Friends and I popped into Mara for lunch and split 3 of their $34 lunch set (appetizer, entree, and desert). Overall, we were pretty pleased with the options, taste, and value! The service was a little slow -- it took a while for anyone to greet us on entrance and then for us to get water from the server. But afterwards food came out fairly quickly and staff was very friendly. Of the appetizer choices, we didn't add $4 to try the stratciatella soup so we had 2 order of tzatziki sauce and 1 hummus with pita. The tzatziki was fine but nothing special; the hummus was amazingly tasty and I'd definitely order it again if I return. We chose the lamb kofta pitza, chicken sandwich, and Mara burger as our mains. The pitza was delicious -- the honey really added. Chicken sandwich and Mara burger were both pretty average imo. I would not reorder, and the burger especially was very dry + they did not ask how we wanted it done (not sure if there's an option). Dessert was one of the highlights! We got the gelato trio (mango, guava, dragonfruit), rice pudding, and sokolatina (basically an airy chocolate cake with small scoop of caramel gelato). The guava gelato in particular was yummy and the rice pudding was the real winner for me, surprisingly! Would go back to try the brunch and dinner menus! Points also for the ambiance -- ask to sit in the "lounge" area on the bar side if you get a choice; the right side of the restaurant was noisier and by the kitchen. read more

Mara - Starter for the lunch set -- 3 orders: 2 tzatziki sauce, 1 hummus - Mediterranean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Food A- ( Appetizers are amazing but entrees were lacking.) Service A (with one exception but I'm leaving it out of the overall rating because it's not fair to dock this establishment on one person's actions and attitude). Ambiance A+ Finally got to try Mara after months of eyeing their menu. I went during brunch/lunch hours on a Sunday hoping for a more relaxed setting- the perfect time to come with a stroller. It's a quiet lull post brunch rush. The wait staff was ultra accommodating and friendly. This is a gorgeous restaurant. They went above and beyond with the decor. We ordered the trio of spreads - hummus, tzatziki and a mouth watering burrata beet spread. The hummus and tzatziki were tasty but the burrata beet spread is the star. You must try it. The pita was fresh, hot and fluffy. Their shellfish tasting of kampachi, ahi and oysters was also delicious. I think the tasting is supposed to come with Uni but we got an ahi substitution- disappointing but the ahi WAS DELICIOUS. The seafood is fresh and the crudos were dressed with uniquely Mediterranean flavors, a nice departure from the norm here in Hawaii. The beef Kibbeh was what drew me in to Mara in the first place, and boy was it outstanding. This version of a beef tartare was fresh and the flavors were just so delicious. I would order a few of these next time because our table couldn't get enough of it. The burger was a standard burger with a generous slab of feta on it. Not bad but not noteworthy. The fries were delicious and the servers were awesome and brought out ranch and ketchup for the kid in our party. The Snapper burger was so crisp and delicious. The fish was perfectly fried and moist inside. The Shakshuka was very ordinary. It came with one egg which was surprising since the dish was a pretty large portion of sauce and chickpeas. The yuzu pancakes were thick and dense but very satisfying. They almost tasted like cornbread pancakes. I'd love to come back to try their dinner menu at some point. The parking situation is strange. While you get free validation the parking lot's elevator leads to the street where you need to reenter the adjacent building (hotel entrance) to reach the restaurant. The bad- The hostess was one of the rudest most unwelcoming people I've encountered. Scowled at me when I approached the podium to check into my reservation ( I smiled and she literally looked down at her phone and rolled her eyes before looking back up.) she insisted we didn't have a reservation even after I showed her the confirmation email. When I entered the bathroom to wash my hands, she happened to be in there on her phone at the sink, and again a SCOWL like I scorned her in a past life or something. She made the checking in process so uncomfortable our party almost left. I had to ask the other members of my party if I was imagining things but they all saw how terrible the hostess was acting. I'm leaving the experience with the hostess out of my overall experience of Mara but I felt people should know this happened. read more

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What could improve? Food and service! Poor representation of Mediterranean food - gummy sauces, lacks salt, flavor, acid (hello, lemons ?), balance. Poor management, no line-ups apparently - staff confused at service, food runner told is wrong fish (we had to tell him), "still working on that?"!, no manager table checks...etc. Guests at next table disappointed as well. Save your money and time, go elsewhere. read more

Brand new Restaurant that we stub led upon. Excellent Mediterranean Food that opened a week ago. Wonderful, astute, attentive staff. Cleared plates immediately when finished, brought share spoons and refilled water cups. The waitress asked about allergies and what they were. Recommended options and told the chefs not cross contaminate shellfish. The GM came around to ask us if everything was to our liking, was very polite and informative. The food was robust in flavor, exquisite. read more

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We celebrated a friend's bday with the pre fixe brunch at Mara. The service was great & the ambiance was appropriate (like all open-kitchen restaurants, it was a bit loud.) While I enjoyed the food, I look forward to returning when we can choose from the full menu. I highly recommend the smashed avocado toast with feta, aleppo pepper add wailua egg, & the Manoa chocolate sokolitina with chocolate cream, cocoa nibs, salted caramel ice cream. read more

Mara - Smashed avocado appetizer - Mediterranean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I dunno what it is but online dating feels like the job application process these days. You're basically hoping they don't toss you on the reject pile right away. I must have passed the initial screening because I scored an "interview" with this cute Japanese girl and we decided to check out Mara. Boy am I glad we did. Valet parking. (I self parked but apparently that was wrong. Fortunately the security personnel were super pleasant and helped me figure out what to do without inconveniencing me or chastising me in front of my date.) Don't be me. Just valet park. The interior is super vibey. Warm earthy tones, the smell of spices in the air, soft lighting, funky decor. It's got this relaxed atmosphere that instantly puts you at ease. I needed that extra chill because I was a bit nervous for the first interview, ahem date. I shouldn't have worried. The service was on point, making it easy to relax and settle into a nice conversation. Even the manager swung by to make sure we were having a good time. The hero of the evening though was the sommelier. He did exactly what a good sommier does -- he got me off the one wine I wanted (the Lambrusco rosso... it's frizzante. I love that wine...) and found me a wine that was a better match with what my date ordered. I was so happy with his recommendation and it was in the same price range. Nicely done, sir! (Now if I could only figure out a way to have a sommelier at all future job interviews.) The food was a Mediterranean food bomb in your mouth. Crispy edamame falafels. Creamy hummus. Tangy tzatziki sauce. Yum. My highlight was the plate of zucchini chips. My date says she wishes we had ordered the grilled octopus. I guess we can order that one if I get a second interview. Anyway, just like job hunting, there's a lot of rejection and some awkward moments, but when you finally find a decent match, it's like winning the lottery -- or at least landing a job with great benefits. Schedule your next date and/or interview at Mara. You won't be disappointed. read more

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The pros Beautiful New Good service Cons Took an hour to get my food Food look good but didn't taste that good Feels like a nightclub very loud fast music Overall I might come back but it will be for the flatbread and they're delicious sauces very underwhelming for the main dishes had the lamb filet mignon and the chicken read more

Mara - Chicken - Mediterranean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Just drove by- I think it closed down and is now replaced my restaurant called Sera. ChatGPT verified this (hopefully AI correct)

Ambience: too loud, the music combined with chatter was overwhelming. We got a table on the side and the table was tiny and cramped. 50 staff running around. Might be your vibe though. Food: they brought out our entree before the appetizers Fruitti di mare pasta- noodles were soggy and drenched in butter. No scallops. Just shrimp trio sampler - pita was nice and soft . My husband and I could not finish Hokkaido scallop - scallop tasted fishy . $28 for one diced scallop... super pricy see photos Ahi crudo - ok. Just tasted like olive oil on the c grade ahi with a dash of morrocan spice Filet mignon - cooked well, boring. No sauce. Just diced olives on the side Promfret monchong - pretty good the pomfret was nice Rice pudding- too sweet. Not much dimension. Overall- don't expect fine dining, expect a trendy hip restaurant with average to slight above average food. Maybe that's your vibe. read more

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Parking: They have parking in Sky but just beware their parking lot is a bit tightly configured (not Mara's fault at all as they didn't design the building). If there's a car waiting to pull a ticket I recommended that you wait at the bottom of the ramp (just in case the car rolls back). Service: Efficient, we went for a work lunch so we ordered the food in advanced knowing that the food takes a while to come out. Drink: I think I just had a really bad drink that day because it was literally not good at all. It tasted like pure sugar and I couldn't taste any Ube due to the overwhelming sugar. I had everyone on my table try it to make sure it wasn't just me and they all thought it was undrinkable. (Tried to dilute it with a couple glasses of water and still undrinkable). Food: Zucchini Chips: really good with the sauce! I would order it again! Lamb Kofta&Fire-Roasted Pizza: I wish there was a little more meat for the price. But overall not bad! Pita was great! The dipping sauces were delicious with the warm pita. Line-caught local ono-Kebab...omg that thing was DRYYY...I mean to be fair I ordered Ono but it was even worse than dry chicken breast...perhaps if I ever go back I would need to try a different one. Greek salad it came over was refreshing but nothing spectacular. Overall: maybe I need to give it another chance because it was so new, I see the potential but as of right now I don't feel like it's worth the price. I can only see myself coming back to try it at happy hour (regular menu is pricey)...and I wouldn't eat here for lunch again. read more

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I made reservations online for brunch to celebrate my partner's birthday. I noted online that I am celebrating a birthday. Ambiance was nice, up-scale, wasn't too cold or warm. We did have to wait a bit to be seated but it was that they offered us to sit in the lounge or at the bar. I already knew the food was in the healthier side and wasn't sure if it was what real Mediterranean food should be, or if it's their version. They had quite a few options of vegan style dishes (I'm a big meat eater so this was out of the ordinary for us). We both ordered the brunch set menu which I thought to be $44 online, but it's $46 on the menu seated. We each got a salad, the chicken sandwich, breakfast plate with eggs, potatoes, toast and sausage, and some sort of yogurt soft serve. On the side we got naan bread which was delicious and seasoned well. Overall it felt like I was full off of bread and potatoes and it was just so-so. The downside to my poor rating was that our waiter asked every table around us if they were celebrating something and he didn't ask ours. I was kind of bummed out. Why give the option to mention it online if the waiter wasn't going to look at it? Would I come back? Not for brunch. Maybe dinner is where it's at and maybe mention we are there for a celebration. read more

Give it up for MARA! A+++ dining experience in the beautiful Renaissance hotel with free valet parking up to 3 hours. Just wow. This restaurant opened up at the beginning of April 2024 and is delivering some of the best dining experiences I've had in Oahu. My dish ranking from best to worst (although all were fantastic): 1. scampi, 2. tasting trio 3. lamb skanakopita 4. calamari. We had a res at 9 and we ate everything so fast... Our waiter Justin was great. Super attentive and was on it when it came down to needing more pita (we didn't even need it we were so full as portions are beyond generous). He also asked us how we wanted to space our meal out. I'm ecstatic I was able to make a res at this restaurant for our last night in Oahu. I'm going to bed with a happy tummy tonight! THANK YOU MARA & TEAM!! read more

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Celebrating Mother's Day early was a good idea at Mara with reservations for the first time. We entered through the hotel/condos, in past the bar around to the hostess. The area was small where you wait to be seated & that made it feel chaotic. Everyone was super welcoming. We were seated by the bar & it was lovely, relieved we had a good table selected. Food was absolutely delicious & service was excellent! Server was so sweet & attentive. After the initial chaos came the enjoyment of a perfect meal & restaurant. We will go back again try it on a Friday night when they have live music let's see how that goes. read more

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This is the new restaurant located at the ground floor of the new Renaissance Hotel just Mauka (mountain side) of the Ala Moana Shopping Center, they only have valet parking. I parked on the street so I don't know how much do they charge for valet. The restaurant is fairly new, so it looks really nice and modern. They are two entrances, one from the hotel, but there is no hosts there. I saw people entering from the hotel side and just waiting for someone to take them but that is not where the hosts located. They have another entrance at Kapiolani Boulevard where the hosts located. Our server was very nice, friendly with a big smile, very attentive and polite. We ordered the Pita with 3 difference spreads, two large pieces of pita, we almost got full just by eating that! The three difference spreads are tasty. We ordered the oyster. It was fresh and sweet, for the main course, my wife ordered the hand cut linguine, basically it is linguine with shrimp, pretty tasty but for $36, I wish the portion is a bit bigger. I ordered the roasted lamb Wellington, the lamb is very small and overcooked. It is pretty chewy. Not worth to pay $54 for that. In my opinion, you can skip that. Overall, the presentation of the food is good. I constantly see bus boy come around to check the table, cleaning the table, etc. I also checked the bathroom, it was nice and clean. There are more dishes we would like to try, however, when we come back next time, we might just order a few appetizers and that may be enough food for us. read more

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Service was excellent although the servers were foreign speaking we had to ask several times to repeat themselves, otherwise they gave us excellent service. Ambiance was excellent although I am not used to having a DJ for dinner music. My date and birthday girl said this is a trend nowadays. I am just an old fashioned singer and musician. Since John Dominis closed, Mara is my favorite Restaruant! read more

I absolutely love this place! Great ambiance, spectacular service, delicious food, what more can I say? The location is definitely one of the things that also keeps me coming back! It's not in the congested Waikiki, but just right across from my favorite place in Oahu: Ala Moana Center. Superb! read more

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We lucked out. Though we had reservations for dinner, we were able to show up early for Happy Hour and rolled with it - we're so glad we did. We sat at the bar and received attentive service with a smile. It wasn't too busy, sun light was streaming in, and the DJ was getting set up for the night. It was a great vibe. The drinks and food were amazing and we have had magical Mara memories for months. We'll definitely return! read more

For Mother's Day we wanted to try something new. We ordered the trio appetizer which was good. The beet salad was just okay. The chicken sandwich and fish sandwich were both overcooked and dry. To top off the meal the air conditioner was not working and the had the door open which let in flys. Don't think we will be back read more

The food is good (especially the garlic bread/naan), ambiance is nice, but the value is poor--very expensive for what you get. Service is very SLOW and inattentive/forgetful. This was my second time at Mara, a second time experiencing unbelivably slow service on everything from being seated, the actual meal and drink service (when I ordered a second drink it took 30 minutes for the server to say "your drink should be coming out soon", we had already finsihed eating--the drink? A very difficult to make can of Diet Coke) Finally, the parking situation is slow and awkward, and they charge you $10 for valet. And don't get me started on their valet system--they make you awkwardly show a separate receipt to the valet--and this time they forgot to charge my credit card for the valet, didnt bring me the separate receipt, and then had the gaul to ask for my credit card again so they could get me the awkward receipt. The food is just good enough to make this a 2-star review, but the slow service is the lasting memory. read more

Mara is conveniently located near Ala Moana Center. They are on the ground floor of the Renaissance Hotel. I'm not sure if you can self park but you can definitely valet your vehicle there. They will stamp your ticket and valet is complimentary. The place was done well and it was busy for a random Thursday night. I met a friend here for drinks around 6:15pm. It turns out happy hour is between 4pm - 6pm. We just missed it but it was fine. I arrived first and got the last two bar seats in the corner as you enter. Lucky us! They have a main dining room and it was packed! It's located in the back on the left from where you enter. Between the bar area and main dining room is the restroom. Originally we came just to have some drinks but we wisely decided to order some food before leaving. After a cocktail and lots of wine, we ordered their Ahi Crudo and Tasting Trio which consisted of Hummus, Greek Yogurt Tsatziki, Bocconcino Whipped Burrata and hella good pita bread. The kitchen got out our order in a blink of an eye. If I was hungry, I would want to try their Roasted Lamb Loin "Wellington". Customer service from the bar was great initially but they were busy so things took a little longer toward the end to order more drinks. The place is great for happy hour, date night, to celebrate a special occasion or just because. Great addition to the Ala Moana area. read more

Mara - Mediterranean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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My first time at Mara. Food was amazing! So creative! Server was knowledgeable, friendly, and service was very good down to the details. If I had one constructive criticism it would be that we had to wait to be seated 20 minutes past our reservation and the entrees took a bit of time to come out. However it gave us plenty of time to chat and catch up. Drinks came out quickly. Sat at the bar while waiting for our table and the bartender was very good. Atmosphere was warm and inviting. Will be coming back! read more

Mediocre food. No bar service for brunch. Price point not worth the food quality or taste. Better options available in town.

First off parking was great free validated self park for 3 hours is great! Finding the restaurant was also fairly easy just have to take an elevator down to the ground floor. First impressions the restaurant was spacious and very classy. Our waitress that greeted us was very rude and had a bad attitude to start off as we sat down. I don't know if she was having a bad day, but her attitude kind of threw off all my friends first time here. We tried to not let that bother us as we looked at the menu. My friends and I decide to do the pre fix menu. For appetizers we chose Greek salad, lamb kabeth ,and avocado smash. At first we ordered 2 Greek salads but my friend changed her mind and changed it to lamb kabeth which the waitress gave us attitude for and said sarcastically that it was raw meat! If we didn't know what it was why would we order it? Anyways we get our appetizers the best was the lamb kabeth! The Greek salad and avocado smash(basically avocado toast) was bland no seasoning. For entrees I got a lamb and roasted eggplant pizza. The pizza had no flavor whatsoever it was straight honey and cheese no lamb either. My friends chicken burger was really bland as well. The shashunka was probably the best entree. Overall will not come back due to bland food and horrible rude service for first time. The dessert was not wowing either. The amount food though was worth it for the price fix price. I just wish the food quality was better. read more

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Dinner at Mara was great. The restaurant's interior was vibrant and trendy. It was already packed by dinner time. The waitress recommended doing family style so we ordered several plates to share. The Tasting Trio was my favorite and a nice start to the meal. The prawn pasta was also a standout dish with the noodles having a nice texture. Since we were celebrating a special occasion, our waitress brought out a mango sherbet. Can't wait to be back to try their happy hour menu. read more

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I have been looking forward to trying Mara for a while now and I am so happy that I finally had the opportunity! I love Mediterranean food and was especially excited at all of the veggie starters and sides. We planned to order a few happy hour specials however, upon being seated at our table we learned the happy hour deals were only for those seated at the bar which was disappointing. We decided to order the items the bartender recommended anyway and we really loved the three different humus/dip options. Each flavor was very unique and delicious. The naan was also great albeit a bit messy with the seasoning and the need to break it apart to eat. We ordered a good variety of dishes and it was delicious. The portions are definitely larger than we expected so we left with a lot of leftovers (win!). The atmosphere was fun and festive and even though it was a rich meal, it was a fun experience. read more

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Limited menu but the things they serve are delicious. Service is excellent. Noisy Friday night read more

Last night, We had a girls' night out. We went to a new restaurant called "Mara" located on Kapiolani in Ala Moana. The atmosphere was chic and romantic, with beautiful lighting that reminded me of my days living in the heart of New York City. We started our meal with the Trio with Nan and Grilled Octopus. Then, we tried the "Moi," which is a Hawaiian delicacy fish($42). Let me tell you, it was out of this world! I highly recommend trying it with Greek Iskand style, as the flavor was rich and delicious. The grilled octopus was cooked perfectly, and the trio's nan was piping hot and fresh. What really made the experience unforgettable was the incredibly friendly server. They went above and beyond by taking a couple of items off our bill when they made a mistake with our order. It's always exciting to explore new spots, and this one did not disappoint! read more

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Everything was 10/10! ! Makana was a great server and always there when we needed her! she is so sweet and took great care of us! Would highly recommend! read more

Mara - Mediterranean Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very nice decor. Comfortable chairs. Staff was nice. The bus boy was very attentive and helpfull. The waitress was busy so he took our drink orders. He even escorted me to the restroom since it was down a hallway and the sign was too high to be visible. The food was very tasty. Good size portions. Worth a return just for the food. Now the bad. We made reservations through Open Table in the morning. When we arrived for dinner, there was no reservation. We showed the reservation on the app. Luckily there was a table available. It took a long time for the waitress to come to our table, hence the bus boy took care of us. We had to ask the waitress for utensils-spoons for serving the shared salads and later for the pasta. The menu misrepresented the ingredients used. The linguine on the menu listed uni and bottarga with prawns. There was ikura instead. No uni, I was sad. The menu should have just said ikura. Nothing wrong with that. Just don't list ingredients that are not in the dish. We also learned that only the Tomahawk steak is aged. The others are not. Ambience - do not expect to have a romantic dinner or a conversation. It is very noisy. Sound travels. The valet parking is ONLY accessible from Kapiolani Blvd. Also, you can only make a right turn into the driveway. read more

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I used to walk a lot after work and passed by as the building was being constructed, then saw the restaurant, then the social media buzz. I love Greek food. I also love places I can order lots of small stuff to nibble on and not just rely on two entrees. So this worked out well! The restaurant is brand new- modern, ocean-inspired, and beautifully decorated. We came for my early birthday since my husband was going to be away for work the week of my birthday. The staff were all friendly, helpful, and attentive. I didn't love the sun beaming down on me when we initially got sat by the window but they were kind enough to let us change tables which was much appreciated. I think because we moved tables and changed servers, we got missed to be given the amuse-bouche which would have been nice to have but kind of okay because we were so so stuffed. We ordered the tasting trio, crispy zucchini chips, grilled Mediterranean octopus, and hand-cut linguine frutti di mar(a). The appetizers were absolutely our favorite. I didn't think I would like the tasting trio as much as I did but we finished it all and got a side of extra pita and ate all of that too because we wanted to eat every last bit. The hummus was creamy and nicely seasoned and I was so pleased to not encounter too many raisins that I had to avoid. The tzatziki was delicious and refreshing without being too herb-forward which again I was needlessly worried about. The bocconcino stracciatella with the beets was one of my favorites and so tasty with the sweet and earthy vegetables paired with the walnut, pom glaze, and creamy cheese. My absolute favorite of the night was the zucchini... so thin and crispy with the yummy well-balanced tzatziki dip on the bottom. The octopus was good, decent portion, and nice texture. Loved the fried calamari, crispy, not heavily battered, nicely salted, and the sauce was a perfect dip. I wasn't in love with the pasta dish (I usually always like the appetizers better than entrees at many places, guess I'm a little weird like that) but I did like the texture of the fresh noodle and although the sauce wasn't exactly what I expected because it was too citrusy, the seafood was yummy. The chocolate dessert was great and we got it to go since we were so stuffed. They remembered that it was my birthday which was very sweet. I will absolutely be back and want to try the fresh fish and maybe some other crudo and mezze. read more

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Had a wonderful birthday dinner at Mara. Both food and service were equally fabulous! The Tasting Trio is delish, but don't fill up on that! We enjoyed the oysters, scallops, grilled octopus, shrimp skewers, falafel, and the lamb chop and roasted half chicken entrees were so flavorful! The Bartender also made me delicious drinks with ingredients I liked since I couldn't decide on what I wanted! Definitely would come back again! read more

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Mara was a great experience! It is a lively spot so be prepared to speak a little louder to hear each other. The food came out in courses and they were brought in a timely manner. We got the tasting trio and enjoyed all three spreads. The Ahi crudo was very refreshing go eat. The Mara Zucchini chips are deep fried zucchini with the greek yogurt tzatziki. Nothing out of the norm but still very good. The roasted lamb loin Wellington was good and had flavor but was a little dry for my liking. The HAND-CUT LINGUINE FRUTTI DI MAR(A) was the star of night when it comes to the things we ate. Flavorful and well balanced. For dessert we got FRESH FARMERS CHEESE KÜNEFE. It was good but a little more on the sweeter side in my opinion. read more

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Crowded and hip place - Best pita bread I have had in my life - so pillowy soft and aromatic! It was the star of the dinner show! Calamari was outstanding with hints of other tasty spices! Tomatoe salad and eggplant was good ...the cauliflower was a bit too smoky - thought the fish was ok and the lamb was a bit salty n dry - otherwise a great place to chill, have drinks, and eat lits of appetizers! read more

Hands down one of the best dinners I've had in a long time. I ordered the filet mignon with fish, and both were cooked absolutely perfectly. The steak was tender, juicy, and full of flavor - just how it should be. The fish was fresh, and seasoned just right. You could tell they put some real love into the food. Makana was our server she was super friendly, attentive, and just had great energy. You could tell she genuinely cared about giving us a great experience. Great food, awesome service, and chill island vibes. Definitely coming back. Mahalo for the amazing night read more

We made reservations for my birthday. We called and let them know we were stuck in traffic, hostess had a nice booth ready for us. Lovely modern place, nice vibes all around, people dressed up just a little more stylish than casual which I liked. We had a great server! We got the Trio, octopus, beet salad, half chicken and Monchong.Everything was delicious. Perfect place for girls night. They did a bday treat of passion fruit sherbet. The parking was the only thing a little bit hard. Steep ramp. Tight turns and one of the machines didn't work. Good thing Mara validated or it be $27. The grilled octopus was my favorite. read more

I've been here multiple times since you opened, and every visit has been incredible. We've tried a variety of menu items, and I'm excited to come back and explore even more. The vibe is absolutely amazing, and the wine pairings by Kale the in-house sommelier are top-notch. Can't wait for our next visit--it's always such a fantastic experience. Service gets better with age. This was the only thing lacking in the first couple months which is understandable. read more

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Recently had a company get together here and was impressed by the wonderfully friendly staff and the delicious food/drinks! The ambiance is very modern but still warm. I particularly liked how they had a true non-alcoholic drink menu, they didn't just remove alcohol from another mixed drink but rather thoughtfully composed NA drinks. I tried the Opa! drink which is kind of like a gin and tonic and it was earthy and herby from the rosemary. The canapes I tried were all delicious too; they had steak bites, grilled shrimp, ahi crudo, cauliflower, french fries, tempura, hummus with veggies. It was Mediterranean inspired which is a nice change of pace from the usual Japanese/Hawaiian fusion we eat here in town. Parking was a breeze with free validated valet parking through the hotel (don't forget to tip!) but during peak hours be prepared to wait a little bit to get your car back. read more

They were busy and still the service at brunch was great. Nice upscale atmosphere with many options. read more

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I am giving Mara five stars because it was exactly what I expected and hoping it would be. I invited a friend for lunch who is used to nice restaurants. I wanted a place that is centrally located, has a nice interior and is hassle free. The restaurant has self parking, and a valet desk. Easy breezy. The restaurant has a chic trendy interior, new and clean. The food was good and fresh. We were not hungry and mainly wanted to talk. We split a Kebab entree and split a beet salad. The Kebab comes with two skewers of choice, fluffy nam bread and condiments. I always think beet salad is the proof wether a restaurant is good. These were freshly cooked beets with perfect consistency, just the right amount of marination, with only a tad of goat cheese on top. I hate it when restaurants dump a big load of cheese on top or worse, use canned beets. read more

Mara is a new and beautifully designed Mediterranean inspired restaurant located in the Renaissance Honolulu Hotel & Spa. Their menu showcases the modern cuisine of Greece and Italy while utilizing the most fresh and best ingredients our Hawaiian islands have to offer. Kale is their talented and knowledgeable sommelier who has curated a unique and intricate wine list. The decor and aesthetics are absolutely stunning. The excellent service matches the high quality of their dishes and space. I can't wait to come back for lunch! read more

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