KEY2 Pick
Hawaii Regional Cuisine • $$$$
Alan Wong's
A Honolulu institution credited with pioneering Hawaii Regional Cuisine, still serving its signature ginger-crusted onaga.
Best for: Special Occasion
Best restaurants in Hawaii
Counters, dining rooms and neighbourhood favourites, chosen for the way they actually eat — not for how loudly they market.
KEY2 Pick
Hawaiian • $$
Duke's Waikiki
A beachfront Waikiki institution named for Duke Kahanamoku, serving fresh fish steps from the sand.
Best for: Casual Dinner
KEY2 Pick
Seafood • $$$$
Mama's Fish House
Maui's most celebrated fish house, on the North Shore, naming the boat and fisherman behind each catch.
Best for: Special Occasion
KEY2 Pick
Farm-to-Table • $$$
Merriman's Waimea
Chef Peter Merriman's original Big Island restaurant, built around Waimea ranch and farm produce since 1988.
Best for: Date Night
Contemporary American • $$$
53 By the Sea
An oceanfront Honolulu restaurant on a quiet stretch near downtown, known for sunset dining and fresh local fish.
Best for: Date Night
Poke • $
Da Poke Shack
A takeout poke shack in Kailua-Kona regularly cited as the Big Island's best, with lines out the door at lunch.
Best for: Budget Eats
Hawaiian • $$
Duke's Beach House Maui
A Kaanapali oceanfront branch of Duke's, casual surf-and-turf plates with sweeping views of Molokai and Lanai.
Best for: Casual Dinner
Hawaiian • $
Helena's Hawaiian Food
A James Beard Award-winning Kalihi diner serving traditional Hawaiian plates like kalua pig and squid luau.
Best for: Budget Eats
Bakery • $
Leonard's Bakery
The Portuguese malasada bakery that has been drawing lines in Kapahulu since 1952.
Best for: Budget Eats
Farm-to-Table • $$$
Merriman's Kapalua
The Maui outpost of Merriman's, with an oceanfront point deck for sunset drinks and dinner above the cliffs.
Best for: Date Night
Hawaii Regional Cuisine • $$$
Merriman's Poipu
Chef Peter Merriman's Kauai oceanfront room, sourcing from local farms and fishermen for a nightly changing menu.
Best for: Date Night
Japanese-Peruvian • $$$$
Nobu Waikiki
Nobu Matsuhisa's Waikiki outpost inside the Waikiki Parc, serving signature black cod miso and new-style sashimi.
Best for: Special Occasion
Seafood • $$
Paia Fish Market
A no-frills Paia fish counter serving fish tacos and grilled catch to surfers off the North Shore.
Best for: Budget Eats
Hawaiian Fusion • $$$
Roy's Waikiki
Roy Yamaguchi's flagship, credited with helping define Hawaiian fusion cuisine since the late 1980s.
Best for: Date Night
Japanese-Hawaiian Fusion • $$$
Sansei Seafood Restaurant & Sushi Bar
A Kapalua sushi and seafood spot from chef DK Kodama, known for late-night discounted sushi in Maui.
Best for: Group Dinner
Hawaiian-American • $$
Tiki's Grill & Bar
A tiki-themed Waikiki beachfront restaurant popular for happy hour, live music and Hawaiian plate classics.
Best for: Casual Dinner
Seafood • $$$$
Ulu Ocean Grill
Four Seasons Hualalai's oceanfront grill on the Kona coast, built around whole fresh fish and open-air tables.
Best for: Special Occasion
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