Honolulu’s heart-of-the-Pacific location means it’s a unique swirl of eastern, western, and local influences—and that applies to its newest crop of restaurants, too. From a next-gen izakaya to a truffle lover’s dream, the tropical city continues to surprise diners with newcomers that are just as great at pushing boundaries as they are at serving reliable comfort food. Read on for a guide to Honolulu’s seven most exciting restaurant debuts of 2023.
Margotto Hawaii (Ala Moana)
Margotto Hawaii opened its doors in June and is undeniably one of the fanciest restaurants to ever hit Honolulu. Its menu is a lavish love letter to everyone’s favorite fungus—the almighty truffle—and recently earned it USA Today’s “Best Restaurant in Hawaii” award. Chefs Kenta Kayama and Yohei Yagishita, who opened Margotto’s first location in Tokyo in 2014, go all out to give the earthy ingredient its main-character moment with a supporting cast that includes caviar, wagyu, and New Zealand lamb. If you’re feeling especially extra, pair your truffle-centric feast with Champagne—Margotto gets bonus points for being Hawaiʻi’s only “Krug ambassador” restaurant with special access to a wide selection of bottles and pairings.
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Nami Kaze (Kalihi-Palama)
Nami Kaze lives on the same dock that’s home to the Honolulu Fish Auction—which makes sense, considering its chef and owner Jason Peel (a Roy Yamaguchi alum) is all about super-fresh seafood and vegetables. The inventive izakaya opened in late 2022 and adds modern riffs to familiar Japanese dishes like lobster chawanmushi with brown butter and gochugaru. That outside-the-box thinking earned Nami Kaze a series of honors including James Beard semifinalist status, a Haleʻaina Award for Best New Restaurant of 2023, and an OpenTable Diners’ Choice award, so it’s no surprise that this creative hotspot is one of the most sought-after reservations in Honolulu right now.
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Peso (Kakaʻako)
Filipino cooking is an unmissable part of Hawaiʻian culture (the community makes up 25 percent of the state’s population), and Peso is where you come for playful twists on traditions. Fueled by the same momentum that landed its sibling spot in Los Angeles many glowing reviews, Peso earned an Ilima Award for Hawaiʻi’s Best New Restaurant of 2023 soon after opening in April. The restaurant’s cultural mashups are best sampled in eight-course omakase (called “Pinyomakase”) form that includes hits like kinilaw tostadas and wagyu beef cheek stew.
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UMI by Vikram Garg (Waikīkī)
After making a name for himself at the Halekulani Hotel and MICHELIN-starred kitchens around the world, chef Vikram Garg brought his international firepower to the Halepuna Waikīkī resort in April. This time, he focuses firmly on the sea (“umi” is Japanese for the ocean) with masterpieces like kampachi with squid-ink tuile and tender, swoon-worthy abalone with a mushroom-miso crust. UMI recently landed a Critic’s Choice distinction at the ʻIlima Awards for its ultra-artistic and thoughtful dishes, proving its a force to be reckoned with on Honolulu’s fine-dining scene.
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Arden Waikīkī (Waikīkī)
Arden’s postcard-perfect location—in a sanctuary at the foot of Diamond Head—is reason enough to check it out. But so are its contemporary Hawaiʻian dishes by chefs Makoto Ono and Amanda Cheng. The pretty Waikīkī restaurant opened in October and is set against a very sought-after, sunset-facing stretch of sand. Despite its swanky backdrop, Arden’s menu doesn’t hold back on the fun. Cases in point: lamb lollipops with cilantro pistou and shiso and a local take on baked Alaska, aka black sesame cake encased in toasted meringue.
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Cino (Kakaʻako)
If an Italian chophouse and crudo bar sound super traditional, think again. Cino is anything but, as hinted by the trendy diners who have packed its gold and velvety dining room since it opened in September. Local chef Arnold Corpuz worked through Italian kitchens in New York and that experience shines on beautiful fusion plates like crab spaghetti and miso-charred butterfish with slow-roasted eggplant. For a quicker meal or a solo affair, post up at the bar—and consider a drink by cocktail pro Jen Len.
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Obake (Downtown)
Don’t be surprised to see locals lined up outside this grungy-chic Chinatown hotspot, which opened in August. They’re here for some of the area’s most out-there handrolls—negi toro with strawberry and tiny rice crackers, for example—and sake cocktails. (Pro-tip: if the wait is especially long, grab a drink at the adorable tiki shack next door). Once you’re in, belly up to the long bar surrounded by graffiti-inspired wall art. By day, Obake is a cafe that shakes up delicious matcha drinks, confirming this trendy hangout is one of the most versatile new additions in town.
Tried them all? Check out other options here.
Noelle Chun is a freelance journalist who writes about food, cocktails, and wine in Honolulu and San Francisco. Follow her on Instagram at @noellechun.
