Café Julia Hawaii

This is a very very late review!!! To be honest, I'm behind on a lot of reviews - work and life have made it slightly difficult to keep up!!! BUT!!! This year I have made it a point to start up again :)Okay, back to my review.I honestly cannot say anything but praise to Elijah and his team. I set out to plan my entire wedding all by myself and in looking for a wedding venue in early March of 2022 (did I mention that we were getting married ON Halloween of 2023), I came about this place from a friend who had mentioned the lunch he had there. Kept raving about it. So I looked them up and couldn't believe they were in the YMCA this whole time!!! And I had been there when I was younger but never paid any mind to the BEAUTIFUL architecture there!!! It has that slight gothic feel ... I fell in LOVE with the place!!My husband and I made an appointment with the event coordinator Elijah and also decided to have lunch to try the food while we were there.The food was awesome!! I had the pork chop, it's the one dish my friend wouldn't stop talking about. My husband had the fish I believe ...We enjoyed our food very much and as soon as we were done Elijah met with us.He was super helpful and gave us a tour of the place and what everything entailed with the different packages. He told us that our day (which is Halloween) is available!! We ended up deciding on using the courtyard for the ceremony and reception and because we wanted something small and intimate with about 35-40 people there - it seemed like the perfect place to do it. We had the option of using the ballroom in the event that it rained.We put our deposit down signed the agreement. For the food we decided to go buffet style ... you know your girl lives for a good buffet!! And although I wish I could tell you how awesome the food was that night .... I barely touched it (sadness).Anyway ... weeks before our big day Elijah kept in constant touch with us to make sure any last details were correct or taken care of. We really didn't have anything difficult requests ... with the exception of having Gee Yung there with their lions :D They were really our only big request.Elijah let us do a couple walk throughs so we could see where we wanted things. Easy right? It sure seemed that way when I first started planning lol The day of ... let me tell you. I was a big bag of anxiety!!! I was having panic attacks!!! BUT when my girls and I got there ... I let out a sigh ... kinda. We had a dark gothic theme, black and red colors ... gave everyone the choice of dressing up in costume. And we had it decorated Halloween style ... lots of cobwebs, tombstones ... skulls ... you get it. And on one of the walls in lights were both of our names in a heart ... The staff there were incredible!!!! They were behind the scenes but you knew they were there taking care of everything - from the rose petals that my 'flower bears' threw on the ground to packing left over cake!! FOREVER grateful to them!Would I do it all over again? Bet your sweet ass I would ... now that I know how to plan it lolWe even received a gift from Cafe Julia ... a beautiful clock with the date we got married and our names engraved into it. Beautiful keepsake.If you are looking for a venue please keep them in mind. Elijah is very professional and will accommodate if they can.

This delightful little cafe is part of the downtown YWCA building & has its own courtyard for weddings and other events.We got there just after opening (11:00am) so we had the whole place to ourselves for awhile. While we ordered, our server, Sami, inhaled and throughly enjoyed the essential oils my friend had brought out to show me. Our food was delicious‼ We both ordered the Quiche (spinach, mushroom & cheese), soup (tomato basil) & side salad combo and enjoyed every last bite. For desert we shared an ube ice cream & fresh mango sorbet which were both so ono‼Haven't been to this place since the YWCA closed its exercise classes - including use of the pool, but I have to remember to support this great little establishment. It's a perfect location for folks working downtown, so keep that in mind.

My fiancé and I are getting married at cafe julia next year and since touring the venue, have made it a once Month lunch stop for yummy bites and good ambiance.Located in the historic YWCA in downtown, the European-inspired architecture takes you away from the normal Lego block building feeling of urban Honolulu. The cafe itself is accessible through a beautiful courtyard, and is covered but open air. The waitstaff here are always so kind and my grandfather loves it here because they're incredibly helpful but not too chatty.On this occasion we ordered the strawberry salad, green salad and grilled ahi, and corn chowder to share. Their portions are a good size and the food always tastes fresh and doesn't sit too heavy. Their menu also boasts a variety of sandwiches, local favorites and Japanese fusion inspired cuisine, like salmon ochazuke. They also have a full bar.We can't wait to continue to work with Elijah and the events staff here and will keep coming on our monthly visits to soak up the food and pre wedding bliss!!

Great customer service! Food was perfecto! Lobster bisque and salad. My veggie Thai curry was delicious with my non alcoholic mango mojito. Next time I gotta have some dessert. Ambiance is relaxing and romantic. Like a garden indoors beautiful setting for lunch or dinner with friends or family or a great place for lunch break from work. Prices are very reasonable for such a great place.

Cafe Julia at the YWCA Downtown Honolulu provided an outstanding dining experience. From the moment we arrived, the service was exceptional. We were greeted warmly, and our reservation was quickly found. Our table was ready upon arrival, and our pre-ordered food was served about 15 minutes later.Many in our group enjoyed salads, which were fresh and flavorful. The pasta dishes were delicious, and the seafood risotto was a standout with its rich flavor and generous portions of seafood. The entrees were so satisfying that we didn't have room for dessert.The restaurant's ambiance is nice and airy, with a noise level that's just right for conversation. Overall, Cafe Julia offers a great atmosphere and delicious food. We will definitely be returning.

If you are looking for a place to get married at, Cafe Julia is the place to be!Great location, beautiful property, delicious food, and most of all awesome staff! Special thanks to Elijah and Kelii & the whole staff. Words cant express how grateful we are!Again thank you so much, and God bless

Located in the historic YWCA building designed ny Julia Morgan, architect of the Hearst Castle, this semi open air cafe surrounded by greenery is a lovely place for a leisurely lunch in downtown Honolulu. It's a bit warm even though they have high ceilings and fans. Park at the meters on the Richard St side of Iolani Palace or in Ali'i Tower municipal lot. The menu offers a nice selection of lunch options including salads. I was a little disappointed with my $27 Lobster Roll which was premixed with mayo, onions, celery... it was improved when I squeezed a lemon on it. With a choice of fries or salad I chose to be healthy and was happy with the fresh greens and balsamic dressing on the side. My bro's Wagyu Kobe Beef burger was delicious though I would have preferred it less cooked. The accompanying fries were also good and plentiful. Mom loved her huge plate of Chinese Chicken Salad which came chucked full of goodies including soba noodles, zoodles (zucchini) and mandarin oranges. Definitely enough for 2-3 people. Service is friendly but sometimes hard to flag down.

We love taking our out of town guest to brunch here. Service is always great. Food is consistent. We love the menu options. My faves are salmon ochazuke, oriental chicken salad, ahi poke tacos and chocolate torte. This time, our guests selected the summer strawberry salad, pork lumping, and ahi sandwich to share. Salad was refreshing and everything else was tasty. Nearest public parking is in the Alii building next door. Rates were reasonable.

Wow ! Went here for a work event ! The ambiance is great, the service was remarkable , and best of all the food was fantastic! I got the chicken katsu with Thai curry and it was absolutely delicious! For dessert I got the bread pudding and oh my it was warm and just so so good ! My coworker let me try her martini glass cheesecake and that was amazing too. I devoured my bread pudding dessert ! I'm looking forward to going back ! pS. The chicken katsu was prolly one of the best ones I've had in Hawaii

A great surprise- recommendation from the tour guide at the Palace. Plus entrance fee to Palace tour gets you 15 percent off! Wonderful environment and delicious food.