Oceanarium Restaurant

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Address:
2490 Kalakaua Ave.
Honolulu, HI 96815

Neighborhood:
Honolulu

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Cuisine:
Seafood

Price: $31 to $50

More Details ›

Oceanarium Restaurant Details

Dining Style: Casual Dining
Website: http://www.pacificbeachhotel.com
Phone: (808) 921-6111
Hours of Operation: Breakfast: Daily: 6:00am - 10:00am; Weekend Brunch: 11:00am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Nightly: 4:30pm - 10:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Seafood, Pan-Asian
Executive Chef: Mariano Lalica
Dress Code: Casual Dress
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
Additional Details: Bar Dining, Beer, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Non-Smoking Restaurant, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Entertainment: Entertainment:Dive Times
Saturday & Sunday:
Regular Dive -11:45am, 1:30pm,
5:00pm, 7:00pm & 9:00 pm
Mermaid dive - 5:00pm & 9:00pm
Monday - Friday:
Regular Dive - 5:00pm, 7:00pm & 9:00 pm
Mermaid dive - 5:00 pm & 9:00pm

Getting there

Cross Street: Liliuokalani Avenue
Parking: Hotel Parking
Parking Details: Self Parking and Valet Service Available

A word from Oceanarium Restaurant

Where dining is an adventure.
At Pacific Beach Hotel's Ilima award-winning Oceanarium Restaurant, the flavors are as amazing as the views. Indulge in mouth-watering crab legs, tender prime rib of beef, fresh Island sashimi and sushi. Plus a nightly pasta and dessert station complemented with… nightly specials – all alongside incredible views of nearly 400 fish from more than 70 different species of marine life. Nowhere else on the island will you find a dining experience quite like this.Continued

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerKid Friendly
Diners' Choice WinnerMost Booked 1000-Point Tables

Diner Reviews

"Good food, great staff. Enjoyed watching the awesome aquarium life. Missed the mermaid and others we were gold would be in the tank. Overall, good value for money."
Dined on 4/15/2014
"Great restaurant. Although, the restaurant was busy for a Monday night. We were still served and seated on time. The Food was great and FRESH! Which is very important since it is a seafood buffet. Also, server Chang so nice. We never ran out of drinks. Thank you for a great the great service."
Dined on 4/14/2014
"I wish I knew that we could get a message on the board from the lady in the tank."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"Very DISAPPOINTED !!!!! .THERE WAS NO HOT CRAB LEGS.ONLY A SMALL TRAY OF CHILLED CRAB LEGS.USE TO SERVE KING CRAB AND SNOW CRAB NOW THEY ONLY HAVE CHILLED SNOW CRAB.NOW THEY HAVE 3 KINDS OF OYSTERS..MAY BE THE F&B LIKES OYSTERS..WELL I DON'T. SALAD BAR WAS DOWN GRADED. HOT ENTREES ALSO DOWN GRADED .PRIMR RIB ALL WELL DONE AND TUFF.UES TO BE THE BEST BUFFET IN HONOLULU !! I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE F&B DIRECTOR IS THINKING.. IVE BEEN A COMEING TO THIS BUFFET FOR OVER 15 YEARS AND THIS WAS THE LAST TIME ....."
Dined on 4/13/2014
"The service was great. The food was pricey. If your looking for that huge seafood smorg, this would be the place. Tonnes of seafood. The kids really enjoyed seeing the mermaid swimming around in the aquarium. She only swims at certain times of the night so check ahead of time if this is important. We had twin girls aged 5 and they thought if was amazing. I would go again but for special occasions only."
Dined on 4/7/2014
"the brunch really sucked. it was my first time going for brunch and I was really disappointed. I thought it would have been as great as the dinner buffets always are, but I was wrong."
Dined on 4/12/2014
"My son turned 11 and it was fun to go here. He loved the aquarium, brunch is only $11 so great deal, they sang happy birthday. If you go at dinner, apparently they will put a sign in the tank saying Happy Birthday. The pancakes and french toast were delicious and the eggs benedict were good too. The buffet was just okay. But overall worth the money for the experience."
Dined on 4/11/2014
"My family and I have been dining here for the last 30 years and will never go back. The server that was carving the prime rib was an idiot. All they served was well done. I asked him why and he said "hmm this is all we have". I replied then I think you folks are the only restaurant that serves only well done. He laughed and said I guess. I them asked him if he knew what the featured theme is for tonight's dinner buffet is? He said yep acting sarcastic and said crab and prime rib. So I asked him then why is it that this is the second time you've run out of all the crab and all 4 different trays are empty. He said well we're busy. Oh and btw the prime rib was dry, the crab was very salty but at least the rest of the food was good."
Dined on 4/10/2014
"scenery was awesome, food was decent for the price food could of been a little better. but overall a very nice place."
Dined on 4/7/2014
"This is much more of a childs restaurant despite the superstrong "Smoking" Volcano drink ($20) which did not smoke cuz they had no dry ice. Mermaid show is brief and the 'mermaid' is a diver (with tank). Food selection is low and crab was skinny and scant. The grapes are very fresh and the sushi and prime rib is good. The photographer is a good idea and photos are nice."
Dined on 4/1/2014
"I will say it was an ok setting granted I reserved in advanced n placed in the back back corner next to 3big parties goin on right next tome n my guest. Food wasn't as how the pictures show. Crab legs was ALWAYS out once they restocked n then toke longer to wait for another batch to come out waiting made my food cold so ya. My coke was super watered down but nicely was given another but that one just tasted like diet so I didnt want to make a stink to the nice waiter so I Jus drank it. All in all I jus ate wat was out that I liked n marked this resturant off my bucket list. Thanks for an unforgettable experience."
Dined on 4/5/2014
"My daughters were especially looking forward to eating here because of the aquarium. They enjoyed it and enjoyed the food as the buffet had a bit of something for everyone. It's a bit on the pricey side, but we had a great time and everyone left satisfied. If you have room in your budget for a fun dinner then I would recommend this spot."
Dined on 4/2/2014
"Expensive for limited selection, congested walkway to buffet area, excellent aquarium though"
Dined on 3/25/2014
"Worst buffet I have ever been to. None of the food I had was even remotely warm (although I did not try the pasta or prime rib, so I can not speak to those). The crab legs were too soggy to crack open, the salad bar consisted of salad and tomatoes and 4 different dressings...thats it. The pineapple was ok, but not great and the cantelope was inedible. The dessets were ok but not spectacular. Wine list was small and the did not have the wine I asked for, but they would be glad to sell me a glass of wine that was twice as expensive. For as rediculously overpriced buffet I expected a better dinning experience. Dinner was over $300 for 4 adults and two kids who ate next to nothing (and my kids are VERY good eaters)."
Dined on 4/4/2014
"Unfortunately, my husband & I had to cancel our trip to your beautiful island, but my sister & her boyfriend kept the reservations I made & thoroughly enjoyed their experience at your restaurant. The food was delicious. Their waiter was excellent & the feeding & mermaid shows were very entertaining. I am so sorry I missed it. But I plan on making it to Oahu in the near future & will definitely make reservations at the Oceanarium!"
Dined on 3/31/2014
"My husband and I arrived on Monday night, Crab night. On our way to our table we were informed that No there was no kama'aina discount (unless you come in at 4:30) and NO there was no 65+ discount either on Mondays as once was. Funny how the website said NOTHING about these new restrictions. $50 per is salty, eh? even for Waikiki. Prime rib, dandy, snow crab, very good. King crab? those puny little split legs?? sad. NO dungeness as last fall. All looks good but right down to the taste....steam table."
Dined on 3/31/2014
"Don't go. They were unattentive, sat us next to the bathroom even after we asked to be re seated and they said nothing else was available (empty seats EVERYWHERE) and the food was dry. Prime rib was over cooked. Crab and sushi was very very dry. And the soda was flat as can be. By far the worst 120$ I've ever spent on my wife and me."
Dined on 3/31/2014
"I took my girlfriend there for dinner and the food was great the desert was awesome. we loved the aquarium the only thing we didnt like was when we went to get desert and came back they were cleaning off our table so i told the guy excuse me so he said sorry and to sit at another table and he would bring our drinks out. so when he came back he just brought our old drinks to the table so we weren't sure if we should drink it or not. then when we were done we waited around for about 20-30 minutes then had to ask for the bill because no one asked if we were finished."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"Although the service was very good at this restaurant, it was not worth the money. Sure there was a beautiful aquarium to watch while eating, but I would have preferred to sit by the beach. The food was not worth the money and the people were rude in line. The servers of the buffet were very slow, we waited in line the first time 20 minutes and didn't move. Definitely would not recommend this restaurant to anyone."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"Service was excellent. Plates were removed in a timely manner. Water glasses were never empty."
Dined on 3/29/2014
"The food was great - but everything else was not. I felt the $50 buffet was over priced. The seating and character of the restaurant is hoping you will look past all the unattractive or absent decor in favour of the large fish tank which is impressive but not enough. Not worth the price - especially since it's seating like a big cafeteria with no ambiance other than the fish."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"The food was nowhere near the quality for what the price is. Its very crowded and a small buffet area as well. It didn't have as much variety as I expected especially for paying so much per person. The aquarium seemed cloudy and not that vibrant. And not a great variety of sea life in the aquarium. We had a terrible table was way to close to another table. Had a hard time getting around. And had to wait over 20 mins past my reservation. I felt that it was a waste of money."
Dined on 3/28/2014
"The food wasn't as good as I remember. It was a huge disappointment that the crab is now served chilled"
Dined on 3/26/2014
"My family family enjoyed the variety of food choices and the ease of moving thru the buffet line. Everything was stocked and kept constantly filled."
Dined on 3/22/2014
"If you LOVE seafood then this is the place for you. Lots of sushi, crab, shrimp (plain, coconut, scampi), mussels and much more. We ate out 10 nights while in Oahu and by far this food was the very best. It is expensive for the buffet but worth it so arrive hungry. We had a group of 14 (9 adults & 5 kids) and to be close to the aquarium we had to be placed in two tables of 6 & 8. It wasn't so bad as we were right beside each other. I mentioned that the reservation was for a 12th birthday & I expected to have one of the cards in the aquarium but alas it was not. So disappointing. Make sure if you want a special occasion card inside the tank to specifically ask for that. Overall, so much fun, beautiful tank with beautiful mermaid."
Dined on 3/18/2014
"Did not realize they changed over to Buffet. I was entertaining guests from out of town and remember the excellent food and service years ago. My own fault for not checking on the menu before I made reservation. .There was no service no refill water, had to chase down employee for check. I will not return and would not recommend."
Dined on 3/17/2014
"This wouldn't be a good romantic place to have dinner, however, it's a good place for groups of people to go. I come here because I am a crab eater. The food line person was very unhelpful and rude. And some of the foods were not refilled for about 20 minutes. All in all for the price that I paid it could have been better."
Dined on 3/16/2014
"Location was great. Aquarium was awesome. Food was really good but overpriced, even for a buffet."
Dined on 3/15/2014
"There is an almost room-length two-story aquarium on one side of the restaurant filled with stingrays & many other fish. Occasionally, a diver pets & plays with the stingrays. The buffet has many different foods to choose: fish (mahi mahi our night), ox tail (our night), chicken long rice, kalua pua, gumbo, lobster, rice, sushi/sashimi a few other dishes & various desserts. You can probably find a coupon to help on price--it was around $40-$50/adult the evening we dined. Had previously dined here 4 years ago & price was around $29.95. The Oceanarium is inside Pacific Beach Hotel so you probably won't see it while walking on the sidewalk. It's good enough & convenient if that's what you need. Otherwise, find the "shacks" on the island."
Dined on 3/14/2014
"Remembered it much differently in 1990's. Now more like a cafeteria."
Dined on 3/22/2013
"I think that the buffet should include more goodies like fried shrimp, steaks with more sides to include a larger crowd. Other than that it was pretty good"
Dined on 3/13/2014
"I loved watching the fish and mermaid in the huge aquarium, but I was really disappointed in the quality of the food--how do you serve mushy shrimp in Hawaii?! Also, if the prime rib is not excellent--don't serve it! I was surprised and upset to see a whole pig on a tray--and that was not helped by the meat being dry and tough. I wish we had just watched the mermaid from the stairs or bar and ate somewhere worth all that money!"
Dined on 3/12/2014
"This place is famous for the gigantic aquarium. Our favorite are the mermaid, manta-rays and this huge old fish that hovers near to check us out. The food is always fresh and replenished frequently. Fruits are obviously freshly cut. The dessert table has too many irresistible selections, including the chocolate fountain! Our group certainly had a great time!"
Dined on 3/11/2014
"So we went on a thursday night especially for the King crab legs....unfortunately the snow crab legs were probably the same size if not bigger than the "King crab" I almost felt bad eating the king crab as they could have used a few more years of life in order to get a little more girth to their legs. We went early and apparently so did a lot of other large groups. Overall it was ok, if you're a local, with the Kama'aina discount it was slightly pricey, I would never pay full price for it however. The rest of the food was good to -ok, nothing really stood out as being great. Nice to have mini ramen bowls and soft serve/make your own sundae station. If you know what to expect before you go in then you wont be disappointed."
Dined on 2/13/2014
"The oceanarium has a good variety of food that has a great flavor. Especially enjoyed the various desserts"
Dined on 3/7/2014
"It was small so that five people sat down. I thought that a mermaid swam,but... A lobster was small."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"We went here almost exclusively for one thing: so that our kids could see the mermaids in the tank. As it turns out, they only have two short mermaid shows a night, at 5 & 9, and a scuba "show" at 7. We arrived at 5:20, and the show was over. The cost was very expensive, it was buffet dinner only. The buffet included crab legs and prime rib, which were good, and a variety of other pretty blah dishes. Dessert selection was good. We were kind of jammed off in a corner with a not-great view of the aquarium. The aquarium itself is pretty impressive, it is three stories tall and stocked with a variety of sea life including a few manta rays. They need to include more mermaid shows or at least have them at a time when people are actually there."
Dined on 2/28/2014
"Loud,rushed,low quality food . Nice aquarium. Save your money....we would not go back."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"We arrived 10 minutes before our reservation, so they had us waiting until then, which was not a problem, but they promptly seated two other couples ahead of us even though they had no reservations. When we were seated we were seated behind a pole blocking our view from the aquarium. When we looked around we noticed the two other couples seated right next to the aquarium. Maybe it's better to just walk-up and get a table?? The food was delicious and the waiters and waitresses were very customer friendly."
Dined on 3/1/2014
"Very disappointed. Used to be one of our favorites. Now an EXTREMELY over-priced buffet. Aquarium & diver still the main attraction. Restaurant handicapped ramp blocked by chain. Buffet disappointing - mediocre salad & desert choices, main meal selection limited - major appeal snow crab legs consumed in multiple platefuls by diners - leaving other diners waiting for replenishment. Fresh Mahi very dry, vegetables undercooked, turkey & dressing odd, pasta line lengthy wait. "House" white wine $11 for maybe 6 oz.. Kids running up & down stairs, around wait staff. Very informal, family friendly atmosphere - but not the relaxing, fine dining experience from before. Brought co-workers, who were shocked at $60 cost per person. Will not be back."
Dined on 2/26/2014

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