Top Restaurants in Oahu

With so many delicious options, it’s hard to narrow down the top restaurants in Oahu. And that’s where my Oahu Food Guide comes in! In this food guide, you’ll find my recommendations on where to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in Oahu, delicious quick bites, desserts, and more!

Planning a trip to Oahu? Here’s some more posts to help you plan your vacation.

Top Restaurants in Oahu – Breakfast/ Brunch Spots

Ars Cafe in Oahu - top breakfast restaurants in Oahu

Ars Cafe and Gelato

Diamond Head | @arscafe

Ars Cafe serves delicious coffee as well as tasty sandwiches, toasts, and baked goods. If you’re looking for something sweeter, grab a scoop of gelato! You can also combine the best of both worlds and get an affogato which is a delicious combination of gelato and espresso.

With its close proximity to the Diamond Head Hike, Ars makes for a great post hike bite. I tried the salmon bagel and cold brew. The salmon bagel was absolutely delicious. My cold brew was also good, but I wish I got a latte instead.

Address | 3116 Monsarrat Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 6:30 AM – 4:00 PM MON-TH | 6:30 AM – 6:00 PM FRI & SAT | 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM SUN

Farmhouse Cafe

Ala Moana | @farmhousecafe20

Farmhouse Cafe serves organic, European style dishes. This is definitely an elevated brunch place. Think duck egg tartine and potato mille-feuille. If you want to try something outside of the typical breakfast/brunch options traditionally served elsewhere, check out Farmhouse Cafe.

Address | 808 Sheridan St Suite #107 Honolulu, HI 98614

Hours: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM MON-SAT

Over Easy

Kailua | @overeasyhi

If you’re looking for one of the best Kailua restaurants for breakfast/brunch, check out Over Easy. This is a place I could see myself being a regular at if we had one in Phoenix. Breakfast is served all day, and lunch is served after 11:00 AM. If you go during lunch, the coconut shrimp burger with wasabi cream is delicious.

Address | 418 Kuulei Rd #103, Kailua, HI 96734

Hours: CLOSED MON-TUES | 7:00 AM – 1:00 PM WED-FRI | 7:00 AM – 1:30 PM SAT & SUN

Kono’s Northshore

Multiple Locations | @konoshawaii

Kono’s is one of the top restaurants in Oahu. It’s absolutely delicious, so I can see why. It’s so good I went twice during my week in Oahu. The first time I tried the bbq pork bomber, and I highly recommend you trying it. The second time around I tried the Hawaiian bowl. It’s good but the bomber is much better in my opinion.

Waikiki Address | 2310 Kūhiō Ave. #1-A, Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM DAILY

But where do I grab coffee? I got you! I made a post specifically dedicated to some Oahu Coffee Shops.

More places to grab breakfast in Oahu:

Koko Head Cafe

Kaimuki | @kokoheadcafe

Koko Head Cafe is a place we wanted to try while in Oahu, but we ran out of time. There’s so many good places to eat in Oahu it’s hard to fit them all in. Koko Head Cafe is known for their island style brunch. The cornflake french toast and the Don Buri Chen sound delicious.

Address | 1120 12th Ave #100, Honolulu, HI 96816

Hours: 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM WED-MON | CLOSED TUESDAYS

Arvo

Kaka’ako | @arvo

Arvo is an Aussie inspired cafe that’s perfect to grab a small breakfast. I love all the fresh and relatively healthy options they offer. From Chia pudding to ricotta toast with fresh fruit and honey to a mixed green salad loaded with red onions, strawberries, walnuts, couscous, avocado, and homemade shallot vinaigrette.

The smoked salmon toast with cream cheese, spinach, red onion, and capers sounds right up my alley! Arvo is definitely on the top of my list for when I return to Oahu.

Address | 324 Coral Street at SALT, Honolulu, HI 96813

Hours: 8:00 AM – 2:00 PM DAILY

Top Restaurants in Oahu – Quick Bites & Lunch Places

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck

North Shore | @giovannisshrimptruck

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck is one of the most recommended kahuku food trucks. I tried the lemon butter and my sister got the shrimp scampi. Don’t do what I did, get the scampi, it’s WAY more flavorful.

Address | 66-472 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712

Hours: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM DAILY

Musubi Cafe

Waikiki | @musubi_cafe_iyasume

You can’t go to Oahu and not try some musubi! There’s many Musubi Cafes littered around Oahu, but I recommend going to Musubi Cafe Iyasume Waikiki Monarch location. The teriyaki spam musubi is simple and delicious, but also try some of the rice balls. My favorites were the spicy chicken mayo and tuna mayo.

Note: The menu can differ between locations, so make sure to check their website to see what they offer.

Address | 2427 Kuhio Ave, Pacific Monarch Hotel 1F, Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM DAILY

Yung Yee Kee Dim Sum

Ala Moana | @yungyeekeedimsum

My niece wanted some shrimp dumplings and came across this place while googling, and it was honestly a good pick! The dumplings were very good, albeit a little pricey. However, if you’re craving some dim sum while in Honolulu, check out Yung Yee Kee. I recommend the ShangHai pork dumplings, chicken & chives, pan-fried dumplings, and the beef balls.

Address | 1411 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814

Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM MON-FRI | 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM SAT & SUN

Sunrise Shack

Multiple Locations | @sunriseshack

Sunrise Shack serves acai bowls, smoothies, bullet coffees, and a few other bits. Although they are located all over the island, if you’re trying to snap that Insta-Famous shot, you’ll want to head to the one near Sunset beach. I tried the tropical bowl which is mango, banana, pineapple, coconut cream, honey and salt blended. It’s then topped with gluten free granola, pineapple, pitaya sauce, coconut flakes, and honey.

North Shore Address | 59-158 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712

Hours: 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM DAILY

Leonard’s Bakery

Waikiki | @leonardsbakeryhawaii

Leonard’s is a bakery in Oahu that serves fresh, warm malasadas. Malasadas are Portuguese donuts without a hole. Leonard’s has 8 classic options, and then rotating featured flavors. Malasadas come coated or filled. For coatings, there’s sugar, cinnamon sugar, and li hing. For fillings, there’s custard, chocolate, coconut, macadamia nut, and guava. My favorites were cinnamon sugar, coconut, and custard. Also, they are best eaten fresh when they are warm.

Address | 933 Kapahulu Avenue Honolulu, HI 96816

Hours: 5:30 AM – 7:00 PM DAILY

Matsumoto’s Shave Ice

North Shore | @matsumotoshaveice

Shaved ice is a staple in Hawaii. While on the North Shore, we stopped by Matsumoto’s Shave Ice. Matsumoto’s is noted as one of the best places to get shaved ice in Oahu, so of course we had to see what the hype was about. The line was pretty long, but it moved rather quickly. While you’re waiting you can take a look at the menu which lists all the flavors (the text color is the syrup color) and toppings. The ice is served with a spoon and a straw, because when it melts down you can drink it vs trying to scoop up liquid. I tried guava, lychee, and strawberry topped with condensed milk which was very good.

Address | 66-111 Kamehameha Hwy #605, Haleiwa, HI 96712

Hours: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM DAILY

MATCHA Stand MAIKO

Waikiki | @matchastand_maiko

While walking around, I noticed a sign advertising matcha ice cream, so I decided to stop by. MATCHA Stand MAIKO not only serves matcha ice cream but also matcha lattes and other matcha treats. I got a matcha tea latte with vanilla soft serve, and it was amazing!

Address | 96815 Hawaii, Honolulu, Kūhiō Ave.

Hours: 11:30 AM – 9:00 PM DAILY

Maguro Spot

Waikiki | #magurospot

I couldn’t leave Oahu without eating some poke, so I stopped by Maguro Spot the morning we flew out. The fish was fresh and delicious, and nicely priced. If you’re looking for somewhere to get poke in Waikiki definitely go here!

Address | 2441 Kūhiō Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 10:00 AM – 8:30 PM MON-SAT | CLOSED SUNDAYS

Taste Tea

Multiple Locations | @tasteteainc

I love boba, so when I saw this place next to Yung Yee Kee I had to try it. I got the fruity pebbles tea with boba, and let me tell you, it’s easily some of the best boba tea I’ve ever tried! It was so good my niece actually went back in to get herself one.

Ala Moana Address | 1430 Kona St, Honolulu, HI 96814

Hours: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM DAILY

Top Restaurants in Oahu – Where to Grab Dinner in Oahu

Haleiwa Joe’s in Haiku Gardens

Kaneohe | @haleiwajoes

Located in the beautiful Haiku Gardens, Haleiwa Joe’s is one of the best places to eat in Kaneohe. The views alone are worth going for, but the food is also amazing. Haleiwa Joe’s is known for their huge prime rib. We saw lots of them come out while we were dining, and they definitely can be shared between 2-3 people at least. We didn’t go for the prime rib but instead tried some of the appetizers and a couple of the entrees. Our waitress recommended the grilled fish, so that’s what I had and it was really good. Also, the Li Hing Mui, a margarita with li hing powder, is amazing!

Note: Try to get here at least 30 minutes before opening to put your name in if you want a seat by the railing and don’t want to have a long wait.

Address | 46-336 Haiku Road Kaneohe HI. 96744

Hours: 4:00 PM – 9:00 PM DAILY

Marugame Udon

Waikiki | @Marugame_Udon

Marugame Udon is one of the best places to eat in Waikiki. You can get a bowl of fresh, hand-stretched udon for about $11 USD. There’s also various tempuras available for around $2-$5 USD. I tried the curry nikutama and a few pieces of tempura, all of which were very good. With such reasonable prices, Marugame Udon is one of the best cheap eats in Waikiki.

As Marugame is one of the top restaurants in Oahu, there’s always has a line of people waiting outside. Our hotel was right next to it and we never saw fewer than 10 people standing in line. If you don’t want to wait in a super long line, lunch seems less crowded than dinner time. Either way, it’s definitely worth the wait.

Address | 2310 Kūhiō Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM DAILY

Paia Fish Market

Waikiki | @paiafishmarketwaikiki

Paia Fish Market is located in the heart of Waikiki and offers an assortment of seafood dishes. You can dine in or order takeaway. I decided to order takeaway since my hotel, the Hyatt Centric Waikiki, was around the corner. I tried the blackened snapper with cajun rice, and it was very good!

Address | 2299 Kūhiō Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 10:30 AM – 9:30 PM DAILY

Where to Grab Drinks in Oahu

Sky Waikiki Raw & Bar

Waikiki | @skywaikiki

Sky Waikiki Raw & Bar is a rooftop bar in Waikiki with beautiful views of the city and coast. We went one day during their daily happy hour which is from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The best part of their happy hour is the $2 select oysters and $4 Japanese style oysters. I recommend getting a dozen or so oysters, and trying one of their spicy mangoritas.

Address | 2270 Kalākaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM MON-TH | 4:00 PM – 1:30 AM FRI | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM / 4:00 PM – 11:00 PM SAT | 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM / 4:00 PM – 10:00 PM SUN

Hideout at the Laylow

Waikiki | @hideoutwaikiki

Hideout is located inside The Laylow hotel. If you’re looking for a cute place to grab drinks in Waikiki, this is it. The bar is on a beautiful open-air terrace, where you can enjoy views of Waikiki while sipping on a delicious, craft cocktail. I highly recommend the “Bird is the Word”, which is a delicious mix of coconut tequila, Aperol, Thai chili pineapple shrub, pineapple, lime, and simple syrup.

Address | 2299 Kūhiō Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815

Hours: 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM / 5:00 PM – 9:30 PM SUN-TH | 6:00 AM – 11:00 AM / 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM FRI & SAT

Here’s some more posts to help you plan your Oahu vacation:

FAQS

What kind of food is Oahu known for?

Poke
Spam Musubi
Malasadas
Loco Moco

Does Oahu have good food?

Yes! Everything I ate in Oahu was delicious, and there are so many restaurants I’m looking forward to trying when I return.

Top Restaurants in Oahu – The Ultimate Oahu Food Guide

Top Restaurants in Oahu