Mauricio R.

We had walked past this establishment many times. I was the one in my group urging us to go there. I finally got my way and everyone involved was so grateful. From the outside it seems very unassuming, some tables and a long kitchen counter with the chefs cooking away. We were ushered to the back room. We did not expect the dramatic and stylish high ceiling room. In the center was very large table with a massive floral arrangement. Our server introduced herself as Janet. We were made aware of that night's specials and took our order for drinks. We ordered the Sangria by the glass. Our friend was able to have a very dry martini with olives. We ordered two appetizers, the beef empanadas and potato croquettes. The empanadas was so amazing we ordered two more orders of the empanadas and added the grilled octopus. At this point the drinks are hitting the mark as are the appetizers and Janet's wonderful energy. We proceeded to order our entrees. One of us ordered the rack of lamb and the other two ordered paellas , one seafood only and the other mixed. In a timely fashion our entrees arrived looking so delicious we dove right into them . The seafood paella I had had to be one of the best ever! The rack of lamb was cooked to perfection. It was served with a reduced wine sauce and potatoes. Believe or not we had room for dessert . We were swayed by what the table next to us ordered, it was a concoction of ice cream and fruit with a cleverly executed chocolate screen .This restaurant stood out of the many , many good to great places we frequented while Island hopping . On our way out Janet and the staff including the chef bid us farewell and welcomed us back, we will be back!

Amy A.

This is 2 years overdue. Had the star rating pended and that's about as far as it went. The front entrance is beautiful and you can't miss it driving by. Inside is gorgeous and the outside courtyard is pretty nice too with the water fountain in the back. Service was good. We had the Truffle Egg Custard Pudding, Bunuelos, Chicken Liver Pate, Octopus Alla Gallega, Seafood Paella, Churro, and Frozen Turron. My favorite was the Truffle Egg Custard Pudding, Octopus Alla Gallega, and the desserts. Some dishes needed more seasoning or something to make it pop more, but that could just be personal preference. Worth giving it a try though!

Andy F.

What do you get when you have a mix of Spanish, Japanese, and Italian dishes all on one menu? Mixed results, or a wonderful blend? You have all that at El Cielo! Located in Waikiki along Lewers Street near Kuhio Ave. It's on the first floor sharing the same building with Oyster Hale and Genius Lounge. They don't have any affiliation with any parking garages, you're on your own. The inside is surprisingly big and spacious with bar and outdoor seatings, and high ceilings in the main dining room. The main theme is Spanish Tapas with mostly small or bite size dishes with a few paella and main entrees. Everything sounded good! "Pinchos" dishes is really just one bite. The Smoked Salmon was nothing special. It ate like a normal salmon with cream cheese. The other flavors such as dill, pink peppercorn, and orange did not come out. The Buñuelos Butterfish Fritter were good. Light, airy, doughy! nicely fried and seasoned. Didn't really taste much butterfish. The Tapas were a generous amount! The Shrimp Ajillo was flavorful with paprika and garlic. Shrimp was cooked well. The spice didn't come out from the dried chili peppers. The best was the Housemade Baguette! Warm, soft inside, crunchy outside. Better than at Vietnamese restaurants! Unfortunately, the dish and sauce was too salty--even for a person who likes more taste. The Octopus Ala Gallega was very good. Nicely grilled octopus to tender with a nice charred taste. Just needed some salt. Potatoes were good. Chimichurri sauce was flavorful. Generous amount of olive oil. The Uni & Crab Pasta was all right. I've had better. The spaghetti was a touch too Al dente. The flavor was very one note with the rich cream sauce and uni. There wasn't the sweetness from the crab. The cherry tomato was just there to be there for a bite. Would have been nice to get some acidity and sweetness throughout the dish. The Seafood Paella was very basic. Very disappointed with zero char on the rice. What's the point of the pan? It definitely needed higher heat. Everything ate like it was covered and simmered on low heat until the seafood was cooked. Very simple. The Ube Basque Cheesecake was good. Not too sweet, not too much Ube flavor with a light custard-like interior. Overall, this was a decent meal. All the dishes were beautifully presented, but needed some seasoning adjustments. Don't think I'll order the same dishes next time. The service was excellent. Very friendly, information, and attentive server. Comfortable dining area. Unfortunate it has no parking affiliation. I'll definitely comeback for their Housemade Baguette!

Cindy L.

Boquerones & Guindillo 1 way too sour for me Bacon Wrap Dates 4 savory and crunchy on the outside, sweet and soft on the inside Croquetas de Jamon 5 crunchy on the outside, soft and creamy inside, flavorful House Salad 3 spring mix, apples, tomato, bacon, refreshing Octopus Ala Gallega 5 chewy, flavorful Seafood Paella 3 Kaual Shrimp, Clam, Squld, Green Beans, Red Bell Peppers, Saffron Aioli, medium flavorful, shrimp was mushy Washugyu Steak 2 4oz US Wagyu Coulotte, Beets, Green Beans, Onlon, Housemade Chimichum, super tough, very dry, couldn't eat SHRIMP AJILLO 4 Kauai Shrimp, Garlic, Dried Pepper, Spanish Paprika, Housemade Baguette, shrimp cooked in oil, chewy, garlicky flavor Ube Basque Cheesecake 5 super creamy, fluffy, just the right balance of cheesiness and sweetness, rich ube flavor Service 5 Ambiance 4 has patio and indoor seating

David L.

Eating here for the first time when a visiting friends who wanted to eat here. Staff was friendly. We were seated in the front so I didn't see the rest of the restaurant From what I saw, the restaurant was clean and stylish. Tapas was tasty but seemed pricy (example 1 epinada for $7) This was my first time having tapas and it's Waikiki so I'm not sure how the prices compared. I didn't drink but my friends who did said all the drinks they tried were excellent. There is no validation for parking so that's a big issue for locals.

Courtney O.

Since eating at El Cielo just 2 days ago, I've already told more than a dozen people about this restaurant. It is an absolute must and may take the cake as one of the best restaurants in Honolulu! My husband and I absolutely love Spanish tapas. A restaurant with tapas is almost always our go to, but it wasn't something I was expecting to eat in Hawaii. Growing up here, I don't think I ever remember having Spanish food. El Cielo is in Waikiki. The restaurant has a great ambiance and is quiet and calm, even though it's so close to such a busy area! Although we made a reservation, there were bar seats available and we opted for that to get a look into watching them make all the food. El Cielo is special because it's Spanish but with a twist. The chef is Japanese and they infuse some local flavors into a lot of their menu items! We started by splurging on the jamón ibérico - it's double the price of the serrano but noticeably special! I appreciated they gave a nice portion and we paired it with some Manchego that came with a quince jam. In addition, we ordered the pate. It was so creamy and delicious but a standout from that was the homemade baguette! It was so good! For our main entree, we ordered the loco pollo paella. Never have I had a paella with spam! Spam was so perfect in the paella. The chicken was also cooked so well! I loved the crisp skin and was so impressed. It was incredible! We finished off with the ube basque cheesecake that was light and delicious. Every single thing we ate was so good and I was so impressed! This meal was truly standout and I loved it so much.

Rod U.

Spanish tapas, Japanese style. How does the experience differ? First, order everything at once. The kitchen will send dishes as they are ready. This is not the typical, order one dish and a glass of wine, consume and repeat. Second, bites lack the roughness and boldness one expects from simple, everyman's Spanish food. Testing the sourcing of ingredients, the charcuterie board. A couple of different thick sliced cured sausages, jamon Serrano, and jamon Iberico de Bellota paired with a nice selection of olives, dried currants and the surprise pairing, dried mango all of great quality. Unfortunately the bought in rice crackers were stale. Opting to skip the paella (not cooked over an open fire) and the mains (this is a tapas restaurant), the standout was the octopus ala Gallega. A thick but uber tender, well seasoned, paprika dusted, grilled leg and a very acidic, zesty chimichurri a showstopper with its huge flavors. The bunuelos (butterfish and potato fritters in a saffron aioli) were just OK. Very creamy potatoes inside but lacking any butterfish flavor. Of the eight little deep fried balls, only one had a noticeable piece of butterfish in it. The "Boquerones & Guindilla" (Guindilla pepper, pickled anchovy, and olive) is a total miss. The piece of anchovy is so large, the sour, fishy taste overpowers the other two ingredients. The biggest misstep, the bacon wrapped dates. Stuffing the dates with creamy bleu cheese results in a mushy, pasty mouth feel. Brushing the bacon with maple syrup adds a bizarre flavor when paired with the bleu cheese and the sweetness is completely off balance. Nice selection of wines by the glass and bottle. Beautiful dining space and friendly service backed by a reasonably priced menu. A letdown based on its high Yelp and Google rating.

Michelle D.

My work friends surprised me with a birthday dinner here, and it turned out to be such a great experience! From the moment I walked in, the staff was warm and welcoming. The rest of the group hadn't arrived yet (they were running a bit late), but the servers were super kind and checked in to see if we wanted drinks or pupus while we waited. Once everyone arrived, we started ordering, and our server--Maddox (I hope I'm spelling that right!)--was amazing. He gave us great food recommendations and really added to the overall vibe of the evening. The food? Absolutely delicious. From appetizers to entrees, every dish was packed with flavor--it was like a flavor explosion with every bite. My favorite was the seafood paella. WOWZA. I'd definitely come back, not only for the amazing food but also for the welcoming ambience and great service.

Gerry L.

The world food tour duo made its first visit to this restaurant on Lewers Street in Waikiki to experience Spanish fare from a Japanese chef born in Argentina. It's an intimate space separated into two dining rooms. We were seated in the rear room dominated by a table in the center holding a very large floral arrangement, dishes, glassware, silverware, and water pitchers. While we perused the menu, I ordered a bottle of 2017 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon ($70). The wine was very dark in color with black fruit notes and an earthy undertone. We ordered Chicken Liver Paté ($15), Jidori chicken liver with truffle oil and a very nice house made baguette, and Arugula and Beets Salad ($20), cubes of red and gold beets, blue cheese, candied walnuts, and a sherry wine vinaigrette. The paté was creamy and rich in flavor and the baguette was perfect. The beets were firm, and the salad was great. We shared two entrees, Lamb Chops ($55), four ribs with roasted potatoes and a Rioja wine sauce, and Truffle & Mushroom Paella ($42), a medley of mushrooms, green beans, seasoned with truffle oil and saffron aioli. The lamb was flavorful and tender; the paella was fine but a touch dry (for me). We had Mont Blanc ($16) and Frozen Turron ($13) for dessert. The Mont Blanc was a visual treat, green tea infused sweetened chestnut puree turned into a piece of art. The Turron was a mix of almond, honey meringue and milky ice candy, a colorful mélange of flavors that reminded me of Spumoni ice cream. I finished my meal with a nice cup of coffee ($6). Service by Lawrence was fine and we enjoyed our time at El Cielo. The menu has enough for us to make a return visit. The prices are very reasonable for a restaurant in Waikiki. Recommended, with a 4.25 rating.

Faith S.

My girls and I were in the mood for something delicious and a little fancy, so we headed to Waikiki and decided to give this gem a try--and wow, are we glad we did! We went all in and ordered a feast: the Seafood Paella (flavor bomb!), Washugyu Steak (so tender it practically melted), Chicken Pâté, Octopus Alla Gallega, and the rich, dreamy Uni & Crab Pasta. Every dish was chef's kiss--full of flavor and perfect for sharing. And just when we thought we couldn't fit in one more bite, the Ube Cheesecake arrived. It was so airy, fluffy and not top sweet. We loved it. Dessert heaven! The vibe? Super romantic and intimate--dim lighting, cozy seating, and just the right amount of buzz from fellow diners. Perfect for a girls' night, but I'd definitely come back here for a date night with my other half. Only downside: no dedicated parking, so we had to park in a nearby garage and take a little stroll. Not a dealbreaker, but something to keep in mind if you're rocking heels. Service was warm and friendly, which added to the lovely evening. All in all, a beautiful spot with amazing food--Waikiki charm at its finest!

Jeffrey E.

We were carving some tapas and found this place using Yelp! It's nestled in a busy street, but inside is dim and romantic. Great date night place. All of the food was fantastic, especially the paella. We mentioned it was our anniversary and received a complimentary dessert. We will be back!

Melinda Q.

It definitely comes as a surprise that El Cielo was our most memorable and favorite meal while we were in Honolulu for the week. Not only did we discover this restaurant by chance, but it made it even more special that it was right around the corner from our hotel, as it felt like our own little neighborhood bistro for the week. Except that it was pretty spacious inside, but still had the allure and ambiance of a bistro. The chef put a modern twist on classic Spanish dishes, and dare we say that it tasted better than what we had while we were in Spain? We loved that many of the dishes were vegan-friendly or could be modified for my husband. The mushroom paella was the breakout star for us, but truly, everything was delicious. I could dip everything in the garlic, chili oil the shrimp was swimming in!

Paul W.

Wonderful experience, food, and service tonight at El Cielo. We enjoyed the restaurant week menu. We sat at the bar and had Steve serving us. He was amazing. The food was world class, they brought out a cake for our wive's birthday! Steve even showed us the seating area and took our picture. What an epic night. Thank you! Please put El Cielo on your list of must visit restaurants! The chef is amazing! Thank you for making our wive's 60th birthday so special and memorable!!!!