116 Best Restaurants in Oahu, Hawaii

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.

The spacious, airy 100 Sails continues the everything-you-can-imagine buffet tradition (with crab legs and prime rib, of course), along with plenty of à la carte small bites, an emphasis on locally sourced ingredients, and a commitment to knock-out presentation. And then there are the views—night after night, the sunsets over the harbor deliver stunning shows of color. For a delicious ending to a perfect day in paradise, accompany those vistas with a signature cocktail and the happy hour platter (cheesy fries, flat breads, taro chips, hummus).

Named for its address on Honolulu's premier Waialae Avenue, this restaurant brought fresh dining to Kaimuki when it opened in 1992, inspiring a neighborhood dining renaissance. Loyalists swear by the steaks, the crab cakes, and the signature dish, ahi katsu wrapped in nori (seaweed) and deep-fried, with a wasabi-ginger butter sauce. Others counter that it's overblown and stuck in time. Either way, the romantic atmosphere, attentive service, and neighborhood staying power make it a local winner.

Housed in a McVilla aimed at attracting a Japanese wedding clientele, this restaurant serves contemporary Continental food that focuses primarily on beautifully plated, well-prepared standards—albeit with a million-dollar view of Honolulu. Perched at the water's edge, with famed surf break Point Panic offshore, 53 by the Sea uses its setting to great advantage—the crescent-shape dining room faces the sea, so even if you’re not at a table nestled against the floor-to-ceiling windows, you have a fine view. Besides dinner, drop in for lunch or cocktails and appetizers at the bar while watching the city lights go up as the sun goes down. Sublime.

Step inside this tiny sushi bar, tucked amid the strip clubs behind the Ala Moana Hotel, and you'll swear you're in an out-of-the-way Edo neighborhood. Don't be deterred by its dodgy neighbors or its reputation for inconsistent service—this is where locals come when they want the real deal, and you'll be greeted with a cheerful "Iraishaimase!" (Welcome!) before sitting at a diminutive table or perching at the small sushi bar. Let the chefs here decide, omakase-style, or you can go for a grilled specialty, like scallop butteryaki (grilled in butter).

The menus at Turtle Bay Resort’s signature restaurant—a casual but chic open-air space overlooking Turtle Bay and the Seven Mile Miracle—showcase Hawaiian comfort food with a modern, upscale twist, including braised kalbi short ribs, roast chicken with macadamia nut mole, and Salanova lettuce. About 95% of the fresh produce, from lettuce, tomatoes, and breadfruit to apple bananas and kitchen herbs, comes from the 100-acre organic farm across the road and is grown in partnership with longtime local farmers. 

Three locations in town offer fresh seafood, hand-trimmed beef, pastas cooked to order, handmade pizza and bread, homemade desserts, and meats and cheeses imported from Italy. Customer favorites include spaghetti pescatore (with shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams) and a pizza topped with shrimp and Maui onions. This, the flagship location, features an open terrace with a view of the beach; the original Beachwalk location (Arancino on Beachwalk) is the smallest and most casual of the three; and the newest location at the Kahala Resort (Arancino at the Kahala) is a bit more upscale.

This legendary indoor-outdoor restaurant has views of Diamond Head and an expansive terrace on the same level as the beach, so you’ll feel the calm, island vibes as soon as you arrive. Although it's open for breakfast and lunch, Azure has a much more sophisticated atmosphere in the evening, when you can choose from a selection of small or large plates featuring local seafood, meat, and produce, or you can try the chef’s multicourse tasting menu. Desserts, such as the Russian honey cake and the Baked Alaska, are delightful. If you want a coveted beachfront table (you do!), be sure to ask when you make your reservation.

Tam and Kimmy Huynh's menu ranges far beyond the usual pho and bun (cold noodle dishes) found at many Vietnamese restaurants. This welcoming, no-frills, hole-in-the-wall spot, which locals swear by, features lamb curry, tapioca dumplings, head-on tamarind shrimp, and other dishes that hail from both North and South Vietnam. People who work in the neighborhood pack in for lunch, so you might want to avoid a midday visit. Reservations are not accepted for groups of fewer than six.

A long-time local favorite, elegant, inviting Baci Bistro is a classic Italian restaurant offering an extensive range of pastas, antipasti, mains, and really excellent desserts. Consider the ravioli del giorno followed by vitello (veal) cooked with a variety of sauces. Top off your meal with a dessert specialty: crème brûlée.

Spacious and sprawling, this many-windowed, multilevel room at Hilton Hawaiian Village takes delightful advantage of its perch above the beach, facing Diamond Head. The wine list is exceptional, and the extensive contemporary menu features seafood, steaks, salads, and chops accented with East–West fusion flavors; desserts are impressive, too. The experienced staff, often called on to serve the VIPs who favor this hotel, extend unruffled and gracious service.

An array of authentic Japanese dishes made with Hawaiian seafood and fresh, seasonal, mostly organic North Shore veggies and fruits attracts locals and visitors alike to this hip yet family-friendly sushi house. The extensive menu includes classic sashimi and tempura, off-the-wall sushi rolls, Wagyu beef, broiled fish entrées, and various vegetarian and gluten-free options.

Loyalists of Roy Yamaguchi's celebrated spots in Hawaii Kai and Waikiki are thrilled to find his North Shore outpost—a rustic, beam-and-concrete-floor pavilion literally on the sand at Turtle Bay. All the favorites are served at this more beach-casual spot, from the miso deep-water black cod to the beef short ribs, along with a more casual lunch menu.

At this elegant, indoor-outdoor restaurant in Waikiki's oldest hotel, try for a table on the veranda, which overlooks the courtyard and a majestic banyan tree. Although it's open all day—and even serves afternoon tea—the Beachhouse is an especially delightful spot for a sunset dinner, when menu options range from crab cakes and paella to pork chops and steaks. The bar mixes up craft cocktails, and there’s a massive wine list as well. If you would rather just sip a drink and have a small bite, grab a seat at the more casual Beach Bar in the center of the courtyard.

This outlet of the popular retro diner chain—with four locations, including one at Windward Mall in neighboring Kaneohe—is across the street from a small bird sanctuary and has outdoor lanai seating and a bar. It's a hot spot for breakfast and Sunday football; popular dinner items include grilled steak with onions and mushrooms, baby back ribs, meatloaf, and salads. Kids and families love this spot.