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    Vavin Dessert Bar

    4.8 (154 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Vavin Dessert Bar Photos

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    VAVIN DESSERT BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Coffee Time!
    Alyssa Y.

    It's like stepping into your very own French cafe but in Hawaii. Located in the beginning part of Waikiki tucked into a side road, you can park in one of the many lots around the area. The cafe itself is small with 5 tables inside and 5 tables outside, but has high ceilings and well lit. I was instantly drawn to the croissants at the front counter. They have a variety of flavors such as chocolate, pistachio, almond and oatmeal, and you can tell they're all well made. The croissants are big (worth the price) and you can see all of the different layers and perfect lamination. They have a variety of coffee options, and even more tea options to choose from. We ordered the Double Pistachio Twice Baked Croissant, Iced Hawaiian Latte and Iced Vavin Caramel Latte with Oat milk. The croissant was perfectly crispy and golden brown on the outside and light and buttery on the inside. The pistachio topping was slightly crunchy and not overly sweet. The portion was bigger than I thought and we were able to split it between two people. The coffee is on the sweeter side, I prefer more coffee. Next time I'll order it with another shot of espresso.

    Matthew J.

    While in Waikiki on O'ahu, I had the most divine pastries I could have expected at Vavin Dessert Bar. This was a bougie pastry shop, sure, but heck if I didn't go back every morning while on the island to try a different one. While there, I had their Lava Lava Almond Croissant which was a twice baked almond croissant that was perfectly flaky with a creamy frangipane in the middle. The second item I had was the Pistachio Twice Baked Croissant. Imagine if a pistachio croissant and an Almond Croissant had a baby. That is what this was. The traditional Almond Croissant but on top was a Pistachio creme. The last thing, and I question whether to even call this a pastry or that I should have had it for breakfast, but a Crookie. You know it, you love it. It is a Croissant stuffed with cookie dough and baked with cookie dough on top. This one used a S'mores cookie to make it all that much decadent. ____

    I got the second to last one before the sold out flag was put up!
    Mary M.

    After a work appointment, I dropped by and glad they were still opened - it was around 1pm/1:30pm when I went. Some bakeries like Halekulani close around 11:30am and I wasn't about to go to Starbucks. By the time I went, only 3 types of croissants were left. I got the chocolate croissant which did not disappoint and the croissant toast. The last thing left when I was cleaning up my table was the Tiramisu croissant. The owner was super pleasant. Offered free water to go with my croissant that I ate while sitting inside which was nice because I was already caffeinated out previously. I have been here several times in the past and just love how soft and layered these croissants are. Personally I don't like going into Waikiki much since it's like Times Square for me, but I would go for them or their neighbor Castro's.

    Hawaiian latte
    Cindy M.

    Vavin Dessert Bar was worth the hype! Probably one of the better coffee shops we've been to in the area. The shop is so charming. Theres a limited amount of seating indoors and outdoors. We tried two types of drinks, the Hawaiian latte and the tiramisu latte. Both lattes were solid, but I liked the tiramisu latte a bit better. The tiramisu latte was not too sweet, to my liking, and it had a bit of a cream dollop. The Hawaiian latte was a bit more sweet in comparison. I ended up swapping my Hawaiian latte for my husband's tiramisu latte. There are many types of pastries, and it was challenging picking just 1. The beef sukiyaki croissant we picked had a fine flakiness to it when it was heated up. The beef had a nice flavor to it, balanced with slightly sweet but primarily savory. Good ratio of croissant to filling. It was a steep price for a croissant at ~$12 but nice to try. If I didn't have a buffet to look forward to later that day, I would have ordered another pastry. Service was friendly! Can't really comment on the parking situation, as we walked here. Overall, if I visited Waikīkī again, I would definitely make a stop back to Vavin!

    Vanilla eclair
    Michelle L.

    I had the triple berry tea. It was quite tasty and refreshing. Just enough sweetness. The vanilla pecan eclair was so yummy I just wish it was a little bigger. I think I finished in 2 bites. There is pretty much 1 person in front taking order and making the drinks so be prepared for a wait especially if there are a few people already in line. I recommend going closer to when they first open in the morning.

    Natalia O.

    Popped in at 7am on a rainy, Friday morning and was one of few there. Service was quick. I ordered a warm ham and cheese croissant (which was loaded!!). I'd say it was good... would be curious to see if they could sub the Dijon mustard it comes with for butter instead since the croissant was kinda dry. $10 a bit steep, too. Didn't get to try the drinks but they did look very tasty. Edit: came back for an iced latte and it was 10/10!

    Amanda S.

    Husband came by to pickup some pastries for our morning and we loved it here. The pastries aren't just pretty but super tasty! They're not overly sweet and had a good balance. The bread were perfect flakiness and buttery goodness! We will be back to getting more before we head home :)

    Exterior
    Ted P.

    Stopped by this place while vacationing in Hawaii and was surprised at how good everything is! It's a small shop on a side street next to the Eggs n things. The service was a bit slow as the guy taking orders was also making the drinks, but the line did move reasonably quickly. The pastries here are all huge and delicious. I tried the double baked pistachio and was impressed by how flaky and well balanced the filling was. It had crunchy pistachios on top and a sweet creamy filling inside. They even warmed it up!

    espresso, cappuccino and Croissant Toast :)
    Harvey G.

    Stayed at Hilton and they have nothing amazing there as far as coffee and desert. This spot was amazing and we had the picture items :) The rest was sold out so next time we will come before noon as suggested

    Inside Counter
    Brittany L.

    Wow! This place is such a vibe. While staying in Waikīkī, I was in the mood for some French pastries and a latte. This cafe was a short walk from Hale Koa and satisfied my cravings! They have both indoor and outdoor seating available. We ordered a few different items to share; the rainbow croissant, passionfruit eclairs, and raspberry eclairs were phenomenal! The raspberry one was my favorite by far. It was the perfect balance of tart and sweet. The croissant had a cream filling that was equally as delightful. The service was also spectacular. My son had accidentally spilled one of our lattes, and the employee made us another free of charge. It was really a great gesture and made a stressful situation less stressful. We will definitely visit again when we are in the area.

    Rachel K.

    This was a great Yelp find! My husband was actually looking for a new spot to try coffee and Vavin had great ratings for their drinks and pastries. We made the walk over from our hotel and found this cute cafe, it has a view of the park and has indoor and outdoor seating. There was a steady stream of customers, but the line was short and we were able to easily grab a spot outside to eat. We ended up ordering their Provence Citronelle Eclair ($6.25), Rainbow Croissant ($8.75), Tiramisu Latte ($6) and Ginger and Lemongrass tea ($7). We sipped our drinks and enjoyed the food outside while people watching. The drinks were delicious, and the desserts were beautiful. The eclair was our favorite and we would definitely order it again, the passionfruit cream and yuzu glaze were so flavorful and bright. The rainbow croissant was gorgeous, but the current white peach filling was just ok for us. The person who helped us was friendly and made some great suggestions on drinks. Overall this experience was one of my favorites for coffee during the trip.

    Almond croissant, disappointing after the stellar croissant bread
    Nancy C.

    Croissant bread: 5/5!! Delicately crunchy on the outside, fluffy moist and cloud-like on the inside. Beats any croissant at Kona Coffee or Halekulani Bakery. Almond croissant: 3.5/5. Rather disappointing, after the high bar set by the croissant bread. Any crunch came from the almond slices on top, not the croissant itself. Generous filling of almond paste. Latte was decent, but Castro's next door was much better. In the future, we'll get coffee from Castro's and pastry from Vavin. Loved the outdoor seating and the cute dessert plates!

    Maki K.

    First time trying this place. Cute decor open cafe ambiance! All pastries look good!! We tried Ham & cheese and croissants. Both pastries served warm and crispy! Ham and cheese was So good! Definitely comeback again soon!

    Latte & rainbow croissant

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    Grace D.

    Thank you for your 5 stars Alexi ! I’m happy to serve you again!

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    2 years ago

    Delicious! My drink didn't need anything it was amazing! I got their Hawaiian iced coffee and rating it 10/10

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    2 years ago

    BEST cheesecake in Hawaii. Excellent new french inspired bakery and absolutely delicious. Don't miss it!

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    2 years ago

    Great eclairs! Very nice ambience. Reminds me of when I used to live in France. Dessert is nice and not too sweet.

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    Page 4 of 4

    Vavin Dessert Bar Reviews in Other Languages

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    Kamehameha Bakery

    Kamehameha Bakery

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
    4.0 mi
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    @fortunefoodfinds: "If you DO-NUT know, you can find banana fritters here! You read that right, I…read morecame across n' scored the last banana fritter that KAMEHAMEHA BAKERY in Kalihi had for the day n' also picked up our usual go-to poi malasada, strawberry malasada, orange malasada, n' da kiddies chose a glazed donut, donut twist, n' chocolate covered long John. When you get the last one, it's like the feeling that you won!" SERVICE: fully staffed INTERIOR: when you enter the line forms to the left n' moves across to the right, narrow space, no dine-in just pick up n' go, canned soft drinks n' bottled water are available for purchase that are located in the fridges to the far left. EXTERIOR: next door to Ubae in Kalihi WAIT TIME: right under 10 mins from entering to leaving PARKING: free lot OVERALL COMMENTS: it's been years since my last visit n' I usually come for the poi malasadas so when I saw that they had one banana fritter, I had to have it! I've only had a banana fritter in Cali so this was a nice surprise. Bc it was banana mixed with apple, it had a hint of banana flavor. Crunchy n' glazed exterior with a very soft n' cinnamon interior. The malasadas are always tasty. Out of the poi, strawberry, n' orange, the orange has the most flavor come through. Ofc my kids highly enjoyed their donuts. Prices are really good on all the items we got ranging between $1.55 - $2.12; we spent right under $12 for everything. Will be back again!

    We got a bunch to share including the poipan, glazed croissant donut, malasada, glazed twist, poi…read morehaupia, and banana fritter. My favorites were the glazed items. The glazed croissant donut and glazed twist were sweet and delicious. They did a great job on their glazed items. I feel like sometimes glazed items can feel like old/stale glaze with dry pastry on inside but I can only describe theirs as juicy.

    Photos
    Poi Haupia - inside
    Poi Haupia - inside
    Custard Danish.
    Custard Danish.
    Banana Fritter $1.55

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    Banana Fritter $1.55
    Kona Coffee Purveyors

    Kona Coffee Purveyors

    4.4
    (2.6k reviews)
    0.4 mi
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    Good things come to those who wait. I only wish there were more people here specifically waiting…read morefor the coffee because it was absolutely delicious! Sadly, it seemed more folks were there for the pastries though. First off, I'm surprised I found such a fabulous cup of coffee in what feels like the epicenter of tourist life on this island. While visiting another island nearly establishment had signage stating they served Kona and/or Hawaiian coffee, but nearly every establishment's coffee was absolutely awful. Seeing the location I fully expected them to phone in the coffee, but it's clear that coffee comes first here, even if many of the guests are trying to get pastries! You'll be shocked by the line, but just know the staff is efficient and it moves fast. They offer a variety of their own locally roasted beans here, with options for batch brew, espresso drinks and even pour overs (impressive considering the volume of customers). The coffees are well described and the baristas have the additional knowledge you may be seeking when you order, and all in all this went as quickly as I could have expected. Truly, the coffee was delightful, and the fact I was drinking a hot drink on an extremely hot day didn't even phase me. I wanted so badly to bring home a bag of each one, but given that everything is more expensive in Hawaii, these were all 4x the price of the specialty coffee I buy on the mainland and I just couldn't make it happen. What will happen is me telling everyone to visit this shop when they're in Hawaii because it is 100% worth it. Won't you consider opening one in Reno NV?

    Long line, oven was broken, so only coffee and desserts available…read more Ordered a "Kona" coffee for $5. Quite frankly it's one of the worst cups of coffee I had. Watery, flavorless. This can't be Kona coffee, and if it was, they don't know how to brew it. Terribly horrible, really expensive coffee. Don't bother.

    Photos
    The famous pastry
    The famous pastry
    Delicious dessert
    Delicious dessert
    A cup of Americano

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    A cup of Americano
    The Local General Store

    The Local General Store

    4.7
    (164 reviews)
    1.9 mi
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    My friend has me loving these pastries from local general store. I have been horrible with taking…read morepics but got to eat more of their delicious baked goods. Since it was their anniversary on Sunday, also got their celebratory funfetti cupcake which also like their baked goods did not disappoint. The croissant base of many of their pastries is flaky. When fresh it crunches with every bite that you take. This time around we had the cinnamon roll, mango danish which had a chocolate mochi filling, and their char siu bun. It's such a neat take to have char siu in a croissant. We are used to having it in the doughy bao bread but in a croissant, savory with a crunchy outside tastes so much better. I love sweet but this one wasn't overly sweet, who would have thought that mango and chocolate pair so well together. It's the summer months, fresh mango on pastries. It was the perfect ripeness. For the cinnamon roll, you honestly cannot forget get their cinnamon roll...It's flaky and again the frosting is not overly sweet. Can't wait to get another box of their pastries again soon.

    I met up with my friend at the Local Heneral for a quick snack. I was pleasantly surprised by the…read moreselection of food and pastries. It's a cute little shop with benches facing the windows to people watch. It was hard to pick one item, but I ended up trying the Char Siu Croissant. I loved the flavors combining the sweet glaze and the savory meat. It's now one of my go-to weekend treats!

    Photos
    Black sesame mochi danish cross section
    Black sesame mochi danish cross section
    3 delicious pastries!
    3 delicious pastries!
    Front entrance

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    Front entrance
    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery

    Pipeline Bakeshop & Creamery

    4.4
    (894 reviews)
    2.1 mi
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    I love Pipeline Bakeshops Malasadas! I have been to several Malasada places in Hawaii but | love…read morethere's the best for the following reasons: 1. the size of the malasadas: some restaurants tend to make their Malasadas smaller and when places do this it ruins the overall texture and quality of it. The bigger the malasadas size the more airy and fluffy and more bread layers that will be inside. 2. their malasadas always taste fresh and the same quality each time. 3. their malasadas don't feel oily or heavy at all Overall I would highly recommend this place for their Malasadas! I'm so happy to have found them. I can back multiple times on my trip. They also have other desserts too that I have yet to try. They have ice cream, cakes, and other desserts Also tip: if you are ordering a malasada also order a coffee or a matcha drink to go with it. The cinnamon sugar from the malasada just matches so perfectly with a drink this restaurant is also a nice place for walking! There's lot of stores and restaurants to walk around! I'm trying to remember but I think there was a book off that was not too far from here! If you either drive or maybe walk. Service: staff was super helpful and friendly while I was there. I was having an issue with my online order because my phone was being glitchy and they were so nice in helping :) Also wanted to note their branding is so cute!! They even sell merch items too

    Everyone knows to go to Leonard's for freshly made malasadas, and the constant crowds there attest…read moreto their quality and variety (review: https://yelp.to/jaduiZfQRq). However, there are many alternative malasada purveyors throughout Honolulu, so I depended on local vloggers to find the best ones. This one popped up often on YouTube, and as luck would have it, we were dining at The Pig & The Lady on the next block. How calorifically convenient. We took the opportunity to stop by for a pre-dinner snack since they closed at 6PM. It's a cute shop with multiple sweets including quite a selection of housemade ice cream and delectable mouthfuls called Cake Bombs (Photo 10). We decided we would be good and ordered one unfilled Malasada each. Dusted with various sugar flavors, they were just $2.65 a piece. I went for the Coffee, while Jamie chose the daily special, Cinnamon (Photo 6). They were soft and tasty, quite comparable to Leonard's albeit a tad smaller. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing since we had dinner ahead of us. However, we let temptation get the best of us and shared a $5.50 slice of the Ube Haupia Mac Nut Bar, a yummy combination of sweet potato and ube topped with haupia (coconut milk pudding) on a macadamia nut crust (Photo 9). Truth be told, it stole the show from the malasadas. FOOD - 4 stars... the malasadas were good, but that ube dessert was next level AMBIANCE - 4 stars...really a takeout operation with a lot of temptations SERVICE - 4 stars...very calm and orderly TOTAL - 4 stars...yet another spot for sweet Hawaiian decadence RELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/U7YPblfoMP

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    Interior during Malasada Day / Fat Tuesday, 2/17/2026
    Interior during Malasada Day / Fat Tuesday, 2/17/2026
    1/2 dozen malasada
    1/2 dozen malasada
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    Liliha Bakery

    Liliha Bakery

    4.0
    (1.6k reviews)
    0.4 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    73 years in business

    We actually didn't plan to do dinner. I was told by many that the baked goods here were something…read morespecial and worth trying. Knowing me, I was most interested in the dessert, but we ended up dining here on a whim. We had really great service when we dined in. I ordered the oxtail soup because I hadn't had it before, which fulfills my rule of trying new foods when I can. It was tasty, with a unique spice blend reminiscent of other beef soups I've had in the past. However, I was particularly wowed however by the complementary bread and raspberry jam. Call me simple, but the bread was actually the star of the show for me, perfectly soft and buttery. The location in Waikiki is perhaps a clear reminder that it is a tourism city. The atmosphere is that of fine dining. Not a bad place to grab a meal when on vacation in Honolulu.

    Claims to have "freshly baked" bread... they're made early in the morning, I wanna say around 6am…read moreand sell into the night until closing, which is 10pm. The management really sucks. Bad customer service. When you get there in a busy/rush hour, they expect you to grab a ticket but they barely use that thing. I waited with my family while the ladies behind the counter talk amongst themselves to finally notice us. Server Emily had a really bad attitude. She didn't even welcome us or greeted us when we walked in. Seems like they just hire anyone.. Rush hour is around 6pm-7pm. Not that busy. You usually see the same people everyday. Food at the restaurant... the prime rib isn't even a prime rib. New York and shrimp is too expensive for a very thin not deveined shrimps. I like my steak med rare but the last time I ordered it, they cooked it very medium well & so I got it taken back to the cook to get another one but a manager named Geraldine stepped in and said they'd have to charge me twice if I wanted another one. I'm a local and this was really unfortunate. Will never come back here due to the lack of customer service.

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Steak and Eggs
    Steak and Eggs
    Inside view

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    Inside view

    Vavin Dessert Bar - bakeries - Updated June 2026

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