A coffee nerd's room in the middle of downtown. Drip Studio pours single origins from small independent roasters, DAK among them, dials in every pour over, and cares about the ceramic it lands in. Order a pour over and take the bar seat.
Kaimuki's plant-forward café proving that vegan food doesn't have to be an afterthought. Creative, flavor-first cooking that satisfies everyone at the table.
A syrup company that grew into a Chinatown coffee shop. Peter Hessler and Michael Cabagbag whisk the matcha by hand and make the syrups in house — the Matcha Manako runs li hing mui and mango under li hing powder — and the walls stay given over to local artists. Try the Hapa Honey Matcha.
A locally owned counter tucked into a Waikiki lower level, built on acai and waffles made to order. Nothing carries fillers or added juice, there is a small superfoods bar for building your own bowl, and the walls are covered in photographs of regulars. Get an acai bowl and a waffle to split.
An Aiea cafe running Portuguese tarts and house-fried gyoza off one counter. Chelsea runs the room, which is cat-themed and unembarrassed about it, and the portions land well past what the price suggests. Get the house fried gyoza, with a Portuguese tart after.
A female-owned coffee stand built around house-made syrups. The list runs further than most on Kapahulu — local honey matcha, honey cinnamon latte, mint ginger lemonade — and the baristas are the reason people come back. Go for the local honey matcha.
A cat café with serious desserts in Liliha. Hang out with resident cats over some of the most photogenic soft serve and parfaits in the city.
A small coffee room on Queen Street in Kakaako. No gimmick attached — just a carefully made cup on a block that is mostly offices and scaffolding. Go for a straight espresso drink.
A warm, welcoming coffee shop on the North Shore road. Great beans, friendly baristas, and a pace of life that slows you right down.
Coconut-based soft serve that never reads as a compromise. This Hawaiian-owned Moiliili parlour makes everything dairy-free and rotates four flavors a week through ube, pandan and coconut. Get it as the hot kulolo sauce sundae.
Named for the architect Tadao Ando, and the room takes that seriously. This Kailua tea and coffee bar sources its matcha directly from Shizuoka and built the coffee program with barista Kal Freese; there is a garden patio out back modeled on places in Tokyo. Get the matcha latte.
A North Shore bakery producing some of the finest pies in Hawaii. The lilikoi cream pie and the guava chiffon are worth the drive from town.
A minimalist bakery in Kaimuki producing some of the most technically impressive pastries in Honolulu. The croissants and financiers are not to be missed.
A warm, light-filled brunch café in Kakaako that feels like a hug. The menu is comfort-forward, the coffee is excellent, and the staff remember your name.
A Filipino café in Iwilei bringing the comfort of Pinoy home cooking to Honolulu. The sinigang and crispy pata are made with real love.
A small-batch creamery started in a pandemic and named for a brother. Zachary Villanueva lost hours in spring 2020 and began churning ice cream named for Daniel, the brother he lost to blood cancer in 2018; he and Courtney now build it on organic dairy with Laie vanilla, Manoa chocolate and Manoa kiawe honey. Try whichever flavor is running on the local honey.
Kaimuki's matcha haven. Every drink is made with care, the aesthetic is minimal and calming, and the matcha quality is legitimately exceptional.
A cosy, well-loved brunch spot at the end of the Kamehameha Highway in Kahuku. Farm-fresh ingredients and the kind of food that tastes like someone's grandmother made it.
A King Street cafe built around acai bowls, with a Japanese lean through the rest of the menu. Quick, straightforward and priced for a regular habit. Get an acai bowl.
A quiet neighborhood cafe on 11th Avenue, running matcha and a loco moco off the same short menu. Small, unhurried, mostly regulars. Try the loco moco with a matcha.
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