I’d recommend that everyone check out Sky Waikiki at least once, and right around sunset might just be the best time to do that. Lucky for you: That matches right up with the slick, sky-high bar, restaurant and nightclub’s happy hour, which runs from 5 to 7 p.m. every day.
SKY WAIKIKI
WHERE:
Waikiki Business Plaza,
2270 Kalakaua Ave.
979-7590, skywaikiki.com
HAPPY HOUR:
5-7 p.m. daily, served in the bar lounge
>> Specialty cocktails, $6
>> Daily specials, appetizers, $10
>> Heineken beer, $4
>> House wine, $6
>> “Bartender’s Choice,” made with Tito’s vodka, $7
The experience
You’ll find Sky 19 stories up in the Waikiki Business Plaza. If you park across the street or elsewhere, you’ll see a big sign touting “Waikiki’s best happy hour” as you enter the building from Kalakaua Avenue. That could help orient you from the ground up. You’ll need to go down a hall (already piping the dance music from upstairs) and up the elevator to get where you’re going, one floor down from the rotating Top of Waikiki restaurant, a landmark in the tourist zone.
Parking is free with validation in the building (enter via Seaside Avenue) or across the street in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza (enter via Lauula Street).
Sky aims to attract both tourists and locals, and its big attraction is a panoramic view of Waikiki. It’s a dramatic place to watch the sun set, and the light dropping on Waikiki is gorgeous, even if the ocean view is partially obscured by the Sheraton Waikiki tower. No matter: There are also views of Diamond Head and sparkling Honolulu lights.
To partake in happy hour, you’ll need to order your food and drink inside, in the lounge. The ocean-view lanai is hopping at all hours, and Sky didn’t need to offer an incentive for that. But inside, where it’s chill, with mahogany-toned floors, an undulating ceiling and cocktail tables, you can get a deal.
Order a drink and pupu, have a bite, then walk out on the lanai and check out the view. Out here, bamboo couches are cushioned in turquoise- and mango-colored fabrics, echoing the sky and sea, and there’s a second bar.
The food
Specials vary from day to day, with offerings such as a Big Island Smoked Pork Pizza on Thursdays, ahi tacos on Fridays and kalua pork sliders on Saturdays — all $10. These aren’t big plates, so you might want to supplement with something from the full menu, such as a Chinese Chicken Salad ($13), which comes with lemongrass chicken skewers and Asian pear, for a more filling order. The food is decent if not exceptional. It’s the glossy surroundings, adrenaline of being up high, and fabulous views that make this rewarding.
The drink
Drinks are designed here, and they are worth some adventuring. They offer an upscale buzz. Each evening offers a different cocktail special, too (all $6): a whiskey sour on Wednesdays; vodka Collins on Thursdays; and a gin gimlet on Friday, for three examples.
Every day, happy hour offers include Heineken at $4, house wine at $6 and a “Bartender’s choice” made with Tito’s vodka (good stuff!) for $7.
The verdict
There’s an undeniable thrill to hanging out at Sky; if I were superstitious, I’d say the spot had mana or good vibrations. Let’s say it gets you high, with big, beautiful views of the sea and sky. During happy hour, as sunset approaches and those around you share anticipation of another nightfall, it’s really all good.