109 Best Restaurants in Oahu, Hawaii

There's nothing "Mickey Mouse" about the updated Hawaiian food at the prix fixe fine-dining restaurant of Aulani, the Disney resort, which has a reflecting pool and decor with beach house elements like a thatched roof. Add to that the views of the Ko Olina lagoons and Pacific Ocean—and nightly live music by top local performers in the adjacent bar—and you have an evening worth the pretty penny.

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 Beach Walk location (Arancino on Beach Walk) 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. Azure offers a sophisticated atmosphere and features the chef’s multicourse tasting menu, which spotlights local seafood, meat, and produce. Homemade desserts, such as the citrus olive cake (a top favorite), 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 crab curry, tapioca dumplings, head-on tamarind shrimp, and other dishes that hail from both northern and southern 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, the elegant, inviting 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.

Housed in a former officer’s dining hall right on the west-facing beach at Pokai Bay, the hip, casual, younger sibling of Pearl Harbor’s Restaurant 604 is a great place to stop for a bite before or after a surf session at Makaha or a day trip up the west side to Yokohama Bay. The island-inspired menu focuses on comfort foods and includes everything from poke, burgers, fries, and pizza to traditional island plates with fish and rice. During happy hour and sunset time, locals congregate to watch sports on large-screen TVs and see the golden orb dip into the clear seas.

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 the adjacent Veranda restaurant serves breakfast—and an exquisite afternoon tea Friday through Sunday—the Beachhouse is an especially delightful spot for a sunset dinner, featuring three- or four-course tasting menu options that use fresh, local ingredients. 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.

Sometimes you wait an hour for a table here while patrons clamor for the banana pancakes topped with a thick macadamia-nut sauce. At lunch, the signature dish is a plate of pulehu (grilled) ribs. When the operation moved from a hole-in-the-wall to a larger space in 2010, and moved again in 2021, the line stayed just as long—but the food didn't change.

Virtually unchanged since opening in 1967, this neighborhood institution opposite Kailua Beach Park is filled with the aroma of grilling steaks and plumeria blooms. It doesn't matter if you're a bit sandy and beach bedraggled (though bare feet are a no-no, as are tank tops after 4:30 pm)—just find a spot in the cozy maze of rooms; order a steak, a burger, teriyaki chicken, or the fresh fish special. Leave room for desserts. Get a table on the lanai if you can, especially at lunch when the menu is a bit less expensive; the view alone makes it worth the visit. If you sit at the bar, expect to make friends. Be warned: the mai tais here are the strongest you'll find anywhere; if you order the "B.F.R.D." don't expect to drive home.

This contemporary dining room in a condo building across from the Blaisdell Center is the go-to spot before and after plays or concerts. The creative starters and seafood and meat entrées on the eclectic, global-fusion menu are healthier than the norm as they don't rely on butter or cream, with dishes like lobster bisque thickened instead with squash puree.

Long beloved for its northern Thai classics, such as spicy curries and stir-fries and sticky rice in woven-grass baskets, made using family recipes, Chiang Mai is a short cab ride from Waikiki. Some dishes, like the signature barbecue Cornish game hen with lemongrass and spices, show how acculturation can create interesting pairings. The simple space is decorated with Thai fabrics and artworks.

There are only a couple of North Shore institutions that are considered gathering places—Foodland (the great grocery store) is one, and Cholo's is the other. Festively done up with Mexican tchotchkes, it serves decent rice-and-beans plates of Mexican standards (steak fajitas, burritos, enchiladas) at affordable prices.

A humble, family-run restaurant in a tiny roadside shack, Coquito’s serves an eclectic array of traditional Puerto Rican and Latin American dishes, such as arroz con gandules (rice with peas), shrimp mofongo, pastel borricúa (ground green-banana masa stuffed with pork), Colombian empanadas, and Argentinian flank steak with chimichurri sauce. Order takeout for a picnic at a beach park, or dine in the small outdoor patio (no alcohol sold here, so you need to BYOB).

Escape the tourist traps and rub elbows with locals at this small, busy breakfast–brunch café, with outdoor porch seating and ocean views—but come early or order takeout, as it closes early afternoon. Island favorites dominate the menu, including corned beef hash loco moco (white rice, meat, fried eggs, and gravy) and lilikoi (passion fruit) pancakes for breakfast and garlic shrimp with mushrooms, fish tacos, and kalbi ribs for lunch.

Just five minutes from Waikiki's hotels is chef Kelvin Ro's one-stop food shop—indispensable if you have accommodations with a kitchen or want a quick grab-and-go meal. Join surfers, beachgoers, and Diamond Head hikers at the takeout window to order gourmet sandwiches and plates, such as hand-shaped burgers, portobello mushroom sandwiches, Korean kalbi ribs, and grilled ahi with wasabi-ginger sauce, rice, and salad. Selections include sandwiches, bento boxes, and salads. Don't miss the bakery: locals love this place for the giant scones and desserts like lemon crunch cake. You can also pick up wine, beer, and soft drinks.

Locals often bring Mainland visitors to this open-air restaurant, which has a lively bar and a beachfront setting facing Waikiki's famed Canoes surf break. Named for the father of modern surfing and filled with Duke Kahanamoku memorabilia, this casual spot offers lots of pupu (appetizers), a large salad bar, and crowd-pleasing entrées that include fish, prime rib, and huli huli (rotisserie). Be sure to try the famous Hula Pie, made with macadamia-nut ice cream piled high on a cookie crust and topped with fudge and whipped cream. The atmosphere can be raucous when A-list Hawaiian musicians perform. Sunday afternoon, when Grammy-nominated Henry Kapono revs up the crowd, is a great time to come for a mai tai.

At lunch, regulars pack into this tiny, brick-walled space for the burgers and specials; at dinner, they come for the pasta and locally sourced seafood dishes or the to-die-for twice-fried Kauai chicken with grits and collard greens. Here, you'll probably get cozy with the table next to you as waitstaffers glide between tables with full trays and great attitudes. There's also seating in a smaller, quieter, upstairs library. The specials are fabulous, as are the craft cocktails and the beer list.

Get a taste of local Japanese culture at this family operation on the main thoroughfare in Moiliili, a mile or so mauka (toward the mountains) out of Waikiki. Open since 1939, the delicatessen offers take-out breakfasts and lunches, Japanese snacks, noodle dishes, and confections—and it's a local favorite for catering, from parties to funeral gatherings. If you're going on a round-the-island drive, this is a good option to pick up a picnic lunch. Try mochi (sweet rice-flour cakes), shoyu chicken, hash patties, garlic chicken, and Asian-style salads. The folks here are particularly patient and helpful to visitors, but it's only open from 6 to 2.

This spinoff from famous chef Roy Yamaguchi serves elevated Hawaii regional cuisine and cocktails in the Lau Hala Shops complex, right where the old Macy's used to be. The kids' menu goes above and beyond the typical fare.

This large, modern, two-story space on the North Shore takes full advantage of its epic water views; note that it doesn't take reservations. The menu is chock-full of surf-and-turf options, from juicy burgers to grilled steaks, blackened fish to red Thai curry with lobster and shrimp.

After the long drive to the North Shore, watching the boats and surfers come and go from the harbor while you enjoy a mai tai on the open-air lanai here may be just what you need. This casual little joint, just past the Rainbow Bridge, rarely changes (to some, that might feel dated, but regulars appreciate the familiarity); a more upscale Kaneohe location overlooks the lush Haiku Gardens.

Countless anniversaries, birthdays, and other milestones have been celebrated under this lanai restaurant's spectacular hau tree, where it's said that even Robert Louis Stevenson found shade as he mused and wrote about Hawaii. Diners are captivated by beach views and spectacular sunsets, and fan-favorites dishes at this lovely,  restaurant inside the Kaimana Beach Hotel include several versions of eggs Benedict in the morning and Kauai shrimp or grilled lamb chops later in the day.

Started by Helen Chock and now run by her grandson, this casual, unassuming spot is an iconic stop for classic Hawaiian food. You can skip the hotel luau and come here for authentic kalua pig, lomi lomi salmon, poi, pipikaula (salted and dried) beef short ribs, haupia (a Jell-O-like coconut pudding), and more. Order at the counter and sit down, but you won't wait long, as Helena's is known for its efficency

Upstairs at International Marketplace and featuring a 2,000-square-foot lanai dining area, casual-chic Herringbone is a lively place for craft cocktails and dinner. Emphasizing locally sourced seafood, produce, and other ingredients, the menu includes many raw bar options, as well as lobster rolls, king salmon, whole fish, salads, and flatbreads.

Although it's in the center of Waikiki, this lively outdoor restaurant with a retro, tropical vibe feels a bit tucked away, with a bamboo-lined walkway leading to its entrance and tables set around the pool at the White Sands Hotel. Grab a drink at the whimsical bamboo bar, where a cool crowd sits and sips tiki-style cocktails, and peruse the "new continental" menu with a variety of pupu (appetizers) and decadent desserts, as well as such favorites as the B.O.L.T. (bacon, smoked ono salad, lettuce, and tomato) sandwich on a brioche bun.

This place focuses on what it does best: local favorites like kalbi ribs (Korean barbecue beef short ribs), kalua (roasted in an underground oven) pork sliders, beef stew, and old-fashioned hamburger steaks. It's also a great spot to try poi (the pudding-like dish made of pounded taro). The restaurant can gets crowded, so expect to wait for a table.

Locals love the scrumptious taro-based confections and delightful coffee beverages created by this family-run outfit. Fried in coconut oil, the doughnuts are known for their light texture, splashy colors and designs, and sophisticated flavors, as well as fun names like Island Chocolate, Pineapple Express, Miso Honey, Kale’n It, and Prosperity (with kumquat and poppy seeds). Inquire about the weekly tasting boxes (of four) and seasonal specialties. There’s no seating, but it’s an easy walk to the beach. Other locations are in nearby Ward Village; on the island of Kauai; and in Los Angeles.

Owner Ken Takahashi retired as a nightclub impresario on the Big Island to become a real-life burger king. This modest spot is the home of the locavore burger, made with range-fed beef, Manoa lettuce, tomatoes, and a wide range of toppings, all island-grown—and you can taste the difference. Go classic with a single, hand-shape patty, the meat loosely packed to let the juices run free, or try one of Takahashi's creations. Don't forget the truffle fries. A second location is in Kaimuki.

The Honolulu Museum of Art's cool courtyards and galleries filled with works by masters from Monet to Hokusai are well worth a visit, and, afterward, so is this popular lunch restaurant (reservations recommended). The open-air café is flanked by a burbling water feature and 8-foot-tall ceramic "dumplings" by artist Jun Kaneko—a tranquil setting in which to eat your salad or sandwich, shaded by a monkeypod tree. You can also buy picnic basket meals to eat in the museum courtyard. There is no museum admission charge to eat at the café.

The placid younger sibling of boisterous Duke's, downstairs, resembles an open-air, plantation-period summer home with kitschy decor, stone-flagged floors, warm wood, and floral prints. The food is carefully prepared and familiar—with the occasional intriguing Asian touch—and dishes include steaks, locally caught grilled fish, and a few island-inspired options, such as loco moco and tropical pancakes. Request a lanai or window table to enjoy the fabulous views of Diamond Head and the beach. Sometimes the music from Duke's resonates from below, allowing diners to enjoy it without the chaos of the bar.