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Oahu Travel Guide

Restaurant review · Waikiki

Michel’s at the Colony Surf: Dinner on Kaimana Beach

Michel’s has served French dinners on Kaimana Beach since 1962, and it still finishes the lobster bisque and the banana flambé at the table.

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By Oahu Travel GuideChecked Sep 2026Waikiki, Diamond Head end$$$$5 min read

Pink and blue sky over Sans Souci and Kaimana Beach at dusk

Dusk over Sans Souci and Kaimana Beach. Photo: The Eloquent Peasant, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The 30-second verdict

Michel’s is old-school Honolulu fine dining on the sand: a lobster bisque flamed with cognac at your table, a Caesar dressed beside you, and sunset over Waikiki from the quiet end of the beach. It opens seven nights at 5. Dress smart casual and plan to pay on one check.

Since 1962Tableside serviceOpen nightly

Michel’s at a Glance

Address: 2895 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815
Where: The Colony Surf, 2895 Kalakaua Avenue, on Kaimana Beach
Cuisine: French and classic European, with tableside service
Price tier: $$$$ (tasting menu $130; mains $68 to $76)
Hours: Dinner nightly from 5 PM, last seating 9 PM
Reservations: (808) 923-6552 or OpenTable
Dress: Smart casual: long pants or dark jeans, closed-toe shoes
Bar: Bar counter seating closed until further notice

Hours and dress code from michelshawaii.com, checked Sep 27, 2026. Prices from the menus the restaurant posts online, last updated Nov 2024; tax and gratuity extra.

Best for

CouplesGreatBeachfront at the quiet end of Waikiki, built for date nights.
FamiliesGoodTableside flambés are a show, but no kids menu is posted.
FriendsGoodSeafood towers for two, but checks are not split.
SoloGoodA $100 late-night set menu for 8 to 9 PM seatings.
GroupsGoodPrivate and buyout options; 15 or more book as an event.

Pros

On Kaimana Beach, at the quiet Diamond Head end of Waikiki.
Tableside bisque, Caesar, banana foster and cherries jubilee.
Open seven nights a week.
More than 200 wines, and a $130 tasting menu with $40 pairings.

Cons

The online menus date from November 2024.
Checks are not split.
Bar counter seating is closed.
The restaurant’s site lists no parking information.

Known for

Lobster bisque, finished tableside

The restaurant calls it a 48-hour labor of love: Maine lobster, an onaga bone stock, then a flambé of lobster meat in cognac at the table. The menu says it has been served since 1962; $22 a la carte, and the second course of the tasting menu.

What to Order

Start with the lobster bisque ($22) and the Caesar ($26 a person, two-order minimum), dressed at the table. The beef Wellington ($74) and duckling à l’orange ($68) are the classics, and banana foster or cherries jubilee ($24 each, two-order minimum) close with another flame. A Taste of Michel’s ($130, pairings $40 or $80) strings the bisque, the Caesar and a filet Rossini into one dinner. Booking an 8 to 9 PM seating? Ask for the $100 late-night set menu.

Prices from the menus on michelshawaii.com, last updated Nov 26, 2024. Confirm when you book.

The Room and the Sunset

The dining room sits on Kaimana Beach, looking back toward Waikiki, and the site sells it on sunset and tableside performance. Doors open at 5 PM; in mid-November the sun sets around 5:50, so the first seating gets it. The bar counter is closed until further notice. For a brunch on the same sand, Hau Tree is a few doors down, and for the other French room in Waikiki, see La Mer at the Halekulani, open Tuesday to Saturday.

A surfer on Kaimana Beach at sunset — Kaimana Beach at sunset, the sand Michel’s faces. Photo: davidpinter, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

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Price, Hours and Dress Code

Michel’s serves dinner seven nights, from 5 PM to a 9 PM last seating. Appetizers ran $18 to $32 and mains $68 to $76 on the posted menus. The dress code is smart casual: aloha wear, slacks or dark tailored jeans, collared shirts, dresses and closed-toe shoes. T-shirts, shorts and flip-flops are discouraged, and tank tops, swimwear and gym wear are not allowed. Planning a special trip? See our Oahu honeymoon guide.

Getting There and Parking

Michel’s is at 2895 Kalakaua Avenue, past Kapiolani Park and the Natatorium, about a mile (20 minutes on foot) from the Duke statue. Its site lists no parking details, so call (808) 923-6552 before you drive. The neighboring Kaimana Beach Hotel is the closest place to stay, and an early Diamond Head hike starts a few minutes away.

The Waikiki Natatorium at sunrise — The Natatorium next door. Photo: Flip Flops Hawaii, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The Sans Souci Hotel in Honolulu in the 1890s — The Sans Souci Hotel, about 1894, which named the beach. Photo: Unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Michel’s on Instagram

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Could be better

The menus online are from 2024, and the checks don’t split. The dinner and a la carte menus on the restaurant’s site are images last updated in November 2024, so prices may have moved, and the menu states that checks are not split. Groups should plan to settle one bill from an itemized receipt.

Restaurants to Consider Instead

La Mer is the formal French step up at the Halekulani: 2026 AAA Five Diamond, set menus at $265 and $340, Tuesday to Saturday only, and a collared-shirt dress code.
Hau Tree is the casual meal on the same beach: brunch, pau hana and dinner until 9 PM, dinner entrees $40 to $75, and free valet for diners.
53 By The Sea suits a group that needs a private room: rooms for 12, 20 and 50 with ocean views, tasting menus from $110, and windows on Waikiki and Diamond Head. It is closed Monday and Tuesday.

Tips for Michel’s

Book the 5 PM seating. Mid-November sunsets fall around 5:50.
Order two of the flambé. The desserts and the Caesar require two orders.
Late table? Request the $100 late-night menu for an 8 to 9 PM seating.
One card per table. Checks are not split; ask for an itemized receipt.
Dress smart casual. Long pants or dark jeans and closed-toe shoes.
Call about parking. The site doesn’t publish it: (808) 923-6552.

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Michel’s Questions

Is Michel’s open for brunch?

Not on a regular basis. Michel’s serves dinner nightly from 5 PM; its monthly Sunday brunch ended in July 2025, and holiday brunches are posted separately.

What is the dress code at Michel’s?

Smart casual. Aloha wear, slacks or dark jeans, collared shirts and closed-toe shoes are encouraged; tank tops, swimwear and gym wear are not allowed.

How do I make a reservation?

Call (808) 923-6552 or book on OpenTable. Parties of 15 or more book as an event.

How much is dinner at Michel’s?

The posted tasting menu is $130 a person with pairings at $40 or $80, and mains run $68 to $76, on menus last updated in November 2024. Tax and gratuity are extra.

Where do I park for Michel’s?

The restaurant’s site does not list parking, so call (808) 923-6552 before you drive.

Sources, checked Sep 27, 2026

Researched from the sources above, checked Sep 27, 2026. We never claim a visit we did not make; first-hand notes are marked as Stew’s. How we research and review.