To turn out quality matcha at a craft fare with a 40 min wait line takes patience and love…read more Supporting local artisans is a priority for me, as much as the quality is there. Very happy to support them as my wife supported the other crafters here. Located in a wing of the very busy Ala Moana shopping center, this was a refreshing and necessary break. They make the matcha right in front of you and, if you ordered a mixed drink, mix it right there before calling your#. Delicious quality matcha that doesn't get hidden. O prefer mine as a straight hot tea, but enjoyed the iced latte on this warm Waikiki afternoon. Mahal Nui Aloha Match

I just spotted Aloha Matcha at the Makia Market at SALT Kakaako on 6/20/26! They said they're next…read moregoing to be at the Malama Hawaii Makers Market at Ala Moana next to Target on 6/27/26! https://www.alamoanacenter.com/en/events/9/ Can't wait to get my next matcha fix from the best matcha on island!

I tried their brand new item the Tofu Black Sesame Frappe. Wow! It was so delicious! I also did not…read morefeel bad drinking it after running because it had so much protein from the tofu which is what it's made out of. The tofu on the bottom made it similar to a coffee jelly drink with tofu as well as the strong hints of black sesame throughout the drink. I highly recommend trying it if you want to drink something that doesn't make you feel guilty after! Also to note I felt so full after drinking this drink LOL! That Tofu packed on a lot of protein and kept me full felt really energized after as well! Their bubble waffle is forever my favorite with a perfect crunchy outer and fluffy inner. I only go here for bubble waffles. Ambiance is so clean, bright, and cute. It definitely reminds me of a cute cafe you'd find in Korea! Definitely stop by :) it's one of my favorite cafes to visit.

Second visit and a bit disappointing…read more This afternoon was so hot...it felt nice to enter this small cafe...with it's A/C turned up. On Kapahulu and Campbell Avenue's - across from Zippy's Requested their Iced Spanish Latte...and like the men's Spanish national team in this Summer's World Cup...it was slightly above average. I didn't really taste the espresso; and I can't say I tasted the condensed milk. Rating it at 5.5.

First off, I am NOT a matcha girlie but saw Cinnamon Toast Crunch and decided to try it (got it…read morewith the cloud foam). SUPER glad I did because it was so 'ono. The husband/wife duo that run the cart are SO sweet! Very friendly, genuine and grateful for their customers. The "cheers" they do when they pour the matcha into the cup is the cutest. You can't help but smile as they're making your drink. Great vibes/feeling there from the drink and the couple whom own the cart. Now onto the drink....it was DELISH. Very creamy and tasty and although the matcha flavor was there (which I usually don't like), it was the perfect combination. After walking around Kakaako Farmers Market, I circled back around to grab another one (this time the strawberry matcha one). That one was very refreshing with the strawberry and also 'ono but the Cinnamon Toast Crunch one has my heart. Would highly recommend and will definitely be back. Mahalo for the yummy drink and for the genuine, amazing customer service, sis!

Food: 4/5* Only matcha and hojicha drinks and they were okay…read more Service: 2/5* Friendly BUT it was SLOW. The wait to finally order was 1.5 hours another 5 minutes just to finish making our order. The were maybe about only 30 other people ahead of us, it doesn't have to take THAT LONG to get our drinks. They need to reassess their workflow to make it more efficient. Ambiance: 2/5* It was a special event outdoor popup in East Kapolei so it was blazing hot even though most of it was under shade. There was absolutely no trade wind breeze. Overall: 3/5* After this experience I would never go to their popup at the Kakaako Market if their workflow is no different there. Expect to wait forever unless you're the very first 10 or less customers in line when they first open.

***4.5 STARS***…read more Earlier this year I went to have my blood drawn for my annual physical examination where the phlebotomist and I engaged in a food conversation. The topic was matcha drinks where she said her favorite place was in Kaka'ako, specifically Imperial Plaza. After doing a search, Cooke Street Market (CSM) popped up and bookmarked. Located on the ground floor near Mari's Urban Garden, CSM opened their doors for business since April 2016 offering plate lunches, poke bowls and matcha/hojicha latte drinks. After my last hair appointment at Salon Capello, I went next door to CSM to see what the matcha latte drinks are all about. I checked out their Yelp reviews where a handful of my friends wrote above average reviews. It was just before lunchtime and beat the crowd just in time as I witnessed over 8 people behind me as I placed my order. My taste buds wanted hojicha as I enjoy the roasted, nuttiness flavor but ended up getting the strawberry matcha latte for the gram. I asked the staff if the sweetness could be customized and asked for 50% sweet. Drinks were being made one by one and soon after my drink was ready. I took it to the side to snap several photos and it was time to take that first eager sip. My drink was good but nothing home to write about. CST boasts using authentic Uji matcha which didn't stand out in my books. I wasn't impressed as my tastebuds are familiar with the matcha lattes I get in Japan. The strawberries were just okay for me as well. I was looking for semi tart strawberries with the boost of some sweetness. But overall, one of the better matcha lattes Oahu has to offer. Service was above average. Counter staff was courteous, listened to my concerns and addressed my questions with adjusting to fit my preferences. Interior was homey and welcoming with displays and decor tastefully displayed. Overall, an okay first experience and wouldn't mind coming back to sample more of the offerings at CSM. On my next visit I'll be sure to get the hojicha and perhaps order some food.

For those that work in the area, this is a great lunch spot with solid drink options as well. The…read moremenu features Japanese flavors such as Aburi salmon and udon. They also have poke, but my personal favorite is the Garlic Ginger chicken. You can tell that they use Japanese rice, which I love. I haven't tried too many of the drinks, but I can say the strawberry matcha latte is delish. You can park in the Imperial Plaza building and they will validate for 2 hours or find street parking out front if you're lucky.

Incredible Coffee spot!…read more Specializing in drip coffee with bold flavors. The staff were super friendly and we even got to spend a few minutes with the owner! A great spot to grab a quick drink or sit down and get some work done. relaxing and welcoming atmosphere. If you're ever in chinatown stop by this spot!

drip studio got the drip! haha i am so funny. sorry. anyway i walked in dripped out and walked out…read moredigesting uhhh very potent food laxatives. oahu's coffee scene for me is still a bit lacking, but drip studio has a lot of potential. location - near chinatown, hpu...easy to find since its all blue. everything is blue. giving percy jackson. service - baristas are super super friendly and nice! they are so fun to talk to. if you need to touch some grass just start a convo. the drinks - as i said were a bit lackluster. they rotate thru different beans and roasters apparently. i guess they were still dialing in when i ordered? i dunno cause unfortunately the coffee did not make me feel like a super powerful demigod who could battle a greek god and pummel his sorry butt. cortado was alright. couldn't taste any notes except for maybe some fruit - it was quite acidic. milk was steamed well but a bit bubbly and i wonder if that's cause the acid in the shot curdled the milk. matcha was pretty good! handwhisked to order HOORAY!!! too sweet with vanilla syrup added so get it non sweetened. they also have food, hojicha, chai etc. overall not bad but may need to dial in better. service needs NO improvement they are all expert extroverts

I'm so happy I stumbled upon this shop and found this coffee stand…read more Sol Cafe is located in Lonohana Estate Chocolate in Kakaako on Queen Street. The service is great! So friendly and helpful. The coffee is amazing! Great flavor. Perfect amount of coffee and sweetness. I'm definitely coming back.

Initial visit, to Sol Cafè, inside the Lonohna Chocolate Factory. They've been open for at least…read morea couple of years but Queen Street establishments are not the easiest to find parking for in a traffic dense part of Kaka'ako. Lonohana has a storefront for their chocolate factory - locally sourced from Lonohana Estate on the North Shore and from Hilo. To the immediate left of their entrance is Sol Cafè's espresso machine. I requested a small Dark Chocolate Mocha to go. I am not a huge fan of mochas, if only, as the chocolate tends to overwhelm the taste of the espresso. It was alright. Hours are 730a to 200p, Tuesdays thru Thursdays. Fridays close at 300p. Weekends are 900a till 300p. Street metered parking abounds in the area...I had to walk a bit, but not too much of an inconvenience.

Cafe VNTG is one of the most unique cafés I've come across in Honolulu. The combination of quality…read morecoffee, vintage furniture, and a creative atmosphere makes it feel less like a coffee shop and more like a community space for artists, readers, and creatives. One of my favorite concepts is that the furniture you sit on while enjoying your coffee is also available for purchase. It gives the entire place a warm, curated feeling that stands out from most cafés. There's plenty of seating for larger groups, book clubs, studying, or simply relaxing for a few hours. They also host open mic nights, fashion shows, and other community-centered events that keep the space connected to Honolulu's local arts scene. The staff was incredibly kind, and the overall atmosphere felt welcoming, calm, and creative. You can tell a lot of care was put into building this place. This place is so lovely. I noticed their small collection of books within the vintage library area where people can sit, read, and quietly enjoy the atmosphere. It felt only fitting to add my own work to their collection. I left behind a signed copy of my award-winning book, Purple Rose: The Stars Carry Her Name - Letters from Me to Her, along with a handwritten note for the store. The book is a collection of 33 poetic love letters I wrote to one woman living in Raleigh, North Carolina. Definitely worth visiting if you enjoy coffee shops with personality, culture, and a strong connection to the local creative community. JamesVThePoet.com #hawaii #raleighnc #poetrycommunity #indieauthor #coffeeshop

The concept of the cafe is unique: a vintage furniture store with "artisan" drinks. The execution,…read morehowever, was very much lacking. Stepping into the cafe was admittedly cool. But I quickly realized it was actually very dark and dingy, save for the warm lamp light upstairs and the harsh white lights coming from what seemed to be the kitchen. I was very excited to try the food and coffee until my friend and I were greeted by a barista who seemed oddly and unreasonably impatient given the number of customers (or lack thereof). He was also surprisingly rude and wore sunglasses in an already low-light environment, which only added to the odd first impression. When he called my name, he placed a drink on the pickup counter at the same time, so I naturally assumed it was mine. He immediately called me back over and said, "That drink wasn't yours. It was for another customer." I apologized, to which he told me to bring it back so he could dispose of it. It felt incredibly wasteful, especially considering the business promotes sustainability through secondhand furniture. To make things worse, the coffee was flat, the hojicha was underwhelming and watery, and the lox bagel came with nearly a half-inch slab of cream cheese on both halves of the bagel and only a strip or two of salmon. He may as well have handed me the tub of cream cheese. To put a sweet cherry on top, while it's not unusual for a café to be filled with conversation, whoever was in charge of the music had it turned up so loud that no one could comfortably hear each other. Even the group next to us, who had been chatting away, seemed to be competing with the speakers. At that point, we decided to leave because the atmosphere just felt unwelcoming. Seeing as there are plenty of five-star reviews, I imagine the experience depends heavily on who's working that day. All in all, it came across as a very pretentious and overhyped place without the hospitality, warmth, or quality of food and drinks to back it up. And that's coming from someone who rarely leaves negative reviews.

This is one of my favorite coffee places to come to! I have a list and it's part of the rotation…read morewhich keeps things fun! My favorite is the Dark Cloud Latte, black sesame syrup and espresso....sooooo good! The staff is always friendly! On this visit I got a shot of espresso on the side. I could've added it to the drink, but then it changes the flavor. The relaxed environment is always welcoming! Mahalo again Bluetree!

A Cozy Cafe with Friendly Staff, but the Coconut Latte Missed the Mark…read more I stopped by Bluetree Cafe in Kakaʻako around 3 PM with my cat, and the staff were genuinely friendly. They all came over to say hi to my cat, which was such a sweet and welcoming touch. The cafe itself is very cozy and beautifully decorated, and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I actually came specifically for the coconut latte after seeing it in their Yelp photos. Unfortunately, the drink was quite disappointing. There was a fairly long wait - around 8 - 10 minutes for one cup. It seemed like one of the baristas was new and another staff member was teaching her, so I completely understood the delay. But when I finally received the drink, it didn't taste anything like the coconut latte I was expecting and it's the most expensive one though. I've probably had couple of hundreds coconut lattes, so I have a pretty good idea of what I was looking for. I asked the barista if she might have accidentally made a regular latte instead of a coconut latte, and she assured me, "Yes, it's a coconut latte." I took several sips, but honestly, it tasted more like a cold brew to me. Since I had my cat with me and the AC inside was also quite strong, I eventually went outside and just enjoyed hanging out with my cat instead. I really wanted to love this place because the atmosphere and staff were so nice. If the coconut latte had been made correctly - or tasted more like the coconut latte shown in their photos - I would definitely consider coming back. For now, though, I'm not sure I would make a special trip back just for the drink. I hope they improve the consistency because the cafe has a lot of potential.