15 Hawaiʻi Restaurants and Bars to Visit for Unforgettable Experiences
Across the Islands, these dining experiences should be on your bucket list.
If you’re like us, you love to eat—and you don’t always put a price tag on that experience. So we put together some of the most splurge-worthy dining experiences you can have in the Islands, from a candlelight dinner in a treehouse to breakfast on the rim of an active volcano. Every spot is Instagram perfect—and the food is incredible, too.
Food Splurges
The Treehouse at Hotel Wailea, Maui
The seven-course dinner in The Treehouse is customized for each guest.
Photo: Courtesy Hotel Wailea
Imagine dining under a canopy of mango and avocado trees in a real-life treehouse with stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. This ultra-exclusive experience is offered at the adults-only Hotel Wailea on Maui—and it’s one of the most sought-after reservations on the island. While there’s no set menu, you can customize the private, seven-course dinner with the hotel chef who curates each dish to your preferences and prepares them tableside. You also have access to the hotel’s private wine cellar with expert pairings for each course. It’s pricey—$1,400 per couple (up to six guests) and another $250 per person for wine pairings—but the experience is priceless.
hotelwailea.com/dining/the-treehouse
The Rim at Volcano House, Hawaiʻi Island
The view from The Rim at Volcano House.
Photo: Janice Wei
In 2022 Kīlauea resumed erupting after a four-month pause, and I quickly booked tickets to Hilo for me, the husband and our then-5-year-old son. It’s not every day you can see an erupting volcano, and I wanted to take full advantage of our proximity to it. We basked in the orange glow of lava from our vantage point at Keanakāko‘i; the view was great and we didn’t have to trek for miles to get it. The Rim at the historic Volcano House is perched above Halema‘uma‘u Crater, where we dined on lobster crabcake, seared Kona kampachi and a 14-ounce Hawai‘i-raised rib-eye with wild Hāmākua mushrooms—all while gawking at the glow from the lava in the crater right outside. The building, which dates back to 1941 and has only 33 guest rooms, is built directly on the volcano within Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. Kīlauea started erupting again on Sept. 15, 2024, in an area where you can’t view it—right now, anyway. If it continues to erupt, you now know where to book the best seats on the island.
Naʻau, Hawaiʻi Island
Hawaiian kampachi sashimi
Photo: Andrew Richard Hara
ʻŌpae, Kūpeʻe, ʻŌhelo berries. These are not your typical ingredients—even in the Islands. But you’ll see them on the menu at Na‘au, a dining concept by local chef Brian Hirata. Only a handful of seats are available each week at Na‘au’s pop-up dinners on Fridays and Saturdays at the secluded Whitehaven Farm in Pepe‘ekeo. On white cloth-covered tables on the farm’s lānai, you’ll be treated to dishes composed of what Hirata has carefully and responsibly fished, foraged, hunted and prepared himself, like ‘ahi swim bladder (a fish organ delicacy) with chili crisp and lemon; slippery Jack mushroom risotto with gouda from Hawai‘i Island Goat Dairy; and Big Island beef lū‘au with stewed kalo (taro) leaves, locally sourced bread and nori butter. Take it from a former culinary instructor: This meal not only connects us to Hawai‘i’s cultural roots and food traditions, it’s also the only way to access Hirata’s profound knowledge about cooking and eating in
the Islands.
Welina Terrace, Kauaʻi
Welina Terrace at 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay boasts panoramic views and a small-but-robust menu with upscale bites.
Photo: Mikkel Vang
There’s no better place to sip cocktails at sunset than Welina Terrace. Perched on the cliffs overlooking Hanalei Bay, this spacious lānai at the luxe 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay boasts panoramic views and a small-but-robust menu with upscale bites like truffle hamachi rolls, wagyu tataki and Brussels sprouts topped with yuzu-miso dressing. Best to dine on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays, when local bands play from 6 to 9 p.m. And make sure to nab a table on the lānai, so you can enjoy the breathtaking views of Mount Makana and Hanalei Bay.
1hotels.com/hanalei-bay/taste/welina-terrace
Sushi Sho, O‘ahu
Sushi Sho’s innovative poke done three ways, with onaga, ‘ahi and Alaska salmon.
Photo: Courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikīkī Beach
Like a Speakeasy, you’ll find Sushi Sho—one of Honolulu’s most acclaimed sushi bars—behind an unassuming door at the far end of a (separately owned) restaurant on the seventh floor of the Ritz-Carlton Residences in Waikīkī. Inside, across a dark room, a spotlight illuminates a man wielding a samurai-sized sushi knife one minute, and sculpting warm rice and glistening fish into bite-sized nigiri the next. In front of a glimmering gold backdrop, master sushi chef Keiji Nakazawa presents a 27-course omakase (dishes selected by the chef) menu. Key to everything is his respect for both Hawaiian culture and 200-year-old sushi traditions, such as curing, pickling and aging fish as compared to serving it raw. For his lau lau (a traditional Hawaiian dish), instead of pork he steams Copper River salmon and local opah cheek, wrapped in taro leaves and serves it with a tosazu gelée made with ‘ahi dashi vinegar and yuzu kosho (salted yuzu peel and chile paste). Sake pairings, chosen by Nakazawa, are available to add to your meal. Reservations for the 10-seat sushi bar are coveted, but diners can now make them online.
ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/hnlrr-the-ritz-carlton-residences-waikiki-beach/dining, @sushishohawaii
Kanemitsu Bakery, Moloka‘i
Get your hot bread filled with strawberry cream cheese, mango cream or ube cheesecake.
Photo: Aaron K. Yoshino
When I was a kid, my family booked a weekend stay on Moloka‘i. The only memory I have from the trip was our middle-of-the-night visit to Kanemitsu Bakery in Kaunakakai. We walked down a dark alley and knocked on a wooden door. Someone came out, took our order and returned with the softest, warmest bread I have ever eaten, filled with generous slabs of butter, sugar and cream cheese. I was in heaven. The bakery still sells its hot bread out of the alley at night—there’s a window now with a handwritten menu—though you can also buy the pillowy loaves from the restaurant during regular business hours. And you can’t beat its fresh-out-of-the-oven loaves, split in half and slathered in your choice of fillings, including cream cheese, fruit jams, ube and cinnamon. Go early; the bakery does sell out.
Bar Leather Apron, O‘ahu
Co-owner and acclaimed bartender Justin Park uses kiawe wood to add a smoky element to some of his cocktails.
Photo: Courtesy Bar Leather Apron
Bar Leather Apron, owned by internationally acclaimed bartender Justin Park and local entrepreneur Tom Park—no relation—is the 2023 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Bar—and for good reason. It’s inside a generic office building, where you’ll find glossy wood surfaces, burgundy walls and amber candlelight. Reserve an intimate table or a seat at the bar to watch expert bartenders in white-collared shirts, ties and leather aprons mixing handcrafted cocktails garnished with house-dried fruit twisted into flowers or arriving inside tall glass cloches enveloped with white oak or kiawe smoke. Service is impeccable, ice cubes in every shape and size are carved by hand and the number of whiskeys alone reach roughly 500, with exclusive single barrels handpicked by Justin Park. Fittingly, the E Ho‘o Pau Mai Tai on the menu was awarded world’s best mai tai three times.
barleatherapron.com, @barleatherapron
House Without a Key, O‘ahu
Sunset at House Without a Key is an unforgettable experience.
Photo: Courtesy of Halekūlani
If you’ve never had a mai tai at House Without a Key at sunset, live Hawaiian music wafting in the air, you’ve never experienced the magic of Waikīkī. Sunset at this outdoor restaurant at the posh Halekūlani—and at the new poolside bar, Earl’s—is an unforgettable experience. Not only is the signature mai tai superb, but the nightly live performances, including hula by 1973 Miss Hawai‘i Kanoe Miller, create the perfect ambience to relax as you watch the sun dip into the sea. The Sunset Cocktail Bites menu features a variety of local-style nosh, from a trio of poke to hoisin-and-honey-glazed ribs topped with coconut syrup. For dessert, indulge in a slice of the hotel’s signature coconut cake. And if you’re an Ernest Hemingway fan, the hotel recently reinstated Table 97, the acclaimed American novelist’s favorite seat, right near the ocean with views of Lē‘ahi (aka Diamond Head).
halekulani.com/dining/house-without-a-key
Eat in a James Beard Award-Winning Restaurant
From fine dining and signature dishes to humble saimin and a go-to spot for Hawaiian food, your options abound.
Fête, O‘ahu
It’s all in the name. Fête, or celebration in French, is where you go in Honolulu when you want to be festive, feel taken care of and enjoy all of the elements of a fine dining experience in a casual, fun and unpretentious setting. Last year chef and co-owner Robynne Maii was the first Native Hawaiian woman to win a James Beard Award—and the first Hawai‘i winner in 19 years. Her menu showcases local ingredients and flavors, from a twice-fried J. Ludovico Farm chicken to crispy shrimp grown at Kualoa Ranch on O‘ahu.
Roy’s Hawai‘i, O‘ahu, Maui, Hawai‘i Island
Macadamia nut-crusted mahimahi, blackened ‘ahi, misoyaki butterfish—these are some of chef Roy Yamaguchi’s signature dishes. As one of the founders of the Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine movement, he highlights locally sourced ingredients with Asian and local flavors.
Hamura Saimin Stand, Kaua‘i
Saimin, which combines various cuisines from the plantation era, is the classic ramenlike soup born in Hawai‘i. It is a simple bowl of broth made with chicken, pork, dashi and dried shrimp with noodles, scallion, fish cake, char siu (pork) and hard-cooked egg. And Hamura Saimin on Kaua‘i does it right. Locals love this institution for its nostalgic flavors, affordable prices and cozy wraparound counter.
Helena’s Hawaiian Food, O‘ahu
No trip to O‘ahu is complete without a meal at Helena’s. A pillar of the community, Helena’s is beloved for its Hawaiian staples, such as pipi kaula (short ribs), squid lū‘au (stewed taro leaves) and fried butterfish collars. Located in the heart of Kalihi, this should be on every foodie’s radar.
helenashawaiianfood.com, @helenashawaiianfood
Shhh! It’s a Speakeasy
The charm of these ill-kept secrets lie beyond their elusive entry points.
Wild Orange, O‘ahu
Walk down a dark hallway and pop a nickel into the Aloha Maid vending machine to access one of Honolulu’s hippest speakeasies. Once inside, you can sit underneath a tangerine tree amid slot machine-covered walls and manga-lined bar tops while enjoying inventive craft cocktails and vegan bar snacks. Sign the wall while you’re there and don’t forget to keep some change in your pocket if you need to sneak out for a smoke break.
Green Lady Cocktail Room, O‘ahu
Transport yourself back to the Roaring ’20s, when absinthe drips were all the rage. But don’t skip on the cocktails crafted by some of O‘ahu’s most talented mixologists. Riffs on mint juleps and Singapore slings are just the beginning. To find this hidden gem in Waikīkī, ask the front desk at the White Sands Hotel to point you toward Room 8.
greenladycocktailroom.com, @greenladycocktailroom
Yours Truly, O‘ahu
After the U.S. annexed Hawai‘i in 1898, the Postal Service sent a cease and desist letter to a below-street level print shop in Downtown Honolulu that produced postcards depicting hula dancers in “exotic Hawai‘i.” The owner continued illegally. Yours Truly—a prohibition era cocktail bar with a secret located in the former illegal print shop—pays homage to a time when Hawai‘i tourism began to boom and rebellion soared.
yourstrulyhawaii.com, @yourstrulyhnl
This story was originally published in our Fall 2024 issue, which you can buy here. Better yet, subscribe and get HAWAIʻI Magazine delivered to right to your mailbox.
