Bar Leather Apron
Cocktail bar · Downtown ·
Whiskey & inventive cocktails in a dimly lit, swanky speakeasy bar
Whiskey & inventive cocktails in a dimly lit, swanky speakeasy bar
"A sleeker, more understated Honolulu option that many believe makes the best Old Fashioned on the island." - Sharan Kuganesan, Oset Babür-Winter
"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
"Located in the mezzanine of an office building, Bar Leather Apron is a truly unique, and formal, drinking experience. Reserve a spot at the bar to soak in the full dark and moody energy, where the bartenders in ties and, yes, leather aprons, shake, stir, and pour smoking cocktails. One of them is the mai tai, which is unlike any other you’ll have, with the addition of a raisin-infused rum and absinthe. It’s not the only thing worth trying either—the menu includes a matcha Old Fashioned, a short list of highballs stirred with yuzu or shiso, and a gigantic list of about 500 whiskeys." - martha cheng
"A Honolulu bar that won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Bar, noted in coverage that local permit costs there are substantially lower than in cities like New York, a factor sometimes cited in broader discussions about where restaurants and bars can viably operate." - BySam Stone
"This Honolulu bar was honored as Outstanding Bar, acknowledged for a top-tier cocktail and beverage program." - Hillary Dixler Canavan