The best restaurants Honolulu

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!

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!

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.

If we were to introduce you to Nico's Pier, we would have to talk about Nicolas, a Frenchman who arrived in Hawaii a few years ago. His success story began with a small shop where he simply sold fish dishes. With this success, he opened a restaurant on the fish market. The promise remains the same: the best fish on the island at the best price. His secret: he buys directly from the fishermen. Self-service at lunchtime; in the evening, the cuisine is more elaborate, with a menu where fish remains king!

Five Star Poke is the food truck that proves that fresh and quality food can be prepared in a truck. The raw fish offered varies according to the catch of the day: salmon, abalone, ahi or shrimp. Marinated with ginger, soy sauce and green onions, it can also be spiced with garlic or jalapeno. The combo option allows you to try two fish. All in good proportion and accompanied by rice, salad and homemade ginger lemonade. Nice wooden tables allow you to eat on the spot. Possibility to order online.

Another poke restaurant, but impossible to get tired of it! Maguro is one of the good addresses at low prices of Kuhio Avenue, anticipate the time of the meal to avoid queuing! The principle is simple, you choose the size, the fish (tuna, salmon, blue marlin, shrimps or everything!), the sauce (spicy mayonnaise, spicy sesame, wasabi sesame, teriyaki, creamy sesame, Hawaiian or oyster sauce) and finally the desired toppings (avocado, pine nuts, cucumber, edamame, garlic, macadamia nuts, green onions) and voila!

Maui's must-visit address is now present in Waikiki and Kailua. Specializing in fresh fish, Paia Fish Market offers plates based on the catch of the day. Among the fish regularly available: mahi mahi, ono (wahoo), snapper (snapper), ahi (yellowfin tuna), salmon and opah (lampris or sunfish). You can choose whether you want it grilled, sautéed, smoked or Cajun style (in sauce). For those on a budget, fish burgers or tacos are just as delicious.

If at first glance the Spitfire doesn't look like anything more than a snack in a shopping mall, it is definitely the best poke and the best value in Waikiki. The choice of fish and sauce is wide, the side dishes include grilled vegetables, which is rare, and the whole thing is enhanced with grilled onions, pickled cabbage, fresh avocado or radishes. A delicious and healthy dish at a low price. For dessert, don't miss the still warm malasadas, our preference being the purple sweet potato (ube).