“Art cafes” are have been fairly commonplace in trendy communities on the mainland for well over a decade. But on the island there a few authentic ones that are worth recommending. Thankfully, ARS Cafe (and gallery) is not one of them. Instead, it is everything you want the concept to be, blending great espresso with pop-up exhibits that honor it’s location in a cultural heart of the south shore at the base of Diamond Head crater.

ARS Cafe invites local artisans to showcase and sell their work, offering locals and visitors alike the opportunity to display a piece of Hawaii (in vary degrees) in their home. For example, this passed December ARS invited North Shore waterman and the G.O.A.T. of bodysurfing Mark Cunningham and Maureen Debreé (get it?) to exhibit his #foundart work within the walls of the quaint establishment. Below are a couple of photos of that particular month-long show:

Marcus Maraih & Mark Cunningham (exhibit from 2020…obviously)