We came here for breakfast almost every day during our trip to Oahu, especially because we got an…read more$80 credit each day while staying at the Ritz! Lots of delicious options, no reservation required, but it does fill up quickly so either go early or make one. We tried something new almost every day, & they were very accommodating with our vegetarian diets! The food was fresh, scrumptious, & came quickly. We loved that it was opened up to let the morning breeze in, & views are lovely. I didn't get pictures of everything we had, but one morning, I ordered the "Lox Bagel Spread" but substituted the lox for veggie patties. He ordered the breakfast Bahn mi, but substituted the meat for veggie patties as well! Their bar is also pretty awesome, though we only got to stop by once.

The waitstaff went above and beyond for the service I received! They were able to accommodate a…read moretable change to watch the fireworks better, as well as recommend what dishes were popular on their menu. The kind worker also took photos of me with the beautiful view! They have a live piano player playing live music, and they dim the lights when the fireworks show goes on. It was a wonderful time and I definitely would come back again with friends to enjoy a nice time together, or even just on my own. The backdrop of Waikīkī is beautiful! The Kanpachi and Miso butterfish was excellent. The Kanpachi was crispy yet tender as you bit into it and I loved the kabocha puree that gave it some sweetness. The Miso Butterfish was also excellent. It came with rice that had fish eggs on it as well as some seaweed. I really enjoyed the pairing of the miso butterfish with the rice, since the Kanpachi did not come with rice. I really enjoyed my time at this establishment and would definitely want to come back for another special evening! They have outdoor/indoor seating so do keep that in mind if outside elements may influence your experience depending where you sit.

Wow!! I really loved this restaurant. We had a big group in our reservation. My boyfriend and I…read morehave many dietary restrictions and the chef accommodated even though we told the chef about our dietary restrictions only when we got to the restaurant. Service is amazing and everyone was very nice. The restaurant is so cute and I really liked the decor. The food was INCREDIBLE! I would come back to Hawaii just to eat here again. Thank you so much!

An evening to remember. Tonight's Prix Fixe Menu at Carte Blanche was nothing short of excellence…read more Each course was crafted with such creativity and balance: * Crispy Salt & Vinegar Chicken Skin with Smoked Trout Roe & Herbs: Each little section had its own unique flavors. * Soupe de Poisson with grilled City Bread from The Breadshop & Rouille: Sean said this was his favorite. He literally was wiping up the soup with his fingers. Haha! * Pina Colada Granita - the perfect palate cleanser! * Pan-Seared Scallops with Corn Béchamel, Polenta & Fresh Relish: Amazing texture and flavors. Scallops were super fresh and cooked to perfection. * Double Cut Rack of Lamb with Charred Savoy Cabbage & Miso Red Wine Sauce: I was thiiiis close to licking my plate. Super YUM! * Lemon Crème Brûlée Tart with Summer Berry Jam: There's nothing like pairing lemon and berries... but to brûlée the top, oh man!! And as a special treat, we even got to pre-sample the dessert for the upcoming November menu - such a sweet sneak peek of what's to come! + Hint: Favorite Local Snack. Grateful for this beautiful dining experience where every bite told a story in this beautiful atmosphere. 10/10 Highly recommended. 5 Stars!

An Evening I Will Remember for a Lifetime…read more La Mer was not simply dinner. It was gastronomy, hospitality, and atmosphere orchestrated into an experience I will remember for a lifetime. I celebrated my birthday here and chose the vegetarian tasting experience. I wondered whether choosing vegetarian at a restaurant celebrated for French cuisine might mean experiencing a secondary expression of the kitchen. I could not have been more wrong. The opening beet course immediately dismantled my expectations. I have never particularly loved beets, yet paired with beet purée, basil oil, and an ethereally crisp tapioca, it completely transcended my palate. The earthiness, acidity, fragrance, and texture seemed to reveal different dimensions of an ingredient I thought I already understood. It became one of my favorite courses of the evening. The Chef's Five Way Carrot Expression followed and was perhaps the most refreshing. Exceptionally fresh carrots appeared through contrasting preparations alongside carrot, passion fruit, and ginger sorbet. Sweetness, acidity, and ginger danced around one another beautifully. Every preparation remained unmistakably carrot without becoming repetitive. The zucchini course was another standout. Delicately sliced zucchini was arranged concentrically and paired with basil and green zucchini purée. Its brilliance was restraint. Basil can easily dominate a dish, yet neither ingredient overpowered the other. They simply existed in equilibrium. It had less complexity than some of the other courses, but it did not need it. Texture, precision, balance, and purity were the point. I also surrendered one beverage decision completely. I asked my waiter to choose whichever nonalcoholic drink he believed belonged with the next course. He brought the Chang Apana, made with watermelon, olive oil, and cracked pepper. I expected something fruity and sweet. Instead, it was aromatic, savory, peppery, and remarkably complex. The closest comparison I can make is the way a fine cigar unfolds across the senses, not because the flavors were similar, but because the experience developed rather than simply presenting one identifiable taste. It genuinely left me searching for words. The Onion Purse with Onion Consommé and the Vegetable Plate with Garlic Edamame Mousseline continued demonstrating that the vegetarian menu was never an accommodation. Vegetables were being treated as protagonists. Then came dessert. Silky custard, brittle pecan and toffee-like textures, shortcake, grapes, and herbs somehow made every bite a different composition. One tasted almost like an extraordinary pie. Another became herbaceous and fresh. Another emphasized custard, shortcake, and warm spice. It was rich without becoming excessively sweet and easily ranked among my favorite courses. And somehow, the food was only part of the experience. From the dining room, Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head stretched before me while live music drifted upward from below. I arrived in daylight and watched the entire landscape change. When daylight disappeared, the view did not. It simply transformed. Waikiki illuminated itself, and the atmosphere became increasingly intimate as evening settled over the ocean. But perhaps La Mer's greatest luxury is its hospitality. I spent more than five hours there celebrating my birthday, enjoying every course slowly, appreciating the view, taking photographs, and simply allowing the evening to unfold. Eventually, I realized I was the last guest remaining. At many restaurants, that realization changes everything. Chairs begin moving. Subtle signals appear. You suddenly become conscious that everyone would like you to leave. I never felt that once. As I finally departed, members of the staff wished me happy birthday again and shook my hand. The manager personally came to speak with me and wish me well. After more than five hours, I was never made to feel like I had overstayed my welcome. That is hospitality at its highest level. True luxury is not gold leaf, expensive ingredients, white tablecloths, or even a spectacular view. Those things can be purchased. True luxury is someone's time, attention, and hospitality being given so naturally that you never become conscious of their cost. The cuisine was extraordinary. The vegetarian menu felt deliberate rather than adapted. The setting was magnificent. The service was immaculate. I went to La Mer to celebrate another birthday. I left with a memory. There is a difference.

La Mer was the most beautiful place to celebrate my birthday! From the moment we arrived, the…read moreservice was impeccable and made the evening feel incredibly special. The ocean views were absolutely stunning, creating the perfect backdrop for a memorable celebration. One of our favorite touches was the variety of bread rolls to choose from, all freshly baked at the Halekulani bakery. Paired with their specialty butter, it was such a lovely complement to the meal. For my entrée, I ordered the Filet de Boeuf, which was cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious. We also enjoyed a variety of desserts, and every single one was exceptional. The combination of outstanding service, breathtaking views, and incredible food made this a birthday dinner I'll never forget. We loved everything and can't wait to return!

Great atmosphere here. Family owned and ran, they took their time explaining the menu and giving…read morerecommendations. We got a handful of items off the menu. Standouts were the scallop in curry (special) and eggplant. Will be back!

Blast from the past! Have not been to Duc's Bistro in maybe... 10 years? maybe more!!!! I…read moreremember well the food being outstanding and the service was more than what I had then expected.... Here is my story: Located in the same place for 35 years plus. Duc opened his restaurant in the 1980's. Duc's Bistro is one of the original ethnic Vietnamese restaurants who opened in the 1980's and still continues to serve our community. Do not leave without bidding aloha to Duc who today is in the kitchen with his wife who both prepares all the food. His son now runs the front of the house along with staffers who have been there for years on end. The food is French Vietnamese. Of their slim clear concise menu, my favorite is their Roast Pork and Duck Pate. While all the dishes are good, those two stand out for me. And be sure you save room for their desserts. Their dishes are prepared and served such that if you choose to dine "family style" you have definitely sat at the right Establishment. The location remains the same. First Establishment on the westside of MaunaKea and Beretania Streets. Validated parking if you can get a staff in the lot across the street from Duc's. Bright Pink and Green Neon Sign for Duc's Bistro. You cannot miss it! Full bar or $25 corkage if you bring your own wine. Soft drinks and Vietnamese Hot or Cold coffee available also. Price point is approximately $50 per head from start to finish. Plan to have a meal there! You will not be disappointed.

The Signature Burger arrived, and it was so beautiful I didn't even pause to take a breath before…read moretaking my first bite! I am absolutely certain my husband and I were transported to another planet by the flavor. The burger was hot, juicy, and utterly extraordinary. And the au jus on the side? Incredible! Then there were those slender, oven-browned potatoes, also known as possibly French fries... which were absolutely extraordinary. A can of Big Island Beer from Kamuela was the perfect beverage to enjoy alongside it. Every bite was an experience. Simply put: WOW. Bottom line... next time, I'm having my own burger. We decided to have the apple tart dessert. It was a perfectly delightful finishing piece. Sorry, no photos! Lost my mind in scrumptiousness! Can barely wait to return!

To call the food AMAZING would be an understatement!!! The atmosphere is quaint but so inviting…read more The entire staff just desired to serve and care for us during our time; explaining the locally sourced honey wine, the in-house made ketchups and jams. You could really taste the difference. We thought the candied bacon was a little expensive until we tried it. So yes, spend the extra few bucks and get the bacon & the ketchup! The Wagyu burger was one of the best I've ever had! I added some Swiss and requested just a little blue cheese instead of their normal amount.

10/10/26 We were invited for Birthday Dinner here tonight. I…read morehad no idea what to expect. As you come down Kahala Avenue just past Kaiulani. There will be a valet on the left side of Kalakaua that will take your car. Mugen is located inside the Espacio Hotel. The dinner tonight was very special. Each dish was artfully presented, and very carefully prepared. The restaurant is beautiful and although fully seated, nice and quiet. Service is impeccable. I apologize if I have this wrong, but I think our server was Sheri. She was so sweet, attentive and professional I highly recommend Mugen for that special night out

Mugen is an upscale fusion restaurant in the middle of Waikiki. As expected, the place is super…read moreclean and very well presented. The staff, especially our server (Eduardo), were exceptional. All were extremely attentive and efficient. They take very good pictures as well. The food is fantastic. My favorites are: 1) the A5 Wagyu just melts in your mouth. It's incredibly well prepared and has a great balance of flavor. 2) the amuse bouche (poke rice cake) was very fresh and flavorful. 3) the summer chill dessert was refreshing and delicious at the same time. Honorable mention goes to the lobster (I usually don't like lobster much) as it was tender and well presented. The risotto was amazing. The lamb was good but slightly chewy. The Kinmedai was probably just not my thing. It was probably the weakest dish we got. Overall I love the place and will definitely return. $150/pp is a good deal for this level of quality especially in Hawaii.

Stopped by to try the hale course which had a bit of everything. Was super easy to make a…read morereservation on opentable, since it's more upscale they're not fully booked out all the time it's more hole in the wall for sure. But they absolutely crushed and delivered on that $130 meal. I left feeling absolutely full and feeling like I had eaten some of the best food Hawaii has to offer. Each course is presented by an amazing server, for us that was Travis and he did such an amazing job explaining everything and entertaining all of my silly questions, of which there were many. We saw and were able to talk to everyone involved in making each dish including the head chefs, who clearly love and care so much more about food than any of us mere mortals ever could.

natuRe waikiki just gets better and better every single time I visit. Seriously. This time I dined…read morein at their bar to try out the natuRe bistro menu. I've only ever had their fine dining menu (which is AMAZING), but holy crap I was blown away by their bistro menu!!!! First of all- the service is just 10/10 top notch. Everyone is so friendly and willing to go above and beyond to make your dinner special. I mean seriously. We were sat at the bar and there was a fan on the bar near me that was blowing my hair a bit too much for my liking, and Hannah (our bartender) was amazing and moved it for me without making me feel bad. So sweet. OK, now on to the food. My girlfriend and I ordered: - Caviar & Cauliflower: This is so good. No seriously. My girlfriend doesn't even like cauliflower and even she was munching this up. It came with this super thin bread thing (not sure what it was called but was reminiscent of a parmesan crisp) and we asked if we could order a few more- and they came back with a whole plate!! Like omg. So nice and so worth it because it goes with the cauliflower mousse so well. - Pincho with Local Papaya & Proscuitto: WOW. One of our favorites and will be something we will always order. The papaya is SO fresh and the ricotta cheese was so delicious. 10/10. - Small Kine Farm Mushroom Carpaccio: Okay I had my first ever mushroom carpaccio at Silver Lining Wine Bar (check this place out), and it was so good. But this one tops that. It was SOO good. Like seriously, the mushrooms were fresh and had so much flavor. I have no idea how they do it but this dish is a must order. - Truffle French Fries: How can you go wrong? Need I say more? Love me a truffle french fry and this one did not disappoint. - 2 pc Fresh Oyster: This is the same oyster they serve in their tasting. Delicious and fresh. No notes. - Moloka'i Shrimp Pesto Pasta with extra shrimps: This was one of the best pesto pastas I've eaten. You can taste how organic and honestly healthy it is. The shrimp were juicy and fresh, and god. I want to go back just writing about all this food lol. We also shared a bottle of white wine which went well with all of our food that night. Honestly, we had the best time as we always do. If you've been to natuRe or are not interested in a full fine dining experience, please check out their Bistro menu at their bar. It is so delicious, I am 100% going to be a regular at their bar (on top of their fine dining service) from now on!

We came here with recommendations from a friend, retired Chef, Brunson Achiu. Food here is…read moreexcellent, service is very attentive, setting of restaurant is very very classy complete with a sunset view. I loved at how great thought went into the preparation of several courses of our meal. We started out with drinks where I had the smoked old fashioned. Its presentation was very dramatic. The drink is brought out in a smoker box (video included in this photos). Appetizers were escargot, followed by lobster bisque what was prepared table side. Both were highly flavorful and well made Our main courses were Beef Wellington, a golden baked puff pastry wrapped around. tenderloin & white chicken foie gras mousse; sliced to order; sauce cumberland & truffle madeira, asparagus. My husband had the Filet Mignon and Lobster, wild mushroom veal blanc, lemon caper vin blanc sauce' roasted garlic mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, braised red cabbage. For dessert, we ordered the Chocolate Soufflés with crème anglaise (allow 20 minutes for presentation), but we were also treated with their banana crème brûlée with a Happy Anniversary sign made in chocolate. To wash down the desserts, we had their decaffeinated 100% Kona coffee prepared by French press. Everything was excellent, from the service, to the food, to the atmosphere. I highly recommend Michel's.

The view is amazing! The service is good. Our issues were as follows:…read more.....the food has gone down hill. The Table side Caesar Salad was short hit, instead of mashing the anchovy into a paste, they said it was already included in the dressing, which was pre made in the kitchen. Very little traditional flavor and no "pop" ... Out of four entrees, three had to be refuted due to being rare. It took them almost 20 min to get our dinners back on the table. ....the server was great, but they carried a rolled up wash cloth in their vest pocket and kept wiping the perspiration off their face and putting it back in their vest pocket. Needless to say this was just a little unsettling. Not the best sanitary practices. ....,when they presented the bill, their was no "consideration" for our dining experience/problems and we had to ask to speak to the manager. He did take $80 off a $525 bill Needless to say this was a very disappointing experience and the second in two visits. Do better please!

At Margotto, they made it rain--rain shaved truffles. While they have other menu items, they are…read moreknown for their seasonal truffle menus and having well priced truffles which they source themselves from Italy. Under Chef Shiori Okuya, their tasting menu, was a nice way to experience the French-Japanese flavors of the restaurant. First we chose the amount of truffle we wanted for our meal. Then those truffles were shaved over multiple elegant appetizers; a Pot-au-Feu soup; a lobster fish course; oyster pasta; duck for our main; in Asian-style, a comforting rice bowl to end the savory courses; and finally even the dessert. Henry was an amazing server with flair and passion for the menu and we even took a little bit of truffle home to enjoy on soft scrambled eggs the next day. If you want to experience another side of Margotto, there is also Margotto E Baciare in Japan.

Though prone to hyperbole, please let me assure you that I am dead serious when I say I would give…read moreMargotto 10 stars if that were an option. I'm quite fortunate to have had many amazing dining experiences, more than a few of them of the fine-dining-persuasion and Margotto shook me to my core. Unforgettable and completely unlike anything I've had before. It's incredibly unassuming from the outside--like a secret or a speak-easy--elegant and understated on the inside. The staff are all so warm and welcoming and you'll want for nothing the entire time you're dining. It's a coordinated dance of service. Arrive hungry and ready to spoil yourself! Opt for The Grand Degustation and get the 15 grams of truffles. This is not the time to be stingy! In fact, you really need to get the Caviar Monaka and a glass of champagne to start--the crispy wafer is a nutty delight and a perfect compliment to little fishy pearls. THEN you can move onto the ten course meal. And since I'm telling you what to do, you'd be entirely remiss to skip the wine pairing. Chuck Furuya is a demigod with a palate that is twenty-seven steps ahead of us mere mortals. The wines on their own practically sing in their glasses but when paired with each dish? The transformation of flavors? Absolutely unreal. Let us not forget about the truffles. They're fruity and earthy and succulent, without being heavy or overbearing in any way. You WILL feel spoiled and you deserve it! If I lived here, this would be my go-to special occasion restaurant, no question. You must try it for yourself.

If you are ever in Wakiki, please visit this quaint and cozy spot! A short walking distance from…read morehotels in the Hilton Hawaiian Village... it is worth it! Food was excellent, service was impeccable and the vibe was chill. It did not disappoint... will stop by next time we visit for sure. Aloha..

Small restaurant with very small daringly open kitchen. Food is delicious. Mostly Spanish with a…read moretiny teensy touch of French-Japanese. Bread is delicate. Mont Blanc dessert was divine. Jamon iberico was delicioussssss melt in your mouth yummy. We ordered pollo paella and seafood paella. The pollo paella was perfectly cooked. The seafood was perfectly cooked but the "rice" in the seafood paella was JUST a touch undercooked. Probably needed a couple minutes more. Still very yummy. The dock for minus 1 star is because it is HOT in the dining room. So hot. Very very hot and uncomfortable. Stuffy and felt like we couldn't breathe. We were put in a small table in a corner that had barely air conditioning cooling. Otherwise, try it! Got our Spanish food fix. Empanada, jamon Iberico, and paella.