Great Dinner! Was glad to be able to get a table on Christmas week without a reservation. We walked in the door and the host said without a reservation we would need to wait an hour. We were On our way down the street when the host came outside to let us know the had a cancellation. We were of course thrilled. We ordered some beer and wine and three appetizers. Shortly after dinner. All was delicious. I HIGHLY recommend this place. The food was plated beautifully and tasted equally amazing. Our service was outstanding! Great job! read more

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We stumbled across this place while we were in Hilo for the Merrie Monarch Festival. Since then I have returned to this place every time I am in Hilo which has been 3x. The 1st time we got to meet the chef who just happened to be serving us. I love the beautiful creations and the food is delicious from the garlic shrimp and Flatbread pizzas as well as their specials. If you are ever in Hilo try this place, you won't regret it read more

The food was great! So were the drinks! It took a while to get the pickles I ordered.. but they got a pass because the food was so good. They seriously need some fans, though. It is so entirely hot that I had to step outside a couple of times. I don't like sweating at all. read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Italian Flatbread Caprese Bites - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Food was great as was Serena. I loved the dill pickles and the sourdough bread. Great vibe read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

The food is incredible! Despite the joint feeling like a casual bar, the food is very high quality and not your average bar options. I started with the BLT salad, and I honestly considered just ordering a second one for my main dish. It has big pieces of crispy bacon, toasted bread croutons, soft bib lettuce, sliced cherry tomatoes, and a creamy jalapeño dressing. I debated over the kalua pork tacos and the seared ribeye. Very different but both sides delicious. They have a taco Tuesday discount, which was also appealing, but I decided to splurge on the ribeye (it was pricey given it's tapas style and not a main dish). It was prepared with house-made chimichurri and scallions. The flavor was amazing. With exception to a grisly piece, it was tender and prepared perfectly. The drink menu is exceptional, too. I started with the Hawaiian mule. It was really tasty, but went down too fast. The second drink was something I actually saw on Yelp: a passion fruit aperol spritz. I'm hooked on aperol spritzes right now, so it was fun to try a tropical style one. Even though it wasn't on the specialty cocktail menu, the server (who's also the bartender) was happy to make it. My visit was nearly 5 stars. The only thing keeping it from getting there was the expensive ribeye and my server's absence. He was great overall, I just had to wait awhile in between drinks and dishes. read more

Oh My!! We found a jewel in Hilo ! What a lovely more urban hip boutique bar...open air cool and breezy inside...and wonderful Chef inspired appetizers, salads and interesting bites. Inspired by island ingredients...fresh and tasty with Chef/Owner Jess's special take on texture, flavor, variety and little bit of heat now and then with bits of Serrano or jalapeño. Super friendly...our server was Leila with the big brown eyes. She bartends too. Enjoy the drinks, grazing the menu and sharing! read more

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Love this place! It's small but nicely decorated. They food was very good in quality and taste. You won't find much places like this in Hilo. It's more of an oahu / LA feel. I really enjoyed my time here. read more

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Just landed after flying in from the Bay, and bruh @ Sarah, shout outs to you girl. DELICIOUS drinks. Sitting at the bar as we speak, it's been a beautiful experience learning the quality in our drinks. Sarah learns your preferences and whips up a blend catered to you and your unique taste buds. Absolutely in love with our drinks Best decision to come unwind after 5 hrs+ of flying read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Lychee Rose, Looking Glass, Hilo Rain, Bloody Mary - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Great small plates restaurant in Hilo. I love everything on their menu, it's fresh and local. They are also known for their cocktails, wine and beer but because I don't drink I can't comment on those although my friends love it for cocktails read more

Amazing food. The chèvre flatbread was delicious. The special was seafood paella. It was the best I've ever had. Everything else we saw people eating looked amazing. Definitely coming back...all the way from Montana:-) read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Seafood paella. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Fantastic small place. Great cocktails, delicious food and an incredible staff. Highly recommend. read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Torched Tako Salad - we ate the Ahi Carpaccio* so fast we didn't take pictures! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Fabulous new much-needed upscale, casual eatery. Great atmosphere, friendly and attentive staff, and spectacular food and drink offerings. What a welcome addition to the Big Island! This will be our new favorite go-to spot!!! In response to the previous review regarding prices, welcome to the new "Transitory Inflation." Been to the grocery store lately??? read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Rose and charcuterie, accompanied by Fire Rock and Smokey Flatbread - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

After 5 days visiting and getting tired of the overpriced resort food we stumbled upon this bar and absolutely fell in love. Best food we had on the island, portion sizes were just right flavor was amazing. Very friendly attentive service even when they were packed. Drinks were inventive and tasted great, loved the atmosphere. This is a must for anyone visiting. read more

By far the best drinks, food & the service is superb. I recommend the Temple. Ahi Carpaccio read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - By far the best drinks, food & the service is superb. I recommend the Temple. - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

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Always impressed by both the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. The food is delicious (and reasonably priced) and they have great Happy Hour specials. Don't miss Taco Tuesday! Super delish. Thank you Temple Bar for offering so much aloha. You're one of my fav places when I come downtown read more

The Temple Bar is a quaint little spot in downtown Hilo. Couches to lounge on and high top flexible seating. Signature cocktails, a few beers on tap, wine list, various whiskeys. This is my second visit to The Temple. It is always crowded. So prepare for a wait. Staffing- second time only 2 people working the inside. There was also a bar back this time. First time, I sat on the couches and I definitely felt neglected. Second time, sat at the bar and received a little more attention. Ordered the drink special- Lavender Tini. It was good. No options if you are vegan. I ordered only the mushrooms and the house made sourdough bread. I'm mostly vegan. And, they put bacon on everything. I didn't feel like going through all the substitution conversation. My companion ordered the duck special. He said it was good, but the portion was small for the price. The mushrooms were small too, but it is listed as a side. Three pieces of bread for $6.00. Everything came out at different times. That was a bummer. The first time I came here, I had the flatbread. It sucked. I really like the atmosphere. But it is really tight in there. I'm totally NOT impressed by the food. But, I've only had a flat bread, mushrooms, and bread! So, there you are. I feel it is over priced for Hilo. The service is not amazing. The drinks were ohhhhh-Kay. With that being said, I still would give it a try. It is not terrible, just not fantastic. read more

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Love this Place! Great cocktails, delicious food. Jess's creations in the kitchen are top notch! And the Oysters....gahhh! read more

Excellent food, nice restaurant. Comfy and cozy. I love the flatbreads, especially the Smokey flatbread.

I don't think a restaurant that charges $15 for a salad should send it out with the arugula so old that some of it is yellow and most of it is covered with black spots. read more

The Temple Bar was a clean and friendly environment. The margaritas and oysters were great tasting.

This place is awesome!!!!! Came with two kids during the day and the vibe was mellow. Service was great. Food was local and delicious. In the words of my wife, "Full on tastiness!" read more

My hubby & I found The Temple on Yelp and knew at first sight that this was going to be our kind of spot! We love beautiful upscale spaces with tasty bites and sips, and were so happy when we walked in. They just happened to have 1/2 priced mimosas & bloody on Saturdays & Sundays from 11am-5pm, so we were double stoked! We ordered the following: -St. George Chile-Mary $12 / St. George Chile vodka with house made bloody mix -Bloody Maria $10 / Hornitis reposado with house made bloody mix -Pineapple & orange mimosas $8 Loved both of the bloody mary's (only $5-$6 during the 1/2 priced special) which came beautifully garnished with savory bacon slices, olives and green beans. I always joke that I could legit just have a bloody mary garnish buffet for lunch! The mimosas were a nice break from all the sodium in our bloody mary's and at $4 a pop it's easy to make an afternoon of the specials. Service was friendly, attentive and we had a great time! We'll definitely be back to try the food and other drink specials on our next family vacation! read more

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We randomly found this as we were passing through Hilo and we are so glad we did! We tried the smoked chicken tacos, Smokey flat bread, ahi and ceviche. Every dish was packed with flavor and unique. Waitress was attentive and courteous. read more

What a hidden gem this place is. Please walk right past Jackie Rey's and head straight to the Temple Bar where you will be delighted in many ways! First, the atmosphere is casual and cozy. They are playing fantastic music at a perfectly low volume so you can talk to your table mates easily. Zach was our server and he made our first experience at the Temple Bar magical. I started off with the cucumber mojito, which was simple, delicious, and refreshing (it was so good, I had a second one). Two of us split 4 plates (Zach steered us to some excellent choices): ceviche, broccolini, sourdough bread, and ribeye carpaccio. Locally sourced ingredients, all delicious, we cleaned our plates! To finish off the meal, we had one of the 15 different small-batch, in-house made ice creams/sorbets that are made daily. Yum! Zach was really amazing, he took the time to tell us about the restaurant, the neighborhood, and gave us some other great suggestions. I am looking forward to returning to the Temple Bar the next time I am in Hilo! read more

Very friendly staff! We love the BLT bomb Salad! The dressing is sooo good. The seared rib eye is very good too. Make sure you have the chimichuri sauce with it. read more

I moved back to the Big Island in March of this year (2021). I'm originally from Los Angeles and lived here on the Big Island about 10 years ago for a few years. Things have changed in Hilo and I must say for the better. The Temple Bar is one of those better additions. After first trying it the first time maybe a month after arriving, I must have returned 6 times within a month. Since then, I try to drop by at least 2-3 times a month. Let me tell you why. First, the staff is extremely friendly. Patrick in particular knows what I order and is always friendly and helpful. All the staff is that way. Also, they serve Golden Sabbath beer. I love that beer and dreaded having to drive to Waimea just to have a glass. Third, the food is really really good. I've tried a variety of dishes on the menu and have always been impressed. The Chef, who I spoke to briefly once is very proud of her food and very nice. She does a great job for the bar. I wish I could remember her name. I end up ALWAYS ordering the carnitas soft tacos with mole. They are served with onions and cilantro but I order them without. You get 3. They are very very good. I could eat 6. Homemade green and red salsa is served on the side. Excellent. I used to own a restaurant in Los Angeles. I know how hard it is to pull it off. I see the owners there often. I only wish they were a bit more friendly to the customers. Not that they aren't but they don't seem to table touch often. Believe it or not, that small gesture really matters to regulars and to help make regular customers. So... The good: Staff, food, beer. All excellent! The bad: Interestingly, they can't make a Mai Tai at this bar. Apparently they don't have all the ingredients. It's a surprise actually for a bar. But this is a minor inconvenience. Chances I'll be back: This is one of my favorite spots in Hilo. I crave the carnitas soft tacos with mole. I'll be back often. read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Nice and simple, light well balanced, well portioned tapas plates, good service and good atmosphere. I would like to give a more complete review because this seems like a great spot for fancy drinks but we were only eating this trip... and it was great. If youre a bit of a foodie recommend for a light meal. We had the shrimp ceviche which was lovely, taco (octopus) salad which was lovely as well although be warned if youre not a fan of arugula, some nicely sauced oysters in a ponzu with just barely a hint of truffle (its so easy to go overboard!), and a beef tataki. As an example of the balance im talking about take the beef tataki; you have savory fattiness from beef and oil drizzle. The arugula gives it some crunchy bitterness and the dressing some brightness. Pickled onions give it a pop of sweetness and acid to balance out the fat. The cheese gives a salty fatty savoriness. Its simple yet complete but only if its done in proportion and whoever is running the kitchen here nailed it. read more

Came in for a quick drink and dessert. I wanted to order a mojito but the bartender recommended the Lemon Drizzle house cocktail and I'm so happy I switched. It was crisp and delicious. I also got a small scoop of ice cream for $2 while my friends decided on ice cream flights. Perfect way to top off a night. read more

Amazing drinks and food. Very expensive but most good things are. Love the vibe too. Really good bartenders. It's small and quaint. No happy hour. :( read more

The service is awesome- treated like a brother. Creative martinis- strong but don't taste the alcohol. Food is superior. read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Great service back.https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:900e6293-45a7-3c56-9b53-4a2b2e4f014c - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Had an awesome time here, fantastic little spot, and Serena, you absolutely rock, favourite server on the island! Will definitely be back next time I'm in Hilo. read more

Nice place, staff were very nice and food choices were pretty good. Nice small bar seating area too. My reason for lower rating was due to the eyeball opening bill we received for the beers we drank. No prices were listed and some of the beers were $11 each! We're old school I guess, if a local beer is way over the prevailing average price, list that price and pour size please! Yikes, no beer tonight I guess read more

if you go make sure you go when Layla is working, not only does your service make ur drink taste amazing, but she is quick with everything. The servers make an experience and I like to go when I know it's going to be a good time! the food is so amazing, whoever created this menu is a genius! pork belly poke and giant garlic shrimp is the best. Leyla recommend ahi carpaccio and it was amazing!!! read more

Some of the best craft cocktails, micro brews and tapas in town... kid and pet friendly but also a great place to sip, nosh and talk story. Highly recommend! read more

When visiting Hilo, we were cruising the street looking for food and stumbled upon The Temple Bar. This place is amazing. Upon ordering drinks, the waiter mentioned he was also the mixologist and offered to make us custom cocktails. I asked for an Island inspired Margarita and he crafted a delicious Passionfruit version that blew my mind. The food was also incredible, from Ahi Sausage to Ceviche, to the Street Tacos, even the sourdough. The chef was also friendly and came out to say hello. We wish we lived near by! read more

The Temple Kitchen + Bar - Ceviche! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Hilo, Hawaii

Christian, the bartender/server extraordinaire will serve up great suggestions with authentic spirit of aloha, at the Temple Bar. A beautiful small and intimate bar with great vibe. read more

Customer service was great! Great vibes and great people! Great food and drinks! Awesome place to hang with friends! I would definitely come here again! read more

The service last night was bad. I haven't been there in over 6 months but I liked your bar being a upscale installment in Hilo. The 19$ old fashion did not have the 1 whiskey cube in it and the flavor wasn't appealing as it once was. Your bar felt like "any bar in Hilo" as your staff catered to their friends and did not take our order for quite some time. This is an honest opinion as a patron that has come prior and been impressed by your staff and drinks in my visits. read more

Super cool little drinking spot in downtown Hilo! Definitely a must-hit spot if you are out here at night, especially if you are in the mood to be a little fancier. They have a great cocktail list & wine list. Not a ton on their food menu, but it is all done well. The oysters were prepared beautifully! read more

Very nice staff and good food while here in Hilo! We ordered an assortment of appetizers and they were delicious