The best restaurants Hawaii

The izakaya is a kind of aperitif with tapas, Japanese version. It is the Japanese equivalent of Hawaiian puppets accompanied by cocktails. The large Hawaiian community of Japanese origin loves it and so do the many Japanese tourists! It may well be that you will find yourself surrounded by Japanese people. The Gaku has become the reference in izakaya in Oahu. The chef prepares all the dishes in front of the customers and it's excellent. Try the "oyster shot", from oysters to iced sake: a pure pleasure.

Alexandre Trancher, a French chef and former chef of the Tour d'Argent, is in charge. The creativity of the dishes is exceptional and the products 100% made in France. So, yes, it's a bit expensive but frankly, in France, it would easily be equivalent to a 2 Michelin star, so it's really worth the price. On the tasting menu, you can taste a duck foie gras, lacquered with red beet juice flavored with raspberries; roasted scallops, cuttlefish leaves, orange beurre blanc and caviar grains and lobster, basil gnocchi.

One of the most popular restaurants in Waikiki. A magical setting with a terrace overlooking the Outrigger beach where the tikis (Hawaiian torches) are lit at night. Tropical decoration and Hawaiian music. The walls are covered with photos of the famous surfing champion, Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968). Hawaiian and American specialties on the menu. The best plan for small budgets is the "Barefoot Bar", upstairs, where you can sip cocktails and eat large plates of pupus (salty snacks), salads, sandwiches. A sure value!

New Hawaiian cuisine by celebrity chef Roy Yamaguchi, who has some 30 locations around the world! The one in Waikiki is his very first, and it's worth a visit for that reason alone. Roy's secret is the successful fusion of all the culinary influences of Hawaii's mixed population, from Asia to Polynesia. It's expensive, but it's top-notch Hawaiian cuisine. We recommend the Al fresco menu with starter, main course and dessert, even if it means adding a few side dishes to taste everything.

This address established in Honolulu since 1974 is one of the best restaurants in town to have a real complete breakfast, based on local specialties, or pancakes, omelets, pancakes or waffles. To eat on the spot, a waiter installs you in a large room with a retro Hawaiian look, partly open on the outside. We loved the loco moco, the eggs Benedict and the waffles for dessert. Believe us, you won't be hungry when you leave, it's even the ideal meal after an all-nighter in Waikiki.

Created by three friends just out of college who were looking for a place to hang out. In an exotic and idyllic setting, illuminated by tikis (Hawaiian torches) at nightfall (hence the name of the establishment), you can enjoy Hawaiian and American specialties: coconut chicken, pork chops with guava sauce, Thai-style shrimp, fish with macadamia nut crust. Beautiful terrace with a view of the sea. Live music every night, two to three bands take turns throughout the evening.

Established in 1952, Leonard's Bakery has been making the famous "malasadas" for decades. These are doughnuts that Portuguese immigrants, who came to work on the sugar plantations in the 19th century, imported to Hawaii. "Malasadas" means "badly made" because the recipe for their dough was flawed and they were covered with sugar to create the illusion. This is the story of the success of a failure, undisputed today! The proof: tourists and locals are constantly lining up at Leonard's... Coconut, chocolate or plain, everything is possible!

A restaurant very popular with the locals because it offers typical Hawaiian dishes. Some of them are revisited in a sophisticated and contemporary way with a beautiful creativity in the plate. But if the locals like this place so much, it's also because Hawaiian bands play there on Thursdays and Sundays (check the facebook page to know the program). We also appreciate the drinks program: on Sundays it's sangria and the happy hour on mai tai and margaritas is every day from 3pm to 5pm.

Chinatown: Post OfficeChinatown Cultural Plaza 100 N. Beretania Street - Suite 160 Tel (808) 832 0068

Restaurant of the American chain Gyu-Kaku, specialized in Japanese barbecue, to share with two. The grill is integrated directly into the table and allows you to choose the cooking, the order and the quantity of meat to brown. The good deal is their daily happy hour, from 11:30 am to 6:30 pm and from 9:30 pm to closing from Tuesday to Sunday and all day Monday: a selection of barbecues and beers at half price! Big eaters can choose the "all you can eat" menus with 37, 60 or 74 dishes to be enjoyed at will for 90 minutes!

Known for its coffee and hot chocolate, this small coffee shop also serves good breakfasts (pancakes, waffles, bowls) and lunches. The fresh fruit juices, smoothies and ice creams are made with local products. The recipes are healthy (lots of seeds and matcha!) and original, for example the kumquat or melon cupcakes! Small store on the spot with coffee on sale and related products. Possibility to order online to go faster because the queue forms quickly, a guarantee of quality!

Here is a surprising address in Hawaii! Brigit and Bernard offer a clever mix of German and Swiss cuisine, with recipes adapted to local products. The favorite of the locals: the chicken Schnitzel and the beer. Also worth trying is the "Zueri Gschnetzlets" with meat simmered in a mushroom sauce accompanied by rosti. Lamb and pork share the spotlight. It's original and the quality is good. Reservations are recommended.

Located at the exit of Paia towards Hana, Tobi's shave ice and poke is a small address with an unpretentious front, yet it is surely the best poke we tasted on the archipelago! The fresh fish is served with several choices of sauces: soy, ginger, Hawaiian (our favorite), coconut and lemon, spices or cream. All served with white or brown rice, sesame seeds and onions. A real delight. Possibility to order online and/or to eat on site.

Located at the exit of Paia towards Hana, Tobi's shave ice and Poke looks like a simple snack, but it is the best poke we had the opportunity to eat on the archipelago in 2022. The dishes are copious and not expensive. You have the choice between several fresh fishes, accompanied by white or brown rice and a sauce of your choice: Hawaiian (our favorite), wasabi, ginger, soy, creamy or spicy. For dessert, the traditional shave ice or fresh fruit bowls (try the acai bowl). To be enjoyed on the terrace or on the beach.

This restaurant is established in front of the sea with a beautiful terrace from where you can see the island of Lanai. It is the perfect place to admire the beautiful sunset over Lanai while drinking a good Mai Tai at mini price during the happy hour since cocktails are only 6 US$ during these cheerful hours. But try to come early to get the best table possible. The cuisine is refined and sophisticated with original dishes like shrimp curry with macadamia nuts or grilled fish with passion fruit butter.

The Barefruit bar is the place to go to satisfy your cravings for exotic fruits (although the cravings come back very quickly, we never get tired of them!) This small stand proposes fresh fruit juices, smoothies and milkshakes but especially "bowls", the famous bowls filled with fruits that everyone is crazy about on the archipelago. Our favorite, the pitaya bowl with extra granola of course! The proportions are generous and the fruits delicious. You should also try the pineapple boat: your fruit salad is served in a hollowed out pineapple half!

Feel like eating sushi? This is the perfect address. This chain of rotating sushi bars is very popular in Hawaii (only 8 addresses on Oahu, 2 on Big Island, 1 on Kauai and Maui!) As in Japan, the concept is simple: the price of the sushi that goes by depends on the color of the plates. From the covid, the menu is entirely available to take away or to deliver: bento box with spicy tuna, poke Ahi, Teriyaki chicken, Sukiyaki udon noodles, spicy edamame or gyoza, a treat! The most daring will be able to try the 50 pieces trays!

Mexican food in Hawaii? It's not typical, but the products are local and the food is quality. This restaurant has set itself the challenge of changing the reputation of Mexican food and proving that it can be refined and sought after. Located outside on the roof of a building, the view on the city is grandiose. Rich program: every Monday it's Margarita night from 5 pm (5 US$ the glass), Tuesday tacos (2 US$ the tacos) and the 5th of the month the restaurant makes the fiesta from 6 pm with music, tapas and cocktails at reduced prices.

The most authentic Italian restaurant in Waikiki. Delicious dishes, prepared just like the "mama"! Pasta fans love the "spaghetti alla pescatora" (with seafood and garlic) and pizza fans can't get enough of the "owner's favorite" (with shrimp and onions, with parmesan cheese). For dessert, there is the inevitable tiramisu, the Catalan cream and a choice of ice creams. The menu is also available to take away since 2021. A second location has opened in the Kahala Resort Hotel.

Bar-restaurant identical to the one in Waikiki on Oahu, except that it is on Kalapaki Beach, in Kauai! Very nice view on the sea and animated evenings with many live concerts. Very Hawaiian decoration, with pictures of the surfing champion Duke Kahanamoku. American cuisine with strong local influences. On the menu: sandwiches, salads, grilled meats and pupus (salty snacks for the aperitif). Try the Hula Pie, the dessert that is the pride of the place, made with macadamia ice cream.