35 Best Restaurants in Waikiki and Diamond Head, Honolulu and Pearl Harbor

The original Hopaka Street pub is famous as the place where celebrity chefs gather after hours; this second Kapahulu Avenue location is also popular and closer to Waikiki. Local-style bar food—salty panfried pork chops with a plastic tub of ketchup, lup cheong fried rice, and passion fruit–glazed ribs—is served in huge, shareable portions. This is a lively, casual place where you can dress any way you like, nosh all night, and watch loud sports on TV. Pupu (in portions so large as to be dinner) are served 3–11:30 pm daily. It gets crowded quickly, so make a reservation or prepare to wait awhile.

Popular with locals, this counter-service spot is just minutes from Waikiki, on trendy Monsarrat Avenue near the base of Diamond Head. It has something for everyone: generous plate lunches (try the wahoo coated with macadamia-nut pesto and served with a tangy slaw), fish tacos, burritos, burgers, ciabatta-roll sandwiches, and entrée salads. Leave room for dessert—especially the Peanut Butter Temptations, a signature treat that sells out every day.

Honolulu has its share of Italian restaurants, and Taormina, taking its culinary cues from Sicily, is considered one of the best by foodies, locals, and visitors alike. In a sleek, elegant room (there is outdoor seating, but this is one place it's best to dine indoors), you can dine on well-executed classics, from porcini risotto with sautéed foie gras to a breaded veal chop "alla Taormina" (the restaurant's take on veal Parmesan). Pastas include spaghetti vongole (with clams), sarde e finochetti (sautéed sardines with fennel, anchovies, olives, and capers), and the trademark uni (sea urchin) with tagliatelle. Don't miss the artfully presented antipasti misti (mixed appetizers). For dessert, go traditional with cannoli or tiramisu. The wine list is extensive, and prix-fixe menus are offered for lunch and dinner.

Modeled after 1950s diners, this casual spot serves classic, tender, messy burgers—including the Hawaiian teriyaki burger with grilled pineapple and the Kailua with Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and grilled onions—along with turkey and veggie burgers, salads, and chicken breast and fish sandwiches. The fries are crispy, and the shakes rich and sweet. The original location in Waikiki combines burger-shack simplicity with surfer cool—there's even a place to store your surfboard while you eat—and there are other locations around the island, from Kailua to Haleiwa and beyond.

The Honolulu outpost of the NY-based original serves good steaks that have been dry-aged on site, as well as classic shrimp cocktails, slabs of Canadian bacon, crab cakes, creamed spinach, broiled jumbo lobster, and the token grilled fish selection. If it sounds like Peter Luger's on the Pacific, then it won't come as a surprise to learn that owner Wolfgang Zwiener was once head waiter at that legendary Brooklyn steak house. Stop by during happy hour for a prix-fixe sampler deal, or wander in for lunch and then spend the rest of the day lounging on the beach.