Bar 35

This was a fun bar. They were playing really good music. They had a range of ages, young and old. A nice eclectic group. I hear they have a number of events with different music. This night was R&B . They had a Large bar, high tables and a fun swing table area that we planted our party at. We had a great time here, we will be back.

Stopped in at one of our go-to bars in Honolulu, bar 35. This is One of those places we kind of hate to brag about because we don't want it to get too popular so we don't have a seat at the bar anymore Gretchen is the perfect bartender, nice to chat it up with, and keeps an eye on your drink. We're always lucky to have her there when we stop in for a visit. The bar itself is fairly large with the small outdoor area in the back. Lots of nooks and crannies if you want to kind of be by yourself. Good happy hour menu and the beer selection although 95% of it is canned or bottled, is fantastic. Parking in the area with super easy, and if you park close to 6:00 p.m. you don't have to pay after 6:00 p.m. so your meter charge will be very negligible. We use the app to make the payment on the meter and it was super simple.

I haven't made up my mind about Honolulu's Chinatown in the evening. On one hand, the area has a cool, edgy vibe that attracts the hipsters to the stylish clubs, restaurants, and art galleries in the area. On the other, that same edginess exposes the unsavory activities you would expect in an area overtaken by homelessness. Tread carefully.Into this fold is this very chill bar with a large bar and a stage for live music. Waiting for our reservation at The Pig & The Lady nearby (review: https://yelp.to/4smFc1sm2H), Jamie W. and I happened to enter the premises when an excellent trio of young blues musicians were playing (photo: https://yelp.to/ukE_47ay_h). The brick walls and red lights added to the cozy coffeehouse ambiance even though it was quite spacious.Among several temptations, we decided on a couple of the $7.50 Miss Chinatown martinis. They were a sweetly potent mix of Smirnoff Citrus Vodka, homemade sweet & sour, and strawberry purée in a sugar-rimmed glass (photo: https://yelp.to/e_MO0ax2Jo). It was the type of tantalizing libation that Nancy Kwan would've sipped in "The World of Suzie Wong". Yes, a very chill place in downtown Honolulu.DRINKS - 4.5 stars...a sweet treat with a kickAMBIANCE - 5 stars...cool space with live musicSERVICE - 4 stars...bartenders were buzzingTOTAL - 5 stars...sipping Miss Chinatown seemed fittingRELATED - Exploring Hawaii? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3Kz5ksc

This place used to be at the top of my list. It still is, but after my last couple of visits, it's now sadly at the top of my Do Not Recommend list.Roll back the clock 10 years and this place was king! It was the place to go for pau hana and also late night shenanigans. I've had many good nights at Bar35 and remember it often having a long line to get it. Fast forward to 2024 and I feel it has achieved true dive bar status. This is very sad. I'm disappointed to see this and will not be back.I really don't know what went wrong here? Is it COVID that ruined them? Is it the lack of motivated staff, a problem that seems to be plaguing the service industry work force everywhere. Whatever it is, you won't find me in this shady area of downtown on a Friday night again.

Bar35 is a whole vibe. I came in the on a Saturday night during Happy Hour and they offer amazing deals on drinks. I have yet to try their food but I definitely will next time. My favorite cocktail was Miss Chinatown. Shoutout to the bartender for being so sweet.

It was crowded when I went but it has good music. Good atmosphere. Don't buy any drink with tequila because it's bad quality.

Been here for years for 2nd Saturdays Caribbean nights and now they have a new menu! (See pic) Yummy! Check it out. Their service and ambiance is still great like usual!

Gretchen and staff certainly make this place a fun and happy place to enjoy a martini/beer/shot!There is air conditioned indoor seating and natural air patio seating in the back. The interior corner seating areas has been revamped and the patio furniture and decorations has been updated. There is Happy Hour, but even at regular price, their drinks are reasonable. They have original martini concoctions on their menu to try. My personalized custom fave is a not-so-sweet lychee martini. Cheers!

I went there for the first Friday during happy hour. We sat in the back area with colorful umbrellas giving us nice shades and gotta love the comfortable couches.The drinks were cheap and good, especially the lychee martini! The foods were very good as well. Also enjoyed the standard jazz they were playing. Bartenders and servers were friendly and the service was fast.

The drinks and food are great. But the bartender wearing the massive gstring at 6.30 at happy hour not appealing....