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    Arden Waikiki

    4.5 (106 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Arden Waikiki Photos

    Business Info

    ARDEN WAIKIKI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale

    Recommended Reviews - Arden Waikiki

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    Reviews With Photos

    Marlee B.

    You can get away from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki without technically leaving Waikiki just past the aquarium at this beautiful dining room. The restaurant has an open kitchen concept and offers of view of the park across the street. Who needs art on the walls when you have scenery. The foie gras is awesome. Served with an onion jam and a jelly with a nice thick toast. The ribeye cooked a perfection, no extra seasoning or toppings required. And the mushroom rice was excellent - not mushy or salty.

    Pitaya the Fool
    Sarah S.

    Wanted to go here for my bday for the past 2 years, but had a hard time making a reservation. But persistence paid off and it was worth the wait! If you were around back in the day, you might reminisce about Bobby MaGee's, the very popular restaurant where servers dressed in costumes. Arden occupies half of the same space in the Lotus Hotel, but it is still feels fairly spacious. A major perk is the free self parking in front! 5 stars for both food and service! We were greeted by Shari who discreetly serenaded me with a beautiful and sexy rendition of Happy Birthday on the DL. Our server Jade was friendly, knowledgeable and very astute at helping us order appropriately. Love that they recommend eating family style here and that we were able to sit at the one big round table (without having to eat Chinese food). With our party of 7, we got to try a number of dishes which is always fun when the food is good! Everything was well prepared with lots fresh farm to table ingredients but my favorites are starred. Compliments to Chef Jasmine who took over from the previous chef/ owner! Starters: *Hamachi Sashimi with lilikoi ponzu and shaved jalapeno- works well! Sides: *mushroom rice with brown butter, bamboo, garlic- salty, savory mix of different mushrooms Shareables: **Romaine salad (greens from Mari's Garden) cilantro avacado, goat Gouda, Mac nuts- SIMPLY DELICIOUS! **Furikake fries- additional $15 for mentaiko dip with smoked trout roe. Do it! *Fois Gras Terrine with onion jam and umeshu gelee - silky smooth spread on little toastettes **Lamb Lollipops shaved fennel~ great flavor but slightly overcooked. Next time I might order it more rare. *Braised oxtail - local udon soaks up the flavors, served with a cute bottle of chili pepper water Steamed Kona Kampachi/ coconut curry and pea tendrils Shishito peppers Teas are loose leaf and served in a French Press which was nice. I also enjoyed my zero proof Pitaya the Fool which made me smile! One little hiccup was they forgot our venison tartare, so will have to try that next time. They also have a happy hour I'd like to check out. Thanks for a lovely bday dinner! Can't wait to go back!

    Chocolate Island
    Gerry L.

    The world food tour duo stopped in at Arden, in the Lotus Hotel. Yours truly was somewhat reticent in making a reservation as my car was hit by someone in the parking lot the last time we dined here. I chose a parking space at the far end (again) and hoped for the best. This is my #1 issue with Arden and the Lotus ... parking! We started with a 2021 Melville Block M Pinot Noir ($145); it's a relatively light bodied Pinot, with red fruit and earthiness. We chose the Venison Tartare ($32) and the Foie Gras Terrine ($49) to start. The tartare was cubed, with dollops of bonito-flavored aioli, pickled shallots, and served with potato chips. The foie gras terrine was interesting ... the terrine was shaped like a block of butter, with a thin sheet of butter encapsulating the foie gras mousse. It was served with squares of thick-sliced toast, and two containers, one containing an onion jam, the other housing Umeshu gelee. The foie gras spread like butter ... think "meat butter". I liked the onion jam more than the plum wine jelly; the latter was very subtle in flavor. We chose Lamb Lollipops ($54), Braised Oxtail ($54), and Mushroom Rice ($32) for our main course. The lamb was very mild, served on whipped Chevre, with shaved fennel, nuts and seeds. The oxtail was delicious; it came with curly udon, peanuts, cilantro, and a plastic bottle of chili pepper vinegar. I do not like udon, but this version won me over ... chewy and flavorful. The rice was chock full of pieces of Shiitake, Maitake, Oyster Mushroom, crispy garlic, and brown butter. This, and the oxtail were my favorite dishes. We ended our meal with a Chocolate Island dessert with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream ($20) and an Americano ($6). The dessert was disappointing (to me); it wasn't special, based upon its price. We enjoyed our time at Arden ... The place was empty when we arrived and packed when we left. Service from Kirka (GM & Wine Director) and Christopher was fine but slackened as the evening wore on. We think they need more staff. My car was unscathed ... thank goodness. I'll give Arden a rating of 4+ and a conditional recommendation. I think some of the dishes need to be improved, visually. Choose wisely and you will enjoy your time at Arden.

    Shishito peppers - delicious sauce
    Annie S.

    A wonderful meal to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary! Our server was awesome in recommending the best dishes to share and helped with the quantity also. We did get a little bit of everything and every bite was delicious. I would return for another meal in a heart beat. That being said, let's begin. To start we had hamachi crudo, salad, tomato & burrata, and shishito peppers. They had all different flavors and were all around delicious. The shishito peppers had a very delicious dip on the side. For entrees we chose the blackened tuna, rib eye steak, coconut curry and mushroom rice. All were, again, delicious!! Whatever the sauce was on the side of ribeye, chef's kiss! We wouldn't stop talking about that after dinner. Oh cocktails are awesome, strong and tasted good. Not sweet, which we prefer. Applause to the restaurant and staff, we'd love to return during our next visit to the island.

    Fish
    Tanya D.

    This place was recommended by a local so we had to try it. Everything we had was so delicious!! All the flavors paired so well with one another. Both entrees - oxtail & fish w/curry - were amazing! I couldn't decide which I liked better. They were so different and both so good. The hamachi and furikake fries were great too. The drinks were just OK. They missed the mark with me, but everything else was fabulous (including the amazing service!!)

    Cindy L.

    SMOKED AHI POKE 4 smoky, refreshing, flavorful; Seaweed, Avocado; Sweet Potato Chips, too hard STEAMED KONA KANPACHI 5 Coconut Curry, Pea Tendrils, flaky, juicy, flavorful BRAISED OXTAIL 4 Udon, Peanuts, Cilantro, Chili Pepper Vinegar; oxtail was juicy, tender, but too plain

    Cauliflower
    Cailean C.

    This restaurant was amazing! For the price, which is in the medium range, you get the best of both worlds with a fancy dining experience for low cost. The food itself was so ono. We had the cauliflower as an appetizer which was surprisingly very good. I normally don't like hummus but the cauliflower was on a bed of hummus which complimented it well. The other dish we had was the oxtail which was fantastic and a good amount of food to share between 2 people. Parking is free on the street or inside the hotel.

    Ice cream
    Sara L.

    Tried Arden Waikiki after a friend recommended it, and I'm glad I did. The restaurant is located on the 2nd Floor of the Lotus Honolulu at Diamond Head hotel, near Kaimana beach. Unfortunately, the elevator wasn't working that day, so we walked up about 12 steps to the restaurant and the staff kindly assisted my dad who walks with a cane. Complimentary parking is available for restaurant guests in the hotel lot, which is rare in Waikiki. This area of the neighborhood is also less crowded and calmer, slightly separate from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. My family ordered the roasted cauliflower in jalapeño ulu hummus, steamed Kona kampachi in a coconut curry sauce, braised oxtail on udon, lamb lollipops, and a side of roasted Brussels sprouts and mushroom rice. All the food was delicious and operations generous. Highlights were the cauliflower which has a surprising deep slow roasted nutty flavor, enhanced by the spicy hummus and addictingly crunchy chickpeas; and the braised oxtail which was hearty and rich and accompanied by delightfully chewy handmade udon. I would also definitely recommend drizzling some chili oil on this dish. It is served alongside the oxtail and really enhances the flavors. For a drink, I got the lychee martini with rambutan puree which was tart, sweet and made me a new martini fan. For dessert, the restaurant kindly gave us a complimentary scoop of very chocolatey ice cream with a candle in it, so we could sing happy birthday.

    Brownie bar (8.5/10) - banana jam and chocolate mousse
    Asaiahsen A.

    First timers! We were celebrating my other half's birthday and was excited to try their menu. Our host greeted us warmly and even sang happy birthday! We were promptly sat at a window seat with a great view of kapiolani park. They were offering two different tasting menus with 4-5 courses. We decided to go Ala carte because we wanted to try so much different things. Our server was knowledgeable and patient going over all the menus and her personal favorites. For cocktails I tried the Thai fighter which was the only tequila cocktail that had herb infused tequila and a savory but slightly sweet flavor of tomatoes. 9/10. I also tried the Mac-nut espresso martini which was slightly strong in a good way and had a nice velvet texture from the Mac nutwashed vodka. For food, our standouts were the venison tartare, hamachi sashimi, lamb lollipops, and foie gras terrine! But everything we had was amazing and had no complaints about the quality or creativity of flavors. We were genuinely impressed with food and definitely want to comeback to try different dishes! The ambiance was quiet but warm and had a great view outside of the restaurant and of the open kitchen as well. We only wish we had something to help celebrate his birthday, but other than that everything was amazing and the service was top notch!

    Front
    Andy F.

    **This review is for the Valentine's Day set menu** Choosing a Valentine's Day dinner spot has become harder with so many choices now. Arden Waikīkī was one of my last discoveries and was lucky enough to get a reservation in while on the waitlist. Arden Waikīkī is located in the Lotus Honolulu Hotel--formerly Diamond Head Grill in the W Hotel. There's FREE self parking in the lot, which is amazing in itself. The website and past Yelp reviews noted valet only, but that's not the case anymore. The restaurant is inside the hotel. Take the stairs or elevator to the 2nd level. Inside is quite wide open and spacious with a bar and lounge area near the front and dining area after. Depending on where your table is located, your view is Kapiolani Park, so if you want the Diamond Head view, you can request a table near the window. The Valentine's Day set menu was $98.00, which was an amazing (and the best) deal compared to the many other restaurants that were all $100+. This was essentially a $196 meal for two. The Valentine's Day special drink was a Banana Bread Old Fashioned. It sounded interesting! This came with a thin slice of a crisped banana bread, and oh this was delicious and went incredibly well with the old fashioned. The flavors were very well balanced between sweet and bitter with the right amount of bourbon. I wish the ice block was smaller though! I went through the drink too fast! We started with the Oysters on the Half Shell with Rosé Shave Ice and Mignonette. The oysters were Shigoku oysters from Washington State, and they were delicious! Sweet, clean, fresh, with a slight brine. The rosé shave ice added a nice hint of berry and citrus flavors while the mignonette added a touch of tartness and tanginess. Definitely a nice bite and a nice start. A total of 6 oysters came. Next was the Hamachi Sashimi with beetroot slices shaped like a rose with Shiso leaves. I wouldn't have guessed the combination of beets with hamachi would work, but it did! The hamachi was fresh and sliced well. It wasn't as rich and buttery, but more so light and delicate. The beets had a slight bittersweet flavor. It needed bit more shoyu for me to bring everything together. The portion was a little small for two people. It looked like it was for one, maybe? The Big Island Veal Bone Marrow was good. But it was odd to have 3 pieces of marrow with 4 pieces of bread. Is this right? The bread was toasted too much--too hard, and had too many holes, so it was very messy and a lot of oil went through. The miso paste on top was flavorful and along with the pickled onions helped cut through the rich marrow. For the main dish, the surf and turf, 16 ounce USDA Prime Ribeye and Kauai Prawns with fried brussel sprouts. The ribeye was very well cooked to a medium rare. It was an excellent char taste and aroma, and the meat was tender and juicy. It was a little under seasoned for me, but still acceptable. The prawns were perfectly cooked! Firm, fresh, sweet, and clean. The brussel sprouts were very good. Light and crispy. This was most seasoned item on the plate! Dessert was a lychee sorbet with fresh raspberries, rose and raspberry jelly, and these little sweet tubular crackers (that looks a lot like dried bean curd sticks). The sorbet was amazing! It was creamy and with good lychee flavor. A nice ending to the meal. Overall, a very nice Valentine's Day dinner. The food was fresh, beautifully presented, and prepared and handled very well. What I really appreciated and enjoyed is that each dish really let the ingredients shine and show how well they complement one another. There was hardly any wait time for each dish to come after one was finished. Our server, Josiah, was great. Very friendly, very attentive, and very informative. He made us feel welcomed and comfortable. Most of the staff we interacted with were very friendly. I liked the openness of the restaurant. I wish they had bigger windows to enjoy more of the view. Definitely a nice place to chill, relax, and have a meal. Will come again!

    Mushroom rice
    Christina Z.

    My husband and I enjoyed a delicious dinner at Arden Waikiki - highly recommend if you're looking for a nice dinner away from the busiest parts of Waikiki. The menu is designed for sharing, and each dish is meant to serve 2 people. It's on the pricier side but to be expected in the area and the food quality makes it worth it. We ordered the following: - Hamachi sashimi: The fish is so fresh, thinly sliced, marinated in a lilikoi ponzu sauce and topped with jalapeño. The sauce elevates the flavor of the fish with its sweet tangy citrus, and the jalapeño adds just a hint of heat. - 16 oz Ribeye: Both the meat and the miso onions were grilled perfectly with a nice char; so good that we felt like we didn't even need the rosemary vinaigrette sauce on the side. - Mushroom Rice: Winner of the night and as other reviews have alluded, definitely a must to order if you like mushrooms. The umami flavor of all the different types of mushrooms made it a great dish to go with the ribeye. - Panna Cotta: Light and creamy dessert with a berry sorbet and sauce which added a nice acid flavor to the dish - nice way to end the meal.

    PRIME USDA 16OZ RIBEYE Charred Miso Onions, Rosemary Vinaigrette, Chimichurri.
    Ame L.

    Birthday staycation at Lotus Honolulu and finally had a chance to dine at Arden:) From the moment we arrived I was greeted by our host Sherri who made my night extra special. Her personality made us feel so welcomed! The setting is beautiful and spacious with the views of kapiolani park if you have a window table. The staff were attentive and friendly. The menu selection is limited but done very well ! I can honestly say this place is very unique in how they incorporate ingredients that you typically would not consider, but is delicious! Chef Ono + Chef Chang are as innovative and creative on bringing the farm to table ingredients for an interesting taste to our palates! There is a reason they have received multiple Hale 'Aina Awards Highly Recommended

    Oysters

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    absolutely amazing! such wonderful service, ambiance and food. one of the most welcoming and attentive staff i've ever experienced in hawaii

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Arden Waikiki

    El Cielo - Main Entrance

    El Cielo

    4.7(258 reviews)
    1.4 miWaikiki
    $$$
    Speaks Spanish
    Casual dining

    First time going to el Cielo, and it did not disappoint!…read more The food was great - most of the menu appears to be tapas style appetizers, so we got a bunch as well as a paella dish. Our favorites were the paella - it was lemony, bright, and had a generous amount of meat. The empanadas were also delicious and came with a homemade chimichurri sauce. We got these butterfish fritters (can't remember their name, oops) that came with a saffron aioli. The chicken liver mousse was tasty as well. While the pan con tomate was good, we got the plain one, and should have gotten it with ham! A lot of the food is served with airy, light, crusty homemade baguettes. The wine list is nice, mostly wines from Spain! I tried the Albarino and it was delicious. It is located on Lewers street, and has some nice iron wrought gates. We opted to sit on their outdoor patio, which had a lovely fountain and vibe going. Parking is kinda tricky - there's a lot in the back of the restaurant but it was full for us, so we street parked.

    What a great experience we had tonight, celebrating our anniversary in Honolulu. We ordered the…read morepâté, beet salad, and octopus for starters. All were outstanding. I don't like pâté (my wife) but I'm now a fan. The grilled octopus was heavenly, like a steak, but more delicate. Our final main was the seafood Paella. Amazing. Tip: scrape that disk to get the burned bits of rice on the side. It really brings out the flavor. Service-wise - our server was amazing. Always there, but never intrusive. Thank you for a great meal, and great experience!

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    El Cielo
    El Cielo
    El Cielo - How can you go wrong w a garlic shrimp paella!

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    How can you go wrong w a garlic shrimp paella!

    Arden Waikiki - hawaiian - Updated June 2026

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