Honolulu hangs onto its meals and tradition fiercely. It’s why decades-old mom-and-pop eating places nonetheless dominate sure neighborhoods and why you see dishes that will have been acquainted to a few of the islands’ earliest settlers. Whereas the world strikes at its frenetic tempo, the town reminds us of who now we have been and who we’re.
After all, it’s not immune to alter. Over the almost 20 years that I’ve been writing about meals in Honolulu, many beloved establishments have closed, whereas newer eating places have introduced in flavors from locations as numerous as Detroit and Laos. Use this information to study extra about these particular spots each basic and new, and to search out loads of different nice meals — in a food-obsessed metropolis, there’s at all times one thing thrilling to eat close by, if you already know the place to search out it.
We replace this listing quarterly to ensure it displays the ever-changing Honolulu eating scene. Our write-ups embody insider suggestions from our skilled writers and editors, in addition to a tough vary of pricing for every vacation spot — starting from $ for fast, cheap meals with dishes largely beneath $10, to $$$$ for locations the place entrees exceed $30.
New to the map in December 2025: The Pig and the Woman returns in new digs in Kaimukī, a neighborhood that’s turn into a eating vacation spot; and Bocconcino, a fixture of the Kaka‘ako eating scene serving panini and the very best Neapolitan-style pizzas on the town.
