Knots Coffee Roasters. at Queen Kapiolani Hotel | Waikiki / Honolulu | Café
150 Kapahulu Ave, Honolulu
(808) 931-4482
Recent Reviews
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Wonderful drinks!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s the cutest little coffee shop and super convenient to have right at our hotel. Glad we had it while we stayed here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We celebrated our wedding at the Queen Kapiʻolani in May, and wow… what an incredible experience! 🌺
Our weekend kicked off with the most amazing welcome party at Knott’s Coffee — Courtney coordinated every detail perfectly! It was the ideal way to set the tone for the celebration ahead. She worked closely with Shannon and the events team to help bring our reception vision to life across the Leah Room and Lanai, and everything came together beautifully.
Our guests are still raving about the hotel, the service, and the overall vibe. Queen Kapiʻolani wasn’t just our venue — it truly became the heart of our celebration. We couldn’t have asked for a better team to help us create the wedding of our dreams.
Mahalo to everyone who made it happen — we’re forever grateful! 💛
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It was great!! I had the burrito and the only thing that kinda killed it for me was that when I got up to grab ketchup a pigeon ate the rest of my burrito 😭
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Definitely a vibey spot. Ordered a macadamia nut latte / they were out of the syrup. Ordered a banana toast to eat and they were out of bananas. Breakfast burritos and sandwiches were microwaved. Food and coffee were greatly lacking and don’t know if atmosphere makes up for it. Food comes in to go containers only.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 3
I had a wonderful stay at the Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel in Honolulu! The location couldn’t be better—just a short stroll from Waikiki Beach, making our family vacation truly unforgettable. The hotel thoughtfully provides beach towels, chairs, and umbrellas, which made our beach days effortless and relaxing. The valet parking was fast, convenient, and efficient, and every staff member we met was warm, helpful, and genuinely welcoming. Their exceptional service made all the difference. I highly recommend this hotel to anyone visiting Honolulu for a comfortable, stress-free beach getaway!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service was fine. Fast and friendly. I was there (along with 15 other people) before they opened and waiting for the place to open. - basically everyone who’s gonna visit this café is operating on a different time zone at least three hours earlier than this open time.
Even though the three young ladies who were working, there were friendly and worked hard once the place opened, for about 15 minutes before it opened they were clearly just sitting behind the counter on their phones. I get it the place wasn’t open, but it was kind of a bad look. And then when I sat down at a table to have Breakfast and coffee, I thought they could’ve at least used that time that they were sitting to clean the tables which were pretty dirty and in fact the entire lobby area needed a good cleaning, the chairs, and the tables all need to be wiped down.
That’s said, The cold brew was fantastic as was the salmon with salmon lox.
Interestingly, I didn’t find Wi-Fi available except for the hotel which I couldn’t access because I wasn’t a guest at the hotel. I was just visiting the coffee shop, not a guest at that hotel.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
Cute and warm vibes here. Nice to read books, or work!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I personally would choose drip coffee/ Americano over their latte drinks. I tried a fall special today and did not want to finish it. I am curious about their food like their banana toast (good prices). I'll come back and try it out! They carry local granola and kombucha drinks which is convenient. Knots uses premium matcha which is a plus, I've tried it iced. A relaxing sit down place early morning or afternoon. They close at 4pm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Our family went here every morning of our vacation! We really enjoyed the coffee and food. Their Açaí bowls were delicious!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great coffee, excellent açaí bowls!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cute spot
The açaí bowl was so tasty, perfect size to mee, not too small, not too big, perfect amount of sweetness and great environment, also the açaí was made with real açaí pulp not any dyes
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Well managed! When I encountered a snag in service, it was promptly delt with.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The barista spent nearly five minutes preparing my matcha, whisking the ceremonial green powder with the focused intensity of a tea master. This wasn't Starbucks efficiency—it was something more deliberate, more reverent. At Knots Coffee Roasters, tucked into the lobby of Queen Kapiolani Hotel, time moves differently.
This is the first international outpost of a Tokyo-based concept, brought to Hawaii in 2018 as part of the hotel's $35 million renovation. Plan Do See, the Japanese hospitality company behind Knots, chose Waikiki's Diamond Head end strategically, positioning themselves away from the tourist crush but close enough to matter.
The payoff becomes clear on the open-air terrace, where guests sip coffee beneath a pergola overlooking Kapiolani Park's canopy of coconut palms and monkey pod trees. It's one of Waikiki's most serene views, a tropical treehouse suspended between urban energy and natural calm. The retro-chic design—wicker peacock chairs meet Japanese minimalism—feels authentically 1970s Hawaii without resorting to kitsch.
The menu reflects serious ambition: $18 cocktails crafted with local Koloa rum and house-made macadamia orgeat, plus an extensive selection featuring Big Island and Maui coffee roasters. The matcha program showcases Japanese precision, though that five-minute wait can test tourist patience.
Service reveals the operation's main weakness. A single barista often handles the entire café, creating bottlenecks that previous reviews consistently mention. For a concept emphasizing Japanese hospitality, the understaffing feels counterproductive.
Pricing reflects hotel-adjacent expectations: $17 açai bowls and $7.50 specialty lattes position Knots firmly in the premium category. The quality generally justifies the cost, but portion sizes can disappoint.
What makes Knots compelling isn't just the coffee—it's the cultural bridge it represents. Japan transformed from a tea nation to a global coffee powerhouse through patient strategy, and this outpost embodies that same thoughtful approach. While central Waikiki pulses with frenetic energy, Knots offers something rarer: a space designed for actual relaxation.
The grab-and-go offerings serve hotel guests efficiently, while the cocktail program transitions the space from morning café to evening bar. It's an ambitious multi-concept execution that mostly succeeds.
Knots Coffee Roasters works best for those seeking refuge from Waikiki's intensity rather than amplification of it. The view alone—impossible for competitors to replicate—creates an unassailable competitive advantage. Yes, you'll wait longer for your drink, and yes, you'll pay more. But settling into that terrace with properly prepared matcha, watching palm fronds sway against an azure sky, the pace feels exactly right.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
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