and Italian cuisine with a touch of island flair.
Hanohano Room - Watch all of Waikiki beneath your feet as a glass elevator zips you 30 stories up to Waikiki's loftiest dining establishment. In the Hanohano Room, while romantically surrounded by starlit skies and twinkling city lights, you are not only at the highest vantage point on Waikiki Beach; you are also at the height of dining excellence. Hanohano is Hawaiian for "glorious, distinctive or in an elevated position", and the experience of dining in the Hanohano Room encompasses all three definitions.
House Without a Key - Sunset cocktails & Hawaiian music - the essence of Oahu. Immortalized in a 1925 Charlie Chan novel, House Without A Key is Halekulani's popular indoor/outdoor gathering spot for informal breakfast, lunch, cocktails, appetizers and entertainment. One of the favored traditions of the original Halekulani - cocktails and Hawaiian music under the century-old Kiawe tree - has been faithfully preserved here.
MAC 24/7 - Modern American Cooking, 24 hours, 7 days a week is Waikiki's only 24-hour full service restaurant and bar(6 a.m.-4 a.m.). MAC 24-7 features familiar local and mainland favorites --breakfast, brunch/lunch, snack, pau hana, dinner and desserts -- served around the clock.
The Cheesecake Factory - The Cheesecake Factory is a unique, upscale casual dining restaurant offering more than 200 menu selections including Appetizers, Pizza, Pasta, Seafood, Steaks, Salads, Sandwiches, and more. Our menu also features specialty dishes like Chicken Madeira, Miso Salmon, Cajun Jambalaya Pasta, and The Factory Burger. But save room for dessert! Try one of our 50 delicious cheesecakes and desserts such as our White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle® Cheesecake or our new Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake with a cappuccino or espresso.
Japanese
Nobu - NOBU WAIKIKI features architectural rudiments reflective of Hawaii's distinct environment: running water, bamboo, fish nets, island foliage and stone surfaces. It is located in the Waikiki Parc Hotel's lobby floor and includes a full-service sushi bar and private dining areas for special events.
Todai Waikiki - An upscale Sushi and Seafood Buffet Restaurant, Todai offers an assortment of quality food and services at an affordable price. Todai features a 160-foot seafood buffet counter brimming with over 40 kinds of sushi and over 15 dishes are served at both the fresh salad bar and hot entree island. A delectable dessert bar with over 20 petite cakes and fresh fruits is ready to end the perfect meal.
Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar - Contemporary sushi and new wave Asian inspired dishes served in a lively setting is what makes Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar a critic's favorite. Sansei's sushi chefs are known for their highly imaginative creations, like their signature Panko Crusted Ahi Roll, and the famous Kapalua Butterfly Roll, a colorful delight of salmon, crab, shiromi, and fresh vegetables. A multiple first place winner at the annual Taste of Lahaina, Sansei's Asian Shrimp Cake with Ginger Lime Butter and Cilantro Pesto, is a delicate shrimp cake encased in crispy Chinese noodles
Steakhouse
d.k Steak House - What could be better then cutting into a juicy dry aged steak and taking in the view of one of the world's most famous beaches?" thought D.K. Kodama when he created d.k Steak overlooking Waikiki beach. "I love a great steak and with d.k. Steak I wanted to bring together all the elements that I relish about a great American steakhouse." With rich, succulent steaks that are full of flavor, and classic side dishes like their enormous baked potato, creamed spinach, and jumbo shrimp cocktail, d.k Steak is an American classic in Waikiki.
Hy's Steak House - Hy's charming Main Room and Broiler Room resemble an old English mansion and possess all the ambience of a private gentlemen's club. The centerpiece of the Broiler Room is a custom-made, brass and copper caldron which serves as an open hearth for the house specialties broiled over native Hawaiian kiawe wood. Traditions that have disappeared in other fine dining restaurants are maintained at Hy's. Tuxedoed waiters still expertly prepare Caesar Salad, carve Chateaubriand for two and flambè delicious desserts (like Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubilee ) tableside. Diners expecting only a limited menu consisting mainly of broiled cuts of beef are in for a pleasant surprise at Hy's. Our executive chef offers a variety of Continental and Pacific rim specialties on the menu at Hy's Steak House.
The Colony - Discover The Colony Steakhouse - a total dining experience to be savored with a charming Hawaiian atmosphere. A palette of designer colors in soft beige, yellow and gold, a dramatic tray ceiling, hanging chandeliers, fine art, gleaming wood floors and soft recessed lighting provide a warm and elegant ambiance in which to savor your meal. The Colony offers Hawaii's freshest seafood and finest cut-to-order USDA prime steaks grilled to perfection over an open grill Hawaiian "kiawe" (mesquite) wood fire. Situated on the second floor of Diamond Head Tower, this restaurant offers a variety of appetizers, fresh locally grown salads, and tempting desserts.
French
La Mer - The inspiration is French, the fresh ingredients are Hawaiian, and the taste is simply divine... Perhaps nowhere is the Halekulani spirit captured more than at La Mer. That's because La Mer is more than just a restaurant. It is Halekulani's finest and Hawaii's only Five Diamond Restaurant. The internationally-acclaimed menu features Neoclassic French cuisine expertly crafted and served amid majestic ocean views. Indigenous ingredients are uniquely blended in dishes inspired by flavors from the south of France to produce a dining experience unsurpassed anywhere in the world.
Michel's Michel's oceanfront restaurant, once named "the most romantic restaurant" by Robin Leach's Rich & Famous, opened in 1962, Michel's remains one of Hawaii's longest-standing and finest restaurants, offering delectable dishes celebrating the rebirth of classical French cuisine. While enchanted by Michel's breathtaking ocean view, diners enjoy the first-class service provided by Michel's tuxedo-clad wait staff. Delectable culinary masterpieces incorporating fresh island ingredients and an extensive wine list provide for the most unforgettable dining experience. Visit Michel's for a special occasion, romantic celebration, or anytime you want to impress.
Seafood
Nick's Fishmarket The dinner menu reflects award-winning dishes. Favorites include live Maine lobster, an array of fresh Hawaiian fish preparations with a myriad of sauces, signature chowder and salads, perfectly grilled steaks and mouth-watering desserts. There is also weekend entertainment in the lounge.
Italian
Sarento's Top of the I - Sky-high dining in Hawaii's most elegant Italian restaurant. Delicious Italian regional cuisine, plus panaramic views of Waikiki, Honolulu, Diamond Head, and the Pacific Ocean. Colorful murals, and tile accents lend an authentic Mediterranean flavor.
Indian
Bombay Indian Restaurant - At Bombay Indian Restaurant, our endeavor is to bring you the essence of being in this incredible city. We hope the aroma and flavors you experience here bring you a little bit closer to the magnificent country of India.
Thai
Keo's - Keo's is known as the "In" place for celebrities and "Hawaii's most popular Thai Restaurant". Described as "One of the choicest dining spots in Honolulu" by the international Newsweek magazine and "Ethnic Chic" by GQ magazine, Keo's excellent reputation is evidenced by numerous prestigious awards gracing the walls. Keo's features casual elegant dining with a tropical garden ambience. Guests are often surprised to find that Keo's is more affordable than any other restaurant of its caliber.
Cheap Eats
Puka Dog - What is a Puka Dog? First of all Puka means Hole in Hawaiian.. With a special recipe we bake a bun-sized loaf of bread. We pierce a "puka" from one end and toast through most of the length of the bun. We then pour in any of our unique Hawaiian secret recipe relishes and sauces or standard condiments. Finally, we slide in a perfectly grilled, premium Polish type sausage made from a proprietary combination of prime meats manufactured to the highest quality standard to ensure and preserve the unique flavor that is compatible with our 4 different Garlic Lemon Secret Sauce and 7 Tropical Relishes.
Great for Cocktails
Lewers Lounge - The redesigned Lewers Lounge is the rebirth of a great lounge with fabulous cocktails, tempting appetizers and desserts, and live entertainment. The perfect spot for early evening cocktails or after-dinner drinks.