Cancel

Open app

Search

Lotus Cafe

4.1 (48 reviews)
InexpensiveCoffee & Tea, Cafes
Closed 7:00 am - 4:00 pm

Lotus Cafe Photos

Business Info

LOTUS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed
Good for working

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Lotus Cafe

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Order counter
Mie D.

After I had lunch with friend in Kaimuki, we looked for coffee place. Before we came lunch this area, it was hard to find the coffee place. But we found here this time! This place face to Waialae Ave. and another back side door face to the Kaimuki Municipal parking. It's cozy and quite inside, so I don't think good for group, but no need to talk in a whisper. When ewe got here only one customer was there and she was working on her computer. During we were there another two friends customer came in. There are coffee(espresso and brew both), tea, and food in their menu. The staff were quiet but felt friendly when we ordered. I ordered decaf hot coffee and they brew each coffee after they got an order. Even decaf, my coffee was good aroma and flavor. We enjoyed having our coffee time here!

sign from sidewalk
Heidi H.

Friendly staff they answered my questions. Drink was nice and cold on a hot day. Seats are inviting. Some pasterie on display. Crossaint, lemon bars.

Drink Menu (as of Jan 2025)
Rachael K.

[Location] New cafe alert! Lotus Cafe is located on Waialae Ave, Kaimuki. Parking is available, though not free (with the exception of possibly metered parking on Sundays). Restrooms available. I believe WiFi is available too! [Drinks] I ordered a cortado and hot matcha latte with honey. The matcha comes unsweetened unless otherwise indicated. You can sweeten your matcha latte with honey, lavender, etc. for an additional cost. The cortado was super hot, a little too hot than I would've liked. The espresso was a bit too bright and weak for my preference. From the coloring of the matcha latte, I suspected it wouldn't be the best. And I was unfortunately correct. I docked one star because of the quality of the drinks. Not terrible but not necessarily good, in my humble opinion. Affordable though! [Service] The employees were super sweet and upbeat. I felt welcomed and taken care of. [Ambiance] Love the serene aesthetic! Super clean, pleasing to the eye. Quiet too. Perfect spot for a productive study/work sesh. I want to give this place another try in terms of drinks. Eager to try food too as I noticed plenty of reviewers enjoyed the soups and sandwiches!

Menu as of 7/31/24
Larene U.

This is such a classy cafe. Free wifi and comfortable seating adorned with plants and artwork. Literally my type of vibe. I got their matcha since I heard it was really good. Really smooth taste! And the cashier rec'd it with oat milk and vanilla. Perfect mix between the sweetener and the earthy taste of their matcha. Definitely would come back to try more of their stuff. Also 5 stars because their playlist literally was playing all the older classic songs I listened to with my parents as a kid. Chillin' fr

Entrance from the municipal (paid) parking lot
Nadine C.

Lunch in Kaimuki, Honolulu, Hawaii... I read Irene's review and decided to get exactly what she got: matcha Latte with Oat Milk and a yogurt bowl... because the strawberries looked so fresh... and the matcha is so healthy! Located on Waialae Avenue, I found a metered street parking stall on Koko Head Avenue. The meter was broken, so I scored free parking! Yippee! There are two ways to enter the cafe. I happened to enter from the municipal parking lot entrance. I walked along a long hallway with a convenient restroom before I arrived at the cashier's station. She greeted me right away, so I told her I wanted the matcha Latte with Oat Milk and the yogurt bowl. I was asked if I wanted some sweetener - okay - a splash of honey. I didn't taste any, so I added a packet of brown sugar, which was at the self-service area. The yogurt bowl had granola, blueberries, and strawberries... it was just right... not too heavy, but simple and refreshing on a hot August day! The environment was relaxing and spacious with modern, natural decor. I liked the live plants! I'll be back when I get free parking again!

Menu
Irene M.

A new cafe has blossomed in Kaimuki... Lotus Cafe fresh from its soft opening on July 17th and what a lovely spot to take in all the simplicity. I absolutely love Lotus and what it represents and finding a lovely spot to chill and catch up on while supporting local makes it a great spot. Located right on Waialae near Happy Days which offers lots of parking options from the municipal lots in the back to some street parking which I lucked out on today (Sunday) because it's free and starting early did give me the advantage. Walking in this cozy cafe you'll immediately notice the Lotus lighting which is absolutely stunning along with various types of seating from a comfy sofa, lounge table and some bar top seatings. I chose one of the table near the window and took the opportunity to sip my Matcha Latte with Oatmilk which was a very yummy sip looking at the deep green color it has that bite that i love about matcha along with some Yogurt with fruit bowl and granola making it a light and refreshing morning. Yet to discovered by many i enjoyed the quite time here and the simplicity of the decor along with the staff which are quite lovely and nice. Lotus symbolize positivity and cheers to a refreshing spot. Thank you!

Lily D.

searching for new businesses on yelp and came across this business that's nearby! I think they took over the old Kaimuki Cafe spot. It quickly caught my attention as it featured "Dog friendly" yay!! There's a entrance off Waialae and also from the back parking lot. I came around noon and it wasn't too busy, but they had a steady flow of guests while we were there which is pretty good considering they've only been open for about a week and theres a million other coffee shops in Kaimuki. I also saw that they use Greenworld farms coffee beans. They also have a small food menu on the counter and their drinks menu is on the wall. I tried the kalua pig pizza ($10) which was pretty good. my friend ordered the breakfast empanadas. It was my first time trying that - it was baked but i thought they're usually fried? so its a good healthy alternative. It also came with a siracha mayo dipping sauce. There is a parking lot in the back of the restaurant. the first 20 mins is free if you're doing a quick grab and go this route is perfect. Otherwise, there is another metered lot next to it or street parking. The service was awesome! There was 3 girls working the front and my son absolutely loved all of them.

empanadas and matcha
Cora L.

Very cute cafe located on Waialae Ave near Happy Days. The inside decorations felt minimalistic but cute and the service was very quick. We were greeted immediately upon entry. I ordered a matcha latte and the empanadas. They were out of the ingredients they use for the majority of their items (i.e. tomatoes, cheese, cream cheese) so I was not able to order some of the other items I wanted such as their bagels and breakfast sandwich. We sat ourselves and were able to find a table although there was limited seating inside. The food came out quickly and the empanadas were like breakfast empanadas with egg and ham inside. It came with a choice of sauce and I chose the spicy mayo. The empanadas were about $14 for three and they were smaller than expected. However, they were tasty. The matcha was also pretty good. It would be nice to come back and try some of their coffee!

Street waffle (taken literally) just thrown in the bag

I ordered lunch for my office (5 people) trying this place out for the first time. When I called to place the order, they told me they wouldn't take orders over the phone, so I placed it online. When I picked up the order, they apparently were out of the breakfast empanada (at 11AM) and just wrote "No Breakfast" on the box instead of calling to ask if we'd like a different option than what we ordered. Wondering why they even have a phone if they don't take orders and won't call to let you know that part of your order will be missing. The employees also made no mention of it to me while I was picking up. Additionally, one of my coworkers ordered the Street Waffle, which they literally just tossed in a brown paper bag, no napkins, no foil, nothing. There was maybe one other person in the store (could've been an employee sitting out front, not sure), so I don't understand the carelessness that took place. We did not have a complicated order (one lemonade, two soups, one sandwich, one toast, one waffle, and a few empanadas). The food was good, but the customer service did not leave a good taste in my mouth. Not likely not return.

Caprese salad, salmon bagel, breakfast empanada
Jamie I.

Parking: parking lot on Waialae (same parking lot as happy days) Service: I've had much friendly service at other places, but I think the girl was just tired that day. I don't knock anything off for that, we're all just doing life. Drinks: Iced matcha latte with oat milk, pretty standard. Not that high quality of a matcha powder. Food: Caprese salad- very refreshing Breakfast Empanada- I really enjoyed this with the sriracha mayo! It came out HOT! Salmon bagel- this could've been much better if the bagel was toasted (this is where I took off a star) Overall: I would say this place is okay. I might pop by if I'm in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

Seating
A U.

I studied here with a friend. The staff was friendly and it was a good ambience for studying and hanging out. I ordered an iced latte which was good. There is free wifi and a clean bathroom which makes it a great spot to stop by!

See all

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 month ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 3
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of Myra G.
251
511
1338

11 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 1
Love this 6
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 28
Thanks 8
Love this 38
Oh no 0
Photo of Cynthia O.
90
59
102

3 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 11
Thanks 2
Love this 14
Oh no 0
Photo of Lily D.
291
815
15867

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 5
Oh no 0

3 months ago

Great place to get work done! Their iced coffee and refreshers are amazing as well as their breakfast sandwich! No complaints at all

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 1
Love this 2
Oh no 2

3 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 5
Thanks 2
Love this 3
Oh no 1
Photo of A U.
0
17
12

10 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

10/10 would recommend this place if in kaimuki, the staff is very friendly and & ava is my favorite barista ^-^

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Marian O.
20
105
17

10 months ago

The latte was surprisingly unremarkable. I wanted to like the place as it is a convenient spot for me to take a break

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Kake H.
74
15
3

10 months ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Rae R.
0
23
6

5 months ago

Business owner information

Photo of Guy K.

Guy K.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lisa W.
273
27
40

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

10 months ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

11 months ago

Yummy matcha and bruschetta toast. Chill staff and great for studying in the morning.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lucy L.
42
16
46

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 2

Lotus Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Lotus Cafe

Dog friendly...can my furry friend hang out inside with me?

yes!

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Everyday - The Cloud... hojicha option

Everyday

4.2(66 reviews)
3.1 mi

The cafe was beautiful, I would totally study here if they were open for longer. The cashier was…read moregreat and she suggested great items. She's also so pretty!! There was parking behind the building and it's free but very limited. I got the strawberry glow smoothie which was inspired from Hailey Beiber's smoothie at Erewhon, and $18. It was pretty good though and lowkey filling, I would compare this to an acai bowl in a cup. It was very thick and it tasted a little like bananas, there was a lot of good ingredients that benefit you though.

Everyday is an aesthetic cafe/wellness center located at the corner of Piikoi & South King St…read more Parking located just off Piikoi (small parking lot) or on South King (small parking garage I think) Inside the shop is beautiful! High ceilings, amazing color palette, adequate seating. The menu is pretty simplistic which I loved! The staff were so so kind which always makes or breaks a coffee shop experience (in my option), so thank you for being so welcoming! I ordered their The Cloud Matcha. I believe they use Wai Koko as the base & coconut cream for the top. The drink was good, but it was small and I felt like there wasn't enough matcha in it for how much I paid (over $8). They also don't have Wi-Fi (which I believe may be by design) so if you're planning on doing work, be prepared to use your hotspot if you have one. Overall, this is a beautiful space to have that "coffee shop" experience with friends to talk story or if you're looking for a quieter shop to relax and rewind.

Photos
Everyday - Inside area

Inside area

Everyday - Hojicha cloud latte

Hojicha cloud latte

Everyday - Interior Seating

See all

Interior Seating

Better Daze - Cloud Matcha

Better Daze

4.5(147 reviews)
0.9 miKaimuki
$

Cute coffee & matcha spot in Kapahulu!…read more Went here with my brother and boyfriend on a whim, after brunch and on our way to Waikiki. I decided to order the coconut cloud matcha with oat milk and it was pretty good. They don't skimp on the matcha so you can really taste it. It was my brother's first time trying matcha latte so he ordered the iced vanilla bean matcha with whole milk and it did not disappoint! I'll probably try that next time as well :) Service was great. It was a Saturday so it's expected to be kinda busy, but we got our drinks pretty quickly. Parking is very limited but nonetheless I'd definitely come back again!

Better Daze is a cute shack located on Kapahulu. Parking is…read morevery limited. It shares the same lot as Ono's seafood so if you go at the same time as their opening hours, it could be difficult to find parking in the lot or there is street parking as well. There is a lot next door but it is for the customers for their property only. We ordered the coconut cloud matcha and the mushroom elixir latte both with oat milk. The matcha flavor was lacking and their foam was a nice light coconut flavor. It was a bit on the sweeter side. I enjoyed the mushroom elixir latte it was good and their ingredients complimented the espresso to still have a strong coffee flavor. I would come back for their coffee espresso items. If you're looking for a strong matcha, this wouldn't be it.

Photos
Better Daze - Iced matcha with oat milk

Iced matcha with oat milk

Better Daze - The yummiest banana bread

The yummiest banana bread

Better Daze - Honey matcha

See all

Honey matcha

Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe - Salmon lox on everything bagel

Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe

4.3(49 reviews)
0.3 mi

Delicious food and drinks. Excellent customer service . My bagel breakfast sandwich was delicious…read more And my Mango iced tea hit the spot . I found this place up the road from my job in Kaimuki .

Kyoto Style Cold Brew. That's all needs to be said…read more My first introduction to Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe was at the Made in Hawaii Festival where I sampled its amazing tasting coffee. Found out that there are three locations in Kaka'ako, Downtown, and this one in Kaimuki. It's located at the corner of Waialae and 8th Avenue, across from The Curb and Kaimuki Auto Repair. Only metered parking along Waialae or street parking on the perpendicular streets. Inside was spacious and had an industrial feel with its concrete floor, metal chairs, metal racks, and with actual renovations in process in the rear of the space. Menu is floor level (sorry tall people!). There's a variety of coffee, tea, lemonade, blended drinks, smoothies, sandwiches, salads, its special Aloha Bread, and etc. There's a lot to read! There are multiple choices of bread for sandwiches (special bread shown next to the register. Be sure to check!). Needless to say, I took a long time to decide! The Breakfast Sandwich came with egg, bacon, ham, and American cheese. Chose the croissant, which was the smaller size variety. This was good with a generous amount of egg and bacon. It was a hearty sandwich. The Tuna Sandwich on Everything Bagel was good. Nice crisp on the bagel. A decent simple sandwich with fresh ingredients. I would have preferred more mayo and the canned tuna to have flavor. Regular brewed coffee was very good. Brewed very well with solid coffee flavor. Exactly the flavor I remembered when I first tried it. The star was the Kyoto Style Cold Brew. It was smooth, clean, bright, and strong. The flavor maintained throughout--even with the ice cubes melted in. Overall, a decent experience. The sandwiches were good. Coffee was excellent. Friendly service. Can't wait to come back to try more things and get more Kyoto style cold brew!

Photos
Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe - Pretty keychains made from microplastics.

Pretty keychains made from microplastics.

Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe
Aloha Bakehouse & Cafe - 看板もかわいい

See all

看板もかわいい

Café Kaila - Chicken & Waffles

Café Kaila

4.3(2.3k reviews)
1.0 mi
$$

This place is always busy for a reason!…read more We came here after a hike and between the two of us, we had a hard time finishing two things off the menu (but we still ordered 3 things!! -waffle, eggs Benedict, and breakfast burrito). Their portion sizes are big and of course... they're one of the best breakfast restaurants on the island so the flavors are always good! Considering how busy they are, the servers are still always attentive and sweet. It's always such a great experience coming here. The only thing that stops me from coming is the line, but once I'm in, I'm reminded that it's worth waiting for!

We decided to try this place because of the good reviews, but unfortunately our experience was…read moredisappointing. We were seated quickly, which was a positive, but the service throughout the meal was not pleasant. Our server seemed very rushed from the beginning. When taking our drink order, she walked away before everyone had finished ordering. Later, when we ordered food, I tried to mention that I did not want mushrooms in my frittata, but she interrupted me and moved on to another question. As a result, my frittata still came with mushrooms. The food itself was okay overall. The frittata could have used a bit more seasoning, and while another server checked on a nearby table and offered condiments like ketchup, hot sauce, or salt, our server never once checked if we needed anything. The loco moco was good, although the gravy was slightly too salty. At the end of the meal, when it was time to pay, our server stood there and immediately asked which tip option we wanted to choose -- "1, 2, or 3." Tipping should reflect the quality of service provided, and unfortunately the customer service we received did not warrant that approach. Overall, the experience did not live up to the reviews we had read.

Photos
Café Kaila - Bar area

Bar area

Café Kaila - Breakfast wrap w/ link sausage guacamole & salsa and a side of potatoes.

Breakfast wrap w/ link sausage guacamole & salsa and a side of potatoes.

Café Kaila - Clearly, they understand great hot sauce.

See all

Clearly, they understand great hot sauce.

Sweet E's Cafe - Enchanting Blueberry & Cream Cheese French Toast with Add On Fruit

Sweet E's Cafe

4.7(3.3k reviews)
0.9 mi
$$

If you're looking for a breakfast place that has wonderful food and good value for money, Sweet E's…read moreCafe is the place to go. Service: Awesome. We were actually asked about 3 times by 3 different servers if we wanted a different drink besides water, which was ok with us. We appreciated them being very attentive to each table's needs. Food: 10/10. I ordered the Veggie Eggs Benedict and it tasted really good. I liked how the ingredients taste fresh and how the benny complemented very well with the potatoes. I also sampled my brother's fried rice and it was amazing. The Extreme Mess was flavorful too, a little bit on the saltier side for me but my boyfriend enjoyed it. Ambiance: We were seated outside but it was covered and well-ventilated. The place is well-maintained and clean, and has a "local brunch place" vibe which I liked. Parking: We lucked out and got parking at the available space by their lot, around 11am on a Saturday. There's also street parking available.

Excellent Experience at Sweet E's Café…read more We had such a great experience at Sweet E's Café. Even though they were busy, we didn't wait long at all. The servers were incredibly attentive from the moment we sat down--they brought us water right away, handed us menus, got our drinks first, and gave us plenty of time to look through the menu without feeling rushed. They were welcoming, friendly, and on top of everything. Our food came out fairly quickly and everything was fresh and delicious. The herb roasted potatoes were amazing, perfectly seasoned and cooked. The pancake was so fresh and fluffy. My omelette with Kahlúa pork was very good, full of flavor. My son's side of white rice and crispy bacon was cooked perfectly, and the corned beef hash was also delicious. We really appreciated the unlimited coffee and water refills, too. The overall experience was excellent--great service, great food, and a welcoming atmosphere. I would highly recommend this place and we'll definitely be back.

Photos
Sweet E's Cafe - Inside seating

Inside seating

Sweet E's Cafe - Corn Beef Hash Eggs Benedict with potatoes

Corn Beef Hash Eggs Benedict with potatoes

Sweet E's Cafe - Hawaiian scramble with added spinach and hashbrowns and side of garlic fried rice... YUMMY!!

See all

Hawaiian scramble with added spinach and hashbrowns and side of garlic fried rice... YUMMY!!

Lotus Cafe - coffee - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...