Restaurants near Punahou Square

Had lunch here with the ladies today. It was our first time and we all enjoyed it. We ordered the Biscuits in a bag with jam and the truffle fries for appetizer. Couple ladies tried and loved their cocktail “A Honu World”. For lunch we had the Smashed Burger, prime Rib Moco, Chicken Pot Pie, Fresh Fish Sandwich and their version of the Saimin. Then for dessert we had the bread pudding, coconut lime sorbet, coffee and vanilla ice cream. The sorbet was delicious and refreshing and my fish sandwich was moist and oh so yummy! Our server Dylan ( I’m sorry, I hope I got that right) was helpful and attentive. Service and food are 5 stars!

Food was delicious, and loved the ambiance with the live music, dim lighting, and the restaurant being right next to the ocean. Me and my wife went on Valentine’s Day and we were able to get in right at our reservation time. She had the margarita pizza and I had the ribeye with jalapeño mashed potatoes and Swiss chard. The jalapeño mashed potatoes were incredible and so was the rib eye, which was cooked perfectly medium and tasted better than most nice steak houses I’ve been to. I would always recommend monkey pod to people looking for a good place to eat with a nice environment and setting.

My husband and I went to Ruscello for Valentine's Day and were running late because of heavy traffic. I called the restaurant to let them know we were running late. They were very understanding. I ordered the filet mignon and asked that it be cooked medium. It was cooked perfectly and was tender and delicious.

A friend was in town for only two days and we had missed getting together on her prior visits. I chose Hau Tree lanai for brunch and it was perfect. She liked the choices on the menu and the ocean just outside. The food, service and ambiance were their usual best. My favorite restaurant for 20 or more years and am always impressed.

Overall we had a great experience. We were seated quickly after arriving, our server greeted us, brought us water, took drink orders, went over specials, and got our order taken. The timing of everything was great. We got our drinks, our appetizer came out shortly after, and our food came out shortly after we finished the appetizer. Everything was delicious. The staff was very friendly and great throughout the whole dinner. We’d definitely come back. We would just note to be seated inside next time. The street noise was a little loud for our liking, but not enough to ruin the experience.