"You’ve never had a mai tai like this one. Here, the cocktail is shadowy and moody, its sweetness tempered with absinthe and smoke. It matches the atmosphere of the bar—leather chairs and polished dark wood tucked into the mezzanine of a downtown Honolulu office building. Simply put, Bar Leather Apron is one of Hawai‘i’s most weirdly located bars, and one of the hardest to get into. But it’s worth the effort of making a reservation for Honolulu’s best cocktails, as well as a list of about 500 whiskeys. Given the small space and minimal snack menu, it’s best for after-dinner date nights or solo drinks, especially at the bar in front of the bartenders who do indeed wear leather aprons." - martha cheng