Diners' Choice: Hot spot restaurants in Hawaii

OpenTable

Updated May 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that are the best hot spots in Hawaii? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Mahina and Sun's - Surfjack Hotel

4.7

4.7 (1328)

$31 to $50

Home cooking

Waikiki

About the restaurant

WALK INS WELCOME & OPEN EVERYDAY from 12pm to 10pm! Elevated home cooking that you will enjoy located in the Surfjack Hotel & Swim Club. Happy Hour 12pm - 5:30pm; Lanai menu 12pm - 5:30pm; Dinner 5:30pm to 10pm. Whether you’re indulging in a filling dinner before heading up to your room or stopping in for a refreshing beverage after spending the day in the sun, Mahina & Sun’s is ready to serve you! Executive Chef Erik Leong’s menu features favorites such as Naked Pig Pizza starters, Clams, Fresh Catch & Off the Hook entrees, in addition to the popular Mahina Family Feast, which offers a delicious whole fried fish with five sides. Ask for outdoor seating and dine under the stars and enjoy local, live music line up every night! Checkout Executive Bar Czar, Chris Taibi for the very best in cocktails & libations! $8.00 4 hour validated off site Parking at Hyatt Centric Garage. Pull ticket and Mahina & Sun's server will give you validation stamp.

Top review

Douglas

Dined on Apr 25, 2025

The live music was amazing and the service was outstanding.

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4.7

4.7 (1499)

$31 to $50

Pacific Rim

Waikiki

About the restaurant

Hidden in plain sight, and nestled above vibrant Kuhio Avenue is Hideout at The Laylow Autograph Collection Hotel. The Lush greenery, mid-century inspired woodwork, and vibrant vibe instantly sets the tone for this progressive Modern Hapa Hawaiian cuisine and beverage venue. All that the Hawaiian Islands have to offer take center stage morning and night for hotel guest and locals to enjoy for any occasion. The moment you ascend from street level the Hideout and it’s relaxed vibe, allow you to escape the hustle and bustle of Waikiki and enjoy small plates, curated cocktails, great live music, and a perfect place to catch your breath any time of day.

Top review

Rick

Dined 4 days ago

Grate place for brunch, good service and food. Will try lunch at a later date.

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Kani Ka Pila Grille at OUTRIGGER Reef Waikiki Beach Resort

4.7

4.7 (540)

$30 and under

American

Waikiki

About the restaurant

Honolulu’s top restaurant venue for Hawaiian music located at OUTRIGGER Reef Waikiki Beach Resort is one of the island’s favorite gathering places for casual drinks and tasty pupu appetizers, from kalua pork nachos to ahi poke. Kani Ka Pila means “a gathering around music,” and you’ll find Hawaii’s most beloved musicians performing contemporary and traditional Hawaiian music nightly from 6pm to 9pm.

Top review

Kanani

Dined today

Great venue Fabulous local entertainment Food is very good with generous portion sizes

Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman - Whalers Village

4.6

4.6 (3498)

$31 to $50

Hawaii Regional Cuisine

Kaanapali

About the restaurant

WALK-INS ALWAYS WELCOME!
Our chef driven concept is lead by the classically trained, award winning chef, Peter Merriman. Peter is a culinary pioneer and one of the founders of Hawaii Regional Cuisine. He has always been inspired by the people and products around him and this spirit has lead the movement to look at food in Hawaii in a new light. Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman embraces this passion! Each item on the menu demonstrates our commitment to craft and showcases high quality, socially conscious ingredients, creative preparations, and perfect execution. Our dedication to craft also extends to our beverage program. Our 36 beers on tap are the coldest on Maui. You can also enjoy one of our culinary cocktails, made with fresh ingredients and lots of Aloha. At Monkeypod Kitchen by Merriman, you can enjoy Peter's Hawaii Regional Cuisine in a fun, casual environment and come to know what it means to be "Lucky Live Hawaii"! We can't wait to see you at Monkeypod Kitchen.

Top review

Christopher

Dined 1 day ago

Maui, our waiter, made excellent recommendations! And made our time enjoyable and memorable! Music was really nice last night and beautiful night to dine next To the water. We split a pork/pineapple as an appetizer and had mai tais! All awesome and different from home. I had Pete’s fish and chips made with swordfish. Yummy. My chips were garlic truffle parmesan. Rest family had lobster pizza and fish and lobster pasta was everyone’s favorite. Had pie to finish. Recommend the coconut and banana. The chocolate was very bitter so perfect if you like a super bitter dark (not sweet) chocolate. I was not the biggest fan of it and I’m a lover of dark chocolate. I’d recommend the others. Also their version of espresso martini was yum! Highly highly recommend—just the setting is stunning!

Maui Brewing Co. Kihei

4.5

4.5 (760)

$30 and under

Beer Garden

Kihei

About the restaurant

- HANDCRAFTED WITH ALOHA -

Maui Brewing Co. proudly presents island inspired cuisine crafted with the same passion and care as we put into every one of our beers. Fiercely local, we are uncompromising in sourcing the best ingredients from the best sources. In typical Maui style, if you’re a guest in one of our brewpubs or restaurants then you’re a welcomed guest in our home. Enjoy our take on Hawaiian comfort food and raise a pint of the freshest beer in town.

We are open daily from 11:00 - 10:00, with happy hour from 3pm-5pm and live music from 6pm-8pm! We proudly offer table side service in our dining room and lanai. Have a large party? No worries! Our picnic table area is the perfect setting for larger groups, with self service and QR code ordering. We look forward to having you in!

Cheers, Prost, Kampai!

Cheers!

Top review

DavidVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Great atmosphere with good food. Family friendly. Nice open air environment.

Mulligans on the Blue

4.4

4.4 (900)

$30 and under

American

Wailea

About the restaurant

We are a lively Irish Pub and music venue in the Wailea area of Maui serving Irish and American influenced fare with Live Entertainment Nightly! PLEASE NOTE: There is a Cover/Ticket Fee for our Shows and Events Thursday-Friday. Read more below to learn about our weekly programming.

Thursdays - Open 2-9pm with Magic Show Dinner Seating Starting at 5:30pm
Mulligan's Magic Show with Brenton Keith & his Bag O' Tricks
Showtime 6:30
$10 per person, 5 and under are free

Fridays & Saturdays - Open 2-9pm with Live Music 6/7pm-8/9pm.
There are cover charges and tickets for our evening shows that range from $5-$25.
Check for this weeks line-up and get more information at MulligansOnTheBlue.com/Shows-Events/

Sundays - Open 2-9pm with Live Music 5pm-8pm
Maui's Own Dance Band "Island Soul"
$5 cover at door (kids 12 years and under are free)

Top review

Carol

Dined 4 days ago

The food was amazing and the music was fantastic. Loved it!!

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Popular dish

Fish & Chips

Popular dish

Harp Battered Fish and Chips

Experience

Mulligan's Magic Show with Brenton Keith

Formaggio Grill Kailua

4.4

4.4 (637)

$31 to $50

Contemporary Italian

Kailua

About the restaurant

Formaggio Grill is a community restaurant that serves Contemporary Italian Cuisine, using local and fresh ingredients. We aim to make good, clean food, and create an environment where everyone feels right at home. Come in and savor our newly updated menu (with more items to come), don't miss out on our daily specials (like our popular short rib sandwich!) and follow us on social media for updates on live music and more @formaggiokailua

Top review

DebraVIP

Dined on Apr 20, 2025

Go on a Saturday night to experience the live music! The dude is awesome, and plays a wide variety. The food is also good.

The Veranda at the Kahala Resort

4.4

4.4 (672)

$31 to $50

Lounge

Honolulu

About the restaurant

Overlooking the beach, with a stunning contemporary alfresco area, The Veranda is Honolulu’s living room of the stars with live music, handcrafted cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. Enjoy caviar service for two, a dinner menu curated by Executive Chef Jonathan Mizukami and wines by the glass from top vintners while you unwind beneath the iconic chandelier or amid the twilight ocean view on the lanai.

Live Music Tuesday - Saturdays 6:00pm-9:00pm

Top review

PatriciaVIP

Dined on Apr 30, 2025

An outstanding view, a varied and tasty menu, plus attentive service made this a perfect stage for world-class entertainment. The night we dined here, we were honored to hear Nicholas Kaleikini perform along with a superb pianist. Unforgettable!

Moani Waikiki Island Bistro & Bar

4.1

4.1 (488)

$31 to $50

Pacific Rim

Waikiki

About the restaurant

Our ohana had a vision to share our love for ono food, live music and hospitality with the world. In 2019, this dream became a reality when we opened Moani Island Bistro and Bar on the west side of O’ahu. With the overwhelming support from our customers, Moani’s success has exceeded our expectations. Our family is thriving, our vision is growing, and Moani is expanding. Come and be a part of the family, enjoy our genuine aloha, heart-filled cooking and island music. Join us at our second location, in the heart of Waikiki!
With love,

The Keolanui ‘Ohana

Top review

Delbert

Dined on Apr 6, 2025

The service was great and the food was fresh and tasty.

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Bangkok Happy Bowl Bistro and Bar + Poipu Rock 'n Roll Sushi

3.7

3.7 (275)

$30 and under

Thai

Poipu

About the restaurant

Authentic, fresh and flavorful Thai Bistro and Sushi Bar in a casual, fun and festive environment. Restaurant and full sushi bar available at this location. A full bar also complements the patron"s dining experience with the island's best cocktails and a fine selection of twelve local and international draft beers. Wonderful live island entertainment is provided from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm nightly including complementary Hula shows on Monday’s and Saturday evenings. We have indoor and outdoor walk up dining immediately available from 11am-5pm daily we also have walk up availability for tables of 3 or less from open to close every day

Top review

ElizabethVIP

Dined on Apr 3, 2025

Three of us had a light dinner at Bangkok Happy Bowl Bistro. We all had the spring rolls and two had the hot and sour soup. The foo was very good although the hot and sour soup lacked some of the intense flavor I have experienced in Thai restaurants in Northeast Florida where I live. Service was attentive and professional. Overall, an enjoyable experience.

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