Tucked into a side entrance of the historic Moana Surfrider — Waikiki's grand white-columned First Lady of the Beach — Honolulu Coffee operates a small, sunny outpost that pours one of the most respected pure Kona pours on the island. The Hawaii-rooted roaster has been buying directly from Kona Coast farms since 1992, and it shows: the single-origin estate cups are bright, balanced, and entirely without the bitterness that haunts so many tourist-strip lattes. Pastries come from their own bakery — buttery Kona coffee cake, macadamia nut shortbread, and a respectable malasada. Order an iced macadamia nut latte, grab a wrought-iron bistro table on the Moana's veranda, and sip while the trolleys roll past on Kalakaua. It's the closest thing Waikiki has to a proper neighborhood cafe.
"Honolulu Coffee is the best java fix money can buy. Out of all their stores, the one beside the Moana Surfrider is my favorite — fresh, local, and the staff are great."