The Top 100 Places to Eat in Honolulu
The best places to eat in Honolulu, by the professional record: Forbes Travel Guide, AAA, and James Beard Awards have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. La Mer comes out on top.
Mugen and Fête hold the next two places. Honolulu Magazine shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater close behind.
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Rank 1. La Mer
Island French
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Rank 1. Mugen
Seasonal Japanese
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Rank 3. Fête
Seasonal New American
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Winner · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Robynne Maii
- Honolulu Magazine Restaurateurs of the Year · Hale ‘Aina Awards · Robynne Maii and Chuck Bussler
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
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Rank 3. Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery
Hawaiian Bakery
- The Infatuation 11 Of The Best Donuts In America
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
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Rank 5. Mud Hen Water
Hawaiian Wine Bar
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
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Rank 7. The Local General Store
Hawaiian
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
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- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Emerging Chef · Ki Chung
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Rank 8. Helena's Hawaiian Food
Traditional Hawaiian
- The New York Times The Restaurant List
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
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- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide To Coffee In Honolulu
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
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- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
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Rank 8. The Pig & The Lady
Vietnamese
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Canh Bi Do Epaulettes · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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Rank 13. MW Restaurant
Hawaiian
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker · Michelle Karr-Ueoka
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Rank 13. The Pig & The Lady
Vietnamese
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Andrew Le
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Andrew Le
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- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide To Coffee In Honolulu
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine 2023 · Best Place to Buy Natural Wine · Best of Honolulu
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Rank 15. Tonkatsu Tamafuji
Japanese
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Rank 18. Aburiya Ibushi
Japanese
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Rank 18. Da Seafood Cartel
Seafood
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine 2023 · Best Ceviche Tostada · Best of Honolulu
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- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best New Restaurant · Hale ‘Aina Awards
- Honolulu Magazine Prosciutto San Daniele · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Saigon Special · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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Rank 18. Patê Vietnamese Cuisine
Vietnamese
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Rank 18. PIZZA mamo
Brooklyn/Detroit-Style Pizza
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Rank 18. Sushi Gyoshin
Omakase Sushi
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Rank 26. Fujiya Hawaii
Hawaiian
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine 2023 · Best Old-Meets-New Mochi · Best of Honolulu
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- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Kalo Laksa · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
- Honolulu Magazine Mākaha Mango Burrata Salad · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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Rank 28. Hoku's
Modern Hawaiian
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- Honolulu Magazine Restaurateur of the Year · Hale ‘Aina Awards · Peter Kim
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
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Rank 28. Orchids
Coastal Italian
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- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Restaurant
- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
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Rank 32. Arden Waikiki
Modern Hawaiian
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- Sprudge The Sprudge Guide To Coffee In Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine 2025 · Iced Hojicha Latte · Best of Honolulu
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Rank 32. Restaurant Suntory
Japanese
- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Crab, Cream Cheese and Tomato · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
- Eater The 20 Best Restaurants in Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi
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- Sunset Happening Hawaiian · Where to Eat and Drink
- The Infatuation The Best Bars In Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Crispy Spanish Octopus · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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- The Infatuation The Best Restaurants In Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine 2023 · Best Sunset Menu · Best of Honolulu
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- Eater The 38 Essential Honolulu Restaurants
- Honolulu Magazine Olive Oil Octopus and Hamachi · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
- Honolulu Magazine Cold Skin Noodles · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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- Honolulu Magazine Restaurateur of the Year · Hale ‘Aina Awards · Peter Kim
- Eater The 20 Best Restaurants in Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi
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- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Keiji Nakazawa
- Eater The 20 Best Restaurants in Waikīkī, Hawaiʻi
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Rank 40. Tali's Bagels
Bakery
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Rank 46. 9Bar HNL
Coffee
The Scuffin, a scone-muffin hybrid, is what most people order right after their coffee at this specialty coffee shop in Kaka'ako's SALT complex. 9Bar HNL runs a multi-roaster pourover bar with rotating guest coffees alongside seasonal drinks that lean creative without tipping into gimmick. The banana bread latte and cold brew chai have both made appearances, and the coffee flight is a nice way to kill an afternoon.
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A former gas station on the road to Waimea Bay, now a multi-roaster coffee shop where surfers and day-trippers fuel up before the beach. The cold brew concentrate is a house signature, and single-origin offerings lean heavily on Sweet Bloom out of Denver. Sourdough kolaches rotate with the seasons, and a macadamia nut latte squares the "we're in Hawaii" circle neatly. The whole operation started out of a 1966 Ford Econoline, which feels about right for Haleiwa.
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The roasting happens right on the premises, so the warehouse near Kailua Town smells like a very good decision before you've even ordered. This is a coffee shop and roastery in one, with a rotating lineup of in-house coffees that runs from locally grown Hawaiian beans to more experimentally processed options. They also hold public classes if you want to understand what you're drinking rather than just drinking it.
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Rank 46. Try Coffee
Coffee
A pour-over coffee shop tucked inside BoxJelly, a co-working and arts hub in Ward Village, where the rotating single-origin lineup has included Cup of Excellence and World Barista Competition coffees. The team archives every coffee they've ever served on their website, which is either obsessive or reassuring depending on your relationship with spreadsheets. Local bakers and chefs pop up regularly, so the counter scene shifts.
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Rank 54. Chengdu Taste
Sichuan
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Rank 54. Chong Qing Cuisine
Chinese
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine 2024 · Best Noodle Shop · Best of Honolulu
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- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
- Honolulu Magazine Pork chop · The Best Things We Ate in Hawai‘i
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- Honolulu Magazine Best New Restaurant · Hale ‘Aina Awards
- Honolulu Magazine Best Restaurants in Honolulu
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Rank 54. Shige's Saimin Stand
Hawaiian Noodles
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Rank 54. Waiola Shave Ice
Dessert
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- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Bakery
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