Despite the fact Waikīkī is home to Oahu’s most famous beach — two miles of white sand where there’s never a bad view of Diamond Head or the sunset over the warm, clear blue water — it’s tempting to leave the area to the tourists. But you’d miss out on some of the best places to eat on the island, which draw plenty of locals for a bite. Even with constant new development, Waikīkī is also the most walkable neighborhood in Honolulu, a city that at times feels aggressively anti-pedestrian. Couple that with the oceanfront location, which provides easy access to the beach and food at all times, and you get a dining destination that’s hard to pass up.
Updated, December 2024:
Most of the best dining in the area — and Honolulu generally — continues to be Japanese, and you’ll find it at a range of price points, from the takeout counter at Maguro Brothers to Sushi Sho’s $350 omakase. Recent boutique hotels that revive a mid-century era of Waikīkī offer new fun spots to drink and dine, including Heyday, while a revamp of the food court in the basement of Waikiki Shopping Plaza helps diversify the dining scene with newcomers like HK Cafe, a Hong Kong-styled cafe.
Martha Cheng is the food editor at Honolulu Magazine, the author of The Poke Cookbook, and a writer for national publications.