La Mariana Sailing Club

There are some places in Hawaiʻi that feel less like a restaurant and more like a time machine. La Mariana Sailing Club is one of those places.

I finally made it there today for brunch with my girlfriends — a simple little gift exchange, lots of laughs, and honestly… the perfect setting for it. I’ve been wanting to visit La Mariana for a while now, and the second I walked in, I knew exactly why I’d been drawn to it.

I love themed restaurants, but especially the ones that don’t try too hard — the ones that just are. Old Hawaiʻi. Real Hawaiʻi. The kind that lives in your memory. The rattan furniture, the dark aged wood, the low lighting — it immediately took me back to my childhood in the 80s. It felt like walking into my grandparents’ house. That same cozy, slightly dim, salt-air-in-the-background kind of feeling. Still til this day, that vibe just settles me.

The menu itself is pretty minimal — not pages and pages of choices — but honestly, I liked that. Sometimes that’s how you know a place is confident in what they do. Everything we ordered, we enjoyed. No overthinking, no disappointment. Just solid, comforting food that fit the atmosphere perfectly.

What really stood out to me was the ambience. It’s the kind of place where you can actually relax and talk story. Perfect for a slow brunch, an easy lunch, or a long dinner with friends where no one’s in a rush to leave. You’re surrounded by history, boats gently bobbing nearby, and that quiet hum that makes you want to stay just a little longer.

La Mariana isn’t trendy. It’s not polished. And that’s exactly what makes it special. It feels lived in. Loved. Like it’s been holding memories for decades — and now it’s holding a few of ours too.

Honestly, I left feeling full in more ways than one. And I already know I’ll be back.