The Christmas season is such a special time to visit and dine in Waikiki. Most restaurants are open on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Many of them offer special menus to celebrate the holiday.
To help you find where to dine for your Christmas holiday, this page lists the restaurants that are typically open for Christmas Eve and or Christmas Day in and around Waikiki Beach. As the Christmas season approaches, we’ll aim to update this page and link to special menus.
As you check out the websites for these restaurants, if you find one that looks particularly interesting to you, we recommend that you book a reservation with that restaurant as quickly as possible. Many restaurants start to book up by early to mid-December.
Waikiki Restaurants for dinner on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day
The following Waikiki restaurants are typically open for Christmas Eve and or Christmas Day. We will note if a restaurant has an ocean view as it’s always extra nice to have a lovely view with your dinner.
- Basalt Waikiki at the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel
- Chart House – This restaurant has harbor/ocean views.
- The Edge of Waikiki restaurant at the Sheraton Waikiki – This restaurant is oceanfront.
- House Without A Key at the Halekulani – This restaurant has lovely ocean views.
- Shor at Hyatt Regency Waikiki Beach – This restaurant has ocean views.
- 100 Sails Restaurant at Prince Waikiki – This restaurant has harbor/ocean views.
- Quiora Waikiki at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach – This restaurant has distant ocean views.
- Bali Oceanfront at the Hilton Hawaiian Village – This restaurant has ocean views.
- Pesca Waikiki Beach at the top of the Ilikai – This restaurant has outstanding views of Waikiki.
- Umi by Vikram Garg at the Halepuna Waikiki
- Azure Restaurant at the Royal Hawaiian – This restaurant has a beautiful oceanfront setting.
- Monkeypod Kitchen at Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach Resort – This restaurant has great ocean/beach views.
- Hula Grill Waikiki at Outrigger Waikiki Resort usually has a special meal or at least a special entree for holidays. This restaurant is at a great location with oceanfront views. It is one of our favorite restaurants in Waikiki. Hula Grill Waikiki is a good value for Waikiki and will fully book before Christmas.
- Duke’s Waikiki at Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort usually either has a special menu or buffet for holidays. This restaurant has a great location and oceanfront setting. Menu prices are also a good value for Waikiki. It will be fully booked before Christmas.
- Tropics Bar & Grill at the Hilton Hawaiian Village usually has special Christmas menu items. This restaurant is beachfront.
- Deck at Queen Kapiolani Waikiki Beach – This restaurant has neat views of Diamond Head.
- Sansei Seafood Restaurant and Sushi Bar Waikiki at the Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort.
- Tiki’s Grill & Bar at the Twin Fin Hotel – This restaurant has ocean views.
- Stripsteak Waikiki at the International Market Place
- Ruth Chris at Waikiki Beach Walk
Restaurants near Waikiki for Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day Dinner
- Hau Tree Lanai at the Kaimana Beach Hotel – This restaurant is beach front with great ocean views.
- 53 By the Sea, located near Kaka’ako Waterfront Park in Honolulu – This restaurant is ocean front.
- Michel’s at the Colony Surf at the foot of Diamond Head is a top restaurant with great ocean front views.
Luau options for Christmas
Enjoying the food and pageantry of a luau can be a fun way to celebrate the holiday season.
Note that the following luau companies were in operation for Christmas 2023. They will need to be verified for 2024.
Luau options in Waikiki
- Queens Waikiki Luau at International Market Place in the heart of Waikiki hosts their luau on Christmas Eve. Pricing starts at $109 for adults. They have three seating options – Front Row Seating, Middle Row Seating and Back Row Seating.
- Waikiki Starlight Luau at the Hilton Hawaiian Village offers their luau on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Pricing starts at $235 per adult and $140.25 per child.
- Aha Aina, A Royal Hawaiian Luau presents a Christmas Day Luau on their oceanfront lawn. It is now sold out for 2023.
Luau options near Waikiki and/or with optional transportation
- Aloha Kai Luau at Sea Life Park presents a Holiday Luau Package . As previously mentioned, this luau is outside of Waikiki. It’s about a 30 – 45 minute drive. If you don’t have a rental car, they offer transportation for an additional fee. (Added 12/13)
- Ka Moana at the historic Aloha Tower offers their luau on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Transportation from Waikiki can be provided for an additional fee. For their top-of-the-line experience, check out their Celebrity Seating. (Added 12/16)
Waikiki Special Christmas Breakfasts and/or Brunches
The following restaurants that may have special Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day Brunches
Breakfast/Brunch Restaurants In Waikiki
- Basalt Waikiki at the Hyatt Centric Waikiki Beach Hotel
- Bali Oceanfront at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
- The Veranda at the Moana Surfrider
- Quiora Waikiki at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach
- 100 Sails Restaurant at Prince Waikiki
- Orchids at the Halekulani
Breakfast/Brunch Restaurants near, but not in Waikiki
- 53 By the Sea, located near Kaka’ako Waterfront Park in Honolulu
Notes:
- Bear in mind that Christmas is a very busy time in Waikiki. Though a restaurant may have ocean views, not every table will have a direct ocean view. For the best possible view, try to make your reservation for as close to the time that the restaurant opens. Waikiki sunset around the week of Christmas is between 5:55pm and 6:00pm.
- For last minute dinner reservations, check availability with OpenTable. It’s not a comprehensive list of Oahu restaurants, but it can help if you’re trying to find reservations at the last minute.
