Best Coffee Shops in Honolulu 2026

Honolulu's Coffee Scene Has Grown Up

Hawaii grows some of the best coffee in the world, and Honolulu's cafe scene has finally caught up to that raw material. Beyond Kona and Ka'u, roasters are now sourcing from Oahu's own North Shore farms. Here are the shops worth going out of your way for.

Morning Glass Coffee — Manoa

Morning Glass in Manoa Valley is the benchmark for specialty coffee on Oahu. They roast their own beans and source heavily from Hawaii farms, including single-origin lots from Oahu. The pour-overs are well-dialed and the staff knows what they are doing. The space is small and fills up on weekend mornings — go early or expect a wait. Food options are solid: the egg sandwiches and toast are both worth ordering. Open daily around 7am to 2pm. Located on East Manoa Road, it is a short drive from UH Manoa and worth the detour from Waikiki.

Kai Coffee Hawaii — Downtown and Ala Moana

Kai Coffee has two locations that serve different crowds. The Downtown location on Bishop Street catches the morning commuter rush and is efficient and well-run. The Ala Moana Center location is more relaxed and easier to sit in. Both use local Hawaii-grown beans and the espresso drinks are consistent. Lattes run about $6–$7. The Downtown location is a good option if you are visiting the Iolani Palace or Bishop Museum area — open weekdays roughly 6am to 5pm, shorter weekend hours.

Arvo — Kaka'ako

Arvo on Auahi Street in Kaka'ako is the most design-forward cafe on this list and the one most likely to show up in a travel magazine. The space is light-filled and minimal, the flat whites are excellent, and the avocado toast is genuinely good rather than a cliche. Prices are higher than average — expect $7–$8 for espresso drinks. Open daily around 7:30am to 4pm. The Kaka'ako location puts it close to the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Ward Village development, so easy to combine with other stops.

Brue Bar — Kaimuki

Brue Bar on Waialae Avenue in Kaimuki is a neighborhood coffee bar that does cold brew seriously. The slow-drip cold brew is the thing to order — smoother and less acidic than flash-iced coffee. They also do nitro cold brew on tap. The space is narrow but comfortable and the neighborhood foot traffic makes it a good place to sit for an hour. Open daily, roughly 7am to 5pm. Kaimuki has a strong restaurant scene on Waialae Avenue, so this works well as a pre- or post-meal stop.

What to Know About Local Coffee

If you want to drink specifically Hawaii-grown coffee, ask explicitly. Most shops carry at least one Hawaii-origin option but it is often listed as a premium or single-origin pour-over rather than the default espresso blend. Kona is the famous name but Ka'u (also Big Island), Kauai, and Maui coffees are all worth trying. Oahu-grown beans from the North Shore farms are rarer but Morning Glass stocks them regularly. Expect to pay $5–$8 for a Hawaii-origin pour-over — it is worth it compared to $40 bags of the same coffee at a gift shop.

Skip the Hotel Lobby Coffee

Every resort in Waikiki charges $8 for mediocre drip coffee. Walk six blocks to a real cafe and get a better drink for the same price or less. The concentration of good coffee in Kaka'ako, Kaimuki, and Manoa means you are never more than a short drive from something worth drinking.