My husband and I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton for my 40th birthday and hosted a dinner for ten friends at Quiora.
To start with the positives: our server, Kennedy, was wonderful. He was warm, attentive, and offered great recommendations for the table. We especially enjoyed the arancini, ahi dip, uni pasta, and horchata trifle. Those were standouts. A few friends who ordered the pappardelle felt it could have used more seasoning, but overall the food was solid.
However, there were several aspects that were frustrating. I don’t mind paying higher prices at a luxury property, but I was surprised by the extra fees that appeared on our bill. For example, there was a $6 “martini upcharge” added to each $16 martini. Since we ordered several, it would have been helpful to be informed of this beforehand. We were also charged $6 each for sides of sauce and Parmesan cheese, which felt excessive. Ultimately, the total came out to over $150 per person, and the value didn’t match that price point.
We also encountered issues prior to our reservation. We originally booked for nine guests and asked to add one more when a friend flew in to surprise me. The restaurant told us that increasing the party size meant we would need to submit everyone’s orders in advance. I didn’t want to ask my guests to do that, especially for just one additional person. The back-and-forth over this became more frustrating than it needed to be, and honestly made me regret choosing the restaurant. Had I not put down a deposit I would have tried to change the venue at this point. When we arrived, the staff still seemed flustered that our party size had changed, which didn’t create a welcoming atmosphere.
For the level of pricing and the setting, I expected a more accommodating and seamless experience. A simple “We’ll take care of that for you” would have gone a long way.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Vince Leong
Great views with great food and awesome service from all the staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
KEN TATEISHI
Quiora has a wonderful view, our waiter Ian Martin was awesome. He had great recommendations, and they were all delicious. We will definitely go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stacie Maeda
I appreciate the customer service response from this review.
We went for restaurant week and got the wine pairing and non alcoholic drink pairing as well. The main dishes were mediocre at best. We went on a pretty rainy and windy night, so I can’t knock them too much for the atmosphere, since it’s outdoor dining. However, there was odd music choice. It was weird clubbing music, which just didn’t match the vibe. On to the food. We tried all the pastas on the restaurant week menu. The clam pasta was so salty and the other two were so bland! The salad and the earl grey tiramisu were honestly the best parts of the meal. The alcoholic drink pairings were fine, but our waiter didn’t even tell us what kind of wine or any information on the wine itself. He just sat it down and walked away. Same with the non alcoholic drinks. He kind of mumbled something for the first drink and just walked away after setting down the last two. The second juice was so sour it was like they squeezed all the lemons in the world in that glass. Finally my last drink was a coffee, but I have no idea if it was caffeinated or not. Service was not great. One waiter explained the food, but if it was our main server, he didn’t. It was hard to flag someone down to ask questions as well. Overall, would not go back, would not take leftovers (but we did and tried to add more flavor it them), and would not recommend. No pictures were taken, I just wanted to leave. Oh and the bill was expensive for such a junk time.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Jimmy Brown
Our recent dinner at Quiora in the Ritz-Carlton fell short of the high expectations. While the service was attentive and the ambiance hi-end, the food delivered only what I would expect from mediocre restaurants - at a close to premium cost. We chose the Wagyu ribeye ($85) and lamb pappardelle ($50), along with a side of Crispy Pee Wee potatoes ($18)—the potatoes never arrived (taken off of bill). Both mains suffered from a lack of seasoning; we had to request salt from our server. The ribeye raised serious doubts about its claimed Wagyu or ribeye. It lacked the marbling and deckle cap expected of a true ribeye, appearing less marbled than a standard supermarket cut (photos attached for reference). Texturally, it was disappointingly tough rather than the juicy, unctuous experience one anticipates from a wagyu. For $85, even if it were genuine Wagyu, this would represent a low-grade example at best. The handmade pappardelle showed promise but failed in execution. The noodles arrived clumped and sticky, requiring manual separation. Maybe in the attached video you may noticed that the sauce was not coated evenly. Where the sauce did adhere, its texture was pleasant, and the lamb itself was tender. However, the overall flavor profile remained bland and under-seasoned. For Quiora we had hi expectations, although we did enjoy thoughtful service, a refined atmosphere, and clear technical skill in pasta-making, we felt that at these price points, the food was “meh”. As it stands, our first and maybe only experience at Quiora was a miss.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Wendy
Service was good and food was excellent. It really turned us off to have a luxury restaurant charge us an extra $3.00 for parmesan cheese for our pasta. That is indicative of a very cheap restaurant not a upper class one!!
Sherise
Our waiter Kevin was very attentive and charming. Wonderful restaurant and the food was out of this world!
Gabriel
Good food, some weird experiences and interactions with staff - seems like poor communication between various staff. But it all worked out okay. View and atmosphere are good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Howard
Should have notice that restaurant is not at street level. Took 20 minutes of circling around to determine that needed to take elevator up to lobby.
Teri
Food was delicious, we had the tasting menu and was well pared with wines. Beautiful views. What was weird was that our party of 3 a very generous gift card, and when it came time to pay, we were told that it was a 3rd party restaurant and not a Ritz Carlton one, and we couldn't use it. Yet this morning on our credit cards, it was billed as Ritz.
Beautiful place. Greatest service. Unfortunately food is definitely not Ritz Carlton's level. As an example, the main course Oxtails is some disappointing - no flavor of pretty chewy (supposed to be melting in the mouth) meat, broccoli is cooked hard (if broccoli combines with that dish at all).
Charles
Lovely setting with city view and ocean . Quiet for anniversary dinner conversation. Somewhat limited selection but good preparation and taste. Acknowledged our anniversary with a dessert treat. Attentive service. Room had a business man feel but suited our needs well.
Khloe
The Bolognese was the best pasta dish I've ever had. You have to order this when you go! View is amazing and very great service.
Jamie Martin
Even though he’s my son, I have to say — Ian brings such genuine aloha to everything he does at Quiora in Waikiki. He’s hardworking, gracious, and makes everyone feel right at home. Watching him care for guests with so much heart and attention makes me so proud — it’s that kind of quiet excellence that stands out. 🌺✨ If you’re dining in Waikiki, do yourself a favor and ask for Ian — you’ll experience service with true island style! The food is amazing too🤙🏽
Wendy Chen
Went to Quiora to celebrate my birthday with my partner and we enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much! It is in the perfect location in Waikiki overlooking the beach and cityscape. And to top it off we had the sweetest and most amazing server Ian who recommended us many great options !
My husband and I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton for my 40th birthday and hosted a dinner for ten friends at Quiora.
To start with the positives: our server, Kennedy, was wonderful. He was warm, attentive, and offered great recommendations for the table. We especially enjoyed the arancini, ahi dip, uni pasta, and horchata trifle. Those were standouts. A few friends who ordered the pappardelle felt it could have used more seasoning, but overall the food was solid.
However, there were several aspects that were frustrating. I don’t mind paying higher prices at a luxury property, but I was surprised by the extra fees that appeared on our bill. For example, there was a $6 “martini upcharge” added to each $16 martini. Since we ordered several, it would have been helpful to be informed of this beforehand. We were also charged $6 each for sides of sauce and Parmesan cheese, which felt excessive. Ultimately, the total came out to over $150 per person, and the value didn’t match that price point.
We also encountered issues prior to our reservation. We originally booked for nine guests and asked to add one more when a friend flew in to surprise me. The restaurant told us that increasing the party size meant we would need to submit everyone’s orders in advance. I didn’t want to ask my guests to do that, especially for just one additional person. The back-and-forth over this became more frustrating than it needed to be, and honestly made me regret choosing the restaurant. Had I not put down a deposit I would have tried to change the venue at this point. When we arrived, the staff still seemed flustered that our party size had changed, which didn’t create a welcoming atmosphere.
For the level of pricing and the setting, I expected a more accommodating and seamless experience. A simple “We’ll take care of that for you” would have gone a long way.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great views with great food and awesome service from all the staff
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Quiora has a wonderful view, our waiter Ian Martin was awesome. He had great recommendations, and they were all delicious. We will definitely go back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I appreciate the customer service response from this review.
We went for restaurant week and got the wine pairing and non alcoholic drink pairing as well.
The main dishes were mediocre at best.
We went on a pretty rainy and windy night, so I can’t knock them too much for the atmosphere, since it’s outdoor dining. However, there was odd music choice. It was weird clubbing music, which just didn’t match the vibe.
On to the food. We tried all the pastas on the restaurant week menu. The clam pasta was so salty and the other two were so bland! The salad and the earl grey tiramisu were honestly the best parts of the meal.
The alcoholic drink pairings were fine, but our waiter didn’t even tell us what kind of wine or any information on the wine itself. He just sat it down and walked away. Same with the non alcoholic drinks. He kind of mumbled something for the first drink and just walked away after setting down the last two. The second juice was so sour it was like they squeezed all the lemons in the world in that glass. Finally my last drink was a coffee, but I have no idea if it was caffeinated or not.
Service was not great. One waiter explained the food, but if it was our main server, he didn’t. It was hard to flag someone down to ask questions as well.
Overall, would not go back, would not take leftovers (but we did and tried to add more flavor it them), and would not recommend.
No pictures were taken, I just wanted to leave.
Oh and the bill was expensive for such a junk time.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
Our recent dinner at Quiora in the Ritz-Carlton fell short of the high expectations. While the service was attentive and the ambiance hi-end, the food delivered only what I would expect from mediocre restaurants - at a close to premium cost.
We chose the Wagyu ribeye ($85) and lamb pappardelle ($50), along with a side of Crispy Pee Wee potatoes ($18)—the potatoes never arrived (taken off of bill). Both mains suffered from a lack of seasoning; we had to request salt from our server.
The ribeye raised serious doubts about its claimed Wagyu or ribeye. It lacked the marbling and deckle cap expected of a true ribeye, appearing less marbled than a standard supermarket cut (photos attached for reference). Texturally, it was disappointingly tough rather than the juicy, unctuous experience one anticipates from a wagyu. For $85, even if it were genuine Wagyu, this would represent a low-grade example at best.
The handmade pappardelle showed promise but failed in execution. The noodles arrived clumped and sticky, requiring manual separation. Maybe in the attached video you may noticed that the sauce was not coated evenly. Where the sauce did adhere, its texture was pleasant, and the lamb itself was tender. However, the overall flavor profile remained bland and under-seasoned.
For Quiora we had hi expectations, although we did enjoy thoughtful service, a refined atmosphere, and clear technical skill in pasta-making, we felt that at these price points, the food was “meh”. As it stands, our first and maybe only experience at Quiora was a miss.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Service was good and food was excellent. It really turned us off to have a luxury restaurant charge us an extra $3.00 for parmesan cheese for our pasta. That is indicative of a very cheap restaurant not a upper class one!!
Our waiter Kevin was very attentive and charming. Wonderful restaurant and the food was out of this world!
Good food, some weird experiences and interactions with staff - seems like poor communication between various staff. But it all worked out okay. View and atmosphere are good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Should have notice that restaurant is not at street level. Took 20 minutes of circling around to determine that needed to take elevator up to lobby.
Food was delicious, we had the tasting menu and was well pared with wines. Beautiful views. What was weird was that our party of 3 a very generous gift card, and when it came time to pay, we were told that it was a 3rd party restaurant and not a Ritz Carlton one, and we couldn't use it. Yet this morning on our credit cards, it was billed as Ritz.
Restaurantji Recommends
Beautiful place. Greatest service. Unfortunately food is definitely not Ritz Carlton's level. As an example, the main course Oxtails is some disappointing - no flavor of pretty chewy (supposed to be melting in the mouth) meat, broccoli is cooked hard (if broccoli combines with that dish at all).
Lovely setting with city view and ocean . Quiet for anniversary dinner conversation. Somewhat limited selection but good preparation and taste. Acknowledged our anniversary with a dessert treat. Attentive service. Room had a business man feel but suited our needs well.
The Bolognese was the best pasta dish I've ever had. You have to order this when you go! View is amazing and very great service.
Even though he’s my son, I have to say — Ian brings such genuine aloha to everything he does at Quiora in Waikiki. He’s hardworking, gracious, and makes everyone feel right at home. Watching him care for guests with so much heart and attention makes me so proud — it’s that kind of quiet excellence that stands out. 🌺✨
If you’re dining in Waikiki, do yourself a favor and ask for Ian — you’ll experience service with true island style! The food is amazing too🤙🏽
Went to Quiora to celebrate my birthday with my partner and we enjoyed the food and atmosphere so much! It is in the perfect location in Waikiki overlooking the beach and cityscape. And to top it off we had the sweetest and most amazing server Ian who recommended us many great options !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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