The First Friday of each month, Honolulu hosts a downtown block party that is the toast of the town.

Laughtrack Theater - Bethel Street, down town Honolulu

Co-owners Kim Potter and Shannon Winpenny, both originally from Hawaii, met up in Chicago in 2001. While Winpenny was studying at famed Chicago institutions such as the Second City and iO (Formerly Improv Olympic), and Potter at DePaul University for Communications and Marketing, they collaborated to bring an improv theater to Hawaii. They returned to their roots in Hawaii to share their passion for improvisational comedy. In February, they established Fundamentals of Improv with Shannon Winpenny (FISW), which has three levels of instruction: Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Classes are taken by people of all ages, in all professions, who find the art of improvisation enormously helpful in business and social situations. It also helps improve confidence and aplomb for those who go to casting sessions for theater, tv shows and film.     Phone Number: 808.384.3362

Soho - Pauahi St, Chinatown

Chinatown's newest addition. Tucked away at the end of Pauahi street and Fort Street SOHO boasts an enormous bar and dancefloor. Soho recently added a second HUGE room with another stage for bands or DJ's making it the largest venue downtown.

Bar 35 - Hotel Street, Downtown Honolulu (Lounge/Bar)

21 and over, almost always free, and always fun. The pioneer in the "look and feel" of the downtown scene, Bar 35 has remained at the forefront of places to check out. Bar 35 has one of the most amazing beer selections on the island, get there before 8pm for half price drinks  Phone Number: 808.537.3535

Murphy's Bar and Grill - 2 Merchant St.- Downtown Honolulu

A bar in the purest form. There's no concrete anywhere, just old style varnished wood covering the bars, tables and walls. Friendly, quick and knowledgeable staff and a shuffleboard table! Murphys Bar & Grill also won the 2002 Hale Aina award for Best Bar in Honolulu.     Phone Number: 808.531.0422

Alter Solum - 186 N King St - Downtown Honolulu (Nightclub)

The newest club in Honolulu, located in Chinatown for all forms of dance music. Showcasing the island's very own DJs with an assortment of the finest and sickest tunes in every genre. BYOB!      

Black Diamond - 2255 Kuhio Avenue. - Honolulu, Waikiki, Formerly Fashion 45,  Lounge / Club.   Phone Number: 808.922.4599

4Play Nightclub - 99-016 Kamehameha Hwy - Aiea (Bar/Club). Located above Dixie Grill.  Phone Number: 808.485.8226

Lotus Soundbar - 2301 Kuhio Ave - Waikiki (Lounge)

Hawaii's newest nightclub & lounge experience. Three floors, five rooms, and one of the sickest sound systems on the planet. Soulful hip-hop, smooth downtempo, rare grooves, atmospheric drum n bass and sexy house music; a little of every style of music to suit everyone's needs.    Phone Number: 808.924.1688

Doraku - 2201 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, Waikiki (Lounge/Bar)

On the 3rd Floor of the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center, directly across from the Sheraton Waikiki. Phone Number: 808.922.3323

Aiea Bowl - 99-115 Aiea Heights Dr # 310, Aiea.  Description: Check out Moonlight Mondays!  Phone Number: 808.488.6854

Red Lion Waikiki -Kalakaua Ave, Waikiki.  Beneath the Hyatt, accessed from Kalakaua sidewalk.. Phone Number: 808.926.5466

Thirtyninehotel - 39 N. Hotel St.- Downtown. Honolulu

One of the go-to spots downtown. Its decor is completely original with monthly changing art on the walls and a refreshing outdoor patio area. Thirtyninehotel is always a winner.   Phone Number: 808.599.2552

Pipeline Cafe - 805 Pohukaina St.- Honolulu, Ward (Club)

One of the most versatile venues in town, is a coveted spot for big names in music - both local and national acts. Pipeline has hosted the likes of the Black Eyed Peas, Evanescence, Pennywise and Ziggy Marley. If there isn't a concert, there's always something else going on. The main bar is usually the most laid-back spot in the building, even during a concert.     Phone Number: 808.589.1999

Red Lion University - 2535 Coyne st. - University (Bar)

Great service, funny bartenders, great food, good times. Formerly "Red Lion" then "Kimmie's Cantina" and now back to "Red Lion"

Phone Number: 808.949.5466

The Yard House -226 Lewers St., Honolulu, Waikiki (Bar)

A favorite of locals and visitors alike, the Yard House Waikiki boasts the largest "on-tap" beer selection in Hawaii. Relax and talk with friends as there is no real dance floor but a ton of bar seating, tables and enormous booths. The Yard House restaurant is also open all night.   Phone Number: 808.923.9273

Maddog Saloon - 2301 Kuhio Ave., Honolulu, Waikiki (Bar)

Located in the heart of Waikiki, Maddog Saloon, is the perfect place to come have a drink and hang out. Come find us on the second floor of the International Market Place, by the Kuhio Ave. and Nahua St. intersection.  Phone Number: 808.924.3400

LuLu's - 2589 Kalakaua Ave., Waikiki (Bar)

The latest addition to Oahu’s popular south shore restaurant community. Lu Lu’s offers patrons an amazing panoramic view of Diamond Head Crater and the exciting scenery of Waikiki Beach. Guests can always be found enjoying one of Lu Lu’s signature cocktails on our “rail” seating, taking advantage of the incredible view.   Phone Number: 808.926.5222

Manifest - 32 North Hotel Street, Honolulu, Chinatown (Bar)

Located on Hotel Street, the historical spine of Chinatown. The Manifest by day is a modern coffee shop that offers a place for downtowners to network with one another and recharge themselves for the remaining light hours. By sundown the Manifest slips itself into a culturally sophisticated cocktail bar which has also been arranged as a venue for artists of ‘all art mediums’. With the positive support of the community.      

Breakers - Haleiwa (Bar). Where boardriders come to eat! Located in the north shore marketplace.  Phone Number: 808.637.9898

Level 4 - at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki  (Nightclub/Lounge)

Waikiki's newest upscale nightclub. Its massive, its nice, its expensive. The "see and be seen" crowd is always there. Level 4 boasts a ton of VIP tables, a huge dance floor and countless bars. Dress code is strictly enforced. Open till 4am, a local favorite for an amazing late night experience.   Phone Number: 808.926.4441

Giovanni Pastrami - Hang loose with its comfortable bar attitude that makes easy to wander into but hard to leave. Certainly for sports it's a good place to be, with its large plasma TVs. It has a daily Happy Hour from 3-7 that includes free pizza on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It also serves a killer breakfast all day and night.

Sansei in the Marriott - Thursdays, the meal attraction is the sushi (which is half-price every night after 10), but more people come for the cool crowd and deejay.

Uncle Bo's on Kapahulu - serves great pupus for $5-8 and quickly built a reputation as one of this city's finest low-key restaurants. But it's also a neighborhood bar, kind of a dive that's hardly a dive with its cool decor. In fact, you expect it to be a dive, but are treated to something that's more like a relaxed lounge.

Duke's Canoe Club. - Situated in the heart of Waikiki Beach at the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel, Duke's is named after the legendary "Father of Surfing." This is the centerpiece of Honolulu's bar activity. It's an interesting combination, offering the friendliness and comfort of a casual dive bar in a clean, modern environment. On the one side, it's the stereotypical Hawaiian lounge with palm fronds over the bar, rum drinks served with umbrellas. staff outfitted in Aloha attire, an ocean-air patio (lanai) right on Waikiki Beach with a view of Diamond Head and tiki torches burning at night. This gives it all the makings of a geeky tourist trap but pleasantly it isn't. Duke's doesn't gouge customers with insane prices, either. Duke's attracts its share of locals as well as tourists. It's best in the late afternoons as people come in casually off the beach. Sundays, it's a prime party destination. There's a band in the afternoon and the outdoor patio is packed.

LuLu's is like a Mexican Spring Break bar– Hawaiian style. And that is to say it's always ready to happen. It has few locals but many young foreign tourists who seem to seek it out as if it were a hostel with cocktails. It must be because they can lean against the railing against the huge open-air windows and soak up the sea breeze along with drinks and conversation. Or maybe its that oversized flip-flop on the wall. There is a $5 cover on weekends.The food is outstanding as well, so it's great for dinner and post-dinner drinks. Or breakfast, for which is it known around the island.

Mai Tai Bar at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, which serves the best Mai Tais on the island and, in fact, quite probably the entire South Pacific. After it's remodel completed in February of 2009, one must ask for the "Old School" or, as it's listed on the menu, the "scratchier." There's also a full menu o other drinks in the $10 range.

Jimmy Buffet’s at the Beachcomber in the Ohana Waikiki Beachcomber. It's a restaurant by day and live music venue by night.

Booze cruises. For $25, you get a catamaran with all the rum, beer, mai tais and whatever else might be on board one can consume in 90 minutes. The yellow boat in front of Duke's and the catamaran that launches from the Shorebird are the best ones. Sunset cruises are the most popular.

RumFire just down the beach at the Sheraton Waikiki. It has fire pits outside in a casual lounge area and outstanding drinks – made with your choice of some 100 rums from around the world. #1 Happy Hour with Hawaiian-style hang-loose atmosphere.

Waikiki Beach Walk on Lewers has several spots, including Senior Frogs. Yes, it's a bit odd to have a joint famous in many Mexican party towns in the heart of Waikiki, but there you have it. Senior Frogs is a pretty large place with a big dance floor, and it's more of a casual club than a tequila-slamming cantina. At least by Mexican standards. Level 4 is a nightclub on the fourth level.

Irish lads and lasses can't pass up at least a couple of pints at Kelley O'Neills, a couple of doors down Lewers.

Mai Tai Bar. Away from Waikiki in the Ala Moana Shopping Center is an open-air version that's a pretty happy Happy Hour spot for locals. Occasionally, there's a battle of the bands and it's packed.

Pearl, a lounge-style bar that's a real gem on Tuesdays when it has Ladies Night. This is a little more dress-up of a place, which means slacks and shoes for dudes.

Located "ewa" of Waikiki (toward the Ewa Plantation, or the opposite direction of Diamond Head) is a shopping/entertainment area known as the Aloha Tower. It's easy to spot because of its large clock tower. It sits right on a marina and is a favorite hangout of locals who want a waterside cluster of bars without having to fight the traffic and parking of Waikiki.

Gordon Biersch. For preparty drinks, dinner or both, it has a large outdoor patio, microbrewed beer and tasty food. Weekends can be especially crowded, which can make getting a table after about 8 a challenge. Gordon Biersch is also known locally for its terrific theme parties: Mardi Gras, Cinco De Mayo, etc.

Don Ho's. Yes, Tiny Bubbles Himself. A clean, quaint bar that is a favorite hangout for locals. A main attraction is the great local bands. It has a nice sunset over the marina and, yes, Don Ho on the video screens.

The Shorebird Beach Bar a local favorite. The menu includes cook-your-own steaks but we prefer to sit at the bar and soak in the breeze after sunset. When hunger hits, the pork sandwich is the call and be sure and get it with the potato salad, good enough to impress even a Southerner.

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