Top of Waikiki

I went solo for a dinner right at 530 which is when they’re more mellow. This could have been the reason my experience was far better than most reviews I’ve seen for the place (less customers=less orders for the kitchen=less wait time for your food when it’s final prep is complete). I ordered the calamari as an appetizer and was actually very pleased with it. The calamari rings and leg portions were not skimpy little left over pieces that you often run into when ordering an appetizer calamari; they were thick large rings and tentacle portions with a great crisp to them served with a chili aioli.
For the main course I went with the Ginger Pesto Crusted Monchong. I didn’t know exactly what type of fish this was but my server, Tihati, filled me in that it was a light and flaky white fish that is a lean meat. It came out beautifully cooked. The fish was cooked to a perfection with juices flowing out upon cutting and no raw or undercooked spots. The balance between the lighter flavored fish and the stir-​fried vegetables that it was presented on top of was amazing. The vegetables were cooked to a perfection with a little more salty flavor which I thought balanced the light fish and they had a perfect crisp snap to them.
Overall I was highly impressed with not only the atmosphete, but the food quality and service also. The only downside is found to the establishment was that if you’re having cocktails and need to use the restroom you must go down 2 flights of elevators to the restrooms, which I found to be very inconvenient and left the hostesses and staff sending me off with goodbyes, when in reality I just needed to use the men’s room and return to my meal.

3.5 STARS
This is my second time at this restaurant. I do love the ambiance and being able to see the city lights from this revolving restaurant (think like the CN tower restaurant). The best time of course is sunset but you will definitely need reservations far in advance if you want that sweet time.
The food here is… ok. But PRICEY. I ordered the poke (poh-​key) and that was like $ 17. They had lots of jalapenos added to it that made it way too spicy for me. I just picked those off. My friend had the duck pizza and at least that was a pretty big portion for the price (it’s considered an app). It was pretty good, but again you are here for the views and not necessarily the food.
You are of course paying for the view… so either you learn to enjoy the experience and forget about your wallet for one night or maybe just do drinks/​apps (or one app since most apps are about $ 20 Canadian)…lol. Maybe just drink.
The service is on point and the restaurant is nice inside — modern décor with the waiting area kinda lounge like.

We made reservations in advance before our trip to Oahu mainly for their revolving restaurant to get a 360 view of the island. On the day of our dinner (literally an hour before), they called to inform us that their restaurant wouldn’t be able to rotate due to technical issues and that the rest of the week might be the same. But after much thought we decided to go anyway.
We asked for the best seating with a nice view but were seated in an area with not much of a view and I noticed there were many empty seats throughout the restaurant. That really sucked because our main purpose of dining there (fully knowing the food was «ok» from reviews) was for the view. Already off to a bad start.
We started with their Garlic Shrimp and Korean Style Poke appetizers. The Garlic Shrimp tasted delicious but the toast it came with was extremely stale which could have broken our teeth. Trust me when I say it was stale. The Korean Style Poke was good but had no Korean elements integrated into the Poke except for on the plate where they put a dab of gochujang (red chili paste), just plain old gochujang with no seasonings. That was weird.
We ordered two mains to share that was recommended by our waiter, the Kurobuta Pork Chop and the Pan-​fried Chinese Style Onaga. The Pork Chop had a macadamia nut mango chutney on it that was overly sweet and overpowered the pork. We had to remove it to finish the dish. The Onaga tasted fresh, but again nothing special about the overall dish. Both the entrees were just okay which was really disappointing because we basically dined at this restaurant for nothing since we hardly had a view of anything and were relying on the food to have a nice dining experience.
I wouldn’t recommend this place for their food, maybe just for their view if the revolver is actually working.

You’ve got to come here at least 1x to check the box. Food was MEH, but atmosphere was pretty cool, especially at night. Rotation to view the city is 1x per every 50 minutes, so unless you’re staying a while, be sure to look out the window :-).
Wait staff was super knowledgeable, but prices left more of my palate wanting a kick up. OK food for break your wallet prices.

What can I say about this place? Great view and unique restaurant which I’ve never experienced before. It almost feels like a tourist attraction. Sort of. The food was decent and I was expecting a bit more. It wasn’t memorable where I’d rave about it over and over.
I think people are really paying for the view and experience. Actually only ¼ of the time is really enjoyable as you get to see the beach view while the other side is the city view which isn’t that great at all. Some of the view is blocked by hotels but that’s Waikiki for you. I had to check it out because I like to try new things.
Food: ordered NY steak which was thick but could have been more tender to my liking. Drinks were okay but nothing super exciting here either. All-​in-​all if you want a super fabulous meal you’ll never forget, skip this. Go here for a drink or two then head downstairs for another couple drinks with some party people.
Dessert: get the baked Alaska. If you’ve never had it, it’s a pleasant surprise. Red velvet cake and ice cream and it’s huge! Enough for 3 people to share!!!

This place is really good for a romantic date and for other special occasion. The rotating view is very nice. It took approximately 45 minute to complete 1 full rotation.
The service was good. Nick is attentive and courteous.
We order garlic French fries and calamari, both came out good.
Our main course the short rib and one the fish menu came out delicious.
Price, a bit pricey but you get the view so it’s worth it.
I left my sunglasses and they keep and tag it with my reservation name. I was able to get it the next day even before the restaurant open.
So if you are visiting Waikiki, if you need to go to a nice dining place, you should consider Top of Waikiki

Mango butter anyone? Yes it’s legit. The Mango butter that is. The ribeye steak I ordered came out warm but more on the cold side of warm. I was || close to sending it back to be reheated. It must have been sitting there for a good 20 minutes or more while they were preparing the rest of the meals. No way it just came off the grill or even sat there for 10 minutes while resting. Since I was invited by a friend I did not want to make a «scene» so I ate my cold steak. I would look like an ass complaining about a steak that I am not even paying for but regardless I would be willing to give this place another try. Nice atmosphere, rotating view. When we first got there it was rotating extremely slow by the end of the dinner it was spinning much faster. Maybe the weight of all the diners had something to do with that. The things I think about while dining.

What a great view from up here! I didn’t have any drinks or food so I can’t rate it based on that. But the view at night is fantastic. On this night, the Hilton Village Waikiki which is across the way a bit was having a fireworks display.
You can dress casual or to the nines. This place doesn’t mind. Sandals are OK too.

This place is awesome! After a concert, my boyfriend and I decided to walk around downtown Waikiki just to see what the nightlife was all about and we stumbled across the Top of Waikiki and SkyBar. Though you usually need reservations to get in, they were able to get the two of us an awesome table right next to the glass walls that overlook all of downtown Honolulu. As it was nighttime, we were unable to see the ocean, but the city lights provided quite the scenic view too.
The bar itself is really cool with a large fire pit in the middle, lounge couches, live music and a few tables all surrounded by glass walls so you can see everything. It seems to be a bit upscale so be sure to dress up a little.
We each ordered a glass of wine and fries to share. He also ordered a burger. He thought the hamburger was really tasty and we both enjoyed the french fries, though their BBQ sauce is strange. It’s too fancy for my taste, I like regular ol’ BBQ sauce!
I was ready to give them five stars because we liked the ambiance so much, but the service went downhill after we received our food. Our waitress didn’t ask us if we wanted a second glass (which we would have) and took FOREVER to bring the bill to us. We sat around for an extra 30 minutes after we were done just waiting to pay.

I went to the Top of Waikiki for the first time to celebrate my birthday with my parents. They had been here for dinner several times before and raved about their experience, saying that service was impeccable, the food was delicious and, of course, the view couldn’t be beat. I was really excited for my first visit and my experience definitely lived up to my expectations.
My mom had made reservations for our party of three, and even at 6 p.m. on a Friday evening, there were definitely a good amount of people already dining. We were escorted to our table quickly after we checked in, and our server explained the menu well and was attentive all evening.
My mom made a special order for her dinner because the onaga she liked (at least, this specific version of it with the bubu arare) was no longer available on the menu, but she was told the chef could make it for her if she called ahead. I think her entrée ended up being the best one on our table — if I ever visit this place again, I’m going to order what she got. It was a very pleasant evening since all of our entrees were delicious, and I even got a complimentary dessert for my birthday. And my parents were right … there really was something peaceful about being able to see parts of the island from above Waikiki.
Here’s what we got:
«Panko and Bacon Crusted Ahi»: I knew I wanted to get this entrée as soon as I saw it on the menu. It featured bacon and panko-​crusted ahi (big-​eye tuna), a warm German-​style potato salad and Ho Farms tomato relish. This ahi was delicious and glorious because of that panko crust, which was light and not overly crunchy but definitely tasty. I couldn’t taste too much of the bacon; I guess if I could have improved any aspect of this dish, that would have been it. I really liked the German-​style potato salad – I love potatoes – and the tomato relish wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be (since I don’t like tomatoes). I just avoided the tomatoes on my plate. I would get this again because I enjoyed it, but I think I liked my mom’s onaga just a little more. Sidenote: the bread and butter at this place is unreal. The roll was soft and I really liked the mango butter — so creamy and slightly sweet.
«Bubu Arare Crusted Onaga with Shrimp Risotto»: My mom’s onaga was on the menu before but it’s no longer listed as an option. However, since there is still an onaga on the menu, the chef is able to prepare it the former style … which honestly sounds better than the current option on there. My mom’s onaga was cooked to perfection and super tasty, thanks to that bubu arare topping. But the shrimp risotto had to be the best part. It was creamy and they didn’t skimp on the shrimp; it complemented the onaga so well! I can see why this reigns as my mom’s favorite dish.
«Kurobuta Pork Chop»: My dad says this is his favorite pork chop, of all the different versions he tried at various restaurants. This entrée features a grilled 100 percent Berkshire pork chop, macadamia nut mango chutney crust, kabocha mascarpone purée and apple curry glaze; it’s served with roasted vegetables. There were certainly a lot of different colors on the plate because of the various glazes and sauces, but my dad always enjoys this pork chop because it’s really tender. I had a bite and it was savory; the bone is also very small so you know you’re getting a decent portion of meat.
«Chopped Salad»: We shared this salad as an appetizer before our meals came. It was refreshing and featured chopped salad, crab meat, fresh local vegetables and a creamy vinaigrette. The dressing definitely added to the mix and it was a great starter course.
«Crab Cake»: Even though the scallops were the most popular appetizer, we wanted to try the crab cakes. I definitely wasn’t disappointed because the shredded crab tasted really fresh. This appetizer featured two petite crab cakes and they weren’t really oily or super crispy; I truly enjoyed this and would order it as an app again.
«Chocolate Cremeux Semifreddo»: This was one of the few chocolate desserts on the menu, so of course, I wanted to order it. It featured cocoa semifreddo layered with milk chocolate cremeux and solid dark chocolate, as well as Hawaiian sea salt caramel. Talk about a great salty-​sweet mixture. My parents thought this dessert was a little too sweet, but I really enjoyed the balance between the milk and dark chocolate. The caramel drizzle and sea salt sprinkles were at the bottom so I got a nice, salty aftertaste that contrasted perfectly with the sweetness from the chocolate. I highly recommend this dessert to any chocoholic.
«Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwich»: This was the complimentary dessert that I was given for my birthday. It featured two thin snickerdoodle cookies and Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream in between. While the cookies are not the softest they could have been, the ice cream sandwich was still enjoyable and I think the Tahitian vanilla bean ice cream was the best part.

I’ve been to Honolulu over 10 times and have always saw Top of Waikiki, but have never been to the top! My husband and I were in Honolulu for a week and decided to come here on our spontaneous Saturday night.
We walked in without a reservation, but the hostess was very friendly and said they could seat us right away. Since we weren’t very hungry at all, we just decided to sit at their bar for drinks & snacks. Walking in, the restaurant is round and very open. The floor-​to-​ceiling windows give you a gorgeous view of Waikiki. We saw Diamond Head, the ocean, the mountains, the lights. It was beautiful! It takes an hour for the restaurant to do a full rotation, so you’ll have plenty of time to see the views and won’t get too dizzy.
Sitting at the bar was very comfortable. The bar rotated as well, which was fun. The bar offers a featured cocktail menu, a whiskey menu, beers, & wine. I got the Uptown Funkolada which was amazing! It had cacao rum in it, so there was a hint of chocolate flavor in the drink which set it apart from every piña colada I’ve ever had. It was different & delicious and perfectly boozy.
I can’t remember what my husband drank, I think it was the Seaspray Spritz which was very light and crisp. We also shared the Duck Pizza as a snack which was SO GOOD! I would come back here just to have some cocktails and their Duck Pizza and I would be perfectly happy. The «pizza» is a light, crispy scallion pancake. If you’ve never had a scallion pancake, it’s like a lighter, fluffy wonton/​egg roll skin. On top was their Chinese roasted duck which was so delicious and perfectly cooked. Green onions, avocado, and cilantro are topped off, with a smooth hoisin sauce. So so yummy!!!
Overall, this place is pretty touristy,. I’m not a big steakhouse person but I would absolutely come back for the views, the drinks, and the Duck Pizza.

Came in for dinner and to celebrate a birthday. The view of the sunset was spectacular and the cocktails and dinner were all delicious! I had seen the scallops appetizer on FB earlier in the day and they were delicious as well as the 6 layer dip– I had the surf & turf because it was so good the last time I came in and it was delicious!
My filet was cooked perfectly and I loved the asparagus and potatoes. We had a dessert cocktail and the mango crème brûlée. Our waiter also brought out a special dessert for the birthday girl! We had our photo taken during dinner and that was a nice keepsake. A beautiful & delicious dinner with pleasant and attentive staff–
Definitely a wonderful way to spend an evening in Waikiki!

This evening was my first time ever going to Top of Waikiki. I’ve heard many good things about this place and how it is considered fine dining. My friends and I originally wanted to eat at Skyy of Waikiki to watch the sunset. They’re visiting from Australia and wanted a fun dinner for a girls night out. However, Skyy was completely booked and the bar was full so we went upstairs to give Top a shot.
The view as it slowly moved in a circle was lovely for the most part. Sometimes we would be staring at a wall, wine cellar, or another building. But there were times we would see Diamond Head, Manoa, etc. We were trying to figure out where their hotel was from some of our poiints.
We had two servers waiting on us, one was a trainee. They were helpful as I was indecisive as for what I wanted to eat. And also suggested a few drinks, I don’t drink alcohol so my friends tried the Top of Waikiki and the other tried Bartender’s choice. For myself, I had water.
After we ordered our entrees Jidori chicken, Grilled salmon, and beet avocado goat cheese salad… it took like 30 – 40 minutes to get the food. They served us this slightly sweet bread with butter that had dates in it.
Our food I would say is 5 star. However what made me disappointed, was that it’s supposed to a fine dining location and I found not one, but two large bones in my salmon. But it tasted delicious, I had the salsa verde on the side, and it didn’t need it. Being a fine dining restaurant it is pricey. But the portion is perfect for dining but not taking home any leftovers. I tried a piece of my friend’s chicken and it was cooked perfectly. Didn’t try the salad but my friend said it was delicious.
I also ate the mango crème brûlée, which was light and refreshing and almost made up for the two giant salmon bones.
If those bones were the small little pink bones I would’ve been more ok.
But the manager came by and apologized and took the meal off. But the annoying part of it is they made it so awkward with over apologizing. It was nice to get the meal off, it was nice that they acknowledged and apologized. But it wasn’t any of their faults, the server or the manager. It was whoever prepped the fish that day. So one time is perfect and any more is just awkward… I had no idea what to say in response, so I tried to smile instead.
I thought they came at good intervals for water, although I hate if we need to ask for water ourselves they lose a point. And then loss another for the over apologizing.
But other than that it was a lovely dinner with two awesome friends and we found it enjoyable for the most part.
Maybe I will give it another shot another day, but for now I’m going to leave it at 3 stars, since I can’t do half points… I really feel like it is more like 3.5 but 4 is too much.
Pictures will be added as well

I’ve been to so many restaurants but for some reason I never made it to The Top of Waikiki so I thought that I’d check them out. Unfortunately I was disappointed :(
We were seated quickly but once we were seated we waited a long time before anyone stopped by our table and it wasn’t even busy.
I ordered an ice tea and I didn’t think that you could mess up ice tea until that night. My ice tea was watery, it was light brown so I knew that it wasn’t just plain water but that’s what it tasted like.
As we were sitting there it felt like they cranked up the AC, I was surprised because the sun was going down.
My experience wasn’t going very well and if I looked out for too long I got dizzy (the restaurant rotates)
My bf and I decided to end our visit and have dinner somewhere else, so I can’t review the food. My review is based on service and atmosphere. On a positive note they validate parking so parking was free and that’s rare in Waikiki. Maybe we’ll give them another try but not anytime in the near future.

The prices have gone up a little, but between the view, the food, and the fantastic cocktails, Top of Waikiki still ranks among the best happy hours in Waikiki!
So instead of being half off, the cocktails are about $ 7 during happy hour, which is still pretty great for the area, not to mention the happy hour is 4:30 — 6:30 every day, including weekends! They also have fewer appetizer options on special than a few years ago, but there is still enough for a snack or to make a decent light meal out of.
One drawback is that the drink service can be pretty slow, especially during happy hour. I’ve only ever seen a maximum of 3 bartenders making drinks not just for the packed bar area, but also the large dining area, maybe due to the weird shape and logistics of the bar. It can get pretty crazy, especially during the last 30 minutes of happy hour as more people start to sit down for dinner service. There is definitely room for improvement on the speediness of the service, perhaps with a dedicated station and an additional bartender for tables. That being said, the bartenders are extremely friendly and welcoming, and the food comes out pretty darn quickly.
Of course, I can’t write a review of this restaurant without mentioning the amazing 360 degree views of Waikiki. Sure, it’s not the same as being on the beach, but the happy hour is perfect to take in the view from a different perspective, in a classier setting, with great and reasonably priced drinks. Dinner is a little pricey here for what you get, but the happy hour is right in the sweet spot.

As new residents of Oahu, we’re still doing some of the touristy things while we still can get away with them. We’re growing more and more tired with the traffic and drama of Honolulu so when we do make it down there, it’s gotta be for something special. One of those days was to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary.
We made a reservation about a week in advance, and were called with a reminder the day before and a note about the dress code, which I took as a good sign. We had a hard time finding parking because they didn’t have any clear signage for their lot, and didn’t tell us where to go on the phone. We finally got to the restaurant, and were seated after waiting in the lobby for 15 minutes past our seating time, which ticked me off, but I was trying to remain positive.
Our immediate first impression at being seated was a server walk by and say «OH NO DON’T SIT THERE, NO!» and walked off. The hostess laughed awkwardly and told us to ignore him and that he was a «jokester.» Turns out, this fine fellow was our waiter.
We placed an order for our drinks and an appetizer, and waited as the dining room took a slow turn about the area. For 180 degrees, you have a gorgeous view of the Waikiki beach, Diamondhead, and beyond. The other 180 degrees are nasty congested city, traffic, and high-​rises. Thankfully, I had my darling husband with me to look at, and he is truly more beautiful than anything Hawaii has to offer anyway.
After a 35 minute wait, we finally got our drinks, a glass of Brut Cava for me and a Basil Gimlet for him, and then we waited an additional 20 minutes for our 6-​Layer Dip starter ($ 14). The appetizer was decent, but waiting 55 minutes for food is absurd. The waiter came by a few times and completely avoided us, meanwhile literally every table around us had their meals.
Finally after an hour and 35 minute wait, we got our dishes. The waiter apologized and said he was sweating it, thinking he or someone else forgot our orders, but we were so hungry, we didn’t care what he was saying. I got the Braised Maitake Steaks over Farro Risotto ($ 26), and he got the Ginger Pesto Monchong ($ 28). Mine was completely rushed and under cooked, and his was ok, but not spectacular.
When the waiter came by to ask how things were, I told him mine was not cooked completely, so he rushed away and got the manager. She begged to have the kitchen make us another entrée, but with the wait and service we already went through, we had no desire to sit through another wait for even dessert. She took the entrée off the bill. but it was still such a mess.
We did get photos taken by the roving restaurant photographer, but they were over-​processed and blotchy so we didn’t buy them. Food is ok when done properly, but with the service and wait, this is a no-​go for me. If you must, make sure to eat first and bring a cute date!

Most places with the best views don’t have the best food. And that’s OK. I mean, I wouldn’t be mad if the food was out of this world along with the view… but I get it. That doesn’t often happen.
I’m so fortunate to get to visit Oah’u for work, as well as for pleasure. I always stay in Waikiki, and I always visit Top of Waikiki promptly at 4:30pm when it opens. It allows you to get a front row table or bar seat of choice to enjoy the rotating restaurant view of the coast and the city. Oddly, perhaps, is that I think that the inland view from the Top of Waikiki is the what I love most. Many places only look at the coast. Top of Waikiki gives it all to you. And I want it all. That total 360 of this beautiful island paradise. It is utterly beautiful. It is the most peaceful, gorgeous way to enjoy a happy hour.
Best of all is you can start indoors and then hop down a floor, and enjoy the outdoor lounge bar too.
I’m headed back next month and can’t wait for another visit!

It’s been decades since we’ve dined at the Top of Waikīkī but we decided to play tourist to celebrate my husband’s birthday. We made our dining reservations through Open Table and were pleased that we managed to also get 1000 points towards our dine. The Top of Waikīkī is Hawai’i’s only revolving restaurant and it offers a 360-​degree panoramic view of Waikīkī and surrounding Honolulu. Don’t worry about getting motion sickness in this SLOWLY revolving restaurant as it completes one rotation per hour.
Getting into Waikīkī wasn’t too bad on a weekday evening by 6:15 PM and we were able to get a validated parking space in the Waikīkī Business Plaza. We ascended up in the elevator to the 18^th floor, exited and took an escalator up to the 19^th floor where the SKY Lounge and Restaurant’s outdoor patio opens out to overlook Waikīkī. Then, up another set of escalators to the Top of Waikīkī.
We met with the hostesses who promptly escorted us up to the 2^nd tier of the dining room. Our server, Matt, came by quickly after we were seated and mentioned to us that Happy Hour was still being served but was about to end within a few minutes. We quickly ordered our appetizer, calamari fritti that was served with a spicy aioli along with our beverages before HH ended. The tender calamari had a nice crisp breading that held on to the calamari even when bit into.
THE FOOD:
— Beet, Avocado and Goat Cheese Salad: We shared this salad that was composed of roasted local beets and ume, avocado mousse, Ho Farms tomatoes and Hawaii Island Goat Dairy goat cheese croquettes. This salad was a nice combination of textures and temperatures. The light tartness and creaminess of the warm goat cheese melded well with the semi-​soft cooked beet cubes and subtle saltiness of the ume.
— Miso Glazed Rib-​eye with Rappini Chimichurri: My husband was served a BONELESS 16 oz tender, medium-​rare rib-​eye steak that was glazed with Seikyo miso and Yuzu Kusho. It was topped with locally-​sourced Rappini that the chef used as a Chimichurri sauce. Beneath the steak was stir-​fried vegetables that made that steak appear even larger. I tried a slice of that steak and it was so well-​marbled that it «cut like butter»!
— Kurobuta Pork Chop: This chop was another «Flintstones» sized portion. It was a 100% Berkshire pork chop (double-​cut) crusted with mango chutney and macadamia nuts with Kabocha-​mascarpone purée. There was a bed of roasted vegetables in an apple-​curry glaze. That pork chop was so flavorful, tender and succulent. Wahoo! This was a highlight to Hawaiian Regional cuisine for me.
–Chocolate Cremeux Semi-​Freddo: As stuffed as we were, we ended our celebration by sharing this rich dessert. Who could resist a cocoa semifreddo layered with milk chocolate cremeux, dark chocolate and Hawaiian sea salt caramel? It was rich yet, light to the palate.
As the restaurant seating revolved, we enjoyed the gorgeous views of Waikīkī, the sunset and Pacific Ocean and back into the mountain side neighborhoods. We completed 2 revolutions and was about to start a third as we ROLLED off our seats.
We were charmed by the restaurant hospitality of Top of Waikīkī and impressed with Chef Lance Kosaka’s Hawaiian Regional Cuisine. ToW is a romantic, scenic restaurant that is worth your time to try for a special occasion.
#527

Impressed. Top of Waikiki has come a long way! Recently they changed up their menu, they have a great Chef and heard they have new mixed drinks. They do not disappoint!
Our entire family went there for Christmas dinner and everything was top notch. The service was perfect, the appetizers (shrimp and spicy asian pizza) was FULL of flavor! We all ordered different entrees from steak, salmon, Onaga and cioppino. The cioppino was PERFECT!!! I wish I could eat that every night!!! The tomato sauce was devine and even though it was served with rice, I didn’t need it at all! The steak was so tender and cooked so perfectly that I almost thought we were at Ruth Chris!
Thoroughly impressed by Top of Waikiki. They have come a long ways and truly deserve the 5 stars for service, quality and presentation.

A group of friends and I came here on a Saturday night for a surprise birthday dinner for a friend of ours. We had a table of 8 reserved for 8pm.
The parking lot designated for Top of Waikiki was full so we parked the next garage over for $ 15 flat rate. Little did we know, the restaurant will validate if you park in the parking garage across which we didn’t know of. But validation is only valid til midnight there so you’d have to plan accordingly on time.
It’s a revolving restaurant that takes about an hour to go around a whole 360. It may not seem like you’re moving at first but it slowly turns when you notice it standing up or staring at the window around. But I would suggest not doing so as it may make you nauseous or motion sickness when you start thinking about it. It overlooks the city view lights as you revolve around. The view was alright maybe perhaps it’ll look better when you’re dining during sunset. Nothing spectacular about it in my opinion but it’s nice change of setting for a dinner with a view.
When we arrived to our table, we started off with waters and drinks before we looked through the menu. This is a fine dining restaurant so expect higher prices here for food and alcohol. I took one of the least expensive white wine under the pink category that I saw for $ 7. It was a good sweet wine Zinfandel but nothing special that you can’t get out of the same from a $ 5 bottle of barefoot in the stores.
For dinner, I decided to go with the Panko and Bacon Crusted Ahi. It seemed like a new item as I haven’t seen it on any Unilocal pictures and the menu differed from last year. Wanted to try something different as it was also recommended by the waiter to my friend. While we waited for our dinner, we were offered fresh bread. I wish though they had offered a basket up front for us to eat since we waited so long that we kept on asking for bread to munch on which was probably the only best thing I ate of the night. It was limited to one bread per person at a time and even then we had to hunt down a server for it.
After more than half an hour, I was beginning to lose my appetite. Then over an hour later our food finally arrives. I was served the Panko Ahi and I totally just lost my appetite after seeing how small the portion was considering how long we waited. Took a bite into it and was disappointed at how bland it tasted. The tomatoes and small pieces of potato hidden under the ahi gave it a little more taste the 2^nd bite together. But the more I tried to like it, I was just not satisfied and could not even finish the dish. For $ 30 it’s not worth it. Something that tasted like it came from Costco and not a quality served course dish as expected from a high priced restaurant.
Whatever I had of the ahi was not sitting in my stomach well. My friend also had the same thing and we both agreed at how horrible this dish was. Although he was able to stand eating it more than I could. The server overheard me in my disappointment when discussing it with my friends. And approached me and say «You should have told me that you didn’t like it when I asked how everything was». First of all, I didn’t appreciate how he worded his approach to me and felt that was unprofessional from a business stance. And when he came around to ask how everything was, I was only into my first bite so it’s not like I could give a fair judgement at that moment.
I stated that to him and again he said «you should have… this and that». When he came to check up on us he directly asked each individual how was their specific entrée that they ordered but never asked about my friend and I who both had the ahi so it wasn’t fair for him to say that he asked everyone in general when he told me he did. I know it’s not his fault that we didn’t enjoy the ahi that was served but just they way that he approached the situation was what I didn’t like. And he said they could of switched it out for a different dish if I really didn’t like it but do I really wanna wait another hour for them to make another dish?! Of course not and that’s why I didn’t wanna make it a big deal. I just wanted to leave the dish at that and because of that food experience I may not want to return.
We got the bill and the server had the dish taken off of my bill which I was really thankful for since I barely ate that thing. Extra star to the server who requested from the management that I wouldn’t be billed for it. After a 2 ½ hour dining experience, I was left hungry. Other than that situation, service was good that night from other servers as well with water service and such besides the long awaited food outcome.
At least the positives out of eating here is that we were able to get into Sky Waikiki Night club for free since it was a $ 20 cover as that was our next destination of the night. It’s conveniently located one floor down from the restaurant. The one thing I disliked about this restaurant location is the restrooms are two flights of elevator floors down.