The Best Breakfast in Waikiki and Honolulu, Hawaii
Are you looking for the best breakfast in Waikiki and Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii? This guide from a Hawaii local has all of the best breakfast and brunch spots in town!
The best breakfast Waikiki and Honolulu has to offer depends on your preferences, of course. Are you a coffee and pastry person? A light avocado toast and acai bowl person? A hearty breakfast burrito or omelet person? Or maybe you’re someone looking for breakfast with a local Hawaii twist! Whichever category you’re feeling that day, I’ve listed out the best Waikiki breakfast spots for all of them!
To be clear, Waikiki is technically in Honolulu. So technically all of the places with the best breakfast in Waikiki are also places with the best breakfast in Honolulu.
The Best Breakfast in Waikiki for Coffee and a Pastry
Some people aren’t ready for a meal in the mornings. They’re happy with just a solid cup of coffee and maybe a flaky pastry. If that sounds like you, these next couple of spots may be exactly what you’re looking for.
Kona Coffee Purveyors
With a name like Kona Coffee Purveyors, it should come as no surprise to find out that this café serves up some delicious 100% Kona coffee drinks. Get all of the classic coffee drinks, including espressos, cappuccinos, and café lattes. You can even get an affogato, which is basically an espresso with a scoop of gelato dropped in it!
If you’re more of a tea drinker than a coffee drinker, Kona Coffee Purveyors is one of the few places in the islands with a good selection of tea. With green teas, black teas, oolong teas, and more, there are many options to choose from.
But the drinks aren’t the only noteworthy thing about this Waikiki café. It’s rare for me to like pastries in Hawaii (especially after studying abroad in Europe), but the ones from Kona Coffee Purveyors are just so good! This is because they source their pastries from the James Beard Award-winning b.patisserie in San Francisco. Try the kouign amann, the guava coconut almond croissant, or the chocolate banana croissant.
Address: Kuhio Avenue Mall Entrance – International Marketplace, 2330 Kalakaua Ave #160, Honolulu, HI
Island Vintage Coffee Waikiki
Island Vintage Coffee is a local chain of coffee shops that uses 100% Kona coffee in its drinks. In other words, you really can’t go wrong with any drink on their menu. If you want to try something new, the Hawaiian honey latte, the vintage Kona mocha, and the Maui lavender latte are all great choices.
As for the food, the selection at Island Vintage Coffee is quite good. You can get sandwiches, acai bowls, salads, and more.
*Note: There are three different Island Vintage locations in Waikiki, but only one specializes in coffee. All three are in the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, so you’ll want to make sure you’re at Island Vintage COFFEE (not Island Vintage Wine Bar or Island Vintage Shave Ice).
Address: Royal Hawaiian Center, 2301 Kalakaua Ave #C215, Honolulu, HI
The Best Breakfast in Waikiki for A Light Bite
If you need a little more than just a coffee and a pastry in the mornings, this section of Waikiki breakfast spots is for you. The eateries below specialize in lighter dishes like acai bowls and avocado toasts.
ARS Café
Right when it opened, ARS Café managed to establish itself as a fantastic spot for breakfast in Honolulu.
The café part of ARS Café is stunning. With warm wood paneling and fancy coffee machines, it’s unlike any other place on Oahu, Hawaii. You’ll definitely want to take a seat and enjoy your doppio, macchiato, or cortado.
And we certainly can’t forget about the breakfast food! Their most popular item by far is their fabulous avocado toast. But you can also try their salmon toast platter, French toast panini, or ultimate Hawaiian eggs benedict.
While the café is one portion of ARS Café, that’s not all of it! This local business also sells delicious homemade gelato. And while that’s typically not a breakfast food item, it still deserves a mention. The flavors are constantly changing, but they’re always flavors you can’t find anywhere else. Marshmallow maple molasses, burnt milk, and watermelon chai are a few of their past flavors.
Last but certainly not least, ARS Café is also an art gallery. Their monthly art shows feature many of the most talented Hawaii artists.
Address: 3116 Monsarrat Ave, Honolulu, HI
ARVO
But ARVO in Kakaako competes with ARS Café for the title of the best avocado toast on Oahu.
ARVO is located in a trendy shopping district called SALT at Our Kakaako. (Side note: After you enjoy your breakfast, I highly recommend walking around this little area.) And the trendiness of the area makes its way onto the menu as well.
Drink-wise, you’ll want to try the lavender latte, ombre lemonade, or strawberry guava mint iced tea. And food-wise, I’ve already mentioned that the loaded avocado toast is the way to go. After all, how else are you going to decide if ARVO or ARS Café has the best avocado toast? Some other noteworthy dishes include the ricotta toast, the matcha chia pudding, and the halloumi burger.
Address: SALT at Our Kakaako, 324 Coral St Suite 1A-104b, Honolulu, HI
Sunrise Shack
The best breakfast in Waikiki for both your Instagram posts and your tastebuds can arguably be found at Sunrise Shack.
Sunrise Shack got its start as a literal bright yellow shack on the North Shore of Oahu. But thanks to its Instagram-worthy food, this adorable eatery was able to gain a lot of traction on social media. As a matter of fact, it has become so successful that there are now three Sunrise Shack locations across the island, including one at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort.
The smoothie bowls are by far the most popular options on the menu. Try the acai bowl, the monkey bowl, the tropical bowl, or the blue dream bowl.
And if you need a morning coffee pick-me-up, Sunrise Shack can deliver on that front too! They’re actually known for their bullet coffees, which is essentially a cup of coffee with loads of healthy oils loaded into it. Try the classic bullet, the mac nut bullet, or the dirty chai bullet.
Address: Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, 2335 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI
The Best Breakfast in Waikiki for Something Filling
Last but certainly not least, if you’re hoping for a heartier breakfast, this breakfast in Waikiki section is for you! Eggs benedict, pancakes, and omelets are just the start. In addition to these fantastic classics, you’ll also find dishes with a fun local spin.
Koko Head Café
If you’re looking for the best breakfast on Oahu, you’ll want to check out Koko Head Café, which is owned by Chef Lee Anne Wong. This is definitely my favorite breakfast spot on the island. As a matter of fact, it made it onto my list of the best restaurants on Oahu, Hawaii.
The coolest thing about Koko Head Café is that all of the dishes have a fun twist. My favorite dish is the breakfast bibimbap. This traditional Korean dish is made with rice, veggies, a sunny side up egg, and a little spice. But Koko Head Café’s version adds a bit of local flavor with ingredients like Portuguese sausage and soy-mirin shitake mushrooms.
But a close second to the bibimbap is the cornflake French toast. This sweet dish is layered with flavor. First, there’s the French toast itself, which has a crunchy frosted cornflake crust. Then, there’s the black pepper maple syrup, which as an added surprise of savory flavor. And finally, there’s the candied, spiced bacon to top it all off.
*Pro Tip: Rumor has it that there’s a secret menu at Koko Head Café. Be sure to ask about it when you go!
Address: 1145 12th Ave C, Honolulu, HI
Heavenly Island Lifestyle
Heavenly Island Lifestyle is a gem. Not only is the food incredible, but they also make sure to source their ingredients from local and organic farmers whenever possible. The front of their menu even includes a map of Hawaii pointing out where Heavenly Island Lifestyle sources certain ingredients. That just makes a visit to this Waikiki breakfast spot better!
As for what to order, you can’t go wrong with the local eggs benedict. The lilikoi (passion fruit) butter hollandaise sauce, the Okinawan purple potato, and the poached local egg take this dish to the next level.
You can also try the Big Island honey French toast, the Hawaiian fruit acai bowl, or Heavenly’s organic veggie & beans loco moco.
Address: Shoreline Hotel Waikiki, 342 Seaside Ave, Honolulu, HI
Basalt
Basalt is a cool place. It opened right at the beginning of the charcoal food phase, so the charcoal buttermilk pancakes quickly became this Waikiki breakfast spot’s most famous plate. And it’s not just because of its unique look! The guava strawberry sauce, whipped cream, and mixed berries really tie the whole dish together.
If you’re over the charcoal fad, don’t worry! There are loads of other dishes at Basalt that are mouthwatering. Enjoy the prime rib moco, the pork belly fried rice, or the avocado garden toast.
Address: Dukes Lane Market & Eatery, 2255 Kūhiō Ave., Honolulu, HI
Moena Café
No list of the best breakfast in Waikiki would be complete without Moena Café! Technically, Moena Café is in Hawaii Kai, a fancy Honolulu suburb. But this breakfast spot is more than worth the 20-minute drive from Waikiki.
Almost all of the dishes at Moena Café have a fun, creative twist. Want some pancakes? Choose between the banana Chantilly pancakes and the cinnamon roll pancakes. Prefer a savory option? The short rib loco moco, crab benedict, and fried rice breakfast with two eggs are all fantastic choices.
Address: Koko Marina Center, Koko Marina Center Building E, 7192 Kalanianaʻole Highway Suite #D-101, Honolulu, HI
Kono’s
Kono’s is great if you’re looking for a quick, but filling meal. This restaurant specializes in kalua pig. To make this traditional Hawaiian dish, a whole pig is cooked in an underground oven known as an imu for hours. While Kono’s doesn’t quite go as far as digging a massive whole in the ground, they do let the kalua pig cook for a long time. And the result is flavorful, moist kalua pig.
If you’re getting breakfast at Kono’s, I recommend getting one of the breakfast bombers (also known as breakfast burritos). My favorite is the Chun’s breakfast bomber, which comes with bacon and kalua pork.
But if you need an extra hearty meal, you might want to try the biscuit slider trio. This dish includes three biscuits, each filled with a different meat: kalua pork, bacon, or Portuguese sausage.
Address: 2310 Kūhiō Ave. #1-A, Honolulu, HI
Scratch Kitchen
Scratch Kitchen arguably has the most unique breakfast in Waikiki. Every item on the menu is a little surprise!
First, there’s the small plates section, which includes everything from escargot to bone marrow to lilikoi (passion fruit) BBQ short ribs. Then, there’s a small salad and wraps section. But by far the most noteworthy part of the menu is the brunch entrees.
The brunch entrees section of Scratch Kitchen’s menu has something for everyone. The Scratch loco moco is filled with Hawaii’s local flavors. The braised pork belly is perfect for a fancy brunch meal. And the milk ‘n’ cereal pancakes will take you back to your childhood.
*Pro Tip: After you finish up with your breakfast at Scratch Kitchen, spend some time exploring the cool shopping area of South Shore Market.
Address: South Shore Market, 1170 Auahi St Suite 175, Honolulu, HI
Barefoot Beach Café
Barefoot Beach Café arguably has the best location on this list of the best breakfast in Waikiki. Located on the famous Kalakaua Avenue and on Waikiki Beach, this beachfront nook is a great place to start the day.
As if the stunning views of the Pacific Ocean weren’t already enough, Barefoot Beach Café also has a wonderful menu. Try the egg lust sandwich, the breakfast burrito, or the sweetbread French toast.
Address: 2699 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI
Are there any other spots you thinks should be added to this best breakfast in Waikiki and Honolulu article? Let me know in the comments!
Already planning your next food stops for lunch and dinner? Check out our list of the best poke spots in Waikiki and Honolulu.
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