53 By The Sea

53 Ahui St, Honolulu - 96813
331 reviews
New American Seafood American
(808) 536-5353

It lives up to the hype! Get in there!You may feel under-dressed if you don't show up clad to the 9s, but the food here is absolutely divine and not at all over-priced for the quality presented. I've never seen a place dripping with elegant presentation that actually lives up to its "hype level" as much as this place DID.Everyone from friends to Uber drivers recommends you get here and try the food, especially brunch. Well whether it's dinner or brunch, service is attentive and the food is absolutely delicious. Their butter is I would say a step below Michelin star, but it's so famous they let you specifically order JUST the butter as a take-away item with your food? Bizarre.Anyway, the pastries are probably top 10 I've had in the past few years and were made with absolute precision, quality, and care. The ingredients for everything are fresh and succulent and seafood certainly delights here, as it's literally on the water.The view is splendid, and it's relatively quiet both indoors and out. I would say overall the surrounding area is not that interesting and it's quite industrial; you won't be taking a casual walk around, but it doesn't matter - focus on the restaurant and really enjoy. Parking situation isn't difficult, and the service from door to table back to door is just splendid. Both locals and tourists know this place is the real deal. :)High marks from us. For more in depth reviews check out our long form and curated lists on the gram or our main platform: Evolution Eats. <3

Such a classy place! The service was spot on and the food was delicious. It is on the expensive side, but totally worth it. I got the NY strip and the honey lemon tart. Both had great flavor. We also got the scallops appetizer and they were so yummy. The view of the ocean is beautiful and the building itself is pretty. We went for a birthday and they gave us a cute plate with a message in chocolate. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for great seafood and drinks!!

Dined here for our 1 year wedding anniversary and could not have been more pleased. A romantic atmosphere (we dined on the patio but dining room equaled in ambience)The service was so hospitable and respectful of our conversation when approaching the table (huge plus in my book!) They also don't rush you through service.We considered the food to be better described as art. Absolutely delicious. It's on the high end for price but considering the freshness of ingredients and thought put into each dish, I considered the cost to be a bargain...Wish I had more hands so I could give this 4 thumbs up! We will definitely be back and tell anyone visiting this is a must for romantic dinners.

Very nice restaurant. Off tea little way from downtown but has spectacular views of the beach. Food was delicious and the service was very fast. Waiters would top off water and come by very often. Quiet atmosphere and classy too.

ATTENTION ALL AFRICAN AMERICANS/POC: I received the worst customer service I have ever received in my entire life here. My personal assistant made reservations for my birthday (10am Saturday BRUNCH). I arrive at the restaurant to check in. After waiting for some time I asked the waitress, Gizelle, the reason for delay. She rudely responded that she’s trying to figure out if I can be seated because I’m not in dress code. (I was wearing a swim cover up dress that touches the floor with bathing suit underneath). I then spoke with a manager, Kaleb Yasutake, who was also rude, downright to the way he looked at me (in disgust). After arguing with me about the dress code being on the website (which it isn’t, it’s on some other website called Resy, which my assistant CALLED the actual restaurant vs. booking online at resy). He then argued with a me saying that she or someone should have inquired about the dress code after admitting it’s not on the website. He said look we are going to seat you but we’re going to put a towel over you. It was very degrading how he said it. I said no thank you, I’ll leave. I asked for his manager, he was very rude and reluctant to even give me the managers (Tony’s) name. He eventually gave me his name to which I will call back. This restaurant treated me so poorly and today was my birthday celebration. This restaurant looks beautiful but the people working inside are not pleasant to African Americans. Not that it should matter, but I am also an attorney, so they should be mindful of treating guests in this manner. Remember it’s not the policy, it’s 1) how I was treated and talked to as a person of color and 2) how the policy as of todays date is not on the website. I hope the restaurant treats this issue seriously and I hope fellow African American tourists don’t have the same awful experience I did.

The food was great. The view of the ocean was amazing. The ambiance was just perfect for our occasion, celebrating our wedding anniversary. However, this the priciest place we've visited in Hawaii.

Phenomenal dining experience. We needed a break from the typical island vibe and were hoping for an upscale night out with a different menu and we got just what we hoped for. Highly recommend the poached pear salad to start and dessert sampler and Earl grey tea to end. Great parking and superb service. Definitely worth the drive and every penny.

Wonderful ambience! Attentive staff !

great service and food. ❤️ the food

Wonderful service and impeccable food. Random note: the area the restaurant is located at has a lot of cats around the area. But the views are lovely, especially at night and everyone was friendly. The drinks are good. I honestly zoned out eating everything because it was so delicious. Thank you for the wonderful engagement dinner!