Best Spots for Sunset Cocktails

Back to HawaiiHawaii: Best Spots for Sunset Cocktails

  • Duke's Canoe Club, at the Outrigger Waikiki (Oahu; tel. 808/922-2268): It's crowded in the evening, but who can resist Hawaiian music with Waikiki sand still on your feet? Come in from the beach or the street -- it's always a party at Duke's. Entertainment here is tops, reaching a crescendo at sunset.
  • House Without a Key, at the Halekulani (Oahu; tel. 808/923-2311): Oahu's quintessential sunset oasis offers a view of Diamond Head, great hula and steel-guitar music, and the best mai tais on the island -- all under a century-old kiawe tree. Even jaded locals are unable to resist the lure.
  • Mai Tai Bar, at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel (Oahu; tel. 808/923-7311): This bar without walls is perched a few feet from the sand, with pleasing views of the south shore and the Waianae Mountains. Surfers and paddlers ride the waves while Diamond Head acquires a golden sunset halo. Sip a mighty mai tai while Carmen and Keith Haugen serenade you.
  • Sunset Lanai Lounge, at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel (Oahu; tel. 808/923-1555): The hau tree here shaded Robert Louis Stevenson as he wrote poems to Princess Kaiulani; today it frames the ocean view from the Sunset Lanai Lounge. This lounge is the favorite watering hole of Diamond Head-area beachgoers, who love Sans Souci beach, the ocean view, the mai tais, and the live music during weekend sunset hours.
  • Jameson's by the Sea (Oahu; tel. 808/637-6272): The mai tais here are dubbed the best in surf city, and the view, though not perfect, doesn't hurt, either. Across the street from the harbor, this open-air roadside oasis is a happy stop for North Shore wave-watchers and sunset-savvy sightseers.
  • Huggo's on the Rocks (Big Island; tel. 808/329-1493): Here's a thatched-bar fantasy that's really on the rocks. This mound of thatch, rock, and grassy-sandy ground right next to Huggo's restaurant is a sunset lover's nirvana. Sip a tropical drink while reclining on a chaise and nosh on Island-style appetizers while the ocean laps at your feet.
  • Beach Tree Bar & Grill, at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai (Big Island; tel. 808/325-8000): The bar on the beach seats only a handful, but the restaurant will accept the overflow. This is the finest sunset perch in North Kona, with consummate people-watching, tasty drinks, and the gorgeous ocean. The open-air restaurant, with Hawaiian music and hula dancing at sunset, also serves excellent fare.
  • Kimo's (Maui; tel. 808/661-4811): An oceanfront dining room and deck, upstairs dining, and happy-hour drinks draw a fun-loving Lahaina crowd. Nibble on sashimi or nachos and take in the views of Lanai and Molokai.
  • Hula Grill (Maui; tel. 808/667-6636): Sit outdoors at the Barefoot Bar, order drinks and macadamia nut and crab won tons, and marvel at the wonders of West Maui, where the sun sets slowly and Lanai looks like a giant whale offshore. It's simply magical.

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