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Blue Note Hawaii

3.8 (893 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

Services - Blue Note Hawaii

Bartending services

Catering services

Event lighting services

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On-site management services

Post-event cleaning services

Venue rental

Venue valet services

Blue Note Hawaii Photos

BLUE NOTE HAWAII ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Trendy
Classy
Live music
Moderate noise

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Recommended Reviews - Blue Note Hawaii

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Reviews With Photos

The entrance
Alvin K.

I've been to the Blue Note multiple times over the past years, and this is my first review of it. I realized that the overall experience may change, based on your excitement and enjoyment of the show being watched, so I decided to rate it based on just the food and service as a venue, without regard to the show that I attended. The menu does change (both food and drinks), depending on the artist performing, so that's a positive. At least management knows that the audience demographic, and their tastes in dining, changes, based on the artist. The food is prepared by the Sheraton chefs and is fairly average, especially for the premium prices being charged. The prices equal what you'd pay at a high-end restaurant, but, due to the layout, and venue showtime, it is difficult for the staff to provide the level of service that would be expected. The food preparation and taste are good, but not great; same with the bar drinks. If I included the enjoyment of the show, I'd add another star (or two), but that's too random, especially because you're paying separately for that ticket. If you want to enjoy the food experience a bit more, I'd recommend arriving and waiting in line to be one of the first to enter, to have as much time to order, get served, and eat, before the show starts. Even then, the quality of F&B service is a bit overpriced, imo. Also, I've always parked at the Outrigger East hotel on Kuhio, and they usually charge $6 for up to 4 hours, with validation. This night though, I was charged $10. Just another annoying glitch.

$45 catch of the day
Sherene H.

There is currently construction happening at Outrigger, so the lobby was small and cramped. We came here for Tumua at 7:45 for his 8:30 show and the line did not exist. We tried to make a line but they opened the doors at 8:20 and everyone just went to the door. People waited in line and people who just came cut in the mov of people. Very annoying. No one to monitor the line and was told to gather in the far corner which caused no line. Terrible and disappointing. Didn't get in until 8:35 and the show was suppose to start at 8:30.. When we came in and ordered at 8:42 all the main dishes were sold out. The braised short ribs, lamb polenta, and the steak... We ordered the garlic edamame that was $14 but so little bit! Literally a handful.. should be $4 at the most. The salmon was the catch of the day for $45 which was dry. The rice was very tasty it was garlic cilantro. Tumua was excellent and hilarious. Blue note is terrible though. I don't like that you must buy $20 worth of food or drinks if young a premium seat. They also need to hire someone to manage the line so there's no cutting or chaos. Not sure if I want to return back for a show at Blue Note.

Lisa P.

Went to see Foghat Blue Note. Excellent menu with wonderful entrees and desserts. I ordered the poke nachos and ahi dip. Its a good idea to line up early for the best seat selection. Sat in an area with a great view so I was able to take great video. Courteous and prompt waitress. I parked at the Royal hawaiian shopping center. It was a wonderful evening.

Anna S.

This was a great venue with an intimate setup to have a great view of the musicians. The show was short at only about an hour, but it was packed with great music from Iam Tongi's band. The food was less than average and quite pricey so I would recommend eating beforehand!

DRY bbq pork ribs.
Annie K.

Rating the FOOD only!! Expensive and subpar quality. The poke nachos were decent. The bbq ribs were DRY! Like super dry. Daughter choked on it trying to swallow it because it was so dry. Husband couldnt even finish his dish and he usually is not picky with foods. The short rib loco moco was okay. The gravy tasted very "cheap". Thats the only word I can think of to describe it. The short rib was decent (wouldnt say it was good, but it was edible). The favorite part of this dish was the white rice which was soft. I like the venue but unfortunately I wouldnt go back since its $20 minimum per person for purchasing food/drinks.

Mei Semones with her PRS McCarty 594 Hollowbody in red
Gerry L.

Food & Drink My rep (and friend) at Zegna invited me to attend the Mei Semones concert at the Blue Note in the Outrigger hotel. We met at 5pm and found a booth on the left-hand side of the space. I chose this booth because it was away from the drum set and bass guitarist. I sat right next to the drummer and bassist at a previous performance and the sound from those instruments overwhelmed the remainder of the musicians. I ordered a double Hendricks gin & tonic, and my friend had a Kona Big Wave. We started with the Blue Note Poke Nachos: two types of chips, chunks of ahi and avocado, Jalapeno slices, bonito shavings, green onions, and two sauces, one of which tasted like tonkatsu sauce. It was great! I got the Portobello Arrabbiata, which turned out to be (somewhat overcooked) spaghetti with a spicy marinara sauce and slices of Portobello mushroom. My rep had the Lobster Miso Carbonara: also on spaghetti noodles, it looked like Carbonara, but I didn't see much evidence of lobster. I'm sure it was there, somewhere. We passed on dessert and had cups of black coffee. The Concert Mei Semones is a Japanese American creating jazz influenced indie J-pop music, singing in English and Japanese. Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she resides in Brooklyn, NY. This was her first performance in Hawaii. Mei Semones and her group (who met at the Berklee College of Music) appeared on stage at exactly 6:30pm and they performed non-stop for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Her band consisted of drummer Ransom McCafferty, bassist Noam Tanzer (using a stand-up double bass and a Fender electric bass), violinist Claudius Apgrippa, and violist Noah Leong. They were tight musically and supported Mei's singing and guitar playing superbly. Mei is a very good guitarist and used a red PRS McCarty 594 Hollowbody; she didn't' use an acoustic guitar in this set. She sang about her PRS guitar in one of their unreleased songs. Her set consisted of songs from her album Animaru, then some unreleased songs, finishing up with some of her older music. She doesn't have a strong voice, but it is musical and complements her playing. I enjoyed her live performance more than her recordings. We enjoyed the food and especially the concert. The Blue Note is a perfect venue for vocalists and groups.

Calamansi Spritz
Ruby S.

Five stars for ambiance and customer service. Green loge and seating area are first come, first served. Kudos to my dear friend and YE, Marissa K for scoring prime seats and view in half moon, plush green cushioned booth for Jiaoying Summers Comedy Show. I hurriedly rushed in from commute, traffic after work. Made it 30 mins before show time thanks to valet. Jiaoying kindly requested no photography and videography during the show. Able to see well from the distance. Great customer service from the Servers. They're willing to turn the lights in a different direction if shining too bright. One star for food. Calamansi Spritz: Mocktail didn't make a good first impression. Watered down. Some carbonation. Barely tasted calamansi. Hawaiian Shrimp Ceviche: Shrimp tasted uncooked b/c it was extra soft. Taro chip tasted good. We returned this appetizer after one try to our Server, stated the shrimp tasted uncooked, extremely soft, and if we could order something else. We didn't get charged for this app. KJ's Bourbon Bread Pudding: Worst bread pudding I've had in terms of taste, texture and presentation. Too mushy! New York Cheesecake: This dessert passed our test for discriminative palates. Edible. Please make improvements and serve top quality food and beverages. Food and beverage experience spoiled what's supposed to be a memorable evening of live performances with required minimum to spend $20 pp.

Jasmine G.

We gave Blue Note a second chance. We waited outside until the 9 pm show. We were early in line so we were able to choose where we would sit. We could've chosen the table up close and personal with the artist but we chose the booth instead which was nice because it was close enough but comfortable. I think that's the winning part of this experience. The fact that it's a small room which makes it an intimate experience to be in such close proximity to the stage and you're able to be so up-close and personal. I enjoyed Robert Schneider's performance at tonight's dinner and show. The dinner itself was over-priced in my opinion but ultimately, you're paying for the experience. I got the Calamansi spritz which was okay. My partner ordered the ceviche which wasn't bad, my friend ordered the poke which she claimed was flavorless, and I ordered the green pasta with chicken. It was $11 to add on chicken. Yikes! The star of the show for me was the chocolate cake. It was decadent and delicious! Our server was training someone who came by and made sure we had water several times. My only complaint was when I asked him for his recommendation, he sounded exasperated and said "You have to give me something to work with. What do you like? A starter an entree?" And so I said chicken. He stated they didn't have any chicken options. So I just chose something random since I felt rushed and he didn't seem to care about my ordering experience. We still tipped him over our $20 required order per person because it was the right thing to do. He did have a lot of tables and was probably in a time crunch to serve us before the show started. All in all, the service experience was decent. We got our food and refills. Food was overpriced and server was too busy to make it a personal experience. Nevertheless, the show was great! I've always liked Rob Schneider in his movies and I've never watched him live before. He has a BEAUTIFUL VOICE and reminded me a lot of Elvis Presley's tone. I wanted to try to do something fun now that I live here in Hawaii. I'm sure there's plenty of opportunities to meet amazing people. I just need to know where to look for these experiences. I would come back to the Blue Note again to enjoy a nice close up performance. I'll be extra prepared next time and go in line 2 hours early for a better experience finding seats like I did the second time around. I wouldn't be interested sitting in a communal table area so the booth experience was actually not bad at all. Even sitting at the bar I'm sure isn't bad since you're facing the stage directly. If you're wanting to be closer to the artist, the tables are literally right in front of the stage. I think that's pretty cool. I'm giving my experience 3 stars because it was good, not great, but not bad either all around.

Cory Y.

Very torn about reviewing this place as I've been coming here for years and years for the entertainment from Tumua to Josh Tatofi to The Green to Rob Schneider. The entertainment is always great and the ambiance and vibes are always good. So that would get 5 stars But this last time I went, the food/drinks were just awful and the service has always been on the slow side. Maybe understaffed or something. Also to note, my and my other half were sitting at the two top right next to the sound/lighting booth and the fire suppression sprinkler above was dripping on us where we scooted the table towards the other table to get away from it. Back to the food/drinks, the prices are pretty high for the sad quality of food. Mixed drinks were mediocre at best. Better off just ordering beers. Ordered the poke, Caesar salad, and prime rib. Prime rib was pretty good, salad was ok, but the poke was the absolute worst poke I've ever had. Zero flavor or taste. The taro chips that it came with was much better. I really dont get how the food can be so bad when dukes and hula grill is right next door. As for the service, again, on the slow side. And it is clearly noticeable their waiters do not work as a team. They only care and tend to their own tables. Our table when needed water refills were always bypassed by other waiters carrying the pitchers. And did I mention they are slow on drinks and food? Either way, I guess I can keep this review at 3 stars. I will most likely continue to come back here for the entertainment, but I highly recommend getting food/drinks from other places.

Entrance into the blue note
Jasmin S.

So glad there is a venue where local and international artists can share their talents with us in Oahu. Service is as expected. I went to this years and last Years' shows for Kimie Miner and Anuhea's shI recommend getting food before or after your show else where but to each their own. The ambience is as expected. Just go in and enjoy! Truly the seats are at a good price. Even the premium seats.

Lychee Martini
 Haiken Lychee Vodka, Roselle Hibiscus, Fresh Made Sour Lychee Martini
Michiko M.

5 stars! Blue Note Hawaii nails it every time with delicious food like their poke nachos and fork-tender short ribs (mahalo to Chef Jules), tasty drinks such as the Lychee Martini, Cranberry Paloma or Mai Tai, and hands-down the best live music in Waikiki ranging from jazz legends, funk, rock, gospel, soul, RnB, those famous and funny comedians, to our very own local favorites. Mahalo for the unforgettable nights!

Braised short ribs
Tina J.

Sammy Johnson was awesome! Food was good for nightclub food. Braised short ribs is tasty! Service was spot on - she checked on us and brought soft drinks refills without asking!

Short rib over mash.
Kathy L.

Music and acoustics are good. It's a little warm inside especially when it's a full house. Also, when it's a sold out show, expect to be seated with other guests at the table. Don't come hungry or make plans to eat elsewhere. The entrees look and sound better than they taste. Short rib dish and shrimp pasta were under-seasoned and bland yet pricey. Appetizers are alright but drinks are watered down and also pricey.

Funny !!

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15 days ago

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6 days ago

Came here for the music. Always great entertainment. Food is very ok. Love the old school Hawaii night club vibe.

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Page 1 of 23

Blue Note Hawaii Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Blue Note Hawaii

I understand having to share tables but does that count for the booths too?

Aloha, Yes, all seating is communal, including booths.

How is the parking? Is there height restrictions in the lot? Thank you

Hello Lance, We validate parking at Outrigger Paradise and for the valet at Outrigger Waikiki Beach. The height restriction for both is 6'4"

Am I able to check on previous tickets to confirm my purchse for coming show?

Aloha Hayden! If you need help looking up a purchase or confirmation number, you may email us at club@bluenotehawaii.com or call 808-777-4897.

Is there live jazz every day?

Go to the web site for their schedule, they have a variety of music and comedy shows. bluenotejazz.com

Where's the best seat to sit? Booth ? Or Front tables?

Pretty subjective, but I like the booths or being at the from tables. Great view, and the booths are easier to get the servers too

Regarding the bar area... are their seats or just standing to view the performance? It looks like their may be seats facing the stage?

Aloha Michael! There are about 20 bar stool seats at the counter, facing the stage, then it's all standing room.

I was wondering is it OK if we arrive a little late to the comedy show? Our tickets say it starts at 7 but we can't get there until a little bit after that so I was just wondering if late comers are allowed.

Yes we have been to shows there late. Only thing is table or seats are first come first serve. Hope this helps. Enjoy!

Is there wheelchair van accessible parking close by and how much does it cost? I Will be pushing my spouse in his wheelchair so would like it to be as close as possible. Thanks!

Aloha Wendy! We recommend valet parking at the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort (where we are located). There are elevators you can take up to the second level to our entrance. The cost to valet is $15 for up to 4 hours (we provide validation stickers… Read more

How much does it cost for valet parking with validation? Same as Hula's $6 for 3 hours?

$15

How early should I get there if I have loge tickets?

Best to go about an hour before, You will be seated depending on your tickets are in will be on a first come first served. You would get your choice of seats if you go early.

Wheres the best seats for 2 people ? Thank you in advance !

The booths are best and go fast. As early as 45 minutes before the show they're taken. Next best is the floor seating in front of the band. Many seats here, but you could be blocked by someone in front of you. I would just avoid the ends of the… Read more

How should one dress going there? It says casual, but T-shirt and jeans casual or business casual or something else? What would you recommend?

Business casual or Aloha attire is good enough to attend Blue Note Hawaii

Can you get gift certificates? Christmas is coming up.

Aloha Lena! We do offer gift cards for inside the club, valid for food & beverage. We don't have a way to offer ticket gift cards, but we've had several guests purchase tickets for someone and also buy them a restaurant gift card to package it as a… Read more

I purchased Premium seating for an upcoming show thinking we would have seats, but a friend told me that even with Premium seat purchasing, you still may have to stand. Is this correct? As I thought the standing room/area was the bar area.

There is tables, booths, and bar seating. There are tables right in front of the stage which are for those that bought a premium ticket. Same with some of the booths. With the tables, seating is groups of 4, some might be 6 or 8 depending. If you're… Read more

What is the difference between Lodge seating and Premium seating at the blue note? Is premium a better experience

Lodge is cheaper than premium seating. But no matter where you seat in the blue note, it's still a nice view and an up close view of the stage.

Where is the best place to park?

Hi! There's parking at the Ohana East Hotel. $6 for 4 hours, with a validation from the Blue Notes Gift Shop.

Do you have to share your table with others if your purchase a premium or table or loge seating?

It depends on how packed it is. If there’s empty seats you can have your own table. If it’s packed you’ll have to share tables.

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Review Highlights - Blue Note Hawaii

Take the escalator up to the 2d floor and get your parking ticket validated at the Blue Note gift shop.

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Oceanic VIP Music Hall

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The band took photos with the audience!
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Not-for-profit

I was blessed enough to experience various shows at the Hawaii Theatre Center, the most recent…read morebeing a showing of Nosferatu (2024) for Halloween, which was a special experience with some friends who are also into horror flicks. The theater supports both movies as well as live shows, which makes it a unique cultural space. You're not supposed to eat in the theater itself, and if you want to drink you would need to buy a sippy cup-like container from the bar. I suppose it is meant to protect the theater from decay, all these protective measures. The bartender who served us wine was friendly enough. I loved seeing the art around the theater.

Walking into the Hawai'i Theatre, you're instantly transported into another era. An era of soft…read moreelegance and timeless artistry. From the moment you pass through the doors, you're surrounded by a blend of old-world elegance and Hawaiian warmth. Built in 1922, the theatre has hosted everything from silent films and Broadway plays to concerts and Hula performances. Today it seats about 1,400 guests, offering an intimate experience where every seat feels close to the stage. The acoustics are excellent, the seats are comfortable, and the staff and volunteers are friendly, welcoming, and genuinely helpful. There's also a small bar and lounge with high-tops, perfect for enjoying a drink and conversation before the show. Inside the theater, you see tall, fluted Corinthian-style columns that are richly detailed. The curved arch overhead is decorated with mosaic-style tiles in warm tones,and I absolutely LOVE the lush deep red velvet curtains that frame the stage. They add so much warmth and elegance. Having attended many shows throughout the years, I've always been mesmerized by the mural above the stage and decided to do some Googling while waiting for the show to begin. I learned it's Lionel Walden's Glorification of the Drama. The painting depicts a grand procession of mythic figures -- a golden-robed muse in her chariot, attendants, musicians, a lion handler -- all celebrating the power of theater. The central figure, often interpreted as the Personification of Drama, leads the way. Knowing that part of the mural was once lost to water damage and later painstakingly restored makes it even more meaningful. Parking is easy at the municipal garage on Bethel Street, just a block away. The short walk is now well-lit, a welcome improvement from years past when it was dark and sketchy. Entertaining audiences for over 100 years, the Hawaii Theater is a recognized as a National Historic Landmark. Attending a show here, you're not just watching a performance, you're also living and breathing a beautiful piece of Hawaii's historic culture.

Photos
How's my sippy cup!
How's my sippy cup!
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Look how beautiful this theatre is!!

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Look how beautiful this theatre is!!
Arnold's Beach Bar & Grill

Arnold's Beach Bar & Grill

4.2
(545 reviews)
0.4 mi
$

Great tiki vibes and service. Bartender was very personable and casual but still quick with drinks,…read moreaccurate with the tab, and gave great drink recs. We got a painkiller, li hing margarita, and some beers. We tried to go back another night but seating was limited, so be wary on a busy weekend night you might have to stand. Love this place!

This place was packed when I came through after 11 PM. Shoulder to shoulder packed. It was honestly…read morea little tough getting in and out because so many people were hanging out by the entry walkway, but that kind of comes with the territory here. This is a great spot to grab a drink if you want something that feels closer to a local dive bar vibe, even though it is right in the heart of Waikiki. You are not really dealing with locals raised on the island, but more people who live in the area or regulars who clearly make this part of their routine. It has that laid back, no frills energy that makes it easy to settle in for a drink or two. The barbacks were clearly busy, but drinks still came out quickly, which I appreciated. Overall, the vibe feels very tiki bar meets dive bar. Strong pours, loud music, and a crowd that is there to hang out rather than be seen. It adds to the fun, especially later at night. Not perfect and definitely crowded, but if you want a lively spot with fast drinks and a casual atmosphere, this is a solid stop. .

Photos
Arnold's Beach Bar & Grill
Plant wall!
Plant wall!
Arnold's Beach Bar & Grill

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Blue Note Hawaii - musicvenues - Updated July 2026

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