Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Hawaii

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems 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!

Izakaya Matsuri

4.9

4.9 (464)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Honolulu

About the restaurant

"Welcome to Izakaya Matsuri!"
We offer you freshest Sashimi, Sushi and various chef Specials in Japanese cuisine along with selected Sake, Shochu and wines to complete your meal. Izakaya Matsuri is located in the center of town- on Young St. with lots of free parking for our customers.
(*We do not provide highchairs, or baby seats for children since we are Japanese - Izakaya style restaurant which is mainly for adults.)
* Please, aware that your reservation may be cancelled if you do not confirm your reservation, please cancel your reservation within 12 hours prior to your reservation,
or you will be subject to charge the cancellation fee per person $30.
Do text, or call us to cancel (business cell) 808-745-5858. (The cancellation fee will be automatically charged if it happens after 12 hours prior to your reservation time)
* You will be charged the fee for NO show.($50 per person on your credit card)
* Please, be aware we may add group service charge20 % for a table of 5 or more.

Top review

ElwinA

Dined on Dec 25, 2024

We had a wonderful time! Service was excellent and food was delicious. We really enjoyed the amaebi head miso soup, deep fried baby shrimp and the Omakase Chirashi. We will definitely be back for more!

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4.8

4.8 (73)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Honolulu

About the restaurant

Kazuto Obara came to Hawaii in the 1970s with a dream to open his own authentic Japanese restaurant. Practicing the traditional style of sushi known as Edomae, Chef Obara crafts a special omakase experience from the waters of his birth country (Japan) and his home (Hawaii). With his family roots from Hiroshima, he has served generations of families here in the islands. Book a reservation today

Top review

VivianVIP

Dined on Dec 26, 2024

The miso cod was delicious and two decent sized pieces. The tempera, sushi, and chawanmushi were all delicious! The only thing disappointing was their soba. The texture and taste was sub standard. The service was excellent! We highly recommend unless you want soba. Kaimuki Shokudo has excellent soba. If not for the soba I would have rated 5 stars

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Experience

Omakase Course - Market Price

Off the Wall Craft Beer & Wine

4.8

4.8 (60)

$30 and under

Gastro Pub

Honolulu

About the restaurant

Indulge in a unique fusion of local craft beer, wine, and delectable cuisine at Off The Wall Hawaii. Located in the heart of Kaka’ako, our tap house offers an unforgettable experience of local flavors, artfully crafted beverages, and mouth watering dishes.

Complementing our beverage selection is our restaurant menu, crafted with a focus on locally sourced ingredients and latin flavors. Join us for live music events and weekly specials, immersing yourself in the dynamic local culture.

If you're interested in hosting a private event, visit our homepage and watch the video under the private events tab. Whether you're planning a wedding, corporate function, graduation party, birthday celebration, or any other special event, choose us to host your event for an evening packed with artisanal brews and lasting memories.

Top review

Matt

Dined 4 days ago

The food was great. The beer is always fun to try. The music was pretty decent.

Maui Thai Bistro

4.7

4.7 (938)

$30 and under

Thai

Kihei

About the restaurant

Brilliantly innovative Thai cooking on the world's favorite island! Chef Prakong brings her artisan's skills to Maui Thai Bistro, a contemporary (and kitsch-free) Thai restaurant in South Maui. Brilliant lunch fare includes exotic tomyum fried rice, kao mun gai (chicken rice w tangy sauce), kiawe-smoked ribeye fried rice, drunken rice noodles, a truly authentic padthai, and much much more. Dinner features Prakong's artisanal homemade curries with a modern island twist, including to-die-for dishes as macnut short ribs panang, seared ahi choochee, pineapple kua curry, and plenty more.

Top review

GarryVIP

Dined on Jan 6, 2025

The food is fresh and always cooked to perfection. The staff is all amazing. This place is a hidden gem.

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Popular dish

Green Curry

Aloha Beer

4.7

4.7 (69)

$30 and under

American

Kaka'ako

About the restaurant

Locally owned local craft brewery with 13 rotating beers on tap. Great for large groups, families, and parties with dogs. Enjoy a delicious selection of beer, cocktails, and local pub food with Happy Hour Daily from 2pm - 6pm. Check our weekly calendar for Trivia, Live Music, and Beer of the Month specials!

Located at 700 Queen Street in Kaka'ako. Parking is available for $5 up the ramp w/ validation from the brewery.

Top review

AmosVIP

Dined on Jan 5, 2025

Nice relaxed environment. Good for catching up with friends

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4.7

4.7 (47)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Kaka'ako

About the restaurant

At Nori Bar, we make a darn good sushi handroll and are proud to say so. Our handrolls meet at the intersection of the freshest seafood from Hawaii and Tokyo, fluffy Koshihikari rice, and hella crisp nori. This isn’t your grandpa’s traditional sushi restaurant, but that doesn’t mean he won’t like it, too.

We built this restaurant to offer a high-quality sushi experience to a wider audience. So come in, kick back, and roll with us.

Top review

Stewart

Dined 6 days ago

Wonderful new handroll restaurant tucked away behind Ward Theaters. But they're more than just handrolls- the hamachi carpaccio was excellent and they had a five piece nigiri sampler, which can be either raw or seared (we chose seared and loved it). Service is fantastic and sushi guy was friendly and helpful. They also have a full bar but I didn't check on sakes. There is valet parking ($6) or perhaps park for free at Whole Foods. $100 for two of us, and we were full.

Waikiki Shokudo

4.7

4.7 (16)

$30 and under

Japanese

Waikiki

About the restaurant

Welcome to Waikiki Shokudo, the newest addition to the Shokudo family! As the third restaurant under the Shokudo brand, joining Shokudo Japanese and Kaimuki Shokudo, we're thrilled to bring our unique touch to the heart of Waikiki.

At Waikiki Shokudo, we offer the inviting atmosphere of an Izakaya-style restaurant. Our menu combines the familiar favorites from our sister locations with exciting new dishes. Whether you're looking for a casual drink, a delicious meal, or a late-night bite after work, we aim to be your perfect spot for all occasions.

Join us for a memorable dining experience at Waikiki Shokudo!

Top review

Daniel

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Excellent Japanese food with a wonderful staff. Dishes are interestingly different from some of the more typical Waikiki Japanese options, yet draw upon classic flavors and ingredients. Some of their menu was not available because their fryer wasn't working, but there were still many superb dishes to select from. We left full and the cost, even with alcohol, was very modest. Highly recommend.

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli - Kapolei

4.6

4.6 (691)

$30 and under

Comfort Food

Kapolei

About the restaurant

Kalapawai Cafe & Deli offers residents and visitors to Kapolei a friendly place grab anything from a morning cup of coffee, a delicious deli sandwich or pizza to an award winning full service dinner that includes burgers, locally caught seafood and the freshest salads. We are proud to feature locally sourced ingredients whenever possible on our menu and we focus our wine and beverage program around small, family owned wineries and breweries.

Top review

NoelehuaVIP

Dined on Jan 6, 2025

Absolutely delicious! Kalapawai never dissapoints!

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Popular dish

Maui Onion Soup Gratinée

Popular dish

Poke Nachos

Hana Koa Brewing Co.

4.6

4.6 (994)

$30 and under

Comfort Food

Honolulu

About the restaurant

Hana Koa is a full production brewery in the heart of Kaka’ako. We have a full kitchen with daily and monthly specials. Featuring two full bars including beer, wine, spirits and cocktails.

We ask all our guests to abide by time limits so we can accommodate as many guests as possible each evening.
1-4 guests = 90 minutes
5 or more = 120 minutes

RESERVATION POLICIES:
-All parties larger than 15 will be asked to place a deposit. Please contact the host stand or email events@hanakoabrewing.com for more information.
-Deposits will be forfeited if party does not show up, is incomplete, or cancels less than 24 hours before reservation time.
-Majority of the party must be present before being sat.
-Guests have a 15 minute grace period. After 15 minutes your table will be surrendered to other guests.
-Auto Gratuity of 20% will be added to large parties of 6 or more.
-Due to the fast level of service we provide, we may not split checks more than 2 ways.

Top review

MichaelVIP

Dined 5 days ago

I love this place. Wonderful service, good food and great beer! Highly recommend.

The Dotted Line

4.1

4.1 (27)

$31 to $50

Global, International

Downtown

About the restaurant

Located in downtown Honolulu, The Dotted Line is the ideal restaurant and bar for breakfast, pau hana, and dinner for the local business power players, casual diners, and travelers alike. Serving a quintessential European breakfast; a dinner menu of Modern Global Cuisine; the social-scene pau hana with late night cocktails - The Dotted Line is a culinary destination for diversified occasions. Set among floor-to-ceiling wrap-around windows that invite the island-sunlight by day and surrounded by a cityscape of big deals and even bigger power players, all of whom transformed Honolulu’s central business district into an executive playground, The Dotted Line believes dining should include what you want, when you want it, with satisfaction that empower its guests morning, noon and night. Customize your meal with a selection of decadent ala carte ingredients with a ‘more is more’ philosophy including black truffles, uni, A5 wagyu, caviar, and more.

Top review

Joy

Dined on Dec 12, 2024

The Dotted Line delivers a unique dining experience in downtown Honolulu. Whether you’re there for a fast paced business meeting or want to slow-pace and have pau hana or Aloha Fri fun, it “is” the go-to.

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