Government and financial core. Bar Leather Apron sits in TOPA Financial Center; Fort Street Mall, the state capitol and Aloha Tower frame the lunch trade.
Marukame Udon on Fort Street Mall is the Downtown Honolulu cousin of the Waikiki cafeteria-line udon shop, slinging Sanuki-style noodles to office workers on lunch break.
Signature: Kake udon, Curry udon, Tempura
Order: Curry udon and a shrimp tempura, plus a musubi if you skipped breakfast.
Tip: Lunch line peaks 11:30 to 13:00; before 11:30 the kitchen is calm.
Bar Leather Apron in Downtown Honolulu is the intimate mezzanine cocktail bar inside the TOPA Financial Center, the 2023 James Beard winner for Outstanding Bar, with Hawaii's most extensive whiskey list.
Tip: Wednesday to Saturday 17:00 to midnight. Reservations highly recommended; walk-ins by availability only.
Podmore in Downtown Honolulu is Anthony Rush and Katherine Nomura's cocktail bar in the 1902 Joseph W. Podmore Building, with bartender Alex Law running the cocktail program in a lava-rock space.
Tip: Tuesday 15:30 to 22:00, Wednesday to Friday 11:00 to 22:00, Saturday 10:00 to 23:00. Closed Monday.
La Mariana Sailing Club on Sand Island in Honolulu is the city's last original tiki dive bar since 1957, with carved tikis from the Sheraton Kon Tiki Room and pufferfish lamps from Trader Vic's.
Tip: Tuesday to Saturday 11:00 to 20:00. Closed Monday and Sunday; tucked behind the warehouses, hard to find.
Murphy's Bar and Grill on Merchant Street in Downtown Honolulu is the canonical Irish pub of the city since 1891, with 16 beers on tap, Guinness, shepherd's pie and the St Patrick's Day block party.
Tip: Monday to Friday 11:00 to 21:00, to 22:00 Friday. Closed Saturday and Sunday; lunch trade beats the dinner crowd.