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Honolulu’s 7 favorite bars

A photo of Red logo
by Noelle Chun
Updated June 09, 2023

A bar renaissance in Honolulu is pushing revelers beyond mai tais and blue Hawaiʻis, unleashing a whole new world of innovative lounges and cool speakeasies.

An unexpected cocktail spot inside an Ala Moana grocery store houses a 91-bottle whiskey selection. A bamboo bar at a recently renovated hotel in Waikīkī puts its own whimsical spin on tiki drinks.

At these outstanding spots, you can sip on juleps, fine Italian wines, or even indulge in a jello shot, all while soaking in one-of-a-kind settings. Read on for a guide to Honolulu’s 7 best bars to visit right now.

A photo of Heyday restaurant
4.5
4.5 (211)
$31 to $50
Continental
Waikiki
About the restaurant

Pool drinks are the name of the game at Heyday, a super hip bar at the recently renovated White Sands hotel. The cocktails, which include the fluffy pineapple Chaise Dreams, a mamaki-tea infused mai tai, and daiquiris, are best sipped on swings that double as bar seats—one of Heyday’s many distinguishing features, which also include a grotto enclave and a tiki-style bamboo bar. To all that, add a top-notch food menu steered by James Beard Award winner Robynne Maii (locally caught fish and chips, flatiron steak skewers) and you’ve got a quintessential Honolulu hangout.


Top review
2hotdogsandajack
Dined on Feb 15, 2024
we were staying at White Sands which is where HeyDay is located. Super fun spot. very casual and friendly and easy going. Ordered the HeyDay salad with grilled shrimp. Lots of big fat shrimp with a lovely bed of well dressed salad greens that appeared to be farm to table. Very delish. My husband ordered the pastrami sandwich. He said it might have been the best one he has ever had. quality was top notch. we recommend this hotel as well as the restaurant. Have fun!!
A photo of House Without a Key restaurant
4.6
4.6 (3595)
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
Waikiki
About the restaurant

Look no further than House Without A Key’s sun-soaked lanai for what is arguably the world’s greatest mai tai. Here, the quintessential beach cocktail is made with three types of rum, poured over crushed ice, and garnished with a bouquet of orchid, lime, and sugarcane—all made sweeter against a backdrop of live Hawaiian slack key, hula dancing from former Miss Hawaiʻi-USA winners, and a magical beachside view of Diamond Head. Other tropical drinks are also available—think daiquiris, and Champagne cocktails—alongside fruity non-alcoholic selections. Graze on small plates including sushi rice cubes with spicy ahi if you’re just here for golden hour. But should drinks turn into dinner, choose from a heartier menu that includes brick-oven pizza, hibachi chicken breast, and steamed fresh red snapper.


Top review
Rebecca
Dined on Dec 11, 2024
Great food! Great service! Great dining location - the views are wonderful! The entertainment is a nice bonus!
A photo of Stage Restaurant & Amuse Wine Bar restaurant
4.4
4.4 (1686)
$31 to $50
Contemporary Asian
Honolulu
About the restaurant

Come for the ultra-modern Italian furniture—but stay for the wine. Amuse Bar is housed on the second floor of the glassy Honolulu Design Center, decked with a tech-heavy system sprawled throughout the bar area that lets you swipe a card at as many as 80 beeping and flashing gaskets that pour you a taste of from around the world, ranging from Napa cabs to French burgundies and more. Show up between 5 pm and 6 pm between Tuesdays and Saturdays for a daily happy hour selection of by-the-glass wine specials (a rotating selection of beer and cocktails are also available). Pair the sips with petite wine-friendly bites such as truffle fries, charcuterie and cheese plates, and sliders.


Top review
Elias
Dined on Dec 11, 2024
Amazing food and service always, big thanks to Kay and Brett for taking such great care of us
A photo of Hana Koa Brewing Co. restaurant
4.6
4.6 (989)
$30 and under
Comfort Food
Honolulu
About the restaurant

Though you’ll spy Hana Koa Brewery Co. cans in local supermarkets, its bar is where you can fully immerse yourself in beer. The converted-warehouse haunt offers 16 taps that pour out suds made on site with selections that rotate weekly. Find flights, as expected, or tall frosty pints. All pair well with Hana Koa’s snacky menu, including spicy pork belly sliders, a beer-battered fish sandwich, plus a sizable ramen selection. If you want a stiffer drink, head upstairs to Hana Koa’s Mezzanine, a low-key craft cocktail bar with weekly specials and secret menus made by its creative bartending staff.


Top review
MattVIP
Dined 3 days ago
Best brewery I have been to, not just on the islands but in the world. Great food, great beers, full bar, and their crew is a well oiled machine.
A photo of Eleven restaurant
4.5
4.5 (225)
$30 and under
Cocktail Bar
Ala Moana
About the restaurant

Eleven may be practically built inside a Foodland, one of Hawai’i’s beloved locally-owned grocery stores, but this cocktail bar is anything but a freezer aisle. The drinks menu features many original riffs on modern classics, though the real draw is a 91-bottle whiskey selection that can be prepared one of a staggering 13 ways—as a sour, old fashioned, in julep form, or as a boulevardier, just to name a few. If you’re not imbibing, consider the Pineapple Slinger, made with a non-alcoholic gin, pineapple and lime juice, orgeat, hibiscus, and cherry syrup. Stretch your experience with enticing small plates including seasonal Pacific oysters, hamachi carpaccio, or roasted beets with spiced silken tofu.


Top review
JBFried
Dined 5 days ago
We really enjoyed our visit. Bacon candy was amazing Hamachi was also The beef brioche seemed a miss. It was 98% brioche and 2%beef. Could barely tell there was any beef at all. The only other thing is the empty plates cluttered our space ( at the bar) and we're not removed until we paying the bill. Towards the end of the visit we felt like we were left hanging. The waitress finally came over and gave us a water refill and took care of the bill for us. Again over all we had a great time. Everyone was friendly. Just a couple small things that could be easily managed.
A photo of The Lei Stand restaurant
4.4
4.4 (183)
$30 and under
Cocktail Bar
Downtown
About the restaurant

As one of Honolulu’s most historic pockets, Downtown has long been home to family-run lei stands that promoted the century-old Hawaiian tradition of placing garlands on people deboarding from nearby piers. Step through a side door past one such stand’s facade and you’ll find a bar that is far from a relic. Neon lights and thumping bass permeate the dark lounge. For fuel, there are juicy house drinks, such as the guava jelly-infused Rub Upon My Belly or the coconut fat-washed Coconut Wireless. The Lei Stand’s food is inspired by dishes found at local dives, featuring chicken karaage, misoyaki salmon, and patty melts—alongside a more refined selection called #luxuryshit, made up of uni waffles, caviar egg salad sandwiches, truffle Parmesan popcorn, and more.


Top review
CaseyOVIP
Dined on Jun 29, 2024
Carl was excellent. Friendly and helpful. We will miss this place.
A photo of Blind Ox restaurant
4.6
4.6 (889)
$50 and over
Speakeasy
Honolulu
About the restaurant

Blind Ox is a casual-chic Prohibition-style speakeasy in Kapahulu. The bar serves classic cocktails with local twists against a backdrop of chandeliers, dark red booths, and stylish wallpaper. Grab seats at the roomy indoor bar areas with ample booths or grab a plush perch on one of the many outdoor sofas. Choose from drinks including Mr. Crack Seed (a whiskey sour with plum skin powder-infused bourbon) and the Bull & the Whip (a wagyu-infused twist on a Manhattan). For the peckish, there’s a tapas menu of scallops, bone marrow, and scotch quail eggs.


Top review
OpenTable DinerVIP
Dined on Jan 9, 2024
Boo is great and the lobster rolls amazing Would recommend the oyster shooters also
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