KEY2 Pick
Hawaiian • $$
Duke's Waikiki
A beachfront Waikiki institution named for Duke Kahanamoku, serving fresh fish steps from the sand.
Best for: Casual Dinner
Best restaurants in Hawaii
Counters, dining rooms and neighbourhood favourites, chosen for the way they actually eat — not for how loudly they market.
KEY2 Pick
Seafood • $$$$
Mama's Fish House
Maui's most celebrated fish house, on the North Shore, naming the boat and fisherman behind each catch.
Best for: Special Occasion
KEY2 Pick
Farm-to-Table • $$$
Merriman's Waimea
Chef Peter Merriman's original Big Island restaurant, built around Waimea ranch and farm produce since 1988.
Best for: Date Night
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
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
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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