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Ilima Cafe

3.8 (44 reviews)
ModerateNew American
Closed 6:00 am - 10:30 AM
Updated over 3 months ago

Ilima Cafe Photos

Business Info

ILIMA CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for kids
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Ilima Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Evelyn E.

Delicious breakfast and great service 10 out of 10 would recommend this place if you're staying in Waikiki the beach is just a few feet away

Entrance inside of the hotel.
Victoria M.

An amazing spot for breakfast! Ilima Café is inside the Waikiki Resort Hotel. You enter the hotel in order to get to the restaurant. Inside the restaurant is light, bright, and airy. The staff were attentive. You receive a discount if you are staying at the hotel. If you need a restroom you need to ask the hotel front desk for a key and use the hotel lobby's restrooms. Menu wise is small but mighty with lots of comfort breakfast foods. I got a side of bacon with French toast and hashbrowns. My husband ordered the omelet which came with hashbrowns and rice. Everything was amazing! Came out hot and filled us up. They are only open a few hours in the morning, so be sure to wake up in time and order some delicious breakfast!

Michelle R.

Our second breakfast since were disappointed with the hotels complimentary breakfast. We opted to try this place out. Breakfast here is only offered from 6:30am - 9:30am and they have limited breakfast meals. We opted for the following: Hawaii Loco Moco - 1/2 lb hamburger patty topped with a bed of rice covered in brown gravy and topped with 2 fried eggs. My boyfriend chose this. He said the loco moco tasted way better. Portuguese Sausage & Eggs - 2 eggs any style with either toast, rice or hash brown. This was my pick. I chose to get this dish with rice and have it with scrambled eggs. Ube Pandesal Toast - the bread was soft and fluffy and tasted really yummy! Overall, food was delicious and service was great!

Tsunami bagel
Nelly L.

I do not recommend. Delusional service. Tricky coffee price. Day #1 :Breakfast was nice. Toast was not great though but everything else was nice. Sausage, eggs and coffee. Service was good and waiter came to refill and propose coffee. Ambiance ok. Would recommend adding some chill music and the place would be better Day#2 : I guess either I was too hungry on the first day and was under a delusion- got happy with the service. I went back and am very disappointed by the service See pic. Bagel was served cold and not really toasted- It look like it went through a tsunami on it and it got torn . The waiter did not find it inappropriate to serve this. As well, be careful as there is a trick of inserting coffee with an additional price $5 on menu on the back side. It showed a smaller price but coffee is not included. I asked to switch the fresh fruits for another side and waiter did not agree on some choices. I do not recommend

Ilima Cafe Breakfast: 3 banana pancakes (or French Toast), 3 eggs, Portuguese Sausage (or Bacon)
K L.

Only reason why I'm giving only 4 stars is because of the limited menu and limited service hours...however, FIVE stars to the service here! So friendly and welcoming. Their aloha definitely shines through! The menu is typical breakfast menu items but the star of this place I would have to say would be their pancakes!! Ughhhh soooo fluffy and soft and hits the right spot!! Menu items as mention is limited to mostly eggs, breakfast meat, French toast, and/or pancakes. They have a couple healthier options too like fruit and yogurt but that's it. Also, right now they only operate from 6:30am-9:30am, so just an FYI. Overall though, 4 warm and happy stars to this cafe in the heart of Waikiki.

Ilima breakfast. One with French toast, one with pancakes.
Vina E.

We came here on our last day and had Erna as our server. She was the sweetest and a pleasure. Limited menu but covered the basics. I tried the lilikoi syrup. We had pancakes French toast, bacon , eggs, Portuguese sausages. Everything was good. Nice little place!

Overall wonderful experience, great breakfast and service! The atmosphere is vibrant and comfortable. Couldn't have asked for a better way to start my day with this place.

Terry S.

It is very rare that I post a negative review. But, this was one of the worst meals I have had in a long time. The service was also lacking. When I came into the restaurant I was immediately seated. But, after a glass of water was given, I was forgotten for about 15-20 minutes. (Note, I was the only guest there.) Finally a worker sitting at a table close to me called over my waiter. He took my order and I ordered the blackened Mahi Mahi. The fish was dry and had no flavor. The sweet chili sauce was mixed with mayonnaise! The waiter never asked me if I wanted something to drink. Even the rice need soy sauce to have any flavor. I left most of my meal. Don't waste your time or money.

Pancakes
Hans K.

Great tasting breakfast with great service. Erna and park were awesome servers and made our mornings bright. Pancakes were very good as were the eggs and bacon !

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4 months ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

Great food great service not packed a gem in the heart of Waikiki. Would be 5 stars but over priced for what you get

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4 years ago

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5 years ago

Fluffiest Omelet on the Island! Buen apetito! Kudos to the chef! Buen Apetito. Recommended for excellent service and great food.

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5 years ago

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8 years ago

Hidden gem across from the Alohilani Resort. Convenient, quick, and delicious breakfast in Waikiki. Great way to start the day!

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Ask the Community - Ilima Cafe

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My husband and I went here today for his belated birthday sorbet and drinks and the atmosphere was…read moreexcellent, our server Ryan was all smiles and happiness!! We ordered a wrong sorbet at ordering time and Ryan handled it like a rockstar!! Fete is ALWAYS a treat and we had a blast!! Thank you Ryan for making our experience memorable.

Y'all, Fete is legit. Just go. That's the review…read more So I took a date here before the theater based on the reviews from yelp, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. Making reservations on opentable is ezpz. We had tickets for 730, so we had an early dinner on a saturday at 5pm. Not busy when we arrived but by 6pm, it was packed. So make the reservation. I ordered the carbonara which was creamy and delicious. I'm not italian so i don't know how authentic it was but it was GOOD. My date ordered a salad with Korean Fried Chicken and beets. I don't know anything about beats but the KFC was FANTASTIC. Sugary deliciousness. We had a slice of olive oil cake with a spoon of rocky road to go with it. OMG. The olive oil cake is so delicious. It's almost like a pound cake but i guess made with olive oil so it also had this nice crust to it. But I would come back every single day for the rocky road ice cream. It was just rocky road but it was really good. Prices were average for honolulu. And service was good, not great. I guess the inside is pretty spacious in terms of tables but they pack you in like sardines so you can't help but be in your neighbors conversation. And it's a bit loud. So maybe not the ideal first date unless you go at an off hour where it's less crowded. Or maybe the bar seating would also work. 10/10 would 100% recommend to anyone.

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Not our first visit to Honolulu, but our first and the very next day, second visit to Tommy Bahama…read moreRestaurant in Waikiki. A special thank you to Jessica K. for her incredible service and excellent recommendations. The dinner menu offered so many delicious options that it was difficult to choose! We started with a Blood Orange Margarita and a Grapefruit Basil Martini - both were refreshing and absolutely delicious. From the spring menu, we selected two appetizers: Eggplant Arancini and Lamb Skewers. All we can say is - WOW! Truly outstanding. Although we were already quite full, we decided to share the Macadamia-Nut-Crusted Fresh Catch. Once again, everything from the flavor and temperature to the presentation was five-star quality. The fish was perfectly tender with a wonderfully crunchy crust. The almond rice was an excellent accompaniment, and the grilled asparagus was the best we've had in a long time - perfectly cooked. For dessert, we had the Pineapple Crème Brûlée. Make sure to save room for this - it's smooth, silky, and absolutely delicious. A big thank you to everyone working in the kitchen and behind the bar on April 26 at 7:00 pm - you all did an incredible job. And thank you again, Jessica K., for making our experience so memorable! The next day, we returned for happy hour on the rooftop. Once again, everything was fantastic: Ahi Tuna Tacos, Ahi Poke, guacamole, and beer - fresh and delicious. We will definitely be back on our next visit to Waikiki. Highly recommended a great choice for a lovely Hawaiian experience!

Our first visit to Tommy Bahama and it won't be our last! We…read moreordered the coconut shrimp, opakapaka and ribeye. Everything was delicious, including the mashed potatoes, sometimes we've found some restaurants that make it a little too salty but not here. Our server, Jeremiah gave us good information to make our decision on what to order and he was very friendly and efficient. Also, I didn't get his name but the other server who helped us when Jeremiah went on lunch was also excellent. Overall, a great experience, we might go to the rooftop next time.

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MĀZE - Part of the seasonal snack set to get your tummy ready.

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MĀZE was the standout highlight meal of my trip to Hawaii this year. The chef's menu with drink…read morepairing was easily Michelin-star worthy. Taste, presentation, service, ambiance -- MĀZE really had it all nailed down. If there's one meal you should book for your trip, make it MĀZE. Although the menu looks short, it is deceptively filling. You start off your meal with a few amuse bouche bites. It's really a wonderful start, because the salmon toast was one of the best bites I had all night. The smoked salmon was melt in your mouth tender and the toast was fried to perfection. Another bite I really enjoyed early on was their "Fat bastard" oyster. I've never had this type of oyster before, but this one was especially plump, sweet, and had just the right amount of brininess to it. There's honestly not a single straightforward bite across the courses: everything has layers upon layers of flavor and a complexity that really accentuates the talent of the head chef. After the first course, there's an option to add a supplemental course for $34 -- a "Wagyu musubi". I cannot emphasize enough that this addition is a must. If you're coming as a couple, it's large enough that you're able to share a single one so that each person gets two bites. This bite is as delicious as it looks. The Wagyu is rich and fatty, and the crispy nori is the textural element that breaks up the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the beef. The tare delicately brushed on top adds a bit of saltiness to the dish and doesn't take away from the enjoyment and appreciation of the Wagyu itself. Another bite that I'll forever remember is the Jeju abalone dish. Served over a bed of finely minced edamame and served in a chicken jus, the dish had sweet, savory, umami, and all the right textures. I ate this dish especially slowly because I wanted to savor each and every bite for as long as possible. The abalone is tender and cooked perfectly -- not rubbery whatsoever. I overheard a chef saying that the tasting menu changes every month, and we had visited when they were mid-cycle. I believe some of the permanent menu items include the bourbon barrel smoked salmon toast and the wagyu musubi, but I really hope to see the Jeju abalone dish again someday when I visit in the future. Since MĀZE is from the the duo behind the famous cocktail bar -- Bar Leather Apron, just down the street, you would expect nothing less than extraordinary cocktails for the cocktail pairing. I can confidently say that there was not a single drink pairing that I was disappointed with -- both on the alcoholic and non-alcoholic side. My favorite cocktail of the night was their take on an Old Fashioned that was served with the Washugyu flat iron galbi course. I simply cannot say enough good things about MĀZE. Do yourself a favor and book a reservation right after you book your plan tickets to Oahu -- you won't regret it.

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Snackies.

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Ilima Cafe - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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