Honolulu
Honolulu's cocktail scene rewards drinkers who know where to look. The cocktail bars on this list span every neighbourhood worth a trip — Waikiki, Chinatown, Kakaako, Kailua all show up — and every price tier from a $5 local pour to a $25 hotel-bar tasting. Each bar earns its spot for a different reason. We have visited every one.
DOWNTOWN · $$$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Honolulu's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
CHINATOWN · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Cocktail-and-natural-wine bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
WAIKIKI · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage hotel bar at the Halekulani. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: Sunday from 6pm, when it's the room's quietest premium night and the kitchen is unhurried. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Avoid post-match nights if the local team is playing — the upstairs gets loud.
CHINATOWN · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Coffee-by-day, cocktail-bar-by-night. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: Thursday late or Friday early, when you'll catch the room building toward its weekend tempo. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. First-Friday traffic in the district can mean a 20-minute wait at the door.
SAND ISLAND · $$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Heritage tiki bar from 1957 on a working marina. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
WAIKIKI · $$$ · COCKTAIL BARS
Polished hotel bar at the Halekulani. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Use this guide either as a single curated route through Honolulu or as a checklist to revisit over a long weekend. Reservations are flagged where they matter. Otherwise, walk in. Below: the ten cocktail bars that any serious drinker in Honolulu would tell you to put on the list.
Honolulu's most awarded cocktail bar. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: Tuesday and Wednesday before 9pm, when the regulars haven't filled the room yet. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Saturday after 10pm gets crowded — book ahead or arrive early.
Cocktail-and-natural-wine bar with a tight rotating menu. Order: Mai Tai (the original). Best time: any weeknight between 7pm and 9pm, when the bar settles into its rhythm and the bartender has time to talk. Best for cocktail-curious drinkers who want technique without theatre. Friday from 8pm fills up; reserve a counter seat or a high table.
Looking beyond Honolulu? See our guide to the best cocktail bars worldwide, or compare cocktail bars city by city. Or find cocktail bars near you.