Beachhouse at the Moana & the Veranda

Not as good as the pictures tell. The place is nice, but tea service was not at all worth it. Sandwiches were mini bites of nasty, pastries were ok, the tea, although was good. But all in all, I would not go there again.

We tried the breakfast buffet. It was good but for $ 34 per person it was definitely overpriced. They had a range of items from Miso soup to waffles and a large selection of fresh fruit. The ambiance is beautiful and elegant but I have had better breakfast at ¹⁄₃ of the price

The buffet for breakfast is nice. Usually everything is full and fresh. I knocked off a star because the staff isn’t always very knowledgeable and because the eggs on the buffet have been runny twice. I’m sure they are instant and I realize they basically have to be over cooked, but runny eggs are not appetizing. The mimosas are always good, and the staff friendly. I’ve never had to wait more than 5 minutes for a table the prices reflect the area and the quality. We would go back there to eat probably.

I was extremely disappointed in my experience there. I would not return or recommend.
There were a few things that were nice, the ambiance with the live music, beach and the air and my husband like the lamb chops. Kamaina discount is 15%, free valet parking with validation.
Why I would not return: Food and service
While we waited for our food, wait staff were gathered, talking on the side to each other very loudly and it took away from the experience of the live music and sun set.
Our waiter was attentive and helpful until he left our dinners. My dinner was inedible. I was so disappointed. I got the Ahi dinner and could not take more than a bite. It was sad to leave a good piece of fish on the plate because it had been badly prepared. After the waiter left the dinner plates at our table, he did not return for 45 minutes. He must have walked by at least 5 times and refused to make eye contact or even glance at us. We were not asked if we wanted more drinks or if we needed anything. We had empty drinks and my food sat there at the edge of the table for 45 minutes. He came back after my husband had been siting with a plate of bones in front of him for 15 minutes because he had finished. My plate was untouched other than that small bite and he asked if I wanted to wrap it up. I said no because it was not good. He did take it off the check but told me I should have let him know and he could have brought me something else. How I could I have when we were literally unattended?
I was looking forward to the desert, but we had been waiting so long and my plate was so unappetizing that we wanted to leave.
To have paid so much for the dinner and to have gone there for my husband’s birthday, I would have expected near perfection. This was not worth the money or the time spent there.
When we went to get our car from valet, the radio station had been changed by the valet driver. It was odd to have spent a lot of money for a very disappointing experience. Thank goodness for my great company or I would have been in tears. This was one of my worst dining experiences ever.

The breakfast buffet is excellent. For Japanese and Korean travelers, there is a wide selection of traditional foods in addition to the American spread. Dining on the Veranda is an elegant, but still casual experience and highly recommended whether you’re staying at the resort or not.
Visited December 2015

I have been to the Beachhouse on several occasions, but just for breakfast and afternoon tea (which are both awesome!). Recently, I dined there for dinner and I loved it! The outdoor setting on the veranda provides a beautiful view both day and night.
I cannot stop raving about the lobster pasta I had. The hand cut pasta was exceptional and the cream sauce was delicious. The generous sized portion dish went a long way too. I had enough leftover for dinner the next night!
The service as you can imagine is amazing here. I’ve experienced the same wonderful and attentive service each time I have dined at the Beachhouse. The Beachhouse has it all: live music, tranquil views and delicious food and drink. Hard to beat.
Validated parking for valet is free, but be aware that you probably will be waiting at least 10 minutes for your car when picking up. You can self park at the Princess Kaiulani.

Was the tea good? Yes??? As a Tea at 1024 loyalist, I went to this tea party with high expectations. The best tea package was $ 50/​person, which is over double the price of 1024, so the food/​tea should be double the quality, right? Sadly, wrong. We only got one pot of tea, and the tea I got, Mango Mele, was just aiight. Very bland even with sugar. The pastries and scones were good but the quantity just wasn’t there. We all left hungry and sad about how much was spent for a single sandwich and a few pastries each. It is a very beautiful location and the service was excellent, but it just wasn’t worth the price.

Early birds of the world unite! One of the few places open before 7am! Had breakfast buffet, it was good and I had a nice (almost) Oceanside table. Waiter was attentive, almost to a fault. Toward the beginning of the meal I just wanted to sit and drink coffee when contemplating the day.
He asked me what I wanted so after the second ask I told him the buffet. HAHAHA little did I k ow that he would need to know what I wanted from the the buffet and toppings, syrups, etc. Luckily toward the end of the meal he just decided to let me be… Ahhh relaxing beachside.

OMG! Ok this place has definately changed since I came here 2 years ago. 1^st of all there’s a new Sherif/​Executive Chef named David Lukela who turned this place around! Everything I had tonight was absolutely amazing! I can’t explain how happy my stomach was after finishing my meals! I came with a group of 6 friends. We ordered family style and were able to try the ocean bar, abalone escargot, wagyu tomahawk steak, ribeye, whipped parmesean potatos, Kim chee Brussel sprouts, asparagus, Cesar salad, lobster truffle mac and cheese. Without any hesitation I can honestly say that the tomahawk dinner for two is the best bang for your buck! My favorites had to be the wagyu tomahawk steak, Kim chee Brussel sprouts, and abalone escargot. Those are a must try in my opinion. For dessert we had a house special trio that featured a kona coffee cheese cake, mango sorbet, and a chocolate peanut butter crunch. All were wonderful however, the chocolate peanut butter crunch absolutely made my night. Paired with fresh strawberries and peanut butter powder I was in Heaven! We were surprised when Chef Lukela himself came out to greet us and also let us try their special house made chocolate ganach. WONDERFUL!!! If you want a nice intimate evening near the beach this is the spot. It will definitely be my next date spot ;-) Mahalos to Chef Lukela for excellent food and an amazing experience!

Beachhouse was a welcome surprise, with a gorgeous backdrop between the ocean and the gorgeous banyan tree in the center of the hotel’s pool area. We went during Restaurant Week, and found a great bargain with a wonderful tasting course, but also could see how well the menu was put together and how delicious, and well-​presented everything was.
While not the most inexpensive, the attention to detail with each dish was fantastic. This is a nice place, with nice food. Definitely worth your consideration when looking at places to eat in Waikiki. Try dining at the sunset and enjoy a great view out to the water, and as the sky gets darker, watch the tree and pool area light up. It is romantic and surreal, a great backdrop.
The service we had was wonderful. Very attentive wait staff, not only the waiter but the other assistants/​bus staff that asked us if we ever needed anything, refilled anything we needed and took great care of us.
We had a wonderful first course of a 4 onion soup, while a little heavy with cheese, isn’t that the best part?! Also, a great bread basket and delicious butter with pink Hawaiian sea salt (an awesome touch). From there we had 2 great salad varieties, a caesar salad and a tomato and beet salad, the caesar was the better of the two. We then shared a main course of the fish of the day, an Opa in our case, and a lobster tail, which was done to perfection. Dessert was a wonderful ending, with a coffee flavored cake and cheesecake.
Overall, we were very satisfied. A little on the expensive side, but for a nice Waikiki Restaurant, definitely worth it. Had read some negative reviews here and there but didn’t find any of those to be true with our visit, so stick with the positive and give Beachhouse a try!

High tea at the historic Moana to celebrate my coworkers’ promotion? YAAAS!!!
Our waitress’ name was Vangie and she has an impeccable memory. Our high tea experience started by smelling 6ish different tea’s. 8 of us placed our order and Vangie memorized all of our selections. Impressive! Each person got their own little tea pot. I chose the one with mango and white peach. Loved it!
Next, three small fingernail sized sandwiches. Tomato basil, curry egg salad tart and salmon spinach roll. All forgettable.
The three tiered desserts came next. The scones with lilikoi curd was a standout, everything else was just meh.
We ended with a green tea lemongrass sorbet.
We sat drank and nibbled on desserts for about two hours. We didn’t feel rushed at all. They even filled our teapots again.
Half the group valeted their cars at Moana, parking is $ 6 for 4 hours. Over 4 hours is $ 50. Whoa!
The other half parked at Princess Kaiulani across the street and parking is free under 4 hours. It’s literally across the street. You have to access the self-​parking structure from Kalakaua because it’s a one way, so keep that in mind.
Overall, I don’t think this experience is worth the $ 40 price tag unless you’re in the company of amazing friends! But, if money isn’t an issue for you and you’re looking for the perfect ambiance and something special Moana high tea will not disappoint.
Remember pinkies up!

We had a girls night out in honor of restaurant week. And it was so fabulous. Especially with our waiter, Darren. Service was great.
Now the food. We ordered the prix fixe menu. And the french onion soup was delish. But they did such a good job covering the entire top with cheese that I spilled a bunch of soup just trying to access the soupy goodness underneath. The beet salad was next. Also super good with a variety of tomatoes and purple and yellow beets. For the main course, I chose the opah and lobster. It was served on a bed of ramen noodles with baby bok choy lying on red curry sauce. So good.
The portions were surprisingly generous and I took half of my entrée home, so I could save room for dessert. Dessert was a duo of cheese cake and a chocolate peanut butter crunch bar, the best thing I’ve put in my mouth in a long time. Coupled with my elderflower sangria, heaven. Darren also gave us these little chocolate bites infused with lavender essence. Perfect end to a great meal.

I visited the Beachhouse for the first time during a Restaurant Week dinner with my girlfriends, and I had a great dining experience. Initially, I was in a bad mood due to horrendous and rude service from the valet, but the hosts at the restaurant and our server, Ricky, turned the night around for me.
It was a rainy evening, and we were seated outside. I’m sure that outdoor seating is normally quite a draw here, but it was really humid. Glad I decided to wear my hair up!
All of us went for the Restaurant Week prix fixe — I chose the lobster bisque, Caesar salad, and petite filet. Dessert was the same for everyone — a duo of peanut butter crunch and coffee cheesecake. Everything was delicious, including my filet, which was cooked rare, as I requested it. (I’m an animal.) However, the real stand out was Ricky! He truly went above and beyond to give us great service, making special accommodations and bringing little extras, none of which were deserved. :p He was truly a sweetheart.
I am planning to go again, and I will definitely be requesting Ricky. Highly recommended.

The Beachhouse at the Moana Surfrider has slowly become one of my favorite steakhouse restaurants over the years. I used to frequent the Veranda as a child for the breakfast buffet with my family. As I have gotten older, I have had the pleasure of enjoying more of the dinners at the Beachhouse. With each visit, I have grown to like this place more and more.
AMBIANCE
I have found myself recently booking dinners here regularly. I like the atmosphere and ambiance of the place, with both the seating indoors and out. Inside is definitely the way to go if you’ve been walking around Waikiki the whole day and are in need of some QT with the AC… And outside is beyond beautiful. Sometimes they even have live entertainment.
LAMB
As far as the food goes, I really haven’t had anything that I didn’t like. I always go for the lamb. and the lamb here is exquisite. Cooked perfectly each time and paired with complementary and fulfilling sides.
LOBSTER TRUFFLE MAC AND CHEESE
If there’s one thing you take away from this review — try the lobster truffle «mac» and cheese. The delicate brown butter crumb topping adds a nice difference in texture /​consistency and the perfect bit of crunch. The truffle essence is well-​balanced and the lobster chunks are juicy and meaty. Overall, the dish is a bit oily… but I’m super willing to overlook that because it’s so freakin’ delish. Seriously, I’d eat this thing every day.
VERDICT
Hearty and delicious food with genuine customer service — you can’t go wrong with that! I highly suggest this place for any occasion — date night, a family dinner, a gathering with friends, etc. And visitors will surely appreciate the view and ambiance. Book a reservation.
And don’t forget that free self parking (with validation) is available at the sister hotel across street — the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani.

I really enjoyed myself here!!!
sooooo. i got the first lady tea & it come with desserts, champagne, tea & a complimentary fan to keep :)
the different types of teas were super good! i got the vanilla/​caramel one & it was super delish! my other friends got different ones so were trying different types of teas and it was very good. our waiter would come and bring water water often to keep our tea warm so that was nice of him. he also was really nice and made our first time there amazing.
the food was good! lots of cute desserts to try. i loved the pumpkin spice macaroons alot. so many to choose from (if you choose the first lady tea package)
i would definitely go back!

Took my girlfriend for her birthday dinner on a Thursday night. They gave us a beautiful table along the edge of the porch where we were able to enjoy the live music from the outdoor bar.
The food was great. The maui onion soup had a phenomenal cheese crust on top and our server was kind enough to split it for us. The ahi appetizer was so fresh. Our filet was cooked to the perfect medium rare, exactly as we requested, and had great flavor, even with no sauce. I really enjoyed the mushroom risotto too. Our server brought us a fabulous dessert for my girlfriend’s birthday, along with some sparkling wine to celebrate!
The service was wonderful too. Our server was attentive, but invisible. He also encouraged us to take our time, and made us feel welcome, even though we were among the last tables seated that evening. I also love the ambiance. The porch is perfectly lit; it’s very romantic. The whole evening was wonderful and I have absolutely no suggestions.

Nostalgia and Ambiance is what comes to mind when I think about the Moana Surfrider. It’s a beautiful hotel albeit not everyone thinks and feels this way, there is a sense of romance and old world simplicity about this place. It is Oahu’s oldest and first hotel, coined «The First Lady of Waikiki» and rightly so, it’s not like any other hotel you will come across in Oahu.
Here you’ll find the beautiful and inviting porte cochere with the expansive front porch complete with rocking chairs and columns. Inside the simplicity of the beautiful staircase is what most brides in Hawaii hopes to be photographed coming down (or so I’m told). It’s a beautiful hotel if you appreciate the history and the charm of Moana — this is the perfect place to go.
I take friends and family here whenever they come to visit with me and I must say, it’s Waikiki and along with that comes the congestion and unending frustration of finding parking and dodging tourist as they attempt to play frogger with me. There is complimentary valet parking at Moana however, good luck scoring that since each time I’ve been here it’s been a miss. Best to park at the Princess Kaiulani Hotel where the first four hours is free with validation (this is the first left hand turn after the Moana and less than a block down.
I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest to numerous weddings, bridal and baby showers as well as cocktails, luncheons and high tea. This is my favorite hotel for many reasons but primarily for the experience of having tea at The Veranda. It’s not the best tea service on island but certainly warrants a visit if you’re looking to have this kind of experience. I suggested to my women’s group that afternoon tea here would be perfect for a meet and greet for new members and unfortunately on the day of our tea it happened to be on one of the hottest days in Oahu!
There are three types of tea service for afternoon tea:
–First Lady Tea Service — the basic plus berries/​crème fraîche/​brown sugar, sparkling rosè, and a sandalwood fan (which came in handy on this sweltering hot day)
–Moana Classic Tea Service — the basic plus ginger biscotti and chocolate pot de crème
–Veranda Tea Service — the basic three tier tea service and lemongrass-​green tea sorbet
There are six types of teas to choose from ranging from the deep and dusky flavors of the Verganda Breeze to the light and flighty flavors of Moana Sunset, Moana Royal, Jasmine, Darjeeling, and Lemon-​Rooibos.
Tea service here is dainty and charming. When I think of afternoon tea — my mind defaults to an outdoor experience beneath a shady tree and scented breeze. The Veranda is quintessentially the perfect tea experience. I would highly recommend having afternoon tea at the Moana to anyone who hasn’t ever experienced high tea before.
On our day of service though, it was painfully hot and it was too late to defer to another date yet alone another venue. Our waitress proceeded with her presentation of the teas and service but failed terribly in keeping up with the ice water/​cold tea service. Of all the days to forget to bring my fan — this was the day and unfortunately the sandlewood scented fan was just too overpowering for my taste (plus it was $ 10.00 each if you hadn’t purchased the First Lady Tea Service). There is an 18% gratuity added to your service however my Unilocal check in granted me a 15% Kama’aina (local) discount. Getting our check at the end of service was also too long. Despite all the delays and lack of attentive service yesterday, I still love the Moana Surfrider, the Veranda and the personality of The First Lady of Waikiki.

I have been to the Veranda for afternoon tea in the past and would rate the tea service as a 4 star experience. However, this review is solely for my recent visit, when I went with ordering food off the Veranda’s lunch menu.
First of all, the Moana Surfrider is a gorgeous hotel and having lunch or afternoon tea on the veranda is a very relaxing experience. You get a beautiful view of the ocean and the breeze is gentle and warm. Sitting on that veranda made me feel like I was on vacation.
However, based on my recent experience, I am not likely to return for food from their lunch menu anytime soon. Since we were there for a friend’s birthday and I felt like pampering myself a little, I ordered the Kona Lobster Sandwich with lemon aioli, avocado, and onion rings. The onion rings were nicely crispy but overseasoned. The sandwich had the opposite problem. The bread for the sandwich was warm and toasted but I did not taste any lemon aioli in the sandwich. There was a good amount of lobster but it sadly lacked flavor. I had to resort to putting ground pepper on it myself. A friend recommended using the ketchup from the onion rings as well. I felt criminal putting ketchup on lobster but tried it anyway out of flavor desperation. It was not how I imagined a lunch at a fancy restaurant to go.
Thank goodness for saving graces because otherwise I would have rated my experience 2 stars instead of 3 stars. First, the appetizers were much better than the entrees. I tried a bite of my friend’s crab cake and it was delicious. It was made with real crab, nicely seasoned, and perfectly crispy on the outside. I shared the Sesame Seared Ahi with a friend. It was a small appetizer but the ahi was fresh and I enjoyed the dish. Another saving grace is that there are bottomless refills on the Plantation Iced Tea (not sure if this holds true for other drinks). However, it didn’t have enough pineapple juice in it so it was more of an iced tea with a hint of pineapple. And last but not least, be sure to check in on Unilocal because there’s a kama’aina discount for 15% off your meal. Our entire table got this deal even though only three of us are Unilocalers.

We were originally planning on having breakfast at Orchids but since we dined there for dinner, we opted to try another hotel for breakfast. After a quick powwow, we decided on The Veranda at the Beachhouse at the Moana Surfrider. We had thought about staying at the Moana before finally deciding on the Hilton Hawaiian Village so we thought we’d scope the hotel out.
Even though there were a lot of people dining and waiting for tables, we managed to snag a table within 10 – 15 minutes. We opted for the buffet breakfast — it’s only a couple of dollars more than any entrée on the menu and you get to choose from a variety of items. We were going to the zoo and aquarium after so we knew we had to fill up as we probably weren’t having lunch.
There is a tiny Japanese food station with rice, miso soup, and congee. Then the rest of the buffet is American — a cereal section, a hot food section (eggs benedict, eggs, sausages, bacon, potatoes), a cold cuts section (smoked salmon, cold cuts and salad), a bread section, a breakfast pastry section and a fruit section.
There’s also a juice section with 4 choices of juice — I always opted for the Guava juice.
Any other items — waffles, pancakes, omelets and French Toast had to be ordered with your waiter. My order of French Toast came with two slices so it’s definitely enough for one person to finish on top of the buffet foods.
The food was very food and I was completely stuffed. Highly recommend!

Absolutely favorite, top notch brunch spot on Waikiki that you could ever ask for! This restaurant is located inside of the BREATHTAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL Westin Moana Surfrider. Right on the beach, with beautiful almost antique looking interiors, completely open in a courtyard that encircles a beautiful banyan tree.
I mistakenly stumbled in here about 8 years ago with my sister. It was open, and I smelled fresh waffles. Two young teenagers waltzed right in to a fancy breakfast buffet, helped ourselves to a fresh waffle bar, and some amazing fruit. To our surprise they also had miso soup and traditional Japanese breakfast foods. That is honestly what I love most about this place; they know who their clients are and where they come from and they provide exactly that. My dad LOVES natto for breakfast, and it is not common at all to see at a breakfast buffet, and yet they always have it here!
The waffle bar is gone, but you can order fresh waffles, pancakes and an omelette from your server and it is included in the breakfast buffet package. Normal items seen on the buffet are miso soup, delicious kim chee, some sort of grilled fish and the usual items like sausage, bacon, eggs benedict, etc. But let me just emphasize how DELICIOUS the food here really is… everything is so fresh, so tasty, and you can’t help but feel at peace when you look at your surroundings.
This will always be my favorite place to go for brunch on Waikiki. The service is also top notch! I noticed a 15% off Unilocal deal that actually only applied to local Hawaiians, and when I showed it to our server he gave it to us anyway :) Mahalo!