Moani Waikiki Island Bistro & Bar

Service was phenomenal, waiters and waitresses were very attentive. The food presentation speaks for itself in the pictures uploaded. The Loco Moco was very tasty and full of flavor. The poke serving was generous for two people and the sliders appetizers itself felt like a main dish. Everything was perfect and left with the biggest food coma. Compliments to the chef!

I’m so happy Moani opened another location in Waikiki so we can enjoy local, live entertainment and their ono food in town. This is a family owned business and it shows my how they take care of you there. The staff is very attentive and parking is easy since it’s at the International Marketplace. We always order Madame Pele’s Prawns and the Bao Burgers, but this time tried Uncle Cleigh’s Asian Style Crab Salad, Guava BBQ “Beer Can” Chicken and two of the specials of the day: a furikake and bubu arare crusted mahi and a Laotian style gyoza. I feel like you can never go wrong here but I may also be biased because, as a local, I love everything about this place; good music, ono food, and great people.

Really enjoyed coming here. They've got live music on some nights, sports on, food was delicious, and staff were very accommodating to find me a place on a busy night where I didn't have a reservation. I couldn't decide between the mains, so I opted for 3 starters. Prawns weren't my cup of tea but they taste similar to most places I've had. I'm just not that keen on Prawns I guess, so I don't fault them. The pork belly and the calamari fries were delicious. As were the drinks! I'd definitely recommend everyone to come here, local or tourist. The pork belly was so good.

This is a really nice restaurant with amazing food, drinks, atmosphere and service. We tried several dishes at Happy Hour. Bao Burgers were my favorite.

We stumbled upon this place after endlessly scrolling on Eater and Yelp for an affordable, easy, nearby dinner to no avail. (Staying at the Royal Hawaiian). Right when we’d just about conceded defeat, we walked by this restaurant and heard the live music. We decided to stop in and had no trouble getting a table for 2 on a Sunday night at 7pm. We ordered the Moani special yakisoba to split, which was delicious. We had Kayla W as our server and she was super nice. Didn’t catch the name of the young man working as a food runner/busing tables but he kept bringing me refills and was also a pleasure! Some of the reviews seem critical of the prices but I thought they were pretty average for Waikiki. Would definitely come back!

Our world food tour stopped at Moani Waikiki, on the 3rd floor of the International Marketplace. It’s a large space, with two stages (one inside, one outside), a large bar splitting the restaurant. We sat at a table for two adjacent to the railing, about 40ft from the outer stage. It was a beautiful evening so we looked forward to our experience. We started with a 2019 Bergstrom Cumberland Reserve Pinot Noir, an earthy wine with lots of fruit. I had the same wine at a different restaurant and it was $30 less at Moani; a very reasonable deal for this bottle. My fellow foodie had been here before so she recommended Seffer’s Sliders and the Pork Belly Skewers. The sliders were nothing special but the accompanying fries are special. (I’d want the buns toasted.) I didn’t get much hint of truffle but the smoked tomato chutney and the fries were delicious! I’d buy it for just the fries. The pork belly was moist and tender, with a char siu glaze and pieces of kimchi to add crunch. Two winners to start the evening. Our server (Kanoe) recommended the ahi special and the steamed local fish (mahi). Both were prepared expertly; the ahi was medium rare and served over a bed of fried rice. The steamed fish was perfect; moist and flavorful, in a shiitake, lup cheong and truffle shoyu dashi. This combination could become too salty but this one was just right. After packing away lots of food, we shared the Ube Andagi dessert; six petite balls in a chocolate sauce. Two were enough for me so another container to take home. The music was low key and not too loud; a singer and guitarist serenaded us and had to compete with something happening on the stage on the ground floor for part of their set. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to try Moani; live music. The restaurant was packed with mostly 20- and 30-somethings out for a good time and we can see why …The prices are very reasonable and the atmosphere is great. We seniors enjoyed our time too. Recommended!

Absolutely loved my experience here. Amazing vibes with the blue lighting, live music, friendly service. I could sit in that place forever honestly. The food was tasty as well- I split the fried rice and shrimp with someone. That was something I was not used to though- the food is made to feed multiple people 'family style' , rather than just one portion. Not to say you can't eat it by yourself bc you 100% can it's that delicious.

Excellent spot on the third level of the international marketplace. A bit hidden, clear to the back but it's worth the little trek. The food was absolutely excellent. The service was great. Live music. Beautiful views. A gem

Moani Waikīkī was one of the first recommendations we received since we landed but didn’t visit it until last. If save the best for last was a place then it would be Moani! The vibe, the groove, and ambiance are spot on. The live music in the corner is great. The personnel are super friendly and the food is delicious.

Aloha all my makainana; you will be amazed by this gem of a spot that centers on Hawaiian and Asian flavors. They make you want to come back for more delicious food from pork belly , kalbi to pipikaula. And the bartenders are unreal with thier mixology skills... and to top it all off they have live hawaiian music every night. The staff is amazing and so on top of things you are never wondering where they are. Best experience I. A long time that put me in aww. You have to try it out.

I got the shrimp and clams over rice and it was the most tender clams I have ever had. Absolutely scrumptious! The live music set the vibe too.

I got the fried fish which had a cool display. It’s a cool place that has someone performing. We went on a weekend so not sure if it’s different during the week.

Absolutely phenomenal food. We went there two nights in a row. Traditional Hawaiian food has been elevated into a restaurant quality dish. Lovely atmosphere with live music. Family friendly.

Great place for good quality fresh food! A lot of thought I’d put into the dishes and menu! Service was great and everything was cooked amazing! Love supporting a farm to table place!

Live music was real good. Food service atmosphere very Hawaiian 🌺 parking was easy & they validate

First time here to celebrate my best friend's birthday. Good ambience with the live music, food selections and prices reasonable. Best service with friendly staff. We enjoyed and will definitely comes back.

Cocktails and be are great! Food was delicious if a bit salty. Live entertainment was amazing! If you’re a Nathan Aweau fan, he plays some of his non-trad music at this venue and takes requests. It wasn’t crowded but you can easily make a reservation on their website.

Whole local fish, reason we visited place. Not disappointed

Unbelievably good. Try this place. Had some pork belly skewers that were amazing. Shrimp bisque also incredible Mrs. B had scallops which she loved.

Incredible vibe and food…a must see! We had Kayla as our waitress and another beautiful young lady with the letter K as her first name I’m sorry I couldn’t remember it as our hostess :) They both were amazing and courteous to all of our needs. The cooks should be congratulated on the quality of food. Prawns, bao buns and pork belly were melt in your mouth. Delicious fried rice and yakisoba. They made us feel welcomed and at home for sure thanks ladies! I’d goto dinner again tonight but the portions were so big that we had plenty for leftovers. Definitely will be back here again on my next trip to Hawaii. Thanks again!

This place was so good we came twice back to back. The food was delish, the drinks were good, but the service was the best. Why hassle in Waikiki searching for a spot to eat and enjoy live music. This place checked all the boxes for our 5-day sta.

Food is very flavorful, the Pele Prawns are a must. The individual entrees are very large, almost double portions. Chicken has a nice barbecue flavor. Great value in Waikiki

Great food, wing were delicious! Great service and the atmosphere was laid pack. Felt very welcomed. I highly recommend

Had the smoke Mac cheese last nite during battle of the bartenders. Wow what a treat. Meat very tender and full of flavor. Loved the creamy sauce . Macaroni cooked perfectly. Enjoyed it immensely. Will be coming back. Was delicious . Mahalo nui loa to all.

Atmosphere is really nice here and they had live music when I went. The calamari appetizer was great for value with happy hour pricing but the aluani platter was very over priced for very small portion. The shrimp on there was very good, pork belly was decent and the poke nachos were good even though they chopped up the poke to more of a paste.

Nice place with live singing performance! Food is reasonably good and we received great service there! Recommend bigger group or family to visit as the food portion is really huge. My wife and I visited Moani Waikiki for dinner as a couple and we do struggle a bit to finish the food we ordered. We also saw couples packaging food back as they are unable to finish the dishes. Their size portion is more for group/family sharing. Food wise I would highly recommend their pork belly and spicy shrimps and clams!!! Their seafood is really fresh and we love it.

I came here recently to celebrate my Girl Friend's Birthday. Nice indoor and outdoor atmosphere. Good quality food. Nice sized appetizers. Cocktails were yummy. Live music. We had a nice Waiter and the food came out in a timely manner. Kind of pricey but seems like the average prices for Waikiki. Overall I'd go there again 😊

First time here & amazing experience! The service was great! The ribs were a little dry but the dessert was delicious! Mai Thai was refreshing! Recommend it for a night out in Hawaii!

Great food. A little too salty. Not tooany vegetarian choices Unfortunately they fry their fish with the same oil as shellfish Beware those with shellfish allergies. Good Hawaiin vibes with live music. Great outdoor space.

I recently dined at Moani Waikiki Restaurant, and my experience was mixed. The portions were generous, which is a plus, but unfortunately, the food was just okay and lacked flavor. The atmosphere felt crowded, making it a bit uncomfortable. Additionally, the service was slower than expected. While it has potential, I hope they can improve on the taste and service for a better overall experience.

We went here specifically for happy hour and was super excited to also try the miso garlic butterfish and pork belly. Unfortunately a few things didn’t go our way. First of all, our waitress didn’t really seem happy to be working that day. She could have pretended since at some point she would expect a tip. Before we placed our order, we were told that they didn’t have any butterfish. Ughhh, must be another supply chain issue since it was 5:15pm and they opened at 5pm and already didn’t have one of their entrees on the menu. We ordered all the pupus on the happy hour menu and loved the prawns and the sliders. Prawns were so tasty and had a good amount of shrimp. We ended up ordering a second order they were so good. The fries that came with the sliders were crispy but still soft inside smothered in a truffle cheese sauce. As for our drinks, the Lilikoi mule was definitely missing the Lilikoi. We did get full off the pupus so only one person ordered an actual entree which was the Arroz palabok. It was more like a seafood risotto than a palabok. Tastes good but the palabok name draws you in to order but it’s not noodles. The photos on Yelp of the crab Caesar salad looks so good with large chunks of crab but again ours didn’t look like that at all lacking a lot of crab compared to the pic. It was more like a crab salad easy on the crab! Fried chicken was also pretty deceiving as it was supposed to be adobo flavored but I didn’t taste a hint of adobo. Restaurant was nice and roomy, large outside dining area located on the 3rd floor of International Marketplace. Dining experience was just average when it’s all said and done.

Lively spot with live music, colorful lights, and lots of foot traffic. Moani Waikiki was able to hold a fun environment during our dinner. However, the food itself was a little interesting. For starters, the Dad’s prime ribeye was decent but it didn’t live up to the price. There didn’t seem to be anything special about the meat, the way it was cooked, or the sides. Comings in at $60 you’re not getting robbed but you didn’t get value either. The Guava BBQ chicken had a great flavor to it and the sides were very tasty. The chicken was a bit dry and the servings of sides were quite small. It’s still more than enough food for a meal with the amount of chicken you get. The Loco Moco was better than I expected it to be. This was the waitress’ recommendation and was quite surprised at the taste. The smoked meat risotto in it was delicious and the garnish did well with the other textures. The only thing I could complain about is the beef patty seemed to be previously frozen. The patty still has the texture of raw ground beef despite being cooked medium well. Overall not a bad place to have dinner. My personal suggestion of the three dishes would be the BBQ chicken. 6.5/10

Nice modern decor, friendly wait staff, & good food. The bar and tables could be a bit cleaner, the entree includes a vegetable but its more like a garnish. Food temperature was a little cold. A few fixes could raise the level of this currently 'good' restaurant.

Came for happy hour. Food was delicious. Comfy booths. Service was good until it got busy and it seemed we were forgetton. Floor was oddly very sticky and bathrooms were not well cleaned. They will validate parking at international market place to a discounted rate. The food was good but not sure if I would return.

We’ve eaten at 4 restaurants in Waikiki since we arrived and this was the most disappointing. Service was mediocre and so was the food, at best. The scallops were under seasoned and clams were all sandy! We definitely do not recommend this restaurant.

This was the first time we went to Moani restaurant. They were really busy and short staffed. It was Thursday night, 2/17/22. We had a party of 6. I would suggest making a reservation. Our group enjoyed the singer that they had. He kept everyone entertained. The girls at the front checking people in and our waitress were very friendly but that's it. They took long to refill our drinks or lacked on checking on our table since a couple of us drank alcohol. Regardless of how busy it gets, they should've checked up on us. The waitresses seemed overwhelmed. Let's get into the food. I would say this place is overpriced. The flavors was just okay for me. If you are going to charge that much for food, make sure everything that we order taste amazing. We ordered a bunch of appetizers and a couple of the dishes from the Mauka to Makai. I only took a picture of one of the appetizer that I enjoyed the most. It was the fried chicken. My friend took a couple bites of the sliders and fries and he didn't like it. The prawns, calmari, and nachos were okay. The pork shank was good. Fried fish sold out. I really think we might try this place again to try the fried fish that everyone is raving about (if they don't run out!) Great entertainment and okay food. Service needs to be better. Need to have more staff working then being understaffed. Our who table agreed, it was just an ok experience!

Their workers like to sit outside the restaurant, blow cigarette smoke at people, and curse at them when they are asked to stop. When they were done, they dropped the cigarettes on the ground and left them. It was the two big guys wearing an A baseball cap and a P baseball cap.

By far the worst service/experience!…and it was our first and definitely last visit! My family was here for dinner (Sunday) and there was no wait, and quite frankly not very many people dining at the time. After being seated, it took the male waiter about 10-15 minutes to even greet us…after about another 10 minutes, he takes our order. My daughter orders sliders, and waiter proceeded to tell us that they’re out of fries AND onion rings…wow that’s a first! After placing our dinner order, I request for an ice tea, and family orders water. I receive my iced tea at a reasonable time, although they glasses of water was never served! After about 20 minutes, no food or the appetizer we ordered, water nowhere to be seen/found, so I flag down the bartender and request for glasses water for my family…he returns to bar and doesn’t even prepare any water glasses for us…after about another 10 minutes, the water alter appears at bar and I observe the bartender tell waiter we named him after…waiter looks very confused and disinterested, continues to do whatever he’s doing at the bar! We finally decide to leave…but before I exit the restaurant, I decided to approach the bartender and offer to pay for my iced tea. I make eye contact with the server and tell him we’re done. Server seemed fine with our decision and showed no remorse whatsoever for the horrible service! Oh and another observation…the female host was hanging out at the bar the entire time chatting with a male customer while we were seated…and there were several couples that had been waiting to be greeted/seated, and left after a few minutes. By the way, this is my very first review post!…so that should show how upset we were as a family!

Worst experience in Waikiki. We walk in to the smell of distinct and clear B.O., at first I didn’t want to judge thinking it could be me but it was clear after a few walk through the front entrance the smell was from the front of the restaurant. We were sat outside which would have been lovely given they had live music but the speakers were set so loud you had to yell to hear across the table. Thankfully after 20-30 mins someone mentioned to them and they turned the volume down. We weren’t interested in a lot of food so got a family share plate of garlic shrimp and clams and some fried rice thinking it would be quick and easy for the 4 of us. Instead we were left waiting for over 50 mins and when asking about the wait they mentioned the large group that had sat down before us which I understand but at some point either the wait staff or manager should say something as it had taken an obscenely long time for two plates. It had become dark out and our two young kids were now starving and cranky. Finally, the fried rice came which wasn’t bad and the kids were diving into which helped ease things, another 5-10 min and our main dish finally came, the spicy garlic shrimp and clams. It looked delicious and the shrimp were fine and tasty but then we had a bite of the clams and immediately had to spit them out, they were absolutely rotten and inedible. Honestly putting the whole dish into question as we didn’t want to get food poisoning. The wait staff apologized and after asking for the check they comped the inedible main dish and the half eaten $18 fried rice, however we still had to pay for the three drinks we bought despite having wasted the entire night hungry and unsatisfied with kids grumpy from their slow and rotten food. Completely ruined the night and just hoping we don’t get any serious food poisoning given we each had a shrimp out of the same broth the rotten clams were marinating/cooked in. In short, spend your money else where unless you are looking to get food poisoning and waste your time and money.

Went out to celebrate our friends bday and we were having a good time until we got notified that we were banned from the club. While my friends and I were in line we were talking to the girl who was letting people in, but she left her post after letting about 3/7 of us in. Our other friends were still in line and we ended up meeting with them a while later. We were all having a good time until security came up to our group and told one of our friends that he was banned from the club. When we all went outside we learned that the girl who let some of us in was his ex from middle school (abt. a decade ago). She told the security that him being at the club made her feel uncomfortable and I understand that it’s important for all the staff to feel safe, but we were confused because she left her post before she let our guy friends in. They didn’t look at each other or speak to each other at all and there were no intentions to do so. I’m not sure what the policy is at this club, but it’s unfair for this to happen to us especially since there was nothing to provoke either parties involved. Me and my friends didn’t even know she was the ex of our friend at all. A while later she contacted one of our other friends that was with us and told him that he and his brother are also banned from the club for being associated with her ex.