Must-see nightlife in Oʻahu

  • La Mariana Sailing Club

    Honolulu

    Time warp! Who says all the great tiki bars are gone? Irreverent and kitschy, this thatch-walled 1950s joint on the harbor is filled with modern-day…

  • Smith's Union Bar

    Honolulu

    Every year, Smith's is a gathering spot for people remembering the Pearl Harbor attack, as it was the chosen bar of the crew of the USS Arizona before…

  • Bar Leather Apron

    Honolulu

    An old-school bar with serious cocktails crafted by a new school of wizards. It's a casual yet elegant place to try one of four clever takes on the…

  • Maui Brewing Co.

    Kailua

    These guys have opened a large bar and restaurant on Kailua Rd, adding immensely to Kailua's drinking options. Expect island-inspired cuisine, more than…

  • Cuckoo Coconuts

    Waikiki

    Mismatched wobbly tables under a canopy of canvas and ragged umbrellas, plus a menagerie of aging potted tropical plants, give this bar a carefree,…

  • Beer Lab Hawaii

    Honolulu

    Three nuclear engineers working at Pearl Harbor, who were also beer geeks, opened this brewpub, where they brought a mad-scientist ethos to the beer. The…

  • Honolulu Beerworks

    Honolulu

    This corrugated-metal-fronted warehouse microbrewery is one of O‘ahu's best brewers. The inside is a cavernous mix of distressed wood and concrete, while…

  • Hula's Bar & Lei Stand

    Waikiki

    This friendly, open-air bar is Waikiki’s legendary gay venue and a great place to make new friends, boogie and have a few drinks. Hunker down at the pool…

  • Grace in Growlers

    Kailua

    With only a few years under its belt, this beer bar is already a Kailua institution. It's a real community gathering spot and has an innovative concept:…

  • Morning Glass Coffee

    Honolulu

    Up the Manoa Valley, Morning Glass is a small, all-open-air coffee bar that serves terrific breakfasts and lunches. Try the hearty macaroni and cheese…

  • Beach Bar

    Waikiki

    Waikiki's best beach bar is on an atmospheric stretch of Kahaloa & Ulukou Beaches. The atmosphere comes from the historic Moana Surfrider hotel and its…

  • Tea at 1024

    Honolulu

    This retro gem takes you back in time to an era when cutesy sandwiches, scones and cakes were enjoyed in the afternoon and eaten with a pinkie extended…

  • Gorilla in the Cafe

    Waikiki

    Owned by Korean TV star Bae Yong-joon, this artisan coffee bar brews Waikiki's biggest selection of 100% Hawaii-grown beans from independent farms all…

  • Hank's Cafe

    Honolulu

    You can’t get more low-key than this neighborhood dive bar. Live music rolls in some nights and the amiable regulars practically call it home as they…

  • Lulu’s Waikiki

    Waikiki

    Brush off your sandy feet at Kuhio Beach, then step across Kalakaua Ave to this surf-themed open-air bar and grill with 2nd-story lanai (balcony) views of…

  • Brue Bar

    Honolulu

    In a gorgeous old building on Merchant St, Brue Bar's passion for quality is keeping both tea lovers and coffee aficionados happy. Order a cortado, an…

  • Lewers Lounge

    Waikiki

    The nostalgic dream of Waikiki as an aristocratic playground is kept alive at this Halekulani hotel bar. We're talking contemporary and classic cocktails,…

  • Aloha Beer Co

    Honolulu

    A big open-fronted brewery with more than a dozen house beers on offer at any time. Choices are edgy – try the Froot Lupes IPA, made with fruity hops and…

  • In Between

    Waikiki

    A rubbah-slippah (flip-flops) neighborhood bar that attracts a merry local crowd with ‘the happiest of happy hours.’ The bartenders welcome tourists with…

  • Punchbowl Coffee

    Waikiki

    In the back of a parking lot, this truck uses potted palms to create a minute oasis amidst the Waikiki buzz. Superb hot and cold coffee and tea drinks,…

  • Bacchus Waikiki

    Waikiki

    An intimate 2nd-floor wine bar and cocktail lounge, with happy-hour specials and a Sunday-afternoon beer bust. It's got a more upscale vibe than most…

  • Wow Wow Lemonade

    Honolulu

    A locally owned adult lemonade stand of sorts, Wow Wow serves delicious handcrafted lemonades and limeades and proudly sources all ingredients from…

  • Duke's Waikiki

    Waikiki

    It’s a raucous scene, especially when weekend concerts spill onto the beach. Taking its name from Duke Kahanamoku, the surfing theme prevails throughout…

  • Top of Waikiki

    Waikiki

    Rotating lazily at one revolution per hour, this decidedly retro tower-top restaurant takes in a 360-degree view. There’s purportedly food involved, but…

  • Formaggio Wine Bar

    Honolulu

    Ignore the grim exterior in this storefront below the Foodland supermarket, there are surprises in this cave-like Italian restaurant. Specifically, you'll…

  • Genius Lounge

    Waikiki

    Like a Japanese speakeasy, this glowing candlelit hideaway is a chill retreat for attitudy hipsters and lovebird couples. East-West tapas bites let you…

  • RumFire

    Waikiki

    The collection of vintage rum is mighty tempting at this lively and huge hotel bar, with fire pits looking out onto the beach and live contemporary…

  • Honolulu Coffee Company

    Honolulu

    Overlooking Tamarind Sq with city skyline views, here you can take a break from tramping around Honolulu’s historical sites for a java jolt brewed from…

  • Real Gastropub

    Honolulu

    In an industrial-chic space in the ground-floor corner of a modern apartment building, this pub is home to the noted craft brewer, Bent Tail Brewing. In…

  • Bar 35

    Honolulu

    This indoor-outdoor watering hole has a big selection of domestic and international beer, bottled and on tap, with fusion pizzas to absorb the suds. There…

  • Arnold's Beach Bar & Grill

    Waikiki

    The antidote to soulless hotel bars, this grass-shack dive bar with a smoky patio lures beach bums who knock back cheap microbrews in the middle of a…

  • Deck

    Waikiki

    Enjoy a sweeping vista from the third-floor pool deck of the Queen Kapiʻolani Hotel. There's a standard coffee shop menu of breakfasts and burgers etc but…

  • Buho Cocina y Cantina

    Waikiki

    The entrance to the aging office building housing Buho may have you thinking insurance office, but ride the elevator to the 5th floor and head out to the…

  • Tapa’s Restaurant & Lanai Bar

    Waikiki

    Tiki-themed Tapa’s Restaurant & Lanai Bar is a laid-back spot, with a welcoming vibe, pool tables, a jukebox and a karaoke machine (which blessedly is in…

  • Lanikai Juice

    Kailua

    With fresh fruit gathered from local farmers, this brightly lit, fruit-colored juice bar blends a tantalizing assortment of smoothies with names such as…

  • Maui Brewing Co

    Waikiki

    Hawaii's largest bar features over two dozen of Maui Brewing's microbrews. Under lights made from kegs, you can lounge in the vast, industrial space,…

  • Brewseum

    Honolulu

    Part bar, part brewery, part museum of Hawaii in WWII, the Brewseum wears many hats – or should we say helmets. Military artifacts are jammed into every…

  • Waikiki Brewing

    Waikiki

    Big, open-air and set back from the street behind tropical plants, Waikiki's namesake brewery has an industrial-chic setting where you can enjoy the nine…

  • Honolulu Tavern

    Waikiki

    Waikiki's dive bars are a dwindling lot as the blocks towards the canal fall to the wrecking ball ahead of a glossier future. So the timeless Honolulu…

  • Bevy

    Honolulu

    The old industrial area of Kakaʻako has become trendy and Bevy is one of the trendiest, offering inventive and classic cocktails in artsy surrounds. There…

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