43 adresses où mangent nos éclaireurs
Poʻipū
Beach House Restaurant (Lawai Beach, Poipu) — the best sunset dinner seat on the south shore. Tables face directly west over the ocean; the sunset from here is extraordinary. Fresh fish and a good wine list. Reserve specifically for sunset — get the time from local sunset tables and book the sitting that ends 30 min before it. Full 15 min early.
Kailua
Buzz's Original Steak House (Kailua, across from the beach) — a legendary Kailua institution since 1962. Dark wood, aloha shirts, enormous portions of steak, fresh fish, and the best salad bar on Oahu. No pretension, full of locals. Lunch is better value than dinner. Arrive when it opens to avoid a wait.
Pāʻia
Café des Amis (Paia, Baldwin Ave) — crêpes, curries, and fresh salads on a shaded outdoor terrace. One of the most pleasant meals on the island and excellent value. Live music several evenings a week. Go for lunch; dinner requires reservations on weekends.
Kīhei
Fish tacos that made the place famous — grilled mahi on cabbage slaw with mango salsa. Counter service, shaded tables, fast.
Kailua-Kona
Da Poke Shack (Kailua-Kona) — the best poke in Kona and consistently rated among the best on the island. Small counter, limited daily batches — arrive before noon or it sells out; closed Saturday and Sunday. Ahi shoyu and spicy ahi are the moves. Take it to the seawall.
Waikīkī
Duke's Waikiki (Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach) — the most famous restaurant on the strip, named for surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku. Directly on the beach; the hula pie dessert is required. Expect a 30–60 minute wait for dinner — put your name in, grab a drink at the downstairs bar, and watch the surfers.
Haleʻiwa
Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (Haleiwa, North Shore) — the original scampi shrimp plate that launched a thousand imitators. Cash only. Get garlic butter. Eat in the truck bed under shade. Adjacent fruit stand for cold refreshments on the drive back.
Haleʻiwa
Haleiwa Joe's (Haleiwa, North Shore) — the most reliable full-service restaurant on the North Shore. Generous portions of fresh fish, burgers, and local-style plates in a large, casual open-air setting. Great for families after a beach day — no reservations, just show up.
Honolulu
Helena's Hawaiian Food (1240 N School St, Honolulu) — the best local plate lunch on the island, off the tourist path. James Beard America's Classic winner. Pipikaula short ribs, kalua pig, lomi salmon. Cash only; closed Saturday to Monday.
Kailua-Kona
Huggo's on the Rocks (Kailua-Kona, on Alii Dr) — toes in the lava, drinks in hand as the sun drops into the Pacific. Not the strongest menu but the location is the point: an open-air bar built directly on the volcanic rock above the water. The best sunset drink spot in Kona. Go for drinks, not dinner.
Kailua-Kona
Island Lava Java (Kailua-Kona, Ali'i Drive) — oceanfront cafe with local Kona coffee. Eggs Benedict with Portuguese sausage and macadamia nut pancakes are essential. Best breakfast in Kona with open-air ocean seating.
Kapaʻa
JO2 by Chef Jean-Marie Josselin (Kapaa, on Kuhio Hwy) — the best restaurant on the east side and one of the finest on the island. French-trained chef using Kauai farm ingredients in creative fusion plates. Significantly better than anything in Poipu resort corridor at a more reasonable price. Reserve at least a week ahead for dinner.
Pāʻia
A long-running roadside deli and general store at 701 Hāna Hwy, the last stop before the Road to Hāna.
Pāʻia
Mama's Fish House (Paia, north shore) — Hawaii's most celebrated restaurant since 1973. Book 3–4 months ahead for weekends. The fish is caught daily by local fishermen whose names appear on the menu. Worth every dollar of the $75–120/person bill.
Pāʻia
The natural-foods grocery at 49 Baldwin Ave that works as Pāʻia's gathering place. Picnic food and the best restroom stop in town.
Waikīkī
Marugame Udon (Waikiki, on Kuhio Ave) — handmade Japanese udon noodles and tempura at astonishing value: a full meal with noodles and two pieces of tempura for under $15. Cafeteria-style service, fast, excellent quality. Best quick lunch option in Waikiki — counter-programs the overpriced resort dining perfectly.
Haleʻiwa
Matsumoto Shave Ice (Haleiwa, North Shore) — the original and most famous shave ice shop in Hawaii since 1951. Paper-thin shaved ice with locally made syrups in a rainbow of flavors. Order with mochi balls inside and azuki beans at the bottom. The line looks daunting but moves in 10–15 minutes. Get the rainbow.
Kailua
Nalu Health Bar & Cafe (Kailua town) — the best healthy breakfast or lunch on the windward side. Smoothies, fresh juices, açaí bowls, wraps, and grain bowls using local ingredients. Casual patio seating. Perfect fuel stop before or after Kailua or Lanikai beach.
Pāʻia
Paia Fish Market (Paia, and a second location in Kihei) — the best quick fish meal on Maui. The Seared Ahi Burger Cajun Style (seared tuna with a mildly spicy sauce) is extraordinary and unlike anything on the mainland. Loud, fast, and beloved by locals. No reservation; line out the door at noon.
Waimea
Porky's (Waimea) — the best plate lunch on the west side, and a smart stop before or after Waimea Canyon since options out there are thin. Kalua pork, smoked meat, local-style plates from a roadside spot.
Kīhei
The snack counter at the scooter shop inside the Aloha Open Air Market — shave ice, plate lunches, a shaded table to swap stories at the end of a ride.
Kīhei
Tamura's Fine Wines (Kihei, on S Kihei Rd) — a liquor store with a fresh poke counter considered among the best poke on Maui. Buy a pound of ahi poke and take it to Kamaole Beach Park across the street. Far better value than any restaurant. Open daily until 9pm.
Poʻipū
Tidepool Restaurant (Grand Hyatt, Poipu) — the splurge dinner on Kauai, built over the resort's koi ponds with open-air thatched tables at the water's edge. Book ahead and time it for sunset. Fresh fish, tropical cocktails, the setting is the point.
Kahului
Tin Roof (Kahului, near airport) — Sheldon Simeon's casual lunch spot; James Beard nominee. Incredible value: mochiko chicken, garlic noodles, island-style plates. Open Tuesday–Friday, 10am–2pm. Line forms before opening.
Haleʻiwa
Waialua Bakery (Haleiwa, North Shore) — a locals' secret tucked behind the main drag. Açaí bowls, house-made sandwiches, smoothies, and baked goods using local fruit. Closed Sundays. Everything is delicious and the portions are generous at fair prices. A much better meal than any of the tourist-facing spots on the main street.
Kapaʻa
Wailua Shave Ice (Kapaa, on Kuhio Hwy) — the best shave ice on Kauai. The machine shaves ice paper-thin; syrups are made from fresh fruit. Order with a macadamia ice cream base underneath. Get lilikoi (passion fruit) as one of your flavors.
Wailea
Maui-grown coffee roasted on island, the best cup between Kihei and Makena. The Wailea Gateway location is the one on the way back from Big Beach.
Maui
Da Kitchen Cafe (multiple locations) — enormous local-style plates. The katsu curry and loco moco are legendary. Incredibly filling; one plate is often enough to share before a big hiking day.
Hanalei
Hanalei Nourish (Hanalei, on Aku Rd) — don't miss it. Healthy, creative cuisine using local Kauai ingredients with a magnificent view of Hanalei Bay from the terrace. Smoothie bowls, fresh fish dishes, and the best açaí bowl on the island. The view alone is worth the detour.
Hanalei
Hanalei Poke (Hanalei, on Aku Rd) — some of the freshest poke on Kauai, made daily with locally caught fish. Small shop, limited quantity. Arrive before noon or it sells out. Get the ahi shoyu and one daily special.
Kōloa
Koloa Fish Market (Koloa town) — the best poke on Kauai. Arrive by 11am before it sells out. Ahi shoyu poke or spicy ahi. Take it to Baby Beach or Poipu Beach for the definitive Kauai picnic. Cash preferred.
Wailea
Monkeypod Kitchen (Wailea, 10 Wailea Gateway Pl) — the best casual dinner in Wailea that is not a hotel restaurant. Wood-fired pizza, fresh fish, and excellent cocktails in a lively, open-air space. Arrive before 6pm or reserve; it fills quickly every evening.
Kahuku
Romy's (Kahuku, North Shore) — the shrimp and prawn plate to get on the North Shore. Same scampi as the famous trucks up the road but rarely the 45-minute line. Pond-raised on site, cooked to order, so expect a short wait for a fresh plate rather than a long one to order.
Keʻanae
Aunty Sandy's Banana Bread (Ke'anae Peninsula, Road to Hana) — the banana bread is baked fresh in a roadside stand at the halfway point of the Road to Hana. Order at least two loaves; they go warm into the bag and sell out by noon. Cash only. Closed Sundays. The Ke'anae Peninsula itself — a lava finger with a tiny lava-stone church and taro fields — is worth the 10-minute stop regardless.
Kapahulu
Leonard's Bakery (933 Kapahulu Ave) — hot Portuguese malasadas dusted in cinnamon sugar, open since 1952. Get them fresh from the fryer; they deflate within 20 minutes. Try the haupia (coconut cream) filled version. Cash preferred, line moves fast.
Kapahulu
Rainbow Drive-In (Kapahulu Ave, near Diamond Head) — the real locals' plate lunch since 1961. Two scoops rice, macaroni salad, and your protein. The loco moco (rice, burger, egg, gravy) is the dish. Cash preferred.
Captain Cook
The Coffee Shack (Captain Cook, on Hwy 11) — breakfast and lunch with one of the best views of any restaurant in Hawaii: a cliff-edge terrace looking directly down over Captain Cook Bay from 1,200 feet. Eggs, sandwiches, and genuinely good coffee from the farms below. Closed Wednesdays. ~15 min from Kealakekua Bay.
Hilo
Hilo Farmers Market (Wednesdays and Saturdays, corner of Mamo St and Kamehameha Ave) — the best farmers market in Hawaii for local atmosphere and product quality. Arrive by 8am for the best produce and the fewest people. Wednesday is larger than Saturday. Buy fresh coconuts, rambutan, lychee (in season), and watch the prices drop to half what they are in Kona.
Hilo
Ken's House of Pancakes (Hilo) — the local institution; no longer 24 hours since 2020, now daily 6am–9pm. Order the Portuguese sausage omelette with rice. Enormous portions at astonishing prices. Cash preferred but cards accepted.
Kīlauea
Kilauea Fish Market (Kilauea town, in a strip mall — easy to miss) — plate lunches, fish tacos, and excellent specials. The avocado salad and mahi fish sandwich are outstanding. Most beloved lunch spot among Kauai locals.
Waimea
Merriman's Waimea — Peter Merriman pioneered Hawaii Regional Cuisine here in 1988. Lunch features produce from nearby farms (Hamakua tomatoes, Waimea goat cheese, Kahua Ranch lamb). Book ahead; Waimea is a popular day trip from the resorts.
Hilo
Sweet Cane Café (Hilo, near downtown) — the best healthy breakfast and lunch in Hilo. Smoothies, açaí bowls, fresh juices, and rice bowls using local ingredients. Low prices, welcoming atmosphere, popular with locals. Go before the Hilo Farmers Market on Tuesdays or Saturdays.
East Honolulu
Closed permanently in November 2020 (alanwongs.com) — do not recommend. It stood at 1857 S King St, where Chef Alan Wong pioneered Hawaii Regional Cuisine.