I celebrated my birthday at Paul's Place, and it was an experience I'll never forget…read more When I reached out for a reservation, they followed up and were able to fit me in for my birthday. That alone meant so much. From the moment I arrived, Paul made me feel special. He greeted me with a warm smile, seated me at a beautifully decorated birthday table, and surprised me with a birthday sash and crown. It was such a thoughtful gesture that truly touched my heart and made me feel celebrated on my special day. I enjoyed fresh-squeezed orange juice and the Belgian waffle with bacon. The waffle was absolutely delicious--beautifully presented with fresh fruit and whipped cream, and honestly the best waffle I've ever had. A huge mahalo to Paul and his team for making my birthday so memorable. The food was outstanding, but it was the kindness, warmth, and genuine hospitality that made this experience unforgettable. 12/10 Highly recommend!

Paul's was one of my favorite dining experiences I've ever had. Yelp only allows for five stars, I…read morewould give more if I could. If you are able to visit Hilo, make a reservation. And you need a reservation. The tiny restaurant only has three two person tables (the other party of four had two pushed together). And it is only open Wednesday thru Saturday, 7:30am- 2pm. I made the reservation for my friend's Birthday lunch by text. It is conveniently located by the farmers market, and there is plenty of free parking in the area. The space is airy, and on our visit, decorated for Easter. We were immediately greeted by Paul. The restaurant is staffed by him, and one other employee. The menu is short, and all the better for it. Paul explained the menu and gave us recommendations. I was already interested in the Pasta de Marco, which appears to be a part of a regular menu. Angel hair pasta, lightly fried, tossed with fresh veggies and pesto, and lightly toasted baguette on the side. We also had the tuna, two ways, and papaya salad. Both were perfect, incredibly fresh, all ingredients balanced, beautifully presented. Paul had us end with the Belgium waffle. I've had waffles in Belgium, and these were the best I've had. Crispy, soft, with berries, whip cream, and powdered sugar, it didn't even need the (warm!) syrup. This experience felt like being a guest in the chef's home. Paul treated all customers as a friend, he was funny, relaxed, and personable. I also personally appreciated it is the safest restaurant for me to eat at as he hates bell peppers as much as I do! The only disappointment when the meal ended. Mahalo!

So cute and comfortable indoor dining area to enjoy coffee and food! Really enjoyed my cappuccino…read moreand avo toast! Purchased a bag of coffee they offer because the coffee was so good, and local. Highly recommend and looking forward to my next visit there!

Coffee notes is a play on words, where notes not so subtly means live music…read more On our way to the 49th Kilauea eruption, we stopped to get lunch and get caffeinated for the long drive to Volcano national Park. We got the mocha iced coffee which seemed to be more chocolate than coffee, but I'm down for that. Hilo was unseasonably warm and sunny (what is this, Kona?) and ice chocolate coffee hit the spot. The drink came fast which was the opposite of our food. We ordered the half size order for both Farm fig goat cheese and Caprese sandwiches. And then waited. The live music went through seemingly their entire music line up before our food was made. That said, the sandwiches were very tasty. The fig jam, goat cheese, and arugula was perfectly balanced, creamy, and not too sweet. The Caprese had a solid amount of cheese, fresh tomatoes, and tasty bread. Parking is whatever you can find on the street and the music did get fairly loud but they have a few tables outside of the coffee house. Bathroom is clean too.

Puna Chocolate Company is one of my favorite local chocolate artisan shops, conveniently located in…read moreDowntown Hilo. Since my time away, they have beautifully renovated the interior to have a sit-down booth area. I love the abundance of nene decor honoring our state bird, along with high quality chocolates made in Hawaii. The store clerk was very knowledgeable and described how each cultivars of chocolate differ in their taste profiles. We had the horchata 50% milk chocolate bar, and I don't have a picture because we devoured it in one sitting! Overall, Puna Chocolate Co. is an elegant, delightful, and elevated experience that rivals big names like Big Island Candies and Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco. Highly recommend in stopping by!

I stopped by Puna Chocolate Company for an afternoon coffee and ordered an espresso. It wasn't…read moreterribly busy in the store so my drink was prepared in minutes. The espresso was strong, not overwhelmingly bitter, and had a good consistency to it. While sitting at the bar, I noticed that they had a Day Drink menu with a bunch of coffee and chocolate cocktails, including an espresso martini and a cacao old fashioned. For $14 and $13 respectively, these seemed like very reasonable prices. Definitely something I'll check out on my next visit. On the right side of the store is a gift shop, while the left side has a bunch of seating for patrons. I noticed there were a few people here with their laptops out, so I can only assume it's also a good place to work as well. The store seemed pretty quiet, street parking outside was easy, and the staff I interacted with here was friendly. Puna Chocolate Company is a good rest spot to stop by to escape from the busyness of Downtown Hilo.

Food was good, but expensive. Bought a Lautele and Dubai waffle = $43. Portions not worth the…read moreprice. Service was okay. Store was clean and inviting.

Amazing staff with friendly faces and a great atmosphere. Poke always fresh and daily specials hit…read morethe spot!!

Hilo Coffee Corner is an absolute gem. The coffee is consistently amazing, but what really sets…read morethis place apart is the staff. Every single worker is friendly, welcoming, and genuinely happy to be there. You can feel the aloha the moment you walk up. My favorite is The Tiffany and you HAVE to try the matcha. Parking is also incredibly easy. Curbside parking right out front makes it so convenient to pop in, especially if you're on the go. Can't recommend it enough!

Super cute spot, friendly staff and delicious drinks. Loved the matcha, tasted flavorful and…read moresmooth. Quick service and an easy grab and go spot. It's located on the first level of a larger building and there is ample guest parking up front.

I swung in here for a coffee because I was looking for something local and had read several great…read morereviews on a number of different online sites. First off, the place smells amazing, and it's got a perfect little coffee shop/cafe vibe to it when you enter. The only downside to this place, especially with how busy they are, is their extremely limited parking situation. Other than that, staff was incredibly kind and, since it was my first time, they were very helpful in suggesting some popular drinks. Truth be told, I can't even remember the name of the drink the woman recommended to me (which I ordered), but all I know is it was DELICIOUS. A must try spot if you're a coffee lover in the Hilo area!

Very solid cappuccino, probably the best one we had on the island. They also have something called…read morehibiscus nitro mamaki, which is like a very nicely done iced tea. Amazing place, would def come back!

Came to hilo for a short day trip, and decided to check out the matcha coffee shops in the area…read more Coffee girl is so aesthetically pleasing! They had cute chairs and ig post worthy wall backgrounds. I love how everything is PINK! The service was very fast, maybe took 3 minutes to make. My strawberry oat matcha was delicious, but I did see they had some baked goods but opted out this visit. Will come back again soon!

Coffee Girl is no doubt one of the coffee spots Hilo can boast about although it wasn't super…read moreimpressive in my opinion. This, however, is not to say that it doesn't have charms in it. Mostly in mint color, the interior is simple and yet it does emit a lot of cuteness. What was eye catching to us was the swing inside at one of the side windows. Whether it's okay for a person to actually sit on it to enjoy a little swing time is something I didn't find out from the young lady who manned the upfront bar by herself, if it's solely as a decorative piece to create the kind of ambiance this place suits to manifest, it does do a lot to attract visitors' attention. The lady was quiet and yet kind enough to give us everything we needed for the late morning walk into the town. My daughter and I wanted to split quads of espresso shots so that was our only order and yet we needed two separate cups with lots of ice in each cup with a little side cream (half and half) so we could make our own iced latte or cappuccino later (we didn't want ice immediately after the espresso was made as it would have diluted the coffee had it been made that way. Sounded like it was a little too much to ask which we felt a bit awkward. The kind lady simply did everything for us. Thanks to her for being so accommodating to our demanding needs!!) The shop is located from other businesses oceanfront so it's walkable to other things as long as you are talking "the center of Hilo". So for the location, convenience, cute ambiance and patience in service, we enjoyed our quick pick up experience while we were in town.

While exploring Hilo we stopped at Hilo Iced Coffee, which operates out of a mobile truck and feels…read morevery much like a local staple. It is casual and no frills, but that is part of the charm. I ordered the ube iced latte and it was easily one of the prettiest drinks I had on the trip. The purple color is vibrant and eye catching without feeling gimmicky. More importantly, it tastes as good as it looks. It was lightly sweet, well balanced, and still very much coffee forward, not overly sugary like some flavored lattes can be. Service was quick and friendly, and it is the kind of spot that makes you slow down for a minute and just enjoy your drink. If you are on the Hilo side and want something a little different from your standard iced coffee order, the ube latte is absolutely worth trying.

The cutest little spot! Our coffee was so good, and was perfect after a long day at the beach. The…read morestaff was kind and efficient.