We ordered the tasting menu. We frequent fine dining establishments and were really looking forward to trying this one.
We ended up being pretty disappointed. The first few courses were mediocre, the lobster dish was lovely, and the steak was nice too.. but the others were lacking in terms of flavor balance and just did not impress us much.
We ordered plain room service for dinner the next night, and enjoyed that meal quite a bit more. If I am going to drop $1000 on a dinner, I want it to knock my socks off.
Fantastic service and location - We really enjoyed the atmosphere and wait staff. Just didn't really care for the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Maksym Svitlynets
An unforgettable dining experience! La Mer exceeded all my expectations. The service was absolutely unbelievable — attentive, friendly, and truly made us feel special from the moment we arrived. The food was fantastic, full of flavor and beautifully presented. And the atmosphere? Simply unforgettable — elegant, warm, and perfect for a memorable evening. I can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sylvia Li
The two stars are for the service — our server, Lawrance, who was super nice and professional. I celebrated my birthday at La Mer in December with my husband. I ordered lobster, abalone, and scallops, and the dishes tasted good. However, about an hour after we finished dinner and returned to our hotel, I began to experience severe stomach pain and started vomiting badly — not once, but twice. It felt like my stomach was rejecting the food I had eaten. I vomited my entire meal, and although I felt better afterward, the stomach pain continued during the night. We had informed the restaurant of my allergies to oysters and sea urchin, and I did not order any of those items. I eat lobster, abalone, and scallops frequently and have never experienced this kind of reaction before. As a high-end fine dining restaurant, they should handle food — especially seafood — much more carefully. We contacted the restaurant manager the next day. He apologized and offered complimentary small bites & dessert if we dined there again. However, after such an awful experience, I doubt that I will return. My husband and I are passionate food lovers and enjoy exploring restaurants around the world, from North America to Asia and Europe. I continued to eat seafood—such as lobster and prawns—during the remainder of our trip in Hawaii without any issues. This was the first time I had ever experienced something like this, especially at a high-end fine dining restaurant. It was truly unbelievable.
We came here for a special engagement celebration, and the whole evening felt beautifully thoughtful. Gen, our server, guided us through each dish with such care and explained the chef’s vision like she was letting us in on a secret. The duck breast was rich (mine was a bit on the firm side), and the fish with its crackling, hot-oil-kissed skin was melt-in-your-mouth unforgettable. Even the simple things , like the seaweed-infused tableside bread as it felt unique and magical. It was such a memorable meal, start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mika
It’s the best French restaurant I have ever had in Honolulu( or US)! Beautiful representations, elegant environment, super nice service , and 100 authentic food. Very worthwhile to spend a chill night with your loved ones here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Degree Symbol
It is the best experience I have ever had! Thank you for everything
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J. Medeiros
A travesty Michelin still doesn’t inspect in Hawai’i; this is a deserving restaurant. AAA five diamond and Forbes don’t do it justice. It is a primarily a prix fixe restaurant, but everything is available à la carte. The setting upstairs, on the beach, in a plantation style dining room with Hawaiian music wafting up through the veranda windows from the luau below. The full service is impeccable. The food is innovative, full of tastes and textures, done to perfection. There is a full bar, and excellent wine list.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Amuse Bouche
Varsha Mathur
Absolutely one of the best French tasting menus we have ever had! The Island ingredients added so much interest. The best of everything was served. No words would do es h dish justice. The entire staff was trained to perfection and created a welcoming, fun and sophisticated experience. The setting is everything you would want from an elevated dining experience in Honolulu. We cannot wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kartier
Best fine dining in Honolulu…and all of Hawaii. We got the full 8 course meal and it was worth it, it was such a unique experience that I did not feel like I could get anywhere else. Dishes were thoughtful unique and well crafted. Delicious 😋 and I loved the wine choices. The cocktail was so smooth and flavorful. I will credit them for top notch service too
PLEASE read their attire policy so that you aren’t turned down
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Albert Sanchez
A somewhat beautiful experience. I have been in the gastronomy industry for 22 years. I have never been told that I could not partake in the tasting menu because my wife and daughters were not ordering the tasting menu as well. What are we trying to pull here?🤔 No fault to the waiter(s) who was(were) nothing short of amicable and accommodating. However, I just felt that my family was being pressured into ordering the more expensive menu. I am fully aware of the workings of a kitchen brigade and it makes it easier for everyone to order a tasting menu so that there isn't that awkward waiting on the one person or people that did want it. I mean, it was my 40th birthday, guys. It was all I wanted. I will not be returning. Your servers saved the experience. God Bless you all. 🙏🏼
It was great, the food was really good the service also, we just wish the menu would specify that the 8 courses menu is 300+ something for each person. The way they told it we thought it was for 2 people and when the bill arrived we were surprised to see it was 700+$… Other than that they don’t accept kids, but the athmpsphere is nice service is great. The dishes are good but a bit of too many sweet dishes would be better to try different flavours other than sweet as only the last dish before the Desert (the meat) is salty, all of the other dishes are all with sweet sauces. It takes 2 hr.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Scott Shiigi
The Halekulani is our favorite hotel on Waikiki Beach and we have been wanting to dine at La Mer for many years. I wish we did not wait so long. Wow, what an amazing journey that Mark and the chef took us on! We tried the Menu Degustation with wine pairings and were blown away! The setting next to the ocean paired with the beautiful Hawaiian music from House Without a Key also made for a wonderful experience. Mark and everyone there was very kind, welcoming and made our celebration memorable on our last night (and a great way to culminate two awesome weeks)! We definitely want to dine again and while it is a perfect special occasion place, we want to relive the experience the next time we are in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ani S
We had dinner at La Mer and it was excellent. Elegant atmosphere, attentive service, and truly delicious food. A truly special experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin Poulin
Beautiful experience ! Fine food, great service and the view is incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ryan Steel
First men this place requires pants. Shorts are a no go Food presentation was immaculate. Service impeccable. This was my first time at a french restaurant and have to say not impressed with the flavors or textures. First course all one note, Soft and slimy. The caviar was the best part of the dish. The second and third courses were ok. The duck was raw even though it was supposed to be medium. And they supplied a butter knife to cut it. Didn't work well. I will sau the black garlic paired noce with the duck. Fish was nice and flaky but not much flavor.
We ordered the tasting menu. We frequent fine dining establishments and were really looking forward to trying this one.
We ended up being pretty disappointed. The first few courses were mediocre, the lobster dish was lovely, and the steak was nice too.. but the others were lacking in terms of flavor balance and just did not impress us much.
We ordered plain room service for dinner the next night, and enjoyed that meal quite a bit more. If I am going to drop $1000 on a dinner, I want it to knock my socks off.
Fantastic service and location - We really enjoyed the atmosphere and wait staff. Just didn't really care for the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
An unforgettable dining experience!
La Mer exceeded all my expectations. The service was absolutely unbelievable — attentive, friendly, and truly made us feel special from the moment we arrived. The food was fantastic, full of flavor and beautifully presented. And the atmosphere? Simply unforgettable — elegant, warm, and perfect for a memorable evening. I can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The two stars are for the service — our server, Lawrance, who was super nice and professional. I celebrated my birthday at La Mer in December with my husband. I ordered lobster, abalone, and scallops, and the dishes tasted good. However, about an hour after we finished dinner and returned to our hotel, I began to experience severe stomach pain and started vomiting badly — not once, but twice. It felt like my stomach was rejecting the food I had eaten. I vomited my entire meal, and although I felt better afterward, the stomach pain continued during the night.
We had informed the restaurant of my allergies to oysters and sea urchin, and I did not order any of those items. I eat lobster, abalone, and scallops frequently and have never experienced this kind of reaction before. As a high-end fine dining restaurant, they should handle food — especially seafood — much more carefully.
We contacted the restaurant manager the next day. He apologized and offered complimentary small bites & dessert if we dined there again. However, after such an awful experience, I doubt that I will return. My husband and I are passionate food lovers and enjoy exploring restaurants around the world, from North America to Asia and Europe. I continued to eat seafood—such as lobster and prawns—during the remainder of our trip in Hawaii without any issues. This was the first time I had ever experienced something like this, especially at a high-end fine dining restaurant. It was truly unbelievable.
Recommended dishes: Poached Lobster, Soufflé Vanille
We came here for a special engagement celebration, and the whole evening felt beautifully thoughtful. Gen, our server, guided us through each dish with such care and explained the chef’s vision like she was letting us in on a secret. The duck breast was rich (mine was a bit on the firm side), and the fish with its crackling, hot-oil-kissed skin was melt-in-your-mouth unforgettable. Even the simple things , like the seaweed-infused tableside bread as it felt unique and magical. It was such a memorable meal, start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s the best French restaurant I have ever had in Honolulu( or US)! Beautiful representations, elegant environment, super nice service , and 100 authentic food.
Very worthwhile to spend a chill night with your loved ones here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It is the best experience I have ever had! Thank you for everything
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A travesty Michelin still doesn’t inspect in Hawai’i; this is a deserving restaurant. AAA five diamond and Forbes don’t do it justice. It is a primarily a prix fixe restaurant, but everything is available à la carte. The setting upstairs, on the beach, in a plantation style dining room with Hawaiian music wafting up through the veranda windows from the luau below. The full service is impeccable. The food is innovative, full of tastes and textures, done to perfection. There is a full bar, and excellent wine list.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Amuse Bouche
Absolutely one of the best French tasting menus we have ever had! The Island ingredients added so much interest. The best of everything was served. No words would do es h dish justice. The entire staff was trained to perfection and created a welcoming, fun and sophisticated experience. The setting is everything you would want from an elevated dining experience in Honolulu. We cannot wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best fine dining in Honolulu…and all of Hawaii. We got the full 8 course meal and it was worth it, it was such a unique experience that I did not feel like I could get anywhere else. Dishes were thoughtful unique and well crafted. Delicious 😋 and I loved the wine choices. The cocktail was so smooth and flavorful. I will credit them for top notch service too
PLEASE read their attire policy so that you aren’t turned down
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A somewhat beautiful experience. I have been in the gastronomy industry for 22 years. I have never been told that I could not partake in the tasting menu because my wife and daughters were not ordering the tasting menu as well. What are we trying to pull here?🤔 No fault to the waiter(s) who was(were) nothing short of amicable and accommodating. However, I just felt that my family was being pressured into ordering the more expensive menu. I am fully aware of the workings of a kitchen brigade and it makes it easier for everyone to order a tasting menu so that there isn't that awkward waiting on the one person or people that did want it. I mean, it was my 40th birthday, guys. It was all I wanted. I will not be returning. Your servers saved the experience. God Bless you all. 🙏🏼
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
It was great, the food was really good the service also, we just wish the menu would specify that the 8 courses menu is 300+ something for each person. The way they told it we thought it was for 2 people and when the bill arrived we were surprised to see it was 700+$…
Other than that they don’t accept kids, but the athmpsphere is nice service is great. The dishes are good but a bit of too many sweet dishes would be better to try different flavours other than sweet as only the last dish before the Desert (the meat) is salty, all of the other dishes are all with sweet sauces. It takes 2 hr.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
The Halekulani is our favorite hotel on Waikiki Beach and we have been wanting to dine at La Mer for many years. I wish we did not wait so long. Wow, what an amazing journey that Mark and the chef took us on! We tried the Menu Degustation with wine pairings and were blown away! The setting next to the ocean paired with the beautiful Hawaiian music from House Without a Key also made for a wonderful experience. Mark and everyone there was very kind, welcoming and made our celebration memorable on our last night (and a great way to culminate two awesome weeks)! We definitely want to dine again and while it is a perfect special occasion place, we want to relive the experience the next time we are in town.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had dinner at La Mer and it was excellent. Elegant atmosphere, attentive service, and truly delicious food. A truly special experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Beautiful experience ! Fine food, great service and the view is incredible.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First men this place requires pants. Shorts are a no go Food presentation was immaculate. Service impeccable. This was my first time at a french restaurant and have to say not impressed with the flavors or textures. First course all one note, Soft and slimy. The caviar was the best part of the dish. The second and third courses were ok. The duck was raw even though it was supposed to be medium. And they supplied a butter knife to cut it. Didn't work well. I will sau the black garlic paired noce with the duck. Fish was nice and flaky but not much flavor.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Loading...