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

Diner Reviews

"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
"Seafood was mediocre. Three kinds of crab featured but they all tasted boiled out. "King" crab was a joke with thin long pieces sliced in half lengthwise and almost meatless and tasteless. Big disappointment from about a year ago when all the crab tasted wonderfully steamed and tasty. Other dishes were merely ok."
Dined on 2/27/2014
"Its a bit crowded, but for 30 a head and the amount and quality of food you get? Im surprised the crowd wasnt bigger. All in all my daughter was in awe of the big tank and all the fishes. The waiter was prompt and didnt hesitate to fill our drinks even if it were half way full. If you have a birthday party or even just love to eat, this is the place to go!"
Dined on 2/23/2014
"Great for kids, the aquuarium keeps them happy. Quality of the dishes are better than comparable brunch buffets. Service staff is aatentive."
Dined on 2/22/2014
"The aquarium is awesome... 3 stories. It is a busy restaurant, but seats a lot of people. The buffet has a lot of varied seafood, prime rib and pork. Good desserts, but not extraordinary. Don't come here for a quiet, romantic dinner. It is packed with people and noisy."
Dined on 2/19/2014
"The food was ok. But since I had to dig thru my shrimp to peel it prior to eating it, it lost most of the flavor & desire to return. After being highly disappointed with having to prep my own meal prior to eating it, I ended up with a salad that was mediocre at best. So after paying basically $50/plate, I had a less than desirable experience."
Dined on 2/18/2014
"The best thing was the prime rib... The rest was just junk.. The crab legs was kind of dry.. The sushi tasted old.. The prime rib and the lomi lomi salmon was the only 2 that were good too eat.. I heard this place had all the good tasting food in a buffet.. Sorry I tasted better. The mermaid was awesome!!"
Dined on 2/21/2014
"The food was pretty good but I don't think there was enough variety to justify how much it cost. Also, I don't mind if a restaurant wants to call and confirm a reservation but I think it would've been better if they called a day ahead rather than 2 hours before the reservation. We had a large group and were seated in the very back corner of the dining area which made it difficult to see the tanks. Since we made a reservation two weeks in advance I think it would've been nice if we were given a table to be able to enjoy the tanks that make this place popular. Overall we did enjoy our experience but I wouldn't go again with a large group."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Our time was great but just sitting by the restroom wasn't a place we had in mind. As for the food, we've enjoyed it very much."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"Excellent food beautiful aquarium very relaxing atmosphere"
Dined on 2/14/2014
"Very easy to register. Liked the follow up call 24hrs ahead. Priscilla worked with me to make our dining memorable And special. My two girls and wife were excited about the message from the diver."
Dined on 2/15/2014
"I just love how they replenish the food right away and the prime rib is great!"
Dined on 2/13/2014
"Our favorite seafood buffet for special occasions. The crab legs are always big, hot, flavorful - never left in a tray of freshwater or cold as is the case with many other buffets regardless of price. They serve raw oysters on special holidays only and these cold and never ruined by melting ice as at many other places. If you love great crab and lots of it, this is THE place to go."
Dined on 2/16/2014
"The service was friendly, food was tasty, and our group had a great time!"
Dined on 2/11/2014
"3 of the 5 items are five stars, ambience a little on the dark side if you are having a groups thing, and the noise level was in between too loud,and heard next table talking, other than that it was a great time"
Dined on 2/15/2014
"The fish tank, was nothing like it seemed in reviews or pictures. If you do not like seafood, options are very limited. The pasta was nothing special, the beef was to rare for my taste, but the crab legs and seafood was outstanding. The pulled pork was good, just needed a little more juice to combat the dryness to be great. The food was fresh, servers are very attentive. I just wish someone was around the chocolate fountain, to encourage parent to watch kids, instead of seeing little fingers getting chocolate covered. (The staff may have question/noticed and I did not see that, because they were closing lids and cleaning up after everyone, quite diligently)"
Dined on 2/7/2014
"Oceanarium is highly overpriced for the quality of food that is served. The only reason to go here is to enjoy the crab legs on the buffet. The snow crab legs are large and very tasty. They go quickly and you sometimes have to stand around and wait for them to be replenished on the buffet. The other food options are extremely limited, focusing mostly on Asian cuisine that is not very appetizing. They have recently added dinner rolls and baked potatoes which are nice. The quality and taste of the desert offerings is really bad. We had a hard time finding anything that tasted appealing. The Aquarium itself is interesting and it is fun to watch the divers come through the tank, but the place is noisy and chaotic with jammed in tables."
Dined on 2/13/2014
"I was with a group of 4, when we got there the seating was more for a party of 2, The waiter was not attentive to our needs, We called him and other workers, and NO ONE ASSISTED US, we had to call the women at the entrance, to express our frustrations and to move our plates as we were going back to the buffet, and don't even get me started on trying to get a refill of water."
Dined on 2/9/2014
"Nuf said by the title. The juice is NOT worth the squeeze on this one."
Dined on 2/13/2014
"This is my wife and I's favorite buffet to eat at on Oahu. They have a good selection of seafood, including some of the islands best snow crab and a delicious catch of the day. I would recommend this to anyone who has a good appetite and a love for seafood."
Dined on 1/30/2014
"Food was mediocre but service and ambience was great"
Dined on 2/12/2014
"We've been to this restaurant many times before and this last visit really had me thinking about coming back. The food was really just okay and the service was okay as well. First of all, the highlight here is normally the crab legs. It was cold and not very flavorful. I wished it was served warmer and even the melted butter was lukewarm only. The prime rib was good and probably the best tasting item on the buffet line. I tried every item on the buffet and I didn't crave going back for anything. The wait staff was attentive but they don't tell you that a drink comes with your meal. I had to ask them if hot tea came with the buffet. I would think they'd offer that information to you as you are seated. We've had much better... sorry."
Dined on 2/9/2014
"We brought our Director who is from the mainland to have a crab feast with us and he enjoyed it as much as we did. We had a special diver message too and that was a pleasant surprise for him. Too bad the mermaid is only around at 5pm and 9pm. We wanted to see her but we don't eat around these times. Service by Anson was great. We crab lovers will be back!"
Dined on 2/10/2014
"Wonderful service & good food. Very kid friendly. Our dining experience was quite pleasurable. We went to celebrate my daughter's birthday. The mermaid was a great feature. My kids really enjoyed it. My only concern was the restroom area. It was not easy accessible, especially with a toddler. Tables were placed in the entry way of the restroom with a family dining that had their child blocking the entrance to the restroom. This is not only a poor location to place a child but a safety issue. Overall our experience was quite lovely. A "must" if you have friends or family visiting!"
Dined on 2/9/2014
"We didn't know it was buffet-style and we don't care for that. But for those who do, it was nice variety - super crab legs. A little pricey."
Dined on 2/8/2014
"The food was not good at all. There wasn't many options. I was very disappointed with the amount of money we had to spend to not eat terrible food! Our table was so close so the people next to us we could have held hands. This was a terrible place to eat dinner. I do not recommend going there! It'll be a waste of your money and time."
Dined on 2/8/2014
"All the seafood dishes were great!! From Crab legs to seafood pasta..delicious! Everything else..eh..add some salt and it's JUST ok. Still debating if I would come back.."
Dined on 2/7/2014
"Went to first dinner service and there was a lot of crab legs, prime rib, seafood (scallops & shrimp) pasta cooked to order. Service was great for a party of eight (which required a 15% gratuity but they earned it with very professional and quick service). The huge fish tank looked older now and not as many fish as I remember but the kids loved it."
Dined on 2/8/2014
"Sorry but I was very disappointed with this restaurant, was overpriced for what you got, the food was not very nice, even the crab legs that I was really looking forward too. Would not go back, nor would I recommend to friends. Worse restaurant during our stay in hawaii. Cold water was probably the nicest thing."
Dined on 2/6/2014
"after reading other reviews I was a little apprehensive about having brunch there. So happy that I decided to throw caution to the wind. I made reservations but, maybe because of it being Super bowl Sunday there was really no mad crowd. The crab was delish...the choices were plentiful...the service was gracious. I would go again."
Dined on 2/2/2014
"MERMAIDS!!!! crab legs, prime rib, ice cream bar... couldn't get any better."
Dined on 1/26/2014
"I was disappointed the table they give me and my family. 6 people and 1 child they give round table and we all had fit our self to small table. We got greeted my host Japanese lady took us to our table with only 4 chairs and left us and we were never seated . So I had find a waiter to help me find two more chairs. Bad service on Japanese host. .Very disappointed."
Dined on 1/24/2014
"We took my mother to this restaurant for the aquarium. It's really fun for kids and elderly to see the diver swim with the fish. the food was not very good though. There is Alot of food available, but I think for $49.95 per person, it was not worth it."
Dined on 1/19/2014
"It was cold (crab legs, veggies, potatos). Bean shrimp was overcooked. Prime rib looked rare so didnt dare try it. There wasn't a large selection of seafood or sushi (only one fish offered and it was also cold). Don't forget to get your parking ticket validated because nobody reminded us (not everyone is a guest of the hotel). Not every table has a good view of the aquarium (ours didn't). We came here a year ago for our 1yr anniversary and it was waaaay better and priced less (More sushi, hot food). Introduced a couple to it and felt guilty afterwards because the experience was not worth the $100 bill. Military discount offered ONLY before 530 and after 830 (seriously?!? Thanks for the support. Wish we knew before making reservations)."
Dined on 1/18/2014
"now and we just love it.Its the best place to eat crab."
Dined on 1/12/2014
"We have been to this restaurant many times over the years and yes it remains the same. For breakfast yes for dinner NO. Kids were constantly running back & forth from the buffet. The carpet has not been replaced in the more than 10-yrs we have visited. Waiter was very good and nice - but no refills allowed on lemonaide - what kind of policy is that? $50 per person was entirely over-priced unless you care more about the quantity of mediocre food vs quality of your vacation dinner. There are hundreds of other choices in Waikiki."
Dined on 1/9/2014
"We really enjoyed ourselves at the restaurant. Staff was great and the food was awesome. We will definitely come again."
Dined on 1/9/2014

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