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Vavin Dessert Bar

4.8 (162 reviews)
Closed • 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
Updated 1 month ago
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Vavin Dessert Bar Photos

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VAVIN DESSERT BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Quiet
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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AmberAyame T.

Really good, big pastries. Cute inside. Tons of coffee and tea options. Friendly and fast service. Will be back. Parade outside, pretty fun!

March 2026
Tiffany W.

Unreal. I visited here almost every morning of my Hawaii visit for the ambiance, carefully crafted items and flash backs to my time in France. By my 4th visit, I was able to make a connection to the owner who told me he lived in France for a period of time which makes sense why this shop was a chef's kiss to me. Vavin is located just off the strip across from the tennis courts and is recognizable by the exterior tables with blue umbrellas. The shop opens at 7 am daily except for Wednesday and frequently sells out of pastries. There is no rush to get in right at 7 am as I found many items go out of stock closer to 10 am or 11am. There are croissants, crookies, unique coffee items such as the Hawaiian latte and orange zest lattes - both exceptional. Even basic drinks such as espressos and cappuccinos are desirable. My favorite part about Vavin is the sit down plates and mugs. There is no worse turn off for me then coffee shops that only do to-go cups. The reusable dishes allowed me to sit down, relax and actually enjoy my cup and the experience which in a way, is what France taught me when I visited there too. I enjoyed that Vavin makes each product with care. The displays and actual product are worth the value. One component to be mindful of is the staff. There is typically one pastry chef onsite who is also running the cashier and dishing out items and drinks. Patience is key here and make sure to listen for your drink as it's not typically something the staff has the bandwidth to serve. All drinks can be picked up inside at the designated pick-up area. When done, be prepared to bus items back inside via the tubs. Thank you for bringing a slice of France to Hawaii, Vavin!! I loved all my days with you. Heavenly!!! I wish you great success.

Coffee Time!
Alyssa Y.

It's like stepping into your very own French cafe but in Hawaii. Located in the beginning part of Waikiki tucked into a side road, you can park in one of the many lots around the area. The cafe itself is small with 5 tables inside and 5 tables outside, but has high ceilings and well lit. I was instantly drawn to the croissants at the front counter. They have a variety of flavors such as chocolate, pistachio, almond and oatmeal, and you can tell they're all well made. The croissants are big (worth the price) and you can see all of the different layers and perfect lamination. They have a variety of coffee options, and even more tea options to choose from. We ordered the Double Pistachio Twice Baked Croissant, Iced Hawaiian Latte and Iced Vavin Caramel Latte with Oat milk. The croissant was perfectly crispy and golden brown on the outside and light and buttery on the inside. The pistachio topping was slightly crunchy and not overly sweet. The portion was bigger than I thought and we were able to split it between two people. The coffee is on the sweeter side, I prefer more coffee. Next time I'll order it with another shot of espresso.

Matthew J.

While in Waikiki on O'ahu, I had the most divine pastries I could have expected at Vavin Dessert Bar. This was a bougie pastry shop, sure, but heck if I didn't go back every morning while on the island to try a different one. While there, I had their Lava Lava Almond Croissant which was a twice baked almond croissant that was perfectly flaky with a creamy frangipane in the middle. The second item I had was the Pistachio Twice Baked Croissant. Imagine if a pistachio croissant and an Almond Croissant had a baby. That is what this was. The traditional Almond Croissant but on top was a Pistachio creme. The last thing, and I question whether to even call this a pastry or that I should have had it for breakfast, but a Crookie. You know it, you love it. It is a Croissant stuffed with cookie dough and baked with cookie dough on top. This one used a S'mores cookie to make it all that much decadent. ____

Hawaiian latte
Cindy M.

Vavin Dessert Bar was worth the hype! Probably one of the better coffee shops we've been to in the area. The shop is so charming. Theres a limited amount of seating indoors and outdoors. We tried two types of drinks, the Hawaiian latte and the tiramisu latte. Both lattes were solid, but I liked the tiramisu latte a bit better. The tiramisu latte was not too sweet, to my liking, and it had a bit of a cream dollop. The Hawaiian latte was a bit more sweet in comparison. I ended up swapping my Hawaiian latte for my husband's tiramisu latte. There are many types of pastries, and it was challenging picking just 1. The beef sukiyaki croissant we picked had a fine flakiness to it when it was heated up. The beef had a nice flavor to it, balanced with slightly sweet but primarily savory. Good ratio of croissant to filling. It was a steep price for a croissant at ~$12 but nice to try. If I didn't have a buffet to look forward to later that day, I would have ordered another pastry. Service was friendly! Can't really comment on the parking situation, as we walked here. Overall, if I visited Waikīkī again, I would definitely make a stop back to Vavin!

Natalia O.

Popped in at 7am on a rainy, Friday morning and was one of few there. Service was quick. I ordered a warm ham and cheese croissant (which was loaded!!). I'd say it was good... would be curious to see if they could sub the Dijon mustard it comes with for butter instead since the croissant was kinda dry. $10 a bit steep, too. Didn't get to try the drinks but they did look very tasty. Edit: came back for an iced latte and it was 10/10!

Exterior
Ted P.

Stopped by this place while vacationing in Hawaii and was surprised at how good everything is! It's a small shop on a side street next to the Eggs n things. The service was a bit slow as the guy taking orders was also making the drinks, but the line did move reasonably quickly. The pastries here are all huge and delicious. I tried the double baked pistachio and was impressed by how flaky and well balanced the filling was. It had crunchy pistachios on top and a sweet creamy filling inside. They even warmed it up!

Inside Counter
Brittany L.

Wow! This place is such a vibe. While staying in Waikīkī, I was in the mood for some French pastries and a latte. This cafe was a short walk from Hale Koa and satisfied my cravings! They have both indoor and outdoor seating available. We ordered a few different items to share; the rainbow croissant, passionfruit eclairs, and raspberry eclairs were phenomenal! The raspberry one was my favorite by far. It was the perfect balance of tart and sweet. The croissant had a cream filling that was equally as delightful. The service was also spectacular. My son had accidentally spilled one of our lattes, and the employee made us another free of charge. It was really a great gesture and made a stressful situation less stressful. We will definitely visit again when we are in the area.

Rachel K.

This was a great Yelp find! My husband was actually looking for a new spot to try coffee and Vavin had great ratings for their drinks and pastries. We made the walk over from our hotel and found this cute cafe, it has a view of the park and has indoor and outdoor seating. There was a steady stream of customers, but the line was short and we were able to easily grab a spot outside to eat. We ended up ordering their Provence Citronelle Eclair ($6.25), Rainbow Croissant ($8.75), Tiramisu Latte ($6) and Ginger and Lemongrass tea ($7). We sipped our drinks and enjoyed the food outside while people watching. The drinks were delicious, and the desserts were beautiful. The eclair was our favorite and we would definitely order it again, the passionfruit cream and yuzu glaze were so flavorful and bright. The rainbow croissant was gorgeous, but the current white peach filling was just ok for us. The person who helped us was friendly and made some great suggestions on drinks. Overall this experience was one of my favorites for coffee during the trip.

Almond croissant, disappointing after the stellar croissant bread
Nancy C.

Croissant bread: 5/5!! Delicately crunchy on the outside, fluffy moist and cloud-like on the inside. Beats any croissant at Kona Coffee or Halekulani Bakery. Almond croissant: 3.5/5. Rather disappointing, after the high bar set by the croissant bread. Any crunch came from the almond slices on top, not the croissant itself. Generous filling of almond paste. Latte was decent, but Castro's next door was much better. In the future, we'll get coffee from Castro's and pastry from Vavin. Loved the outdoor seating and the cute dessert plates!

Maki K.

First time trying this place. Cute decor open cafe ambiance! All pastries look good!! We tried Ham & cheese and croissants. Both pastries served warm and crispy! Ham and cheese was So good! Definitely comeback again soon!

Vanilla eclair
Michelle L.

I had the triple berry tea. It was quite tasty and refreshing. Just enough sweetness. The vanilla pecan eclair was so yummy I just wish it was a little bigger. I think I finished in 2 bites. There is pretty much 1 person in front taking order and making the drinks so be prepared for a wait especially if there are a few people already in line. I recommend going closer to when they first open in the morning.

Latte & rainbow croissant
Michelle N.

Wanted to walk after breakfast so we headed to waikiki and I picked a bakery to stop at. I've heard good things about this place from my sister and was excited to try a croissant. It is next door to Castros. We walked in and immediately viewed the pastries available. I wanted the rainbow croissant. My husband got a latte. We sat down at a table inside and enjoyed our croissant. It was very good, flakey and had really good fruit and cream filling. Hubs enjoyed the latte although he still prefers black coffee. Will come back to try another delicious pastry!

Dark chocolate raspberry !

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Grace D.

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6 months ago

I tried five items for breakfast. Their pistachio pastry was super special. Really great matcha latte, too. I will be going back.

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MOSA - 2 scoop Mosa cups with Coconut, coffee, ube and pineapple flavors!

MOSA

4.8(420 reviews)
0.2 mi•Waikiki
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Drifted back to my hotel after an evening of anti-sobriety. I felt an urge to wander out into…read moreWaikiki on a side quest for something sweet and savory. It was about 10 and not much to choose from this late in the eve. Looked on Yelp and found a five-star spot that closed at midnight. A unicorn perhaps, or just paid social media BSers hyping up basura? And it was within walking distance. Let's go find out. MOSA is like in a backstreet off of the main Kalakaua drag. It's like a little hut with some outdoor seating out front. Simple menu that offers eight different flavors that you order in a cup or a crepe. Wanted something not too messy and just portable enough to eat from while walking back, so I got the cup. Got two scoops of ube and Kona coffe sprinkled with crushed mac nuts. DELICIOUS. Loved the texture...very creamy, almost chewy. Lovely textures. Flavors were on point, too. It's on the pricier side for ice cream, though, but I think it's worth it for what you're getting. Great stuff!

(4.5 STARS) Such a cute local ice cream stand! They're known for adding roasted peanut sprinkles to…read moretheir ice cream, and the crepe-style dessert seems to be their signature. I'll definitely have to come back to try that next time. // Single Scoop Cup (Kona Coffee) The single scoop comes in the cutest little flower pot with a tiny shovel spoon, which made it even more fun. The Kona coffee ice cream was incredibly smooth, rich, and creamy with a slightly stretchy texture that I really enjoyed. The roasted peanut sprinkles added a delicious crunch and subtle nutty flavor that complemented the ice cream perfectly. The service was also very friendly and quick! Overall, I really enjoyed it and would happily come back. While it didn't quite reach "must-have" status for me, it was still a delicious treat that's worth trying.

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Leonard's Bakery - A dozen goodies

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4.5(10.4k reviews)
1.2 mi•Kaimuki
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These donuts were SO GOOD! Leonard's was definitely one of my favorite treats while in Honolulu…read more We tried the cinnamon sugar and chocolate glazed donuts, and everything tasted fresh. The donuts were soft and fluffy on the inside and didn't feel heavy or overly greasy. The cinnamon sugar was probably my favorite. It had the perfect amount of sweetness and was simple but so good. The chocolate glazed was delicious too! The chocolate was rich, smooth, and sweet without being too much. They definitely didn't hold back on the chocolate either The service was great as well. Everyone was friendly and welcoming, and even though it was busy, everything moved along pretty smoothly. Our order came out fresh, and we didn't feel rushed. The atmosphere is very casual and laid-back. It's not a fancy place, but that's part of what I liked about it. It has that classic local bakery feel with people coming in excited to grab something fresh. It was busy and had a lot of energy, but it added to the experience. I completely understand why Leonard's is so popular. Sometimes places get a lot of hype and don't live up to it, but this place definitely did for me. If you're visiting Honolulu and love fresh donuts, add Leonard's to your list. I would absolutely come back! 10/10!

One cannot skip having malasadas from Leonard's when in Hawaii!…read more There was construction going on so parking was a little challenging. There's no place to sit so be ready to take the treats somewhere to enjoy. There was a line outside but they had a system so we did not have to wait too long to get our bright pink box of goodness. Malasadas are these Portuguese fried dough pastries rolled in sugar. We tried the original, cinnamon sugar, custard, and guava. Each one was delicious and best shared with family over a cup of coffee.

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Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery - Pumpkin Crunch

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4.4(896 reviews)
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I love Pipeline Bakeshops Malasadas! I have been to several Malasada places in Hawaii but | love…read morethere's the best for the following reasons: 1. the size of the malasadas: some restaurants tend to make their Malasadas smaller and when places do this it ruins the overall texture and quality of it. The bigger the malasadas size the more airy and fluffy and more bread layers that will be inside. 2. their malasadas always taste fresh and the same quality each time. 3. their malasadas don't feel oily or heavy at all Overall I would highly recommend this place for their Malasadas! I'm so happy to have found them. I can back multiple times on my trip. They also have other desserts too that I have yet to try. They have ice cream, cakes, and other desserts Also tip: if you are ordering a malasada also order a coffee or a matcha drink to go with it. The cinnamon sugar from the malasada just matches so perfectly with a drink this restaurant is also a nice place for walking! There's lot of stores and restaurants to walk around! I'm trying to remember but I think there was a book off that was not too far from here! If you either drive or maybe walk. Service: staff was super helpful and friendly while I was there. I was having an issue with my online order because my phone was being glitchy and they were so nice in helping :) Also wanted to note their branding is so cute!! They even sell merch items too

Review only based on the Malasadas. They are made to order so they come out fresh. They do not…read morecontain any fillings, so if you are looking for something Leonard's you may be disappointed. Haven't tried their other offerings, but will do so next time. Good location in Kaimuki, around other shops and restaurants. It is clean and bright inside. There isn't really anywhere to sit in the shop to eat, so you'll have to take it to go.

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Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery - Interior during Malasada Day / Fat Tuesday, 2/17/2026

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Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery - 1/2 dozen malasada

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Cha To Gelato Zen - Matcha gelato

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4.6(187 reviews)
1.1 mi•Kaimuki
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This is such a cute spot out for date night or girl's night out. The ambiance is clean and…read moreminimalistic. They are a sister company to their neighbor Aburiya Ibushi, so naturally after eating there, we came here for dessert. Immediately when you walk in, the order/cashier is right there. You have to order your items first and then go find a seat. During a busy night it's packed, so patience is key, as everything is made to order. We opted for a bar/countertop seat and it did not disappoint. We got to talk to the servers and see how everything is made up close. Everything was delicious from the hot and iced teas to dessert. My only suggestion is to remove any of your limited item signage or make a notation on the signage when you run out. We were so fixated on trying those new menu items and were sad to hear it wasn't available when we tried to order them. Overall, such a great spot for late night dessert.

Truly one of the highlights of our entire trip. The cocktails and dessert were incredible easily…read moresome of the best we had in Hawai'i. We ordered the Matcha Old Fashioned and Sencha Gin Soda, and both were so beautifully balanced. The Matcha Old Fashioned in particular was genuinely one of the best cocktails I've had in my life. Creative and unique without being overly sweet or having any one flavor overpower the others. For dessert, we had the Matcha Anmitsu, and WOW. The matcha flavor actually came through rich and complex while still feeling light and balanced. On top of the food and drinks, the ambiance was amazing and the service was excellent. Everything felt thoughtful and intentional from start to finish. An absolute must if you appreciate matcha, Japanese flavors, or a really well-made cocktail. A million out of 10 would recommend and until then ima dream about coming back.

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Waiola Shave Ice - Mango Milk Ice

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4.3(3.3k reviews)
0.8 mi•Mo'ili'ili
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This is the spot to go for shaved ice when in Oahu. There is a more famous place where all the…read moretourists go, but it's a drive, unless you happen to be in the North Shore already. You can also go to some shops in Waikiki but there service is meh and their prices are omg. Waiola Shave Ice is a local staple. It is tucked away in a neighborhood in Mo'ilili. They treat you like family and the service is speedy and with true Aloha spirit. The selection of flavors is great and they have any additional topping to offer you that you can think of. They do have a store to buy merch if you are into that and want a souvenir. They have a bench where you can sit and eat. There is also a decent parking lot but cars can only drive in one direction and need to back out to leave. I recommend parking at the local park that is a half block from here (check the signs for certain days/time where you cannot park), but it is a shady place with grass and trees to enjoy your goodies. Parking is more plentiful and easier to maneuver and there are plenty of places to sit. My family is a bunch of tough critics and this is now their new favorite spot to check out when we are in town.

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Okayama Kobo Bakery & Cafe - Cinnamon roll

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4.5(392 reviews)
1.7 mi•Kaka'ako

I've been wanting to come here for months! I finally had the opportunity to! I'm so happy I did!…read moreThere was so much to choose from-pastries and drinks! My hubby missed out! Great excuse to go again! There was a line, but it moved quickly. You could tell which items were popular cuz their spot was empty. However, they were quickly replaced. Everything was delicious!!! I did bring some items to share with coworkers. I bought my breakfast and lunch from this quaint bakery. It took me back to my visit to Japan! Loved it! Will definitely be back!!!

I needed to occupy myself after I dropped hubs off for his first cataract surgery…read more After doing some retail therapy at NR I had half an hour to spare. Hubs had to fast from 6 am for his 2 pm surgery so I thought he would probably be starving and would enjoy a delectable salt and butter roll from here. At $4.50 a piece I consider this a luxury for us. I found a close stall in the parking structure. A very cheerful polite male employee took my order. I had seen two occupied tables as I walked into the shop. Both had matcha drinks. Why not? I asked the young man assisting me, what's the best matcha drink? He said his favorite was banana matcha with extra banana foam. Okay I'll try it. He repeated it to the cashier. So popular there was a wait for beverages to be prepared. Soon enough mine was ready. I think Doc would enjoy this drink. This shop is a working bakery. Many yummy pastries displayed. Menu is posted high up above to choose from. Rather tiny shop with room for customers to stand in line to order and wait for drinks. Clean, busy with a few tables and chairs outside but pretty much in direct sun.

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Vavin Dessert Bar - bakeries - Updated October 2026

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