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    Ilima Cafe

    3.8 (44 reviews)
    ModerateNew American
    Closed 6:00 am - 10:30 AM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Ilima Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    ILIMA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Ilima Cafe

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    Evelyn E.

    Delicious breakfast and great service 10 out of 10 would recommend this place if you're staying in Waikiki the beach is just a few feet away

    Entrance inside of the hotel.
    Victoria M.

    An amazing spot for breakfast! Ilima Café is inside the Waikiki Resort Hotel. You enter the hotel in order to get to the restaurant. Inside the restaurant is light, bright, and airy. The staff were attentive. You receive a discount if you are staying at the hotel. If you need a restroom you need to ask the hotel front desk for a key and use the hotel lobby's restrooms. Menu wise is small but mighty with lots of comfort breakfast foods. I got a side of bacon with French toast and hashbrowns. My husband ordered the omelet which came with hashbrowns and rice. Everything was amazing! Came out hot and filled us up. They are only open a few hours in the morning, so be sure to wake up in time and order some delicious breakfast!

    Michelle R.

    Our second breakfast since were disappointed with the hotels complimentary breakfast. We opted to try this place out. Breakfast here is only offered from 6:30am - 9:30am and they have limited breakfast meals. We opted for the following: Hawaii Loco Moco - 1/2 lb hamburger patty topped with a bed of rice covered in brown gravy and topped with 2 fried eggs. My boyfriend chose this. He said the loco moco tasted way better. Portuguese Sausage & Eggs - 2 eggs any style with either toast, rice or hash brown. This was my pick. I chose to get this dish with rice and have it with scrambled eggs. Ube Pandesal Toast - the bread was soft and fluffy and tasted really yummy! Overall, food was delicious and service was great!

    Tsunami bagel
    Nelly L.

    I do not recommend. Delusional service. Tricky coffee price. Day #1 :Breakfast was nice. Toast was not great though but everything else was nice. Sausage, eggs and coffee. Service was good and waiter came to refill and propose coffee. Ambiance ok. Would recommend adding some chill music and the place would be better Day#2 : I guess either I was too hungry on the first day and was under a delusion- got happy with the service. I went back and am very disappointed by the service See pic. Bagel was served cold and not really toasted- It look like it went through a tsunami on it and it got torn . The waiter did not find it inappropriate to serve this. As well, be careful as there is a trick of inserting coffee with an additional price $5 on menu on the back side. It showed a smaller price but coffee is not included. I asked to switch the fresh fruits for another side and waiter did not agree on some choices. I do not recommend

    Ilima Cafe Breakfast: 3 banana pancakes (or French Toast), 3 eggs, Portuguese Sausage (or Bacon)
    K L.

    Only reason why I'm giving only 4 stars is because of the limited menu and limited service hours...however, FIVE stars to the service here! So friendly and welcoming. Their aloha definitely shines through! The menu is typical breakfast menu items but the star of this place I would have to say would be their pancakes!! Ughhhh soooo fluffy and soft and hits the right spot!! Menu items as mention is limited to mostly eggs, breakfast meat, French toast, and/or pancakes. They have a couple healthier options too like fruit and yogurt but that's it. Also, right now they only operate from 6:30am-9:30am, so just an FYI. Overall though, 4 warm and happy stars to this cafe in the heart of Waikiki.

    Ilima breakfast. One with French toast, one with pancakes.
    Vina E.

    We came here on our last day and had Erna as our server. She was the sweetest and a pleasure. Limited menu but covered the basics. I tried the lilikoi syrup. We had pancakes French toast, bacon , eggs, Portuguese sausages. Everything was good. Nice little place!

    Overall wonderful experience, great breakfast and service! The atmosphere is vibrant and comfortable. Couldn't have asked for a better way to start my day with this place.

    Terry S.

    It is very rare that I post a negative review. But, this was one of the worst meals I have had in a long time. The service was also lacking. When I came into the restaurant I was immediately seated. But, after a glass of water was given, I was forgotten for about 15-20 minutes. (Note, I was the only guest there.) Finally a worker sitting at a table close to me called over my waiter. He took my order and I ordered the blackened Mahi Mahi. The fish was dry and had no flavor. The sweet chili sauce was mixed with mayonnaise! The waiter never asked me if I wanted something to drink. Even the rice need soy sauce to have any flavor. I left most of my meal. Don't waste your time or money.

    Pancakes
    Hans K.

    Great tasting breakfast with great service. Erna and park were awesome servers and made our mornings bright. Pancakes were very good as were the eggs and bacon !

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    5 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Great food great service not packed a gem in the heart of Waikiki. Would be 5 stars but over priced for what you get

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    5 years ago

    Fluffiest Omelet on the Island! Buen apetito! Kudos to the chef! Buen Apetito. Recommended for excellent service and great food.

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    8 years ago

    Hidden gem across from the Alohilani Resort. Convenient, quick, and delicious breakfast in Waikiki. Great way to start the day!

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    Ask the Community - Ilima Cafe

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    Basalt

    4.3
    (2k reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    We had the best birthday dinner at Basalt in Waikiki. The food was delicious (Salmon Ochazuke)…read more Candace provided excellent service. The true highlight of the evening was getting to know Lee who chose the perfect wine to compliment our meal. We will definitely come back. A hui hou.

    We came to Basalt tonight to celebrate my birthday. It was my first time here and after tonight's…read moremeal.....I want to come here again. First things first, park at the Hyatt Centric parking lot. Dining at Basalt gets you three hours of FREE parking. Cautionary statement: Watch the corners as you enter and exit. The lanes are skinny and you have to pay attention. Ok, onto the dinner. We skipped appetizers and went straight for dinner. Prime Rib for me, pasta with shrimp for the gf. Both were on point. The prime rib was seasoned perfectly and the pasta had choke shrimp (see pic) and garlic. To top it off, I got a free slice of chocolate mousse cake with fresh berries. I got a coconut sorbet on the side and the kitchen staff threw in free arare cookies. Which leads me into the most important point I want to make here. The service was awesome. Everyone from the hostess who seated us, to our server Candace, and the two women that served us....all gave great service. They were very nice and treated us great. We are definitely coming back to try their other menu items. Plus if you are kama'aina, you get 10% knocked off the bill. Cheeeeehooooo

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    Fete

    Fete

    4.4
    (1.4k reviews)
    3.5 mi
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    If you're going to go to eat anywhere in Honolulu this is the place…read more I can't tell you how fucking amazing this place is. Every single item on the food and drink menu is crafted with such robust flavor with so much dimension in each bite. The drink menu is unique, I had a cocktail I can't remember the name of it but it had plum something and was created by one of the servers there. So cool to see employees own work on the menu, he shared with us how hard and long he worked on the craft cocktail to make it perfect. Now this is a bartender! Would definitely recommend making a reservation, unless it's just you and maybe one other than the bar is mostly open seating I think. I got lucky and walked in on a Sunday night and there happened to be two open seats at the bar which i hear is unheard of due to the popularity that is this restaurant. It's a cute restaurant and is definitely a well oiled machine

    First time here and upon the first taste of the bread and the appetizers I was impressed with the…read moreflavors of the dip that were on the side in addition with the bread. I sampled the Korean Chicken Burger? I heard it was their top item so I figured I'd just try it. It was very sweet and crispy, but I'm not sure how it constitutes as anything that would make me say "wow." I sampled my friend's fish dish and this was delicious and I think I liked it better than what I got. I wish that the side that they used for the carbs wasn't potatoes and maybe a rice option? They brought some sort of fried fish ball that had a pretty good spicy tartar sauce that everyone on our table was fighting over. Overall, I think the food wasn't something I would come back for, but the service was astounding - especially when someone on our table did not like the drink they ordered - our waitress offered to take it back and serve her another drink that she hopefully liked. Ambiance is very posh and dim - yet casual at the same time. We came at a lunch hour so not too fancy, I can imagine people getting dressed up fancy to go here at night though.

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    Beef Bourguignon Pot Pie ($35)
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    Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar

    Tommy Bahama Restaurant & Bar

    4.4
    (2.2k reviews)
    0.6 mi
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    The reservation was for 12:30 PM on Monday, June 15, 2026 and this would be my second time eating…read moreat Tommy Bahama but a first time with my job that I have for a group building meeting... or what they call a work outing.. We got there pretty early and it was less than 10 minutes before our waitress by the name of Jackie had taken our drink orders fairly simple she had been very accommodating ... In most of the orders we did have she had been very exceptional, and she also took the time out to consider certain detail details like my sparkling water for instance ... I finished off two whole glasses of sparkling water and she had went ahead and made a third as a takeout container for me... The Wagyu burger I ordered had been very good. It had a great texture throughout. I had asked for it to be medium well done and it was spot on whoever the chef was on June 15, 2026 at about 1 PM had made my burger exactly to the specifications I asked. Our table of eight had went ahead and shared a selection of three desserts. I personally felt the chocolate cake would've been a little bit heavy so I didn't have too much of that, but it had a very good taste. I did really enjoy the crème brûlée that pineapple crème brûlée had a very noticeable creamy delicious taste of freshness with the cream ... it might possibly be my favorite dessert at a restaurant and I may just come back to have just that... the piña colada cake was super moist and that was also very delicious... The ambience had been very good. There wasn't too much music being played, but it was quiet overall very noticeable on the crowd. There was not a very big crowd at all during our lunch reservation and perhaps that's why everything went smoothly. Jackie had been very good she had accommodated everyone --let everyone know when their orders were coming out if it was coming out late and she had been consistent with water and or drinks, especially with my sparkling water. I feel that this would be a great venue to go to the second floor is where the fire pit is and I feel that that would be a great place for a hang out to get drinks late at night and to hang with friends Again, thank you, Jackie, our waitress had been exceptional. I highly recommend that anyone who goes for lunch to accommodate Jackie as your waitress. ... thank you Tommy Bahamas for a great service and lunch team outting.

    Once again, my wife and I loved the food and the service…read more I ordered the coconut shrimp (my favorite way to eat shrimp now) and the filet mignon. My wife ordered the mahi taco and the snapper on special. We also got the creme brulee in a pineapple for dessert. Everything was delicious! Jessica was our server this time and she did a fantastic job checking up on us and having our food brought out on time. Plus, she loved my wife's Snoopy bag, haha. This is our new favorite restaurant and we will be back!

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    MĀZE

    MĀZE

    4.7
    (210 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$$$

    MĀZE was the standout highlight meal of my trip to Hawaii this year. The chef's menu with drink…read morepairing was easily Michelin-star worthy. Taste, presentation, service, ambiance -- MĀZE really had it all nailed down. If there's one meal you should book for your trip, make it MĀZE. Although the menu looks short, it is deceptively filling. You start off your meal with a few amuse bouche bites. It's really a wonderful start, because the salmon toast was one of the best bites I had all night. The smoked salmon was melt in your mouth tender and the toast was fried to perfection. Another bite I really enjoyed early on was their "Fat bastard" oyster. I've never had this type of oyster before, but this one was especially plump, sweet, and had just the right amount of brininess to it. There's honestly not a single straightforward bite across the courses: everything has layers upon layers of flavor and a complexity that really accentuates the talent of the head chef. After the first course, there's an option to add a supplemental course for $34 -- a "Wagyu musubi". I cannot emphasize enough that this addition is a must. If you're coming as a couple, it's large enough that you're able to share a single one so that each person gets two bites. This bite is as delicious as it looks. The Wagyu is rich and fatty, and the crispy nori is the textural element that breaks up the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the beef. The tare delicately brushed on top adds a bit of saltiness to the dish and doesn't take away from the enjoyment and appreciation of the Wagyu itself. Another bite that I'll forever remember is the Jeju abalone dish. Served over a bed of finely minced edamame and served in a chicken jus, the dish had sweet, savory, umami, and all the right textures. I ate this dish especially slowly because I wanted to savor each and every bite for as long as possible. The abalone is tender and cooked perfectly -- not rubbery whatsoever. I overheard a chef saying that the tasting menu changes every month, and we had visited when they were mid-cycle. I believe some of the permanent menu items include the bourbon barrel smoked salmon toast and the wagyu musubi, but I really hope to see the Jeju abalone dish again someday when I visit in the future. Since MĀZE is from the the duo behind the famous cocktail bar -- Bar Leather Apron, just down the street, you would expect nothing less than extraordinary cocktails for the cocktail pairing. I can confidently say that there was not a single drink pairing that I was disappointed with -- both on the alcoholic and non-alcoholic side. My favorite cocktail of the night was their take on an Old Fashioned that was served with the Washugyu flat iron galbi course. I simply cannot say enough good things about MĀZE. Do yourself a favor and book a reservation right after you book your plan tickets to Oahu -- you won't regret it.

    After reading the write up in the NY Times decided I had to splurge and try it even though I…read morecouldn't imagine drinking a cocktail with each course without getting wasted. So glad I went with the cocktail pairing bc I wanted the whole experience. It was really lovely and fun to sit at the counter watching all the young people assemble the food so carefully and our bartender craft our drinks. Each drink was perfect - either refreshing or light or sweet or smoky and really did complement each dish. My fave was the egg white gin one that came with the fish course. My fave foods were the charred lettuce that came with the meat course and the shave ice was superb - corn syrup and plenty of black sesame it was not too sweet and so refreshing! Overall a very special meal and a place to keep in the rotation for special occasions. I'd say definitely go with the cocktail pairings bc that is what makes this place unique. Also if you want to get some courses with a mocktail instead of getting all four as cocktails they will accommodate that - then you don't need to get as tipsy. I wanted to try all the cocktails so I just didn't end up finishing each drink - not bc they weren't delicious, they were! I just didn't want to go past pleasantly buzzed. We didn't get any add ons and were still full by the end of the meal. Clean bathrooms and bright space and awesome service. Not a single misstep.

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    Snackies.
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    Ilima Cafe - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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