La Mer is Hawai'i's most decorated restaurant — the only Forbes Five-Star restaurant in the state and the longest-running AAA Five Diamond restaurant in the islands, holding the rating consecutively since 1990. Perched on the second floor of the Halekulani with floor-to-ceiling windows wide open to the Pacific and Diamond Head, the room is hushed, candlelit, and unapologetically formal (collared shirts required, jackets suggested). The neoclassical French menu is built around tropical and Hawaiian ingredients — Kona lobster, Hawaiian moi, Big Island vanilla — and a recent grand tasting menu showcases the precision of an island-based French kitchen at its peak. Service is choreographed but warm. This is the room locals book for engagements, milestone anniversaries, and once-in-a-trip celebration dinners.
"The restaurant, La Mer, is outstanding — the range of choice in the menu, the location and view to the beach and sea, the flawless and attentive but not intrusive service. A genuine fine-dining experience and worth every dollar."