Located inside the Neiman Marcus at Ala Moana Mall is Mariposa. It is right next to the NM chocolates / cookies / tea section of the store which is actually nice because you can wander around as you wait for your table if you forgot to make a reservation. The food is similar to the items available on the mainland with the exception of some of their beverages and some of the specials of the day. Yes, this is probably not an "everyday" place for lunch, but it is a nice treat for either lunch or if you like afternoon tea. The service is fine and courteous. There is an option to sit indoors or on their fairly large lanai which overlooks to the Ala Moana beach. It can be nice since you feel the warm ocean breeze as you sit on the lanai. The decor indoors is simple with large tropical fans and what is nice is the high ceilings which make it very airy and expansive. If this is your first time there, enjoy the warm popovers which are served to you fairly quickly as you sit down. It this this warm airy eggy pastry that is served with a side of their strawberry butter. Accompanying the popover is a small cup of consume served in this white teacup and saucer. Which is just a clear chicken soup that is nice and savory to start off the meal. If you don't know what to get, splurge on getting the lobster club sandwich which is always a winner. Large chunks of lobster in this buttery croissant with a side of greens. The last time I went I chose the smoked salmon salad (see pic). I was a bit underwhelmed by it. It was basically smoked salmon wrapped into a rose shape served along side some spring greens. The salmon wasn't overly salty or smokey but savory enough. Around lunch time, there are usually two models that linger around the restaurant, I guess to show off the couture clothing available for purchase at NM and if you sit there long enough, they actually change into different outfits. The first time I saw it, I thought it was interesting, but then the last few times I went, I found it annoying. How am I suppose to enjoy putting strawberry butter on my popover as these scrawny towering 6 feet plus models in 4 inch heels start walking around me?! No worries, I'm not a hater, but it just kinda spoiled the mood of splurging on a lunch if you know what I mean. LOL! read more

Mariposa - Passion fruit ice tea - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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OMG, I'm in LOVE with Mariposa! I had lunch here on my birthday last month when visiting the islands for the summer! I've been coming here for lunch and dinners over the past couple years while a resident of Honolulu. What gets me coming back is the yummy food! I'm a huge fan of their monkey bread they serve during lunch & dinner with the strawberry butter. This past visit, I had their pre fixed special... pork chop special with orzo. YUMMMM! Not to mention the pineapple cake dessert was to die for! My bff had the the seared ahi tuna sandwhich which was lovely! Service was really good. Called in last minute for a reservations and it wasn't a problem. We got a table right on the lanai. I'm always happy with my visits here! Centrally located in Honolulu. Great View. Free Parking. Excellent food & service. Mariposa is always on my list while in Honolulu! If you haven't experienced Mariposa, stop by for a meal. read more

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The asian girl in the reception seems to be out of touch with business. We are a party of seven and want to sit in the outdoor area. However, they cant join tables (mostly for four people) outside. I said we can sit on adjacent tables since there is really no big deal for as long as we can still hear each other. She responded they can't do that because it will overwhelm the server. I almost called the manager to warn them that this is bad for business but felt it was not worth our vacation time. I rarely give bad reviews but this truly deserved one! read more

Delicious food at Mariposa. My husband called 5 to 6 restaurant on Feb 14 for Vegetarian menu and only Mariposa had it. We really enjoyed. It was course menu and Quantity was huge. I recommend this restaurant for vegetarian options. read more

I'm surprised at the overall Yelp rating of this place...3.5 stars?! I think it deserves a 4 star! My friend recommended to try this place for lunch and I'm glad I did. Great setting and you can see the beach while dining if you sit outside or close to it. For a starter, the server brought us a little cup of consomme. That was a nice starter along with the famous popovers. They reminded me of cream puff without the cream. For lunch, I had a cup of the lobster bisque and the Applewood Salmon Salad. The lobster bisque was not creamy as I expected, but it was still flavorful and I kinda liked that it was light like consomme. It wasn't too heavy like the typically creamy ones. The salad was very good and perfect portion with the spiced pecans, goat cheese, and champagne papaya vinaigrette. I finished the whole salad! My husband had the Lobster Club sandwich and that was pretty good too, with the luscious lobster meat. Service was attentive and friendly. If you want a nice sit-down lunch at the mall, go here. You can make OpenTable reservations. read more

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One of my favorite lunch spots. I always go just for the popovers and strawberry butter. I won't lie, I usually have two of these. :) My favorite thing to get for lunch is the seafood curry. It comes with a small bowl of rice. Inside the curry is shrimp, clams, two types of fish, and various veggies. Very delicious with a bit of a spicy kick. When I'm adventurous, I try their other seafood dishes. They always cook their fish to perfection and I'm always wowed. Can't say much for their desserts. They have a better selection downstairs in the expresso bar so if you are a desert fiend, I'd have my meal here and my dessert downstairs. Overall, this is one of the few places where I think the food is definitely worth the money. read more

Mariposa - Popover with strawberry butter - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My mom and I were feeling fancy and decided to dress up and go to Mariposa for lunch. By fancy, I mean we wanted to stuff our faces with expensive food, and by dress up I mean ditching the slippers and putting on a pair of converse. Coming before 12: NM opens at noon, so if you want to eat lunch at Mariposa before then you need to go through the separate Mariposa entrance. If you're facing NM's main entrance from the parking lot, turn right and go up the elevator. Lunch: COME FOR LUNCH. My mom took me here for dinner on my 13th birthday and I remember not being served a popover or the consomme. I don't know how they do it now, but I was a very angry little girl on my 13th bday! For lunch, everyone is served a popover with strawberry butter and a delicious little consomme. The popover is nice and crunchy on the outside, and soft and doughy on the inside. Consomme is tasty too. Pretty darn good for free "appetizers". Haleakala: Basically a virgin lava flow. All of their froo-froo drinks are around 5 dollars, and this one is very tasty. Seafood Laksa: I don't think this is laksa... When I think of laksa, I think of spicy broth and noodles. Mariposa's laksa is a cream based curry and is served with white rice. This is one of those dishes where it's super delicious for the first five minutes you eat, then after a while it tastes so rich you want to throw up. I had a really hard time finishing this. The seafood in the curry was very high quality, but I don't know if my tummy can handle this again. I stole some of my mom's fries and truffle sauce from her burger plate and it was DELICIOUS! Gotta order a sandwich next time. Overall: Mama and I enjoyed our lunch. I don't think we can afford to feel fancy any time soon, but this time was well worth it. read more

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So I definitely don't have a lot of money in the bank and I really only come here when I'm invited LOL. I have a hard time spending $20+ on lunch but I love coming here specifically for the lobster club sandwich. With all the construction at Ala Moana lately, I don't come here as often as I used to. Neiman Marcus does have valet parking but I hate driving through the maze of Ala Moana to get to that side. Mariposa is located in the Candy section - how tempting! It's nice because there is a bathroom and the elevators near by. Btw to the mamas and dadas out there, there is a very nice changing station that is separate from the bathroom. They take reservations and we didn't make any this year. Next year we know. The wait staff is pretty friendly. I love the nonstop popover service. I think that's what they are called. The fluffy bread/pastry with the strawberry spread - nom nom nom!!!!! It's so Ono and light you can keep eating them! They also have the broth that comes in the tiny teacup. To my lobster club...I love it. The lobster is shredded with a few clumps. It comes with avocado and I get it with fries. They have sweet potato fries too if you ask. They do have high chairs and they ask you to park your stroller on the side, there is not a lot of room between tables. The only downside is the price but you are paying for a dining experience I think. On a side note, we did order my son the most expensive Mac and cheese ($16). While it was not life changing, it was an ok size portion and came with a drink and a sundae. Too bad he's only 1 and I was "forced" to enjoy his ice cream. Haha. read more

Mariposa - Love this popover and strawberry butter - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

When Mariposa first opened in the 90s I used to love it. When I went away to college and stayed on the mainland for another decade after that I would often think back fondly about this restaurant and miss it. For that reason only, ever since I moved back to Hawaii in the beginning of 2015 I keep trying to give it a chance at least once a year, and so far it has just been one disappointment after another. Service - 0/1 - It was sllllooooowwwww. I ate here for lunch on a Wednesday for my birthday and it took over 2-hours. My husband had to excuse himself before we were finished because he had to get back to the office and hadn't expected it to take that long. Food - 1/2 - There was nothing wrong with the food but it was just "meh". I had the chilled crab salad which was exactly as it sounds... some cold crab meat heaped on top of lettuce. It wasn't bad but it wasn't anything I'd be interested in having again. I also had a cup of the kahuku corn chowder as an appetizer, which was a little better than the salad but also not something that I'd go back for. My husband ordered the fennel seared ahi salad and said it tasted "fine" but it certainly looked appalling to me with about 5 pieces of sashimi surrounding what looked like the lettuce that accompanies platters of sashimi that everyone tosses after the sashimi is eaten. Back in the early 2000s I was in a commercial for Ala Moana that had a scene at Mariposa. The scene called for me to eat their ahi salad. It was such a wonderful day. I just ate and ate and ate that delicious salad. I'm not sure what happened to the Mariposa ahi salad in the 17 years since then, but this was certainly a poor replacement for what once was a sizeable and delicious offering. The one redeeming aspect of the meal was their giant popovers with strawberry butter, which was amazing. Price per plate - 0/1 - Based on the type of food we ordered (crab for 2 people, ahi for 2 people), I get how salads could cost between $26 and $31 and a sandwich could cost $24. But if you charge those prices, you also need to be able to serve tasty food, and Mariposa fell short in this aspect. Ambiance - 1/1 - The location is beautiful, I'll give them that. Located at the top of Neiman Marcus with ceiling fans, an outside view, and AC (although since our table was right next to the outside I couldn't feel the AC) it is aesthetically pleasing on the eye. read more

Best place for lunch to celebrate a friend's birthday or to just enjoy a relaxing time with beautiful views of Ala Moana-best atmosphere with wonderful service. I love their complimentary chicken consomme and popovers with lingonberry/raspberry butter...nyum nyum I love everything on their menu!!! It's great that they always have some specials for the day, too *something different off their regular menu to liven it up a little* ^^ read more

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Been here quite a few times, absolutely love the view. Food hasn't been spectacular every time but this is a special place for sure. Once came for lunch during a weekday, it was super busy, waited for ever for our food and the pork tenderloin was as hard as a hockey puck -- okay a little exaggerated but it was not edible. We had to head back to work soon so we had no time to send the food back for them to get it right. Had an awesome dinner here once. Came for lunches, I do like the burgers, can't go too wrong with that. Normally order the ahi sandwich, which typically is delicious but the last time it was just so-so. Love the little cup of warm consomme (is that what it is?) they serve you. And the popovers but the last time the popovers were super duper burnt! Thought at first it was just a bad batch since it wasn't just mine that looked quite brown, but the rest of the lunch it was burnt batch after burnt batch being walked around. Yikes. Service is normally good, but the last time the gal didn't pack the rest of my sandwich (I had a full half, and some bits of my first half..I was expecting the full half to be packed up!). The server guy who took care of us went back to the kitchen and had them make me a fresh half sandwich to take home. He was very awesome. The gal needs to be more aware. Had the bbq steak fries, mostly just means with bbq sprinked stuff on it, with guava ketchup, regular ketchup and a white thing which was prob packed with mayo? It was okay nothing great. Although the food can be a hit or miss, I know I will still return. The ambiance is awesome. Patio seating can be hard so you should make reservations and ask in advance to sit outside. But ask for the left side so you're away from the parking area and buses. There was a slight scent too so maybe inside is better. They normally do fashion shows too so a couple of tall skinny girls walk around and stop here and there. There are times I look but I don't really care for that stuff, although it is fun and interesting if I care to turn to look. A great place to take out of town visitors, mostly for the ambiance and view. Food, that's a hard one, can't say I have a favorite to order. read more

Mariposa - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I ate here on two different occasions, both times for lunch. Both times I really enjoyed myself! I made reservations both times at 11:15, and were seated right away. The restaurant itself is beautiful, and very spacious. I went when the restaurant just opened so it was a little warm in the beginning but nothing uncomfortable and it eventually cooled off throughout lunch. I ordered the lobster club with the hurricane fries. The lobster club is good, but nothing to write home about. However, the hurricane fries are the BEST FRIES I've ever had! They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the furikake seasoning is so delicious. I would come here again, just to eat those fries. For desserts I tried the trio but the brownies was hard like a rock and the biscuit on the strawberry shortcake was even harder! It seemed like they had made them the night before and refrigerated them. I would not order this. Service is decent, but not consistent. The first time we went our server did not offer us the choice to have half sweet potato fries and half hurricane fries. Also, the first time we seemed to have less french fries on our plate. Weird. Overall, I really enjoy the lunch at this place. I would come back. read more

Love this restaurant, amazing view and food! The loco moco is a must have. The server was very friendly highly recommend read more

Mariposa - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Lunch review for diners with children: It was a special day for my daughter and my mother suggested Mariposa as a "fancy" place for lunch. We called at 11 am and they were booked and weren't taking any more reservations. The lady on the phone said we were more than welcome to walk ins and if we made it by 11:45, we'd probably be seated within 10 minutes. The meal started off great -- the popovers with strawberry butter and the chicken consommé were big hits with the kids who also marveled at the four models who periodically came through the restaurant in different outfits, stopping at a few tables for the patrons to see the fashions up close. Our lunch order did take a while to arrive and when the kids meal showed up, my daughter was not too pleased with the lack of white sauce she was anticipating on her pasta. It was a good thing she enjoyed the corn chowder ordered by her sister and had filled up on all the popovers that seemed to magically appear on the bread plate as soon as she devoured them. The food was nice, fresh, and plentiful. My only complaint is that even after our unfinished lunch portions were boxed, it seemed a long wait to place our dessert order -- which we only did because a dessert came with the kids meal. The long waits in-between service even made me restless. This is a great place and although my children enjoyed themselves, the service too slow when you are eating with the 12 and younger set so I'd recommend, saving a visit here for adults only. read more

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I've come here a number of times for lunch, but this is a review of their dessert/coffee. After Ho'ala Spa-ing, pizza and beer-ing at V-Lounge, Chanj and I decided to have dessert over at Mariposa. Can you say spoiled? Shyeah. Food: Mariposa is known for their popovers, but did you know they serve monkey bread at night? I sure didn't. Their strawberry butter still makes an appearance. I'm getting verklempt. I'll give you a topic. I think their monkey bread is better than their popovers. (discuss) We ordered the pineapple cheesecake, the frozen lemon souffle, a cappucino and some crazy tea. The frozen souffle was an amazing surprise. Light, airy, lemony and wow. The graham cracker crust and lemon honey drizzle just kicked me right in the babymaker. The cheesecake was whatevers. And while we told our server we didn't care, that we were loving our souffle, he brought us a pudding cake instead. That was delicious too. Not overly moist. The diced fruit was a bit messy but it tasted great. You'll recognize the dessert when you see a ramakin go by your table with a MASSIVE butterfly cookie on top. Its obscene. I called shenanigans when I saw it. And while most cookies on desserts are dismissable, this was a lovely light butter cookie w roasted coconut flakes. It was like the crunchy part of a macaroon. Yay! Service: Michael Moore (yes, his name tag showed his whole name) was a riot. A really fun waiter that patiently explained the menu items and made the night that much more hilarious. Was gratious in comping our undesired dessert and despite the restaurant closing down, continued to refill our coffee/tea and never made us feel rushed. Bang-a-rang: Always ask for outdoor seating. Why the hell not. Open table reservations available. Heads-up: Peach melba is on the menu but they LIE! Its never made. Seriously. They just don't make it and refuse to reprint menus. Verdict: Winners. read more

The best thing about Mariposa for dinner is the view. The food is mediocre, not very much as far as selection. I liked the bread the best out of the prawn appetizer, Big Island tomato salad, Salmon entree and Ocean View cocktail. A bit overpriced for small portions. read more

Mariposa - Ocean View - New American Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Once a year, for Christmas, my mom and I come to Mariposa for Sunday brunch. It would be any other day except the only day they serve eggs benedict is on Sundays. First of all, Mariposa uses open table so it's super easy to make reservations. Believe me when I say this makes a difference as far as picking a place to eat. When you're seated, if you're wearing black pants, they give you a black napkin. Woo! No white napkin lint on my nice black pants. Then the servers bring you a small cup of chicken consomme and a pop over with strawberry butter. Yummy. I almost always order the eggs benedict which is divine. The egg is always poached perfectly with the whites well cooked but the yolk still soft. The French fries are also super yummy. You can get a mix of herbed fries and sweet potato fries and they come with several different dipping sauces. BBQ, garlic aioli, and spiced ketchup. I thought the sweet potato fries with BBQ sauce was awesome. If by chance you're not here on a Sunday, I recommend their French dip sandwich. Dessert-wise I recommend the Mac nut pie as well as the sweet potato cheesecake. I've always had exceptional service here. The wait help has always been honest and spot on as far as recommending dishes. Once my mom's egg was over done and she didn't say anything but the waitress noticed and asked her if she wanted another one. Definitely attentive! read more

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I like their Salmon salad for lunch! It comes with chicken broth and Yorkshire pudding! I enjoyed my New Zealand salmon and scallop dinner very much! read more

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The food is way too overpriced. I've been here four or five times because the view is amazing and my mom loves the pastries they give out, but there are so many better places to eat. The service is great, but the price of the food just isn't worth it!! read more

I was here for dinner with a potential employer. We enjoyed the tasting menu. I was worried that it was going to be too much food, but it was perfect. It included many of the items that I would have ordered off the menu, so for me, it worked. Their wine list was good. Not extensive, but not small either. Mariposa has a separate entrance from the store, which was nice. Overall, I wasn't blown away, but it was a pleasant dinning experience. The service was ok. Again, not stellar, but not awful. We did have to ask for water and bread a few times. read more

Every time I'm in Honolulu, I enjoy a lunch and/or dinner with a special friend at the Mariposa. The service is top notch, the food delicious, and the view spectacular. Never disappointed and this time was especially nice because my granddaughter was served a special birthday dessert that was luscious. Definitely recommend! read more

Enjoyed an evening hosted by long-time friends at the "Sunset Lounge". Perfect setting, great new menu items from Chef Lance Kosaka, and the fireworks at the end (on a Friday)! read more

Waitress was great. I thought they made a mistake on my order because when I got my lunch it was not quite what I ordered. I brought it to the attention of the server and he said "...oh we ran out of that...". They never came and asked if I wanted something else, they just substituted it without asking. I was not happy. The price you pay there, they should give you the option of changing your order. We all ordered desserts. Mine was perfect but 2 other people ordered the kona coffee gelato and they both got 1 scoop coffee and 1 scoop chocolate. lol. Did they run out of coffee gelato too!? Bill was $300 for 5 people. You would think that if you are paying that much that you should get what you ordered. Didn't want to make a scene because we were celebrating an anniversary. Don't think I would go back anytime soon after that experience. read more

ALL SHOW; NO SUBSTANCE Where did they leave the flavor? The mid-afternoon service was pleasant and efficient, as one should expect. Presentation of both the dining room with its tables set and the food served was nice. But, the food itself was inexcusably bland. Where did they leave the flavor? Back in the kitchen? I feel sorry for my wife and my gracious hosts, who had invited us for a late lunch of a Sunday to pay a debt of gratitude for a job well done. I'm certainly grateful to them, but it's vexing that they had to pay through the nose for food that was no better than mediocre. You can't eat presentation. If a restaurant demands so much money for everything on its menu, they had better deliver or else suffer the slings and arrows of outraged diners. read more

A breath of quiet comfort in the heart of Ala Moana - lovely lanai dining if you request on your reservation and attentive staff. The food is very good- although I'm very partial to the crab salad with the green goddess dressing. I can't help but order it on every visit. My other half had the ahi sandwich and enjoyed it very much. A great place to either stop and have lunch while you are shopping or a destination spot like we choose. If you like Fred at Barneys NY, you should enjoy this with a much better view !! read more

Great selection of food for a reasonable price. It is located within the Neiman Marcus store. Service was lovely as well.

Friendly, spacious, beautiful view. Food okay.. pricy.. some items on the menu were strange. read more

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One of my favorite places in Ala Moana. Food is always above my expectations. I love their salad, seafood curry, cheese burgers and even the tiny cup of chicken broth! Worth your money! read more

don't waste your money here. their elevator took me up to an unmanned hostess counter -- huh? the hostess was young & naive & of the age of McDonald's workers. her supervisor was middle-aged & in dire need of wearing hose to hide her knees. no greeting smiles. the dining room is the original from the 1970s or so, & is in dire need of a complete make-over. the overhead ceiling fans are ugly, rotate vertically, very distracting, & somewhat dizzy-ing. the room is an unappealing rectangular shape -- no inviting nook areas like at Buca di Beppo with its Pope's dining room. the big hotel chains routinely change all their furnishings every 10 years or so. if the hotel owner doesn't agree to this cash outlay, many worth-while hotel management chains aren't interested. Mariposa has "lots of potential" -- a snide way of saying your (executives', not staff's) best efforts are seriously lacking. their Popovers are junk -- a big cavity of air. Liliha Bakery's free butter rolls are much tastier. $30 for their Lobster Club was an ugh choice (for the chef to put it in his menu). "hurricane fries" are just fries sprinkled with furikake as my waiter told me. adobo ribs ($26) were meaty, but with very slight adobo flavor -- too subtle for me. but i liked their system where your waiter brings you your dish, rather than a "who's this?" busboy. for M'posa's sky high prices, their waiter should have more skill at banter, at pleasant conversation. woe! my waiter was a local guy who, i figured, grew up in a home where English wasn't spoken much. a waitress at Ruscello (Nordstrom) was very pleasantly a wee bit chatty & provided nice adult conversation. it's obvious wait help aren't trained or screened for the skill of pleasant chatter with diners. paying high prices is fine if the staff provide pleasant interaction, rather than make you feel like you're at a plate lunch place or Army mess hall. read more

I love the relaxing environment and their simple menu. There is indoor and outdoor seating. The indoor seating is quite breezy. Enjoyed my eggs benedict and their signature puff pastry on the side. The only down side is if you go before 12pm you have to entered through their back entrance by the parking lot facing the ocean. Its a long walk from the mall area and Neiman Marcus doesnt open their doors by noon (which is insane because the rest of the mall opens at 10am.) So I suggest parking on that side if you decide to eat there before 12pm. read more

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Their lunch is okay. Nothing special. Rent must be expensive because the decor is beautiful. I don't think they should require you to pay a 20% tip which they include as part of the bill and ask give you the opportunity to give an addtional tip. What do you think? Is that right or should they include it in the price and then you can give one IF the service is good? read more

We usually come here if there is no where else to go to eat on a Sunday and if every where is packed. After coming here for eggs Benedict for the 2nd time and getting it almost hard boiled I won't be returning, unfortunately. It was not just me as I saw the table next to me look so incredibly sad at his dish like me :( lol If you are going to charge $25+ for Benedict it better have perfect runny eggs... read more

My family had a wonderful experience. Service was great and food was amazing. Live music was such a bonus! Definitely recommend.

Always a great place to eat with friends or a break during shopping. There is always lunch time wait so I recommend make reservation(especially for the ocean view!) Love their soup and coffee---relaxing! read more

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Live the view and ambiance, friendly staff, good service, food is ok, not worth what you pay. I just go because of the popovers. !!

#Awesome Food and Mgmt Staff!!! They Treat us so nice! Mahalo Janet, Val, Debbi!!! Spanish menu excelkent! Snapper aka Opakapaka so Oishi.. Hao Chi!! read more

Pricey, but nice feel of "special" guest. Limited menu choices, so you have to be willing to only have what's for the day.

First review on yelp... ever! My family wanted to eat out and I suggested (maybe even begged) Mariposa. I had eaten there once before and really enjoyed my experience. Today, however, was disappointing. The service is okay at best. Practically no one smiled or thanked us for dining with them as we left the restaurant. The food was mediocre really, especially considering the price point: the only good things being the fries & sundae... all of which require the least amount of effort to put together. Will not be dining here again. read more

Always a good experience at Mariposa! View is fabulous, service impeccable, food delicious! Ordered the Mariposa salad and the pan seared snapper. The snapper was made to perfection! A place to again and again. Just need to make reservations ahead of time. read more

We had the cheeseburger and salmon salad with a Sapporo and it was great! Excellent service, spectacular unobstructed view, live music. Food came out fast. Burger was delish. Everything was really great. Private elevator down after. read more