53 By The Sea — Restaurant in Honolulu

This use to be my absolute favorite place to eat! For every birthday, anniversary, and event we had, me and my now husband came to eat here. I loved this place so much that he actually proposed to me on valentines day in 2014 over dinner, and we made it a tradition to come and eat at this restaurant every year around valentines day when we could find time to have date night, because we have such hectic schedules. I wasn't going to write a review, but this has been bothering me till this day and I think there needs to be some kind of change because this one moment ruined our whole experience there and because of this one person we will not be coming back for a while. This year we came in for our engagement anniversary a few days before Valentines because we both were going to be busy that day. My husband made a reservation for 730pm and we showed up around 7pm. Our table wasn't yet ready, which we didn't mind, so we headed to the bar to have a drink or two before being called to our table. The bartenders name was Leo and when we walked up to the bar there was an older couple there that he was socializing with so we just sat maybe two seats away from them. the bartender greeted us within a minute of us sitting down and asked us what he could do for us. we told him we were waiting for our table and that we were going to order drinks, he then handed us a bar menu where we looked over the drinks. he told the other couple goodbye as their table was ready for them to be seated. My husband ordered a Heineken and I ordered a Belvidere vodka with club soda. He brought the drinks to us promptly and didn't pay any attention to us and was very rude from then on. my husband and I are around 30, and it just seemed like he didn't pay us any attention because we were younger and it felt to us like he felt like we weren't going to take care of him "tip wise". it made us feel so out of place because we have never been treated like this before and I have worked in the service industry for over 10 years and this behavior was unacceptable. Before we could even finish our drinks he handed us the bill. I was planning on ordering another round of drinks, but he didn't even ask and the whole bar was empty so it just felt like he was rushing us out. He then went on the side to talk to one of the servers and when he was finished talking to her i tried to call him to tell him we wanted to order another drink raising my hand and saying "excuse me," but he just ignored me and started doing other things. Then 3 older people came to the bar to wait for their table as well, and he just took the bar menu that was in front of us with out saying a thing and gave it to them, like we were invisible or something. This was quite aggravating, because this is supposedly a higher scaled restaurant, and with the price that we pay, the service should be better then that, especially when the whole bar was empty! We then went to the front and told the hostess that we won't be having dinner there anymore and we ended up going to Ruth Chris Steak House down the road. Their service was far better then the service we got that night at 53 by the sea, and its really sad because this place had so many memories that we always reminisce about every time we come in. Now it looks like we will be going elsewhere for all the events we have. what a shame that one person could ruin things that had so much...

If you’re looking for an unforgettable oceanfront dining experience in Honolulu, this is it.

Making a reservation was seamless, and upon arrival, I was immediately impressed by the beauty of the restaurant.

However, for a fine dining setting, I do wish the white tablecloths had been pressed, a small detail but one that matters when aiming for a polished presentation.

The food was excellent overall. I started with the oysters, which were topped with coconut foam, a unique and playful touch. The plating was equally impressive and thoughtfully executed. For my main course, I had the fresh catch of the day (swordfish), which was beautifully presented and tasted just as fresh as it looked.

I also tried the steak and eggs. The standout here was the rich black pepper sauce, absolutely incredible. The pepperiness had that sharp, tingling burst on the tongue that I personally loved. The only slight downside was the rice, which arrived a bit cold and had an unusual texture, somewhere between freshly cooked rice and risotto. It was interesting, and while the texture could have been improved, the overall flavor of the dish was delicious and satisfying.

The plating at 53 by the Sea deserves a special mention. Every dish was presented so beautifully, it felt like an extension of the dining experience itself, much like what you would expect from a high-end omakase-style setting. Each plate was thoughtfully curated, and the artistry made me pause and admire before even taking a bite. There was a moment where I thought, “Could it really be this beautiful and taste this good?” — and to my delight, it absolutely was.

Next time, I’m excited to try their savory Dutch Baby, it’s on my list!

I also have to mention the dessert and coffee, both were absolutely outstanding. I tried the blueberry cheesecake, and it was phenomenal. It wasn’t overly heavy or dense, yet it delivered that rich, authentic cheesecake flavor that gently blossomed in my mouth. It also wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet, which made it all the more enjoyable.

As for the coffee, it was served in a French press, something I rarely see at restaurants, and it was impressively bold and flavorful. They use 100% Kona coffee, which is truly special; many places that advertise “Kona coffee” often only use about 20%. Here, you can really taste the difference.

Everything from start to finish made me leave with a very happy heart (and a very happy tummy).

Service was truly outstanding. Every server was attentive, professional, and clearly working as a team. The drinks were served promptly and were both delicious and well-crafted. I appreciated that they thoughtfully offered to pack my leftovers without me even needing to ask, a small but memorable touch.

I also want to personally thank Patricia for her outstanding service. She was incredibly kind and attentive, making sure I had a wonderful time as a guest. She even noticed that I wasn’t completely in love with my original dish, and without me needing to say much, she warmly offered a replacement, saying, “You don’t need to feel bad — it’s okay, I got you.” Her genuine care and thoughtfulness made my experience at 53 by the Sea even more memorable. Thank you so much, Patricia!

And of course, the view, simply unbeatable. I’m already looking forward to returning soon to explore their dinner menu.

I would strongly encourage anyone to...

We love 53 by the Sea and usually rave about it to others. For the last 4 years, it's been our 'go-to' every time we are celebrating a special occasion - birthday, anniversary etc. Unfortunately, this last visit was very disappointing on many fronts.

The staff have changed since we were last there, a year ago and it appears the clientele as well.

From the restaurant entrance, we usually sit on the left side of the patio, and enjoy the quiet fresh ocean air and scenery of Waikiki from there. This time I made a request to be seated on the right side of the patio for a different view.

Rather than to have a quiet table, we were placed closely between two tables, one table which seemed to mirror or conversations and the other table would make loud and abrupt statements every now and then.

Our main server did not greet us right away (approx 10min after being seated) and seemed rather preoccupied during most of the evening. We were greeted by the second server who was fantastic, but we didn't see him afterwards. When our main server came by, he immediately asked if we were ready to order without going through the specials etc. as restaurants of this caliber usually do. We had to ask.

Though the restaurants didn't seem understaffed, it did come across as disorganized and lack of quality service that we are accustomed to at 53 By the Sea. We ordered our drinks at the same time as our appetizers

We always have the ahi poke for an appetizer as we love it here, but this time it was laden in salt. I ordered the Mahi Mahi which is supposed to be meaty, but my fish was overcooked and dry. My husband ordered the catch of the day - sea bass on a bed of Asian greens that appeared undercooked. Neither of us finished our mains.

We usually order desert, but decided to skip ordering desert thinking that a slice of celebratory cake would come. I joked that this might not happen since we weren't ordering any desert. My husband didn't believe so as we were there to celebrate his birthday and it was confirmed 4 times by the staff. I even overheard the server tell the other table that they'd get two slices of celebratory cake since they were celebrating two events that day. We were served shortly after and to my husband ' surprise and disbelief, it was the bill!

Upon viewing the bill, my husband noted a new charge - kitchen staff gratuity, a charge we did not see in the previous years. This was added prior to the final bill. We paid gratuity on top of that.

In retrospect, we couldn't believe we had to pay kitchen gratuity for food that was not of top standards.

We were considering to book the 2nd floor for an event. Disappointingly, after this last experience, we will consider other venues and will not be returning for some...