Lewers Lounge

This was by far one of the best jazz bars I have been to. Drinks are tasty and unique albeit the usual price. However, the ambiance and class of Lewers Lounge by far outweighs the price.
The daily jazz music is the most attractive reason to visit. Maggie Herron was absolutely haunting in her performance. A perfect spot for just relaxing after a hard day’s work or a visit. Highly recommend coming later through the week to see her perform.
Excellent and exemplary service from the waiting staff, felt welcomed even though I was from out-​of-​town. I came here out of interest but returned every night for the remainder of my trip.
Evening attire is a must, but a nice oasis from the sea of Aloha shirts.

Nice relaxing alternative to the Mai Tai beach vibe going on outside. The jazz band adds a great sound, the drinks a pricey like the hotel but worth it if you want to get away from the shopping mall feel of Waikiki.

Meggie Hanna is so Phenomenal!!!
such a get away & falling in to romantic jazz
great wine & champaigne selections

Meant to post this sooner. Better late than never.
A very nice and classy spot for live Jazz music and drinks. There is a dress code here which tells you the type of clientele that will frequent the bar. If you’d like to avoid the typical Waikiki dives and avoid the tourist with Aloha Shirts, why not try Lewers Lounge.
They give complimentary peanuts and chocolate covered orange peels, the orange peels are addicting.
Tonight my friends and I had a few drinks and enjoyed the cool evening. This place is also a great date option if you’re looking for a mellow spot. I will be back again.

This place was great! Seating is limited but we got seated at the bar fairly quickly. Bartenders were nice, loved the vibe and jazz music. We came for the absinthe, which was a great first experience. Drinks are a little on the higher side, but I expected that being a hotel bar. (Unique drinks too!) Would love to come back and try some of the food.

Our accommodating server was Daniel, and we ordered off his recommendations. He was very polite, friendly, and knowledgable. All his suggestions hit the spot, and we got to try a bit of everything.

People that come here can expect
— romantic ambience — dim & classy
— unique cocktails
— live jazz music
— decent pupus
Classy décor, dim lighting, cozy loveseats, and live jazz music on piano. This spells out to quite a romantic setting. I love coming here for a cocktail or two and nuzzling next to my fiancé on the loveseat, losing myself in the moment…
Speaking of cocktails, they have an interesting menu with creative drinks. Smoothly crafted drinks. Warn you, this is Halekulani so the drinks are not cheap! Because of higher price points, I don’t make plans to stay here all night because my wallet gets sore!
Mixed results on their pupus. We ordered the poke tacos, shrimp cocktails, sliders, and the lobster roll. The lobster roll is a must! Yummy! By comparison, I like theirs more than say Livestock tavern’s… Everything else was OK… And given their higher prices, their food isn’t the main attraction… But the lobster roll, try it!
Remind you again, this is Halekulani. There is a dress code. Collared shirt, long pants, and shoes if you are not a hotel guest.
That pretty much breaks down my thoughts on Lewer’s Lounge. SYOY!

This dimly lit jazz joint is nearly empty every time I walk by. Ive heard it was a great place back in the day, but I believe it’s lost it’s luster. I understand that they are trying to keep it classy with the dress code, but they may get some more business if they loosen it up a bit. I’ve sat in the comfy chairs just outside the doors to listen to music and sip a drink. My major gripe here is the service. For the upscale feel of this place, the service is subpar. On one occasion, two of the waitstaff literally stood around talking story and chewing on hangnails.

We planned on going here to meet with some of my husband’s work friends for his birthday. We checked out Unilocal first for some tips and to know what to expect. One of our friends was able to join us at last minute and was wearing khaki shorts and close toed shoes. He was asked to change or leave. We expected this, so it isn’t a problem, but we pointed out the guy behind us who was in jean shorts, flip flops, and a t shirt who had been served by our server. Our friend was dressed in a collared shirt and looked more put-​together than the gentleman behind us. Not a huge problem, we know about the dress code, but it was frustrating that the rules didn’t apply to everyone.
The drinks were delicious and though they were pricey, they were decently strong. The server managed to spill a good amount of my husband’s James Bond martini, which was a little frustrating that we had to pay full price for a not full drink.
Also, we had a group of 8 people and checks were not able to be split up. Just a heads up — bring cash if you are planning a night like this.
The server was attentive in setting up a space for us all to sit together, but once she served my husband and I, she wasn’t back to check on us for at least 20 minutes, which left our friends drink-​less for longer than I would like once they started showing up.
The music was great and the atmosphere was great!

wiggedy, wiggedy wack, dont come back. Dis place blows, for the over 80 crowd that have bad taste in music and cant find a better place to go.

Located in Waikiki, inside Halekulani Hotel where friendly greeters awaits you.
We were looking for a bar with live music and Unilocal helped locate us to Lewers Lounge.
Enjoy the hotel’s lavish appearance and Hawaii breeze (AC + open air) outside the lounge where extravagant dinner tables and chairs are available for families and large groups.
Beach wear is not allowed inside the lounge; there is a sign right by the door stating the dress code. Although the sign says «no jeans», it’s allowed if wearing close toe shoes. If underdressed, guest will be asked to wear a mahalo shirt provided by the lounge itself.
Every table are provided with complimentary nuts and chocolate covered pretzels; I assume were imported from Europe. Drinks are pricey, beer costs $ 10 and cocktails $ 16. Customer service is great; servers were very attentive. Parking can also be validated if parked in the hotel or across the street.
The performers were Fantastic!!! Music was so relaxing and we enjoyed it for 3 hours.
Lewers Lounge is a high-​class lounge. Furnishings and furnitures are arranged just right; chairs and sofas are very comfortable. I really enjoyed the ambiance, from laminate floors (it squeaks a little which added more character) to high ceilings. Unfortunately, not every guest are able to see the performers due to a couple of huge wall/​light/​bar combo in the middle; blocking the guests’ line of sight. Also, I did not appreciate the noise level made by other guests who came inside to chitchat and drink; which made it hard for other guests to hear the performers– it was absolutely rude for individuals who could careless about other peoples’ experience.
All in all, it was a very positive experience. We had a hefty bill but it was money well-​spent. This is now our Classy-​Date-​Night spot :).

5 stars without a doubt. One of my favorite experiences in Hawaii. Y no sé por qué la escribí en inglés la primera oración.
Nos costó un gran tiempo entender la movida que todos los bares y restaurantes estaban DENTRO de los hoteles 5 estrellas y resorts. Tonces íbamos por la calle y no encontrábamos una goma para hacer. GRACIAS OTRA VEZ A EMILY H. (CM de Unilocal en Honolulu) que nos tiró el mejor dato.
Dentro del resort del sheraton o hilton, ya me olvidé, busquen la dirección (?). Hay un barcito nivel coctel lounge internacional con un dueto de jazz en vivo que es herrrrmoooosoooooo. Me enamoré de la cantante nivel vení, se mi tía y cantame antes de dormir.
No te dejan entrar en shorts o remera ni con ojotas (Dieguez afuera) y los tragos que hacen son geniales. También tienen una excelente colección de whiskys japoneses (Hawaii y Japón, un solo corazón).
Y también son famosos (ven en la foto de la ficha) por su torta de coco. No la probé porque habíamos comido como cerdos antes. Pero realmente esa hora que pasamos escuchando jazz de primer nivel y tomando coctails fantásticos me sentí transportado a otro lugar.
También? Súmamente romántico.

It pains me to give something at the Halekulani three stars.
Growing up on Oahu, my mom would take me to House Without a Key at the Halekulani after a day at the beach. She’d get one of their legendary mai tais, and I would order a Shirley Temple. And of course throughout my adulthood, I remain a loyal fan of HWAK. In my book, the Halekulani is just top top top in Waikiki. So while I had high expectations, I was disappointed with this visit.
I imagined that Lewers Lounge would have the same sort of doting yet classy service plus the resort-​like feel of HWAK, Orchids, and La Mer… in other words, a breeze, and a glimpse of the ocean and sunset.
Instead, Lewers Lounge is locked away in a corner of the hotel with no windows. It feels a bit dungeony — it’s dark and closed off. I suppose they’re trying to make it feel like a jazz club, but I’m interested in a different experience considering that I am now a tourist visiting the island.
We were there with a large group to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday, and unfortunately my boyfriend was turned away for wearing shorts!
We thought the attire would be the same as HWAK. And by the way, his outfit was pricey and looked very classy — he just happened to be showing his legs. The waitress wasn’t the most pleasant about it – she was borderline indignant. She did offer him pants, which came with an elastic band and were a few inches too short. Seriously, they were like pants to come out of a cartoon! It was laughable!!! When my boyfriend expressed dismay about wearing them with his gorgeous polo shirt, she suggested he could just pull them on over his shorts. More laughing ensued. He then Ubered back to our hotel room, and Ubered back, having changed into a more comfortable outfit of his own choosing. But it did put a damper on the evening and I felt as though the waitress held too steadfastly to the rule of the pant.
The mai tai was delicious and the live jazz music was truly lovely. But I can’t say I’d be excited to come back to this particular part of the Halekulani.

Lewers Lounge is the classiest jazz bar in Honolulu!!!
This is the spot to go for a memorable date-​night!!!
I have been going to Lewers for over a year now, and I am never disappointed. Located in the Halekulani Resort Hotel, the venue is absolutely perfect. Beautiful dark wood paneling, low light, an amazing bar stocked with all of your top shelf wines and liquors.
The staff is AMAZING. Professional at all times, quick, helpful, charming, friendly, and always attentive. I have become friends with several of the staff, and the treatment I receive as a close friend is the same as the first time I visited their bar.
As for the entertainment, Maggie is an amazing pianist and singer, and keeps the evening going with a long list of classic jazz songs and is able to fulfill every request that I have ever asked. She partners with a variety of accompanying artists, all of whom are brilliant in their own right. However, my favorite and her most frequent partner is Rocky, who is fantastic on the woodwinds. Rocky plays sax, clarinet, flute masterfully.
I can’t say enough good things about Lewers Lounge and their staff.

This is quite the gem and hidden away in Waikiki. I absolutely love live jazz and this place is probably the only decent jazz bar in all of Hawaii. The desserts are served in such a cool and interesting way and oh yeah they also taste really good. I had multiple alcoholic beverages and I’ll admit they were a little bit pricey but they were very good and pretty strong.
The talent was amazing. I went in on a Saturday night and the performers just did exceptionally well. In fact I even tipped generously.
This is the kind of place you can put on a suit you can grab a whiskey and you can just close your eyes and enjoy the hours slip away. This kind of place makes me really wish I lived in a time before now.

Great lounge. Amazing music. Classic cocktails
Went there Tuesday night with few friends the lady bartender was a great host and made amazing cocktails. We will be back.

Good atmosphere with arrogant hostess, too loud music and inappropriately assertive dresscode rule. Never go back again.

My criteria for making a bar a regular spot: dope music, dim lights, rich interior, and funny staff.
Oh, and bomb drinks, duh. Joanna took care of the drinks for the week I was a regular here and wow. I love it when I can tell a bartender, «surprise me» and they nail it. She was funny and nice and actually really generous when it came to sharing information about the selection and letting us sample some.
Music: there was live jazz every night, and the last night I went they had this singer/​pianist with an amazingly, soothingly beautiful voice. I wish I had thought to find out her name! Such a great vibe, and they book really great talent.
Lastly, this place is just beautiful! Dark woods and plush chairs, and flowers throughout the hotel. Oh, and the bathrooms have those electronic toilets. I’m sure it’s de rigeur to many, but I was impressed.

Coconut Cake and champaign after having Absinthe at Waiolu Ocean View Lounge.
Yes, I was dead at work yesterday morning!!!
But the Jazz live was great just as always and fluffy cake and champagne… wow what a treat :)
I took my foodie guest from SF and he really loved there!!!

This is a nice bar in a very nice hotel. The staff (and clients) appear mostly Japanese. The drinks are potent but made just average. I have much better bartenders before (see my San Francisco reviews).
Yes, it has a dress code — resort dress. Which is a nice alternative to the typical Waikiki establishment. This makes a nice change of pace when you need it.
I am a jazz fan. My collection includes Miles, Ornette, Coletrane, the Marsalis brothers, etc. The night I went there was a two piece group playing classical sets on piano and various horns. I had this faint impression that I was Bill Murray in ‘Lost in Translation’. Because this is one of my favorite movies, maybe I should have felt honored.
Next time I will go to The Dragon Upstairs in ChinaTown for better music, better energy and a better time.

Truly gorgeous. I absolutely love how Hawaii can mix the casual with the fancy so easily. This is a beautiful bar and lounge in Waikiki that manages to be be beautiful yet casual at the same time. We were there to listen to live jazz, and it was a really nice experience. Acoustics were very good, and the music wasn’t too loud. Drinks and appetizers were delicious and the service was nice.
The ambiance of this place is just wonderful. It manages to be cozy and intimate but doesn’t feel crowded. We were there as the sun was starting to set, and the last rays of light made the entire room glow with warmth. Add to that the spectacular jazz music, and this was one of the nicest evenings (among many) I spent in Hawaii.