The restaurants worth a reservation in Honolulu, from neighbourhood bistros to the new classics.
The restaurants worth the trip in Honolulu: bistros, neo-classics, neighbourhood favourites, and the rooms locals book first.
23 places
Order Smoked ahi cigars and the roasted bone marrow with three salts.
Senia in Honolulu Chinatown is the modern Hawaiian tasting room that Anthony Rush and Chris Kajioka opened in 2016, now Rush-led since 2021 with stages.
Order The five-course tasting with the local-fish course and Hawaiian beef.
Mugen Waikiki is the Forbes Five-Star room inside ESPACIO with a 34-seat dining room, designed in consultation with Alan Wong, anchoring fine dining.
Order The grand staircase prix fixe with the local-catch course.
53 By The Sea opened in Kakaako Honolulu in 2012 with a grand staircase, oceanfront windows out to Diamond Head and a Pacific Rim menu of local fish.
3 of the restaurants on this list serve hawaiian.
Order The eight-course menu degustation with the bouillabaisse course.
La Mer at Halekulani is Hawaii's longest-running AAA Five Diamond restaurant, French fine dining at the Halekulani in Waikiki Honolulu under executive chef.
Order The misoyaki butterfish and the dark chocolate souffle to finish.
Roy's Hawaii Kai is where Roy Yamaguchi launched Hawaiian Regional Cuisine in 1988, still the flagship of the chain and the canonical room for misoyaki.
Order Mama Le's pho and the pho French dip with brisket.
The Pig and The Lady is chef Andrew Le's modern Vietnamese room, which moved from Chinatown to a Civil Beat Plaza space on Waialae in Kaimuki Honolulu.
Order The shishito pepper romesco and whatever fish the kitchen ran that morning.
Mud Hen Water is Ed Kenney's Kaimuki Honolulu room of contemporary Hawaiian aina-based plates, named for the English translation of Waialae and a 2025 James.
Order There is no menu, only omakase. Trust the counter; the Hawaiian fish sequence is the point.
Sushi Sasabune in Ala Moana Honolulu is the omakase-only sushi counter chef Seiji Kumagawa opened in 1996, building its Hawaii-mae style around as much local.
Order The chef's sashimi selection and the buta no kakuni braised pork.
Sushi Izakaya Gaku on South King is the long-running Japanese izakaya in Honolulu with sashimi, robata grill plates and the cult-favourite buta no kakuni.
Order Pipikaula short ribs, butterfish collar and a side of poi.
Helena's Hawaiian Food on North School Street has served traditional Hawaiian plates in Kalihi Honolulu since 1946, now run by the founder's grandson Craig.
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Order The kalua pork combo with laulau and poi.
Highway Inn Kakaako is the 2013 Honolulu outpost of the Toguchi family's 1947 Waipahu original, serving the same kalua pork, laulau and combo plates inside.
Order The pan-fried pork chops and the kim chee fried rice.
Side Street Inn Ala Moana is the 1992 Hopaka Street original in Honolulu from the late Colin Nishida, the off-duty chef pupu room behind Ala Moana Center.
Order Niku udon with a sweet beef topping and a kakiage tempura on the side.
Marukame Udon Waikiki in Honolulu is the theatre-kitchen Sanuki udon counter on Kuhio Avenue where you watch handcut noodles boiled to order and finished.
Order The loco moco mix plate with chili and the boneless chicken on the side.
Rainbow Drive-In on Kanaina Avenue in Kapahulu Honolulu has slung plate lunches since 1961, founded by Seiju and Ayako Ifuku and now voted top loco moco.
Order Curry udon and a shrimp tempura, plus a musubi if you skipped breakfast.
Marukame Udon on Fort Street Mall is the Downtown Honolulu cousin of the Waikiki cafeteria-line udon shop, slinging Sanuki-style noodles to office workers.
Order A two-scoop shoyu ahi and spicy ahi bowl with rice.
Ono Seafood in Kapahulu Honolulu is the family-run poke counter that fishes shoyu ahi, spicy ahi and tako preparations from the refrigerated case.
Order Shoyu onion ahi over rice, plus the grilled garlic marlin if the case has it.
Maguro Brothers Hawaii in Chinatown Honolulu is the Kekaulike Market poke counter that brothers Junichiro and Ryojiro Tsuchiya stock from the Honolulu Fish.
Order Spicy ahi and limu ahi over rice, plus a side of furikake.
Off the Hook Poke Market in Manoa Honolulu is the takeout-only poke counter at the foot of Manoa Valley that draws University of Hawaii students.
Order The Belly Bowl ramen and the pork belly bao.
Lucky Belly is the Chinatown Honolulu ramen and bao shop Dusty Grable and Jesse Cruz opened in 2012, the room that ushered in the neighborhood's modern.
Order Teriyaki sirloin off the kiawe-wood grill with a trip through the salad bar.
Buzz's Original Steak House in Kailua across the Pali from Honolulu is the surf-shack steakhouse where Barack Obama used to eat the teriyaki sirloin.
Order Mochi-crusted local fish and the oxtail soup dumplings to start.
MW Restaurant in Ala Moana Honolulu is chefs Wade and Michelle Karr-Ueoka's modern Hawaiian room of mochi-crusted fish and oxtail soup dumplings.
Order Cornflake-crusted French toast and the breakfast bibimbap with kimchee bacon.
Koko Head Cafe in Kaimuki Honolulu is chef Lee Anne Wong's Top-Chef-alum brunch room where the cornflake French toast and breakfast bibimbap have anchored.
Order The pasta of the day and whatever local fish entree is running.
Fete Hawaii in Chinatown Honolulu is chef Robynne Maii's James Beard winning room of seasonal new American plates, awarded Best Chef Northwest and Pacific.
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