6 Best Bars in Honolulu and Pearl Harbor, Oahu

Winner of a James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar in 2023, this cocktail bar is oddly situated in the mezzanine of an office building and seats only six at the bar, along with a few other tables. You'll need some luck to snag reservations (or close watching of the Resy app) to enjoy bespoke cocktails that utilize only the finest liquors and ingredients. Owners Tom Park and Justin Park (no relation) have cultivated a reputation for their E Hoo Pau Mai Tai made with an eight-year-old, raisin-infused El Dorado rum and another 12-year-old El Dorado rum, as well as coconut water syrup, spiced orgeat, ohia blossom honey, lime, vanilla, and absinthe—all served with a kiawe wood–smoke presentation.

Set back from the main entrance of the Halekulani Hotel and decked out with dramatic drapes and cozy banquettes, Lewers Lounge is a great place for cocktails, both classic and contemporary. Standouts include Chocolate Dreams (made with Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka) and the Lost Passion (tequila, Cointreau, and fresh juices topped with champagne). Enjoy your libation with great nightly live jazz and tempting desserts, such as the hotel's famous coconut cake.

Toward the back of Foodland Farms (located off Piikoi Street on the Ala Moana Center's first level), this small cocktail bar has an extensive menu of whiskey and other spirits. Both the drinks and the small plates use locally sourced ingredients. As a bonus, once you've enjoyed a drink and a snack, you can pick up some groceries in the main store on your way out.

Inspired by listening bars in Tokyo, this dimly lit, hip little spot serves some equally trendy cocktails. Sip a highball or house cocktail while a DJ spins vinyl nearby (no requests, please). Conversation is not banned, but a mellow mix of chatter and soaking up the sounds goes down best. Close to Hawaii Theatre, the bar is also a great place for a drink before or after a performance or show. Reservations are a good idea. 

Come here to feel Hawaii hip. Named after the iconic lei sellers in Chinatown, this bar is part speakeasy, with a sign out front and an entryway that allude to those lei shops. You can buy lei here, and the bright white inner courtyard has two lei walls to enhance that vibe. The rest of the space, though, is a purple-hued, neon-tropical lounge that slays. On the menu are upscale cocktails and small plates, and there's plenty of great people-watching.

With exposed red brick, big skylights, and rotating exhibitions of work by local photographers and painters, The Manifest has the vibe of an artist’s loft. It's a café by day and a cocktail bar and night club by night, so it serves a good cup of joe as well as quality cocktails.