Food was pretty bad. Had the Brussels sprouts. They were loaded with grease and over done. Cavier fries were super fishy and the truffle eggs make you want to puke. read more

Monday night jazz on the Veranda - 5 stars. My only real criticism of this place is that they have a really limited menu for evening. For $20 you get a mediocre burger and some rather tasty fries. Kind of pricey for what you get. Other option is a pasta dish. They do have a couple of appetizers. So next time I come here, I will eat before I come and just have an appetizer or dessert with a glass of wine. Wines are expensive ($12-20 a glass), but the beers are reasonable. read more

Would i ever go here again? most def. not. I expected better service from the kahala and i was highly dissapointed with the whole experience. There was no visiable hostess stand, so we waited and searched for someone to assist us somewhere near a bussing area by some tables. We were then seated on the patio overlooking the dolphin pool and ocean, but our server didn't come to take our order or greet us for a good 15 minutes or so. I highly reccomend our server who helped us to get re-trained; She had pointed at the table next to us, with empty plates and said "it was similar to that" when we had asked her if it would be enough for two people if we shared 1 portion. so we thought hey! they barely had enough food since theres nothing on their plates so we should get two portions and not share. I also had to repeat our order about 3x since she phased out and wasn't paying attention to us while taking our order. The food came out, and my friend realized that the cream cheese was missing, so our server said "oh yeah, i forgot that in the back." Overall, the service took nearly 2.5 hours from start to finish and we were in a rush to pay our bill. a week later -- i realized that they adjusted my tab without telling me. I orignally signed off for a speific amount, but when i inquired about it, they said they realized they dropped the wrong check onto our table, and we had already left before they could tell us about the mischarge, so they decided to charge the difference on my CC anyway without telling me. I mean really??! that was an internal error and they should have at least notified me via cell phone to let me know. I think they even adjusted the tip amount because i have another pending charge from the kahala. read more

My friend had suggested this place for a girls outting and wanted to have some fun, dress up and catch up. I was really excited since it would be my first time having afternoon tea. Location: Kahala mandarin hotel. Valet is best since it'll be free of charge if validated at the Veranda. Also, it's right in front of the restaurant itself. Setting: Beautiful views of the beach, backdrop of the mountains and also the poolside and the dolphin cove. I think this is why celebrities & japanese tourists tend to flock here for tea. The inside of the tea room is to open air. Large chandeliers above, comfy couches to sit as well. LET IT BE KNOWN: once the sun starts setting as the afternoon sets in, the sun WILL shine on you and WILL make you sweat! So I highly suggest sitting as far into the restaurant as possible. Or outside on the veranda, unless you don't mind getting a shade or two darker. Service: I though that service was pretty on point, despite other reviews of poor customer service. We had hot water filled in our tea pots and cold water refills. Also, lavished us with clotted cream and honey for our tea sets. Prompt service. Also, our hostess was really accommodating when we wanted to move tables because the sun was in our face. She also was patient as she took our pictures millions of times. So why 2 stars? Food: I know it was afternoon tea, and I knew it wasn't a good idea to go hungry, but the dainty little sandwiches served with the class tea set were so small, I was wondering what was so $28 about this tea set! The presentation of the scones and delicate sandwiches was amazing, but unfortunately the cakes were too sweet for my liking (and I LOVE sweets). The macaroon was unbearably sweet, and the dark chocolate mousse cake was just a little too rich. The chocochip scone was good only because of the clotted cream. And the sandwiches, despite how delish they were, made me wonder if the preparing hands were those of a gnome, sOo tiny it could fit in a babies hand. Great classy and sophisticated place to have an afternoon spent with my friends, but will probably have to check out another tea venue, as this place was wayy to lavish for my liking. read more

The Veranda - The jasmine tea with milk and a few cubes of sugar was very delish!!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We came for girls party today! I made reservation this morning n when we came little bit early so waiting when they open. Da waitress were all NICE! They are so smiling, so friendly n explain about menu so WELL! I really love them service! I saw da other YELPERS REVEIW so I didn't expect dat so much but. I took no1 popular tea wat they recommend but forgot dat name.,,was so aromatic!!! Relaxooo... N they brought scones, sandwiches n sweeties. Was ok! If you spend over $50 u can get 4hours free validation. Dats good enough time for girls talk! Made us soooo luxury n comfortable. Please go with your good friends, mom n someone nice. Spend great time here! Thank you guys! read more

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We stayed at the Kahala for one week and enjoyed afternoon tea and light lunch at Veranda two times. We were happy with the tea selection (chamomile and Sunny Meadow) and little sandwiches and desserts. Very delicious and not overly filling. I enjoyed the tea and I'm not a tea drinker. I also ordered the Beach House salad, which was excellent and husband got the chicken wings, which was tasty! Our kids liked the chocolate decadence dessert. Yum! We enjoyed our visit here. read more

The Veranda - Beach house salad - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Service is only ok, waitress and host are only polite because they have to be. Food is not good. Especially if I compare it to the other restaurants around there. So far Verdana is the weakest. Spaghetti taste worse than the can. Kids pizza is very doughy. Roasted chicken is rubbery, and it cost $38!! Our bill came up to $117, for undesirable food. Kind of sucked. The only great thing was the piano player. Omgoodness he was awesome! If u go there, I'd suggest to just have drinks and enjoy the music. I forgot the calamari, which was cold. But I liked the sauce. read more

The Veranda - Kids cheese pizza. Taste ok. - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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First night in, I thought a quick bite here. The service much improved but the experience stopped there. Enticed by the fresh fish offer I was hooked. Unfortunately what a I caught was an overcooked 4 ounce piece of fish with a "risotto' that would make Uncle Ben blush. Insult to injury was the exorbitant price. Should have tossed this one back. read more

The Veranda - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

After years of the BEST service at The Veranda, I ran into a wall this week. The wall was either our server, named Anna, bad management or both. Unfortunately, I chose to celebrate Christmas with four of my friends at The Veranda, which opens at 2:00. First, no one was there to seat us though our reservation was for 2:00. We wandered around for almost 10 minutes. Then, a young man politely seated us at a table set up for five. We waited a LONG time before Anna showed up. As she tried to take our order, one of my friends didn't know what she wanted but wanted to ask questions. Anna volunteered, "I'll give you a few minutes" and walked away! She didn't come back for at least 10 minutes. When Anna brought the drinks, she didn't make my tea (as had always been done in the past), so I tried to do it myself. When she saw what I had done, she rolled her eyes and said that she had just gone to get the timer. Past servers brought everything they needed OR told me they'd be right back to make my tea, ran and brought the timer, and then happily explained how to use the timer while they made my tea. Anna dropped the drinks and walked away without any explanation. My friends and I wondered if Anna's unhappiness with us was because my four friends were so hungry by the time she came to take our order that they ordered four burgers. When they placed their orders, she began to unhappily take up the tea settings--not by saying, "I'll just take this out of your way" as is the case in most fine restaurants. Instead, Anna clumsily said, "Let me take these then" and then started grabbing their settings. She didn't have a tray and didn't have a plan; she started putting them down on another table. The burgers, the tea and the tiny food that came with my tea were all delicious. My friends and I enjoyed the food though there was more waiting, and Anna re-appeared to say, "I thought I'd give you time to open your presents" as an excuse for how long she had been gone at one point. My best friend, who is quick with words, almost told her off at that point but didn't want to ruin our time together. Had she seen Anna roll her eyes earlier, she would've told Anna off right then. Then, it came time for the bill. At the beginning, Anna had said something that made it sound like separating our bill later would be no problem, so we didn't object when she started writing one bill. However, at this point, she said, we could split it evenly 4 or 5 (two of my friends are one couple) ways and give her 4 or 5 cards. Well, I didn't want to do that because I had ordered the most expensive item. We tried different ways to split the bills, all without any help from Anna. Finally, we gave in and did it her way. However, she never came to get the bill! We waited for over 15 minutes. Finally, one of my friends went up to where the servers gather to pay our bill. My friend, whom I had invited to rest and have a good time, came back holding four folders of bills. My anger grew because my friend doesn't work here! She (my friend, not Anna) handed us our bills and said, "They're having some kind of crisis over there because they've lost someone's credit card!" We started laughing out of disbelief! We all left for the valet area when one of my friends said, "Hey, did you get your candy?" I had ordered the Imperial tea set because it comes with macadamia nut candy, which I love to take home to my husband. Anna had never brought the candy though I had requested the candy once near the end. I hurried back to where the servers gathered, where I was promptly ignored by several personnel members dashing to and fro. Finally, I stopped someone, who handed me off to--you guessed it--Anna, who had been hidden behind a curtain. Anna handed off my request to someone else, who ran downstairs to get the candy. Rather than that person returning, a beautiful server--whom I remembered as a former server at The Veranda--ran up the stairs holding a tray of condiments in one hand and my box of candy in the other. She smiled and said, "Is this yours?" Yes, the candy was mine, and so was this fiasco, which I had planned as a Christmas celebration with four of my closest friends. When you make reservations to go to The Veranda, ask if Anna is working that day. If she is, don't go unless you want to save money because my friends and I are very generous tippers. In fact, we would've given Anna extra for Christmas. Instead, we all gave her 10% and thought that was extremely generous. read more

This review is late so I'm just going to have to go by memory. The Veranda at Kahala offers a relaxing and sensible afternoon tea service. Yes, I am a fan of afternoon tea. The setting is the exotic Kahala with open air seating. This may prove to be slightly distracting if you enjoy people watching. So if you do, you are in luck. You can sip your tea and nibble on your finger sandwiches as you watch guests come and go. Or, you could be the other type that find it distracting. Well then your best option is to sit not facing the crowd. Get the point. Also as it is open air seating, one might be mindful of the birds that may happen to fly into the area. I preferably do not enjoy the company of birds while dining or enjoying myself. Anyhow, I did like the afternoon tea options. You have the option of choosing the standard (Classic) afternoon tea with sweets and sandwiches. You can go fancy and one up your friends and order Royal Tea service and get champaign and a strawberry. Or, you can one up everyone and go big and order the Imperial Tea service and get an additional box of chocolate. I found the selection of teas to be ample. There is a good balance between black and herbal tea options. I suggest the white rose tea. It was a refreshing flavor that went well with the sweets. As for the service, I recall them checking on the table once in a while. But honestly, it's afternoon tea. It should be leisurely and not rushed. Valet or self-park. read more

We went out for a girls day here one Sunday for afternoon tea. It was actually our first time at The Kahala hotel, and it's very nice! Love the outdoor seating with views of the dolphins. The tea selection was small, about 10 or so but the 3 we had was very tasty. Love the sugar cubes that complemented, and the clotted cream for the scones was a favorite. I really enjoyed all of the sandwiches, but the desserts were all too sweet for me. The service was also lacking, but all in all it was a good girls day out! read more

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The Veranda was a pleasant surprise to find right around the corner from our home. We love catching a ride over here and enjoying the live entertainment most nights. The appetizers on the lounge menu are wonderful and full of flavor. We have been here many times but one in particular that really stood out was the spicy ahi roll. It was delicious and I would have to put that roll up there with some of the best rolls I have had on the island. The service is always excellent. Try the diamond head mule it's a nice after dinner drink. read more

The Veranda - Diamond Head Mule - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Afternoon tea is all the rage now apparently.I do not recommend having it here. The food was ok besides the incredible smoked fish baguette. Our server Scott started out pretty attentive but once we placed or order of teas, we never saw him again except when we had to request more smoke fish baguettes because 3 out of 5 people didn't get it. Nobody ever checked on us or asked how we were doing. Was expecting for $65 a person that the food quality would be better or at least that we'd get to try multiple teas or get offered more of the food. The pikake tea smells incredible but after a few minutes of steeping, it tastes like biting into an actual bitter flower. read more

Beautiful venue. Excellent service. Would highly recommend. Especially their high tea services. read more

The Veranda - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Really lovely tea service. The scone, jam and clotted cream (really all of the food) is yummy. My only complaint is that the jasmine tea is good at the beginning but then turns bitter quickly as it steeps for too long. Otherwise highly recommend! read more

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This restaurant/cocktail lounge is truly horrible. The service is unprofessional and everything is overpriced. The music is too loud and there's nothing about this place that is appealing. One of the worst dining experiences of the year. $20. For a glass of Sancerre? A short pour, no less. read more

Birthday fun with my bestie, sipping champagne, tea and lovely treats - while sitting on the lanai overlooking the dolphins, pool and beach. Pinch me, I'm done! Counting all the blessings of the moment. Lucky me!! I didn't know what to expect as this was my first time for high tea service, which overall was a fun treat. Most people were dressed up (think dresses) but honestly I was a little disappointed that I didn't see any fancy hats. Heehee. We chose a package that added on champagne (of course, we added a few more to that too) and then we selected our tea options, each of us had our own pot to create our own flavor. Then a tower of treats arrived!! A beautiful mix of savory and sweet - scones with homemade pineapple mango cream, little sandwiches, macaroons, and more! All of them were delicious and a good mix of tastes. Once again, I'm impressed by the level of friendly customer service employees at The Kahala provides from valet and throughout our meal (even as we lingered and lounged the afternoon away). Pampered like a princess all day long! Tip: if you want to sit on the lanai, be sure to make a reservation. read more

Great for Afternoon tea and live music with cocktail. Afternoon tea tips People usually can't finish all. so I would recommend to order $29 and $17 (savory) and share. It really was enough. Even though their sweet treats size were small, for me it was really sweet so couldn't finish by myself. I saw many people left their dessert. Live music tip. Their pianist David Swanson rocks!(Tue-Sat, 7:30 pm~11:00pm) My favorite place to dance. Sit inside so that you can listen his music better. You can order cocktail and coffee and tea. You can even order the Hoku's menu. I usually order Hoku's ahi musubi...which is the best yaki musubi :) read more

The Veranda - Romantic place with the best live music :) - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very chill place to hang out. Second time coming here. Just come and grab a seat and the waiters will come to you. It's located just right of check in. It's been a great time here at the Kahala, beach service which included beach chair and towel assistances #daytimenap. The waiter has been very attentive and nice. Live music at night was nice as well. It's much more chill than Aulani. Also I heard Kevin Hart was just here which is wild! read more

The Veranda - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Gwen and Les are WONDERFUL servers. I recently had the pleasure of visiting The Veranda twice and both times the service and the food were excellent! This is a place where my husband worked when I first met him, so we celebrated our 20th anniversary and it was wonderful. Thanks so much. read more

Such a pleasant surprise! My bffs and I enjoyed a wonderful afternoon having tea, enjoying the wonderful dishes, breezy and pleasant atmosphere and girl talk!! We actually chose this place because it was one of their bdays, it was close to our homes and who doesn't love the Kahala?? As we were preparing to head there, one of my friends and I saw the yelp reviews and thought," oh no!!!" The reviews didn't look all that great and we were worried because it's a bday celebration!! So we got there and was greeted with such loving care, sat at a great table that as overlooking the pool, dolphin area and got a great view of the beach! Most of us ordered the classic tea service for $30 which I think was worth it!!! The treats and sandwiches were fabulous!!! The tea selections were huge and the tea quality was perfect in each and every way. It surely met my expectations! I wish I remembered each sandwich and dessert but honestly between savoring each bite and having our girl talk, hours flew buy and so did my memory of taking pictures. This was such a great experience! Im already planning another occasion and reason to go back! read more

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I saw the mixed reviews but the Kahala is beautiful so I booked Afternoon tea for Mother's day. Complimentary valet with validation and the Kahala is just stunning. The dolphin pool is too small and mean imo but that's another story... my mom is mobility disabled and can't stand for long periods and we were able to sit down 30 minutes before our reservation. The tea menu had a few options - 4 sweets OR four mini sandwiches (not both!, no tea $20 a person), 4 sweets AND 4 sandwiches and a pot of tea ($50 a person), the same but with a glass of champagne ($60), or the fancy $80 one with the same and a box of macadamia chocolates to take home. we got the $50 each classic tea- the kahala signature was red and strong (think Teavanas youthberry), the sunny meadow was nice and uplifting. you pour the tea into the pot, flip the included sand timer and drink when you want, pouring through the strainer over your cup. warning: the tea of course gets stronger the longer you've had it, I'm kinda confused by why you wouldn't use a ball or removeable dipper thing but maybe I'm not fancy enough to drink tea that fast haha. by the end of the meal it was pretty dark. The sandwiches were yummy but so small, the pastries all tasted like they had a stick of butter each (not complaining) it got pretty heavy, and some of the other reviews say the pastries were too sweet... well i came here because of those reviews and yes they are sweet but they are SWEETS! and you have tea to cut the taste, i thought it was fine although i filled up on scones and the buttery thick pastiries and couldn't finish it all. the seating was nice, the initial waiter was very nice and informative. after we were served though, it took a very long time to flag someone down. i understand they were leaving us to stay as long as we like but i waved and caught a few people's eye and it seemed to be misunderstood. I didn't feel snubbed but it was hard to get the check. For $50 we could've had dinner elsewhere instead of tiny sandwiches but i think the experience of afternoon tea is what you're paying for. some meals you want to be steak and buffets and exotic gourmet where you sit and talk about the tastes and flavors blah blah but sometimes you want the view, the off the strip location, the valet, and for the main course to be talking with your guest, have a lovely time, lovely atmosphere, lovely china, lovely view, dainty foods, overall a "lovely" special occasion outing with mom. read more

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While known for their high-tea service, The Veranda at the Kahala Hotel offers a wonderful place for pre or post dinner cocktails. The location is between the main lobby to The Kahala Hotel and their longstanding Hoku's restaurant. The drinks are the standard cocktails and beers, wine, soft drinks, etc. They do serve dinner here as well, but I do prefer eating my main meal inside Hoku's or the Plumeria Cafe downstairs. A real plus to having a drink at The Veranda is the fact that they do have live music. On Saturday nights, David Swanson plays piano and sings (he's been there for many years). His repertoire is quite extensive--jazz, Motown, contemporary, classical. You wouldn't guess he was a solo artist by listening to his music. Several couples even danced in front of his piano! When thinking of something similar, House Without A Key in the Halekulani comes to mind. The Veranda is open air, a little bit more casual that HWAK. I would pick The Veranda on a nice, cool night and HWAK on a night where I didn't want to be out of doors. The Kahala valet is steps away which makes for easy accessibility. Top off your special dinner at The Kahala with a visit to The Veranda....you won't regret it. read more

The Veranda - Live music, snacks and cocktails...The Veranda rocks! - Wine Bars Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

The Veranda is located in the lobby of the iconic Kahala Hotel and has outside seating with views to the beach as well. We went there for a light dinner. Around 7.30 pm they started playing live music which people enjoyed a lot. All their serving sizes are quite small and one the pricier side - but that's Hawaii. They also serve food from the fancier restaurant on property Hoku's. We both had a salad - I had the Garden Green salad with heirloom tomatoes that came with a creamy sauce and was a good start and my hubby ordered the Chinese Chicken Salad from the pool menu - the salad was quite big. I had the Petite catch of the day and hubby the steak pupu style (cut in pieces to share). Both servings were tiny but good. We weren't full so we added the buttermilk friend chicken which came with fries. You can never go wrong with friend food. We ordered the pineapple coconut crumble dessert with ice-cream and since it was our anniversary , they also brought us a complimentary passion fruit cake . If you come prepared mentally that portions are small and pricy, you'll have a great time! read more

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My mom, Auntie and I enjoyed a nice afternoon drinking various teas and eating The Veranda's classic tea set consisting of sweet and savory selections. We especially enjoyed their curran and cranberry scones. Carin helped us and she did a wonderful job and provided excellent customer service. It was my mom and Auntie's first tea time and glad they liked the food and experience. read more

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I've been to The Veranda a few times over the years - but mostly for bridal showers (including my own). And, truth to be told, the ambiance cannot be beat. The Kahala is gorgeous, the valet parking staff is really nice, when you get that ocean view over the pool from The Veranda your breath is taken away. I definitely like the air-y seating, somewhat cool breezes, and comfy chairs. But, over the years I just have not found myself pleased with the food/tea options. I know, Aimee, the party pooper. No, no, no...to be honest, I would've never been someone to judge what tea time would be like, but I have a fantastic mother-in-law who loves that type of thing. Often when we visit Cali (where she lives), we'll go to tea and have finger sandwiches and it is waaaaaay more tasty and delish than I have ever experienced at The Veranda. On my last visit to The Veranda, the tea was decent, but they serve it with lukewarm water!!! Dislike! (IMHO tea is never to be served at almost room temperature, either you add ice or you serve it hot!) But, what kills me every time is the finger sandwiches and desserts. I am just over how mayonnaise-y and too tart and unsatisfied I feel after I eat here. To top it off this last time, I pulled a nice hair out of sandwich which was definitely NOT a tummy pleaser. I'm still not sold that Hawaii gets how to do tea time - kind of how Mexican food done right is still searching for its soul here, too. Someday, someday... read more

If you are staying at the Kahala Resort this place is a must. The atmosphere here is classy tropical and very comfortable for catching up with an old friend or just relaxing after a long day at the pool. We had a round of drinks and appetizers that were quite delicious and, were entertained with live music. read more

I just love this place! It's my go to spot with family and friends, guests visiting from out of state and I even celebrated my birthday here. Wonderful wine selection, excellent service, beautiful view and it's so relaxing. Shout out to Scott and the girls who work hard to make this place awesome. Always a great time here! read more

Sorry excuse for a tea!!!! I agree with Shay F..... this has to be a joke that the Kahala hotel played on us. I like tea. My mom likes tea. My sister likes tea. Heck my dad likes tea but didn't want to go this time. And so my mom likes to take my sister and I to tea. It's kind of our "thing." Normally we go to Tea at 1024 but this time we opted for something new. And at the Kahala hotel, no less! ...Sad for us. WARNING WARNING, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY HERE! The "Classic Tea Service" is pathetic. You get 4 "sandwiches"-- more like bites on stale bread, and 4 desserts, which were all way too sweet and gross for me to even finish. You also get scones (chocolate chip and cranberry) but I could've easily knocked out a few pidgeons with those rocks. Even the clotted cream was lacking. Sandwiches: salmon on "toast" that was actually stale, soggy rye bread, chicken tarragon salad with 3 grape SLIVERS on a endive- fine but I ate it in one bite, mushroom turnover that could've been decent were it not cold, and ham + "manchego cheese"-- if you're wondering where the manchego went, it's those shavings on the top (if you even have any). Desserts: shortbread cookie that could've passed for store bought, disgusting pistachio profiterole, sweet on steroids chocolate fudge thing, & sickly sweet yuzu macaroon. BLEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The food sucked, the tea was lukewarm from the very beginning, service was nowhere to be seen, $28 per PERSON for a shitty experience. If we had paid $5 then I'd be a lot less angry. Throughout our 2 hour tea (yes it took that long because of the S..L...O...W service) we only got asked if we wanted refills on water ONCE. The second time was hotter than our first batch... I'm still horrified at the fact that we were literally given LUKEWARM pots of water with a tea bag thrown in. I can make myself some better tea at home. Even a Keurig can give me better tea. I don't mind that it's that slow because this is supposed to be a leisurely tea and all, but it would be nice to get refills on the stuff we are paying for. I just can't believe that a hotel of this caliber would offer such a poor tea service!!!! Can't even serve HOT water for a TEA service... shameful. WTF. read more

The afternoon tea service here has some high points but unfortunately, not enough to make it the top of the list. THE AMBIANCE: 5 stars. Comfortable, airy lounge with island-inspired furnishings gives this place a leisurely feel. Definitely a great place for catching up with girlfriends or for a relaxing date! THE TEA: 3 stars. The Caribe (a blend of green and black teas enhanced with guava and strawberry) smelled heavenly but did not deliver on taste. It does taste better if you add a little bit of sugar and some milk though. The Bangkok (organic Japanese green teas carefully blended with lemongrass, ginger, coconut, and vanilla) was lovely enough--it was smooth on the tongue and tasted true to description. THE SANDWICHES: 3 stars. Six sandwiches on their menu and you get to choose four. The Chicken Tarragon & Grape Salad on Endive and Smoked Salmon on Rye Toast were my personal favorites. The Ka Lei Egg Salad with Watercress on Mac Nut Bread and Hamakua Springs Farm Mushroom Turnover were not bad. My friend said she didn't like the Rare Roast Beef with Romaine. Overall, the sandwiches were good but had no wow factor. They were also incredibly small...even for afternoon tea sandwiches. THE SCONES: 3 stars. A previous reviewer raved about the scones so I was really looking forward to trying the warm, delicious scones here. I am not sure if the baker or recipe changed but the scones were on the dense side. With the clotted cream and lilikoi ginger preserves, they were okay but nowhere near rave status. THE DESSERTS: 4 stars. Six desserts on their menu and you get to choose four. All of their desserts were quite good but the Kona Coffee Ganache Pave (flourless chocolate cake topped with kona coffee cream & crispy chocolate pearls) was amaaazing! It's a must-try! THE SERVICE: 3 stars. The ladies who were serving us were pleasant but weren't on top of their game at times. Nothing major but a few little things added up (introducing a tea with the wrong name, forgetting part of the order, refilling the hot water for only one person, etc.). Overall, had a decent afternoon tea service here but nothing that makes me want to go back anytime soon. read more

Until today, I thought that afternoon tea at the Veranda was not bad in the sense that the food was okay but not great. I was disappointed when they recently switched from a set menu to having you choose from a selection of sweets and sandwiches. With the severe decline in taste of the food and the diminishing portion size, it discourages me from going to tea there. In fact, the only reason we went to tea today was because I wanted to visit the Rebecca Beach boutique. Upon arrival, we valeted and walked up to the Veranda. At 4:30 pm with more than an hour left for tea service, we were told that there was no food left and the kitchen shut down because they didn't want to make any more. Having just valeted with the intention of going to tea and having them unexpectedly close early, we asked for a validation to cover our parking. The girl responded with, "We can't validate because you didn't purchase anything." When I explained the obvious, that we were there for tea which they wouldn't serve, she followed up with, "We'll there are options. You can go outside and sit by the pool and order something. Or just go to a store and buy something." Faced with a $28 valet charge because the kitchen decided it wasn't interested in making more food is absurd. I stated I would go see the front desk to which she said, "They probably won't do anything either because you didn't buy anything." Luckily for me, as it turns out, she was wrong. There is something fundamentally wrong with this situation. From both a service and human aspect. I'm disappointed in you, Kahala Hotel and I won't be back anytime soon. read more

Rather pricey, but a very nice time at tea with the mini's. The finger sandwiches were tasty but my favorite was the scone with butter. The kids thought the gummies were a tad too sour for their liking but they enjoyed their vanilla rooibos tea! Wish they had a kid menu to make tea time a little more friendly for kids especially little girls who want to pretend they are big girls. read more

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I've been here twice for afternoon tea and once for dinner and drinks.... sadly 2 out of 3 visits the service was so poor I almost left. They are severely understaffed and unfortunately we were barely ever waited on. They also ran out of half the things on the menu during afternoon tea (though a table that was sat after us received their full order and we never got ours).. and didn't compensate us for never giving us our missing items (or making us wait 2 hours). Dinner and drinks were about the same... our waitress never came over to us unless we flagged her down, forgot about our requests, and acted like we were bothering her when we dared to ask for a dessert menu. The Veranda is great as far as atmosphere, but unfortunately they charge far too much for the pitiful service and only decent food. read more

Ambiance 5 stars, food 3.5 stars I loved sipping on tea and champagne and grazing on bite sized treats while lounging and gossiping on sofas overlooking the beach and ocean with my girlfriends. If you have a lot of time to relax and enjoy the view and your company, this place feels almost as comfortable as home. The Verdana was quiet and not very busy so felt as if we were chilling on a homey patio at a friend's house. The savory treats on toasts were a refreshing retreat from the usual finger sandwiches. Their clotted cream and lilikoi curd pair nicely with their scones. While I enjoyed their savory bites, especially the salmon with ikura, the desserts were not all that memorable. read more

I come here with my MMA friends. There is no better way to end the work week than sitting in a comfortable rattan outdoors on a beautiful night with gentle breezes. (Just bring a jacket in case it's windy.) The inside is nice. High ceilings. Wood paneling. I've always favored nature in design. Friday night, a pianist takes the floor. +1 for bumping out the Michael Jackson songs! Spend $25 to get your valet ticket validated! OK, OK, so what's the catch? Food is ho hum. Ah well, you gotta take the bad with the good! And in this case, the good outweighs the bad! read more

To celebrate our birthdays, my girlfriend and I decided to "do tea" at the Kahala Hotel. It was a wonderful experience. We chose the $35 set which had the sandwiches, scones, and deserts. And of course tea. The sandwiches were fine ( could have used a bit more filling), but the scones and desserts were divine! Our handsome server was very attentive, offering hotwater refills for our teapots, and removing dishes when we were done. We had a great time in an elegant setting. read more

Underwhelming. Food presentation is above average, flavors are avg/above avg.. Tea is average. Service was disappointing to say the least. 1 refill of hot water and regular water.. Which I had to flag for. Never received a description when our service arrived. I realize I and my partner are just a small 70$ morsel, but at least treat us with an ample amount of attention that a customer should be entitled to. +'s Birds keep their distance for the most part, vs. more pestering at somewhere like Halekulani brunch area. Floors were clean to discourage it also. 4 hour valet lets you roam and walk the beach/dolphin areas after your service. Breeze is constant, at times a tad more hurricane than I'd prefer, but better too much, than none at all. Again, the lax service just ruined it for us. Absolutely no excuse a 3 person crew can't handle 6 tables at non-peak hours. Lucky the gf chimed in to give 2. I would have given 1 star. Hasta.. read more

Sadly, I feel I need to drop this rating down a star. I am inclined to drop it more but that would not be fair since I had two good experiences and one really bad one. The expectation in a place like this is high and if they do not come through on several points, it is time to lower that expectation. And score. I called and spoke with the manager after the events I describe below but find after some time to think about it, I am just not ok with the situation and feel it is important to write this review. They need to do better. Previously, I thought this place was great. So I brought a group of 11 friends for a celebratory tea because the guest of honor had achieved something major in her life. It was to be a surprise ( it was, thank goodness!) and what I wanted above all was discretion and for her to enjoy herself and not think about anything or worry about the cost. All guests in party were made aware of the cost (~$35 pp plus tip) so all would go smoothly. I was so disappointed in how we were treated. To start, I called weeks ahead and even gave the staff our orders (upon request) and made them aware of the large number of vegetarians in our party. When we got there, the orders were taken with no apparent knowledge that I had called ahead and pre-ordered. Vegetarians ended up getting non-vegetarian food. Since we had pre-ordered, it seemed silly to have to go through this again and the waitress should have asked each guest if she was vegetarian. Additionally, when taking our order, the waitress was rigid in who she would take her order from and when. I mistakenly gave her my order and she told me to wait instead of taking my chair number and just writing the dang order down. I understood why, each chair is numbered so that when the food comes out they don't have to stand at the end of the table and call things out, but she should have just taken my order and not embarrassed me. She made me feel pushy. Several days before the event, I asked everyone in our party (minus our guest of honor) how they preferred to pay - one check or a check for each - and because one person preferred to get her own check, we decided we would all do that. Again, this was done so no one had to feel uncomfortable about anything. When we arrived, I informed the waitress that I would pick up the check for three of us while each of the others would take their own checks. I was sitting next to the guest of honor when the manager came to me a bit later and began discussing the fact that they could not do separate checks. And here is where I get really irritated. First, he discussed this in front of our guest of honor and second, he mentioned that it would take really long to do separate checks. Having worked as a bartender, waitress, and manager of restaurants in NYC, I know that is utter BS. We each had one item on our checks (tea service) and printing them out and handing each guest a check should not have been too difficult for them. I am mostly upset that this was discussed at the table near the guest of honor. I was mortified. Of course, to make it stop, I just told him it was fine. I would pick up the entire check. The only people in the restaurant at the time of our party was us and another party of roughly the same size. From what I could tell we had a waitstaff of two waiters and a manager to attend to our needs. I found it difficult to get our waiters' attention. They were not exactly in the weeds. They would just space out. At one point, after a long period of waving my hand, putting it down, waving it again, putting it back down, I had to get up to ask them to come and replenish the hot water in our tea pots. This is something that was never before lacking in my other visits for high tea, so I was surprised they didn't do this. I did call the manager the following day to express how upset I was at the experience and he apologized. He informed me that most parties of our size get a sort of contract to sign outlining the details of payment etc., and that was clearly not done for us. He was upset it didn't happen. I appreciate his feelings about this but in the end, I don't think I will ever want to return here. There were just too many problems during what was supposed to be a really nice afternoon with friends. Pity. read more

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The veranda sits high enough to where if you turn your chair to the left you don't hear anything but the ocean and the guitar player in the restaurant and are able to pretend you're on a porch of of great southern mansion on that backs up to a beach. However, I did forget and let my gaze wander to some older gentlemen wandering around with their shirts off (saggy man boobs are an issue that there should be a charity for somewhere). The food wasn't really all that special. It photographs really well but like most celebrities once you see it in person (and in this case eat it) you're more than a little let down (unless it's Drew Barrymore saw her at LAX and she's about 50 times hotter in person, the camera hates her, she's drop dead gorgeous). I got the standard service but I think you'd be better off paying for the alcohol because if you're like me alcohol gives you an incredibly craving to eat everything in site and makes everything tastes amazing. However, I didn't get an option. Yep that's right, they started service without asking. Turns out they were trying to speed me out of there for a mystery guest (oooooOOOoooo more later). So here's the food breakdown. What they called spring vegetable medley soup and what tasted like Campbell's chicken soup sans chicken. Nothing great. Tasty because I was starving but really not the kind of food I would want for the amount paid. Then there were sandwiches which were not much better. 3 sandwiches were given: a roast beef sandwich on meh bread. An egg salad sandwich (seriously?) with a sliver of smoked salmon. Okay the smoked salmon that I could taste was amazing. And the 3rd which was more a baguette with cheese on it was actually my favorite. The cheese was delicious, the baguette was fresh, and there was cucumber, tomato, and minced olives that complimented the cheese. Unfortunately, this was about the size of a silver dollar and most of the plate was dedicated to the two other lackluster sandwiches. This was followed with a raisin scone which was also meh. Dry, boring, and the raisins didn't even taste that great. This was served with clotted cream and lemon curd. The quality of the lemon curd and clotted cream was the same as I have purchased before through the mail (and if you love scones I highly suggest avoiding this place, buying a mix, and the fixings and making it yourself). Okay then there were desserts. These included a green tea macaroon (I abhor these things so I won't go into detail because I'm horribly biased). A coconut macaroon which was store bought quality, a tart that consisted of premade shell, clotted cream (the exact same as they put in the dish for the scone) and a few not bad but not great fruit on top (this is ripeness and freshness, and taste. I like places that pick local fruit because it tends to have more flavor). Lastly, there was a cream cake with an orangey mango jello on top. The orangey mango junk was so strong that I don't even know what the rest of the cake was supposed to taste like. The last dish was actually my favorite surprisingly. I'm old school and I do not like sweet green tea things. I like it bitter, unflavored, and used to bring out the flavor or cleanse my palate when eating strong foods. He brought out green tea sorbet and it tasted refreshing like mint (but not mint flavored) fresh like cucumber but without cucumber. It was a good way to end the meal. The tea: standard stuff you'd find at any other place that serves afternoon tea however their Darjeeling smelled amazing. I normally don't go for this tea but if I did ever go back I want to try theirs. It smelled rich and fragrant and a little sweet. I wasn't in the mood for anything but vanilla so I didn't pick it this time. Okay parking. I hate visiting Waikiki. Parking is always a nightmare. So odds are I won't be coming back to this place any time soon because of this reason . If I want to go someplace to relax then I don't want to spend my time going in circles for a 1/2 hour trying to find parking. I don't want to walk into the restaurant and feel like upending tables over the veranda the entire way to my table. But if you live nearby or driving in heavily touristy areas do not make you feel like bamboo is being shoved under your finger nails then this place was fantastic for two reasons: First the service. They were incredibly attentive, my tea pot was never allowed to run low on hot water. My waiter was very nice, polite, and didn't mind me asking nosy questions about the mystery diner and her entourage. He humored the dorky little confused girl and that always is nice when trying to have a relaxing tea. Second: Japanese Celebrity Ikko was there with her entourage. She just came to pose and didn't really eat anything but it made the meal special to be able to sit next to them for my meal. read more

PINKY OUT! My friends and I came here for casual high tea one afternoon. We opted for the $28/person Classic Afternoon Tea which includes one choice of tea in your own pot, a bunch of desserts including mini pieces of macaroon, scones, chocolates, cakes, and 4 sandwich choices. We were thinking, oh wow we get to have 4 sandwiches?! Then to our astonishment, they were only 1"x2" as in bite size. Nonetheless, it was a great experience where we could share tea, stories and bond. The space has a sleek fancy lounge appeal, which includes antique looking chandeliers, not to mention the cuteness of the tea pots and utensils. There is also outdoor seating overlooking a beautiful dolphin lagoon. Our waitress was polite and informative of the selections. I'm looking forward to having my future baby shower here with close friends and family, whenever that is. Tips: Parking is valet only. read more