Hawaii - Jeff Campbell [83]
Contemporary Café (Map; 523-3362; Contemporary Museum, 2411 Makiki Heights Dr; mains $8-10; 11am-2:30pm Tue-Sat, noon-2:30pm Sun) In the exclusive Makiki Heights neighborhood, this breezy museum café is open to the public – no need to pay the admission fee. Country-club fare like focaccia sandwiches and chocolate gâteau taste even more delectable when packed into romantic picnic baskets for two to enjoy on the garden lawns. Reservations recommended.
Greater Honolulu
In low-key Kaimuki east of Waikiki, Wai′alae Ave is Honolulu’s homegrown ‘restaurant row,’ full of cozy bistros, cafés and old-school bakeries.
Whole Foods (off Map; 738-0820; 4211 Wai′alae Ave; 7am-10pm) Near Kaimuki is this organic grocery store with a takeout deli. More off-the-beaten path eateries are scattered around the city, from mauka to makai.
Helena’s Hawaiian Food (Map; 845-8044; 1240 N School St; dishes $2-10; 10:30am-7:30pm Tue-Fri) This humble Honolulu institution dates back to 1946. The menu is mostly à la carte dishes, some smoky and salty, others sweet or spicy. Start with poi (fermented taro), then add some pipi kaula (beef jerky), kalua pig, fried butterfish or squid cooked in coconut milk, and you’ve got a mini-luau for about $12. It’s east of Houghtailing St.
Nico’s at Pier 38 (Map; 540-1377; 1133 N Nimitz Hwy; mains $4-10; 6:30am-5pm Mon-Fri, to 2:30pm Sat) French chef Nico marries classical French cooking with Hawaii culinary traditions and fresh seafood from Honolulu’s nearby fish auction. Look for steak frites, tropical fish sandwiches, chicken katsu and hoisin BBQ chicken. Casual outdoor tables are within view of the Pacific. West of Alakawa St.
Town (Map; 735-5900; 3435 cnr Wai′alae Ave & 9th Ave; mains lunch $6-15, dinner $15-22; 6:30-9:30pm Mon-Thu, to 10pm Fri & Sat) The motto at this buzzing Kaimuki bistro is ‘local first, organic whenever possible, with aloha always.’ On the daily-changing menu of boldly flavored cooking are burgers and steaks made from North Shore free-range cattle and salads that taste as if the ingredients were just plucked from a backyard garden. The urban coffee shop decor – stainless steel tables, dark wood tables and original artwork – attracts surfers, yoga teachers and sometimes Lost cast members.
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DRINKING & ENTERTAINMENT
For up-to-date listings of live-music gigs, DJ clubs, movies, theater and cultural events, check the free tabloid newspaper Honolulu Weekly, published every Wednesday, and Honolulu Advertiser’s TGIF section, which comes out on Friday.
Cafés
Glazer’s Artisan Coffee (Map; 391-6548; 2700 S King St; 6:30am-11pm Mon-Thu, 6:30am-9pm Fri, 9am-11pm Sat & Sun; ) Nobody in Honolulu seems to be more serious about brewing the perfect line-up of espresso drinks than this university-student hangout, with comfy sofas and jazzy artwork on the walls. Free wi-fi.
Honolulu Coffee Company (Map; 521-4400; 1001 Bishop St; 6am-5:30pm Mon-Fri, 7am-noon Sat; ) Overlooking Bishop Sq with city skyline views, take a break for a java jolt brewed from handpicked, hand-roasted 100% Kona estate–grown beans. Free wi-fi. Also at the Ala Moana Center (Map).
Bars, Lounges & Clubs
The hippest nightlife scene revolves around revitalized N Hotel St and Nu′uanu Ave in Chinatown, once the city’s notorious red-light district. Wherever you go in Honolulu, any self-respecting bar or lounge has a pupu menu to complement the liquid sustenance, and some bars are as famous for their appetizers as their good-times atmosphere. A key term to know is pau hana (literally ‘stop work’), which is Hawaiian pidgin for happy hour.
Green Room Lounge & Opium Den (Map; 521-2900; Indigo, 1121 Nu′uanu Ave; 4-11:30pm Tue-Wed, to 2am Thu-Sat) Divided into different theme lounges, Indigo restaurant mixes martinis in the Opium Den and spins tunes in the Green Room. Jazz and live music are featured during the week, with electronica DJs slotted in for the weekend.
The Loft (Map; 688-8813; 115 N Hotel St;