Island Vintage Wine Bar — Restaurant in Honolulu

We went to Island Vintage Wine Bar twice while in Waikiki and both times were fantastic. Outside of the long wait to eat for a late dinner and a mid-morning breakfast. (But that's Waikiki for you, no fault to the restaurant.)

We ended up there, first, after a long tour around the Island and had about a 45 minute wait for a table. I ordered their Fruit and Cheese plate. Nothing makes me happier at a restaurant than a cheese plate...this one was unlike any I'd had before (see the photo), a bouquet of cheese and fruit, all of which tasted fantastic...I mean really fun flavor cheeses, superbly fresh and sweet fruit, and a really tasty raisin and nut bread that made the whole thing feel like an indulgent cheese plate fantasy. This was easily, at least, the most beautiful cheese plate I've ever seen, and certainly amongst the tastiest.

My wife had the Vegan Poke with Grain Rice and Salad. Another beautiful plate of food, very "Hawaii" in it's ingredients and presentation.

The menu has lots of vegetarian, vegan and gluten free options for people with those diets and it's, helpfully, labeled as such next to each item.

Our sun had the vegetarian grilled mushroom burger. He's 12 and loves a good veggie burger...he thought it would be a veggie patty of some kind with mushrooms on it, but the mushrooms are the protein...despite has expectation he thought it was delicious.

We went back the next morning for brunch as my wife had a hankering for their Lilikoi Moana Açaí Bowl...it was, again, gorgeous and did not disappoint her.

I had the Vegan French Toast with coconut cream and maple syrup. It was made with the same delicious raisin / nut bread from the previous night's cheese bread, and, despite it being vegan, had an "eggy-ness" about it that, especially with the cream and syrup, made it a legitimate sweet breakfast dish.

I also had it with a side of tempeh bacon...tempeh is not usually my favorite meat substitute, but this was probably the best implementation of it I'd seen and tasted with a nice crisp to it and the kind of saltiness one might get from bacon.

They were also nice enough to substitute their regular roasted potatoes for the greens so I could feel extra breakfast...these potatoes were off the hook. So good.

Our 12 year old had a side of Taro Muffin which he thought was okay, and the coffee I had was good, though not quite as strong as I'd had at other local restaurants that week.

We would 100% return to Island Vintage any time of day for dinner or breakfast...DEFINITELY worth the wait.

Pro-tip, the wine bar serves the breakfast menu that you can get at Island Vintage Coffee next door...the wait is almost the same. We put our name on the electronic waiting list and were shown a 4 hour wait! That seemed like too long so we got in the long line for the coffee restaurant...by the time we got almost to the front of the coffee line (a little less than an hour), we got a notice that our table was ready at the Wine Bar...so we bailed on the coffee line and got seated right away at the Wine Bar which has nicer seating areas and table service.

Nice job Island...

Full disclosure, I'm a complete lightweight and rarely drink. Despite that, I have been to this spot quite a few times. If my friends and I didn't work nights, I could totally see us haunting more frequently! It's a cute place to visit the evening, and the prices don't make me wince.

I overindulge on the mozzarella croquettes every time I order them, the "sauce" that comes with it is 100% some sort of secret soup. I would buy a huge bowl of it if I could - actually, I never asked, so it totally may be available in a bowl. Don't be me, try ask! The mushroom fries are also really nice, and come with a few sauce options to try. Everything has always come out fresh and hot, and the servers are always extremely welcoming.

I mentioned initially that I'm not a big drinker, so I cannot speak on their wine selection, unfortunately. I CAN, however, say that I've really enjoyed sipping their mimosas - both the guava and their lilikoi, though I've still never tried the orange.

As for the our mains, recently my friend and I've had a couple of the sandwiches (braised beef & apple and brie), and both came out amazing. I love baked brie, but didn't expect to enjoy the sandwich as much as I did! My friend had the braised beef, but wasn't able to finish it. I've yet to try it myself, but another friend was too full to finish it as well, so I'd say it's pretty decently sized.

I was brought here for the first time on my birthday while my boyfriend visited from the mainland, and since have come for a number of random dinners - I've even brought a couple of friends that'd flown in for their honeymoon! My boyfriend told me this review is too long, so I'm ending...

Island Vintage Wine Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Center (2301 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI) truly deserves five stars. From the moment we arrived, the hostess greeted us with such kindness and professionalism, and our server went above and beyond, carefully explaining the menu, checking on us often, and making sure we felt taken care of throughout the experience.

The coffee was incredibly fresh, and the food exceeded our expectations. It was healthy, flavorful, and served in generous portions. I ordered the Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, which was rich and perfectly balanced, while my husband enjoyed the Gluten Free Coconut Toast Breakfast that was both wholesome and delicious. Everything tasted clean, fresh, and thoughtfully prepared.

This place has it all — wine, cocktails, specialty coffee, fresh food, and even desserts. You can also shop for beautiful mugs, local Hawaiian coffee, and souvenirs to take a piece of the island home with you. We were seated by a lovely window with a view of lush trees, which made the atmosphere even more relaxing and beautiful. Prices were very reasonable for the quality, service, and location. Everything arrived right on time, and the experience felt seamless from start to finish.

If you are visiting Waikiki, I highly recommend this place for breakfast, brunch, or even a casual evening with a glass of wine. Great food, warm service, a beautiful view, and an overall experience that makes you want to return...