Sweet E's Cafe in Kapahulu Honolulu is the casual breakfast room named for Ethel Mathews, serving stuffed French toast and crab cake Benedict on the Kaimuki corner of Kapahulu Avenue.
Signature drink: Coffee and stuffed French toast
Tip: Daily 07:00 to 14:00. The stuffed blueberry-cream-cheese French toast is the move; cash and card.
Musubi Cafe Iyasume on Kuhio in Waikiki Honolulu has handmade Koshihikari-rice spam musubi in a dozen permutations, the canonical breakfast grab-and-go for Waikiki visitors.
Signature drink: Iced matcha and spam musubi
Tip: Daily 06:30 to 21:00. The teriyaki spam musubi is the bestseller; cash and card both work.
Wifi
Lonohana Estate Chocolate in Kakaako Honolulu is the SALT block bean-to-bar chocolate maker that grows its own cacao on 14 North Shore acres and runs a tasting bar at the factory front.
Signature drink: Hawaiian-grown chocolate flight
Tip: Daily tastings; 90-minute factory tour at 10:00 most days. Order the Lonohana and Onomea bar flight.
Kona Coffee Purveyors in the International Market Place in Waikiki Honolulu is the Big Island farm-direct coffee bar paired with b. patisserie pastries baked on site through the day.
Signature drink: 100% Kona single-estate espresso
Tip: Daily 07:00 to 16:00. Order a flat white with the kouign-amann; queue snakes by 09:30.
Work-friendlyWifi
Honolulu Coffee Company at the Prince Waikiki in Honolulu was founded in 1992 with farm-to-cup Kona coffee from a 50-acre estate in the Captain Cook region of the Big Island.
Signature drink: Kona blend latte
Tip: Order the Kona estate single-origin pour over and watch the catamarans round Diamond Head from the lobby.
Work-friendlyWifi
Morning Brew in Kakaako Honolulu is the in-house roaster cafe that pulls 100% Hawaiian blends weekly, opened by the original Kailua location's owners with all-day breakfast and vegan options.
Signature drink: 100% Hawaiian-blend latte
Tip: Big communal table at the back is laptop-friendly. Order the avocado toast with the macadamia nut pesto.