Amazing tattoo shop! Came to visit and had to get a tattoo before leaving. Sergio and Maddie…read morecreated tattoo pieces we were wanting! Come visit if you are in the area!!

An amazing experience. My artist, Katelyn listened and came up with exactly what I was wanting. My…read morefavorite tattoo!

"I'm wearing short sleeves, I don't want to expose my tattoos."…read more-Jerry Seinfeld Well now I DO wanna wear short sleeves to let my new honu peek out a bit! Been wanting to get a honu ink'd to remind me of where I came from... where home really is. Everytime I go back, I run out of time or just didn't want to give up the beach day. This time the whole fam was IN... when I explained my design concept, both my wife and daughter wanted their own version, still honu themed. da Scene: Determined to get this done done during the 16 day visit back home on Oahu, I did my research early and narrowed it down to 3 spots initially. After some dm's, email exchanges and finally some voice calls, it was Lai @ Tattoo Hawaii who I connected with most, so we scheduled an in-person consult and then our sessions, with 2 days left on our trip - only lost 1 beach day (it was a perfect one too). da Service: Every contact before our session was courteous and replied to promptly. I did have to be insistent on Lai doing our work, even if it meant spanning multiple days. His work on social media and Yelp! most connected with me. At our consult he explained how he would approach my design concept and adapt it to my wife and daughter. Lai was confident he could get us all done in one afternoon/evening session. The shop is tucked away on the 2nd floor of a little building on the corner of Kapiolani and Piikoi... parking is a challenge, so arrive early to wait out a spot. The shop is comfortable and can accommodate 3-4 artists working, with friends looking on in support. da Work: Kai was up 1st as hers would be the least complicated. She went with 3 petroglyph style honu, each about 3.5" diameter, ink'd fairly heavy - vertically on her upper arm, pretty classic design. She has several tattoos already and was surprised that Lai didn't work with a stencil... he simply free-handed the design with several pens, directly on your body. He's a very cool, confident cat, laid back and within minutes has you chatting it up like you went to high school together. I went next as my wife wanted to see how mine's worked out to help solidify her concept. Lai drew a honu/dragon/shark tooth design on my upper arm and I said "go for it". 2.5 hours later I was stunned at the fine details he added to the shark's teeth encircling the honu shell, as well as tribal accents in the honu, while incorporating the dragon profile. It really was satisfying to see my concept executed closely, while adding style and depth, bringing it to life. Carla was last up and really wanted to stick close to what I had done... just smaller and wanted the dragon to "pop" more. As you can see, Lai nailed it... however subtle, the dragon does appear more prominent on her piece. da Wrap: Really happy all-around, already thinking about how to add to it, maybe add color, grow it further down my arm, how to add to the story. It's a very personal thing and I really suggest you take your time to research and find the right artist. I'm confident that you'll find the right one at Tattoo Hawaii. We were there most of the day and saw several folks and artists' work, there was actually one guy there the whole time getting a large whole body piece worked on with a manual tattoo tool, that's an investment! HUGE shout out to Lai for making our sessions so enjoyable and comfortable... When he found out it was my and my wife's 1st work, he said he was honored to be 1st... such a humble guy, great disposition. We'll see you soon brother!

Many things have changed since my 2018 visit so the information in this review can stay relevant…read more I visited last week for a fairly large piece and Lai took care of it like he did with my two other ones. When you arrive remember to fill out the paperwork provided. This could probably be streamlined if it were made available online. Regardless, you can reach out to the shop via social media or even the shop's webpage too. We took multiple breaks on my last visit. What started out as a request for a pueo turned into a session to catch up since pre-pandemic and get back in the chair. Lai free handed the entire piece. I wanted a poly style piece with Lai's style and that's what I got. Very much appreciated for attention to detail. Reach out to the shop via social media and if you want specifics like cost and time, you better be specific about your request too. (i.e. size, color, design, etc). There are so many shops on Oahu and Tattoo Hawaii was the only one that gave me an accurate cost and time frame, not to mention some awesome conversation. Highly recommended and thoroughly enjoyed!

Honestly the best place on the island to get affordable piercings done by Lisa, the prices have…read morebeen the same from the past years I came through 2020-2025. During covid times it was by appointment only but I discovered now in 2025 she does walk ins and appointments via call/text/dm (her IG @lisa_pierce_r) Her business hours of piercing is from Monday to Saturday 12pm-6pm but I still recommend to text her so she knows you're coming in, you can find her number on her Instagram bio or call the tattoo studio. Here's my years of what I got pierced with prices: 2020- Top navel $30 2021- Daith $20 each ear (left & right) 2023- Earlobes for both $40 2025- Rook $20 each ear (left & right) Here's how the session goes. She will ask you for your ID, make you sign a wavier, she will bring you back to the room, cleans the area of your choice, marks the spot where she will pierce and will ask you if you like it or change it. Then she will have you sit or lay on the chair bed, and then she will do her piercing magic. Very quick and smooth experience! Pain level for each piercing: Top Navel 8/10 Earlobes 1/10 Daith 6/10 Rook 6/10 There's no body jewelry there for you to buy, she usually defaults with the plain surgical steel ball and bar. She will give you a paper that has aftercare instructions and it says how long the pain lasts, how long you wait till you can replace the jewelry. They have saline ready for purchase for $5 if you need to clean your piercings! 10/10 recommend this place!

I got a lot of my piercings done here by Lisa! Call ahead to make your appointment!…read more I love how quick she is and she makes the experience super comfortable. All of my piercings have healed nicely and honestly if there's any concern whatsoever, just call her and she'll address them-- Lisa gives it straight and that's all a person can ask for! She provides that peace of mind. All I can say about this place is 10/10 all around. They're all so friendly, the tattoo artists too are chefs kiss!! So so kind and so easy to converse with. Best service hands down! Such good vibes. Mahalo Nui, Ink Pit!

Got my tattoos done by Veronica, who is only tattooing temporary in Black Palette as she resides in…read moreLA, but sometimes comes to Honolulu. Loved her style, she is a truly artist, designed at the moment what I had in mind combining a few pictures I brought, adapting it to what I was looking for. She is a master of fine lining and micro realism. Place is clean and location is convenient in Waikiki. They have many artists for all kind of different tattoo styles. Highly recommended if you are in the island! Thank you Veronica!

From the moment my daughter and I decided to get tattoos while visiting Hawaii, we were so…read moresatisfied that we found Black Palette Tattoo, located in Waikiki. Easy to find, Black Palette is an absolute spotless parlor that screams "We keep an organized, spotless and efficient operation here and you are in great hands." Manuel was my artist, and was able to accommodate my exact design without any issues. Not thinking about the size, he matched it to my other leg tattoo perfectly and the line work was absolutely incredible. Manuel is a serious artist that knows his business very well and has a proven track record with an amazing portfolio of tattoos - you can feel confident that you will leave Black Palette with art that will turn heads. Healing was uneventful and instructions were provided for aftercare along with additional protective film. My experience was PERFECT from the moment I called to the moment I left the shop.

I recently got my first tattoo done by Teva, this past Tuesday and Wednesday. I sent him what I…read morewanted and he executed it perfectly, freehanded! The precision on his tribals and lines is so beautiful. His communication with me was very good and so was his ability to make me feel comfortable as it was my first time in a tattoo shop. Not only that, but his pricing is perfect and reasonable. Came out way cheaper than I expected! He also makes sure to think of his clients before thinking of himself, and that will stand out the most to me.

I've been going to Peggy since I was 18, and she's done the majority of my tattoos over the years…read more Her attention to detail is incredible, and she genuinely takes the time to understand exactly what you want. Every appointment feels collaborative, and she makes sure each piece is something you'll truly love. Not only is she extremely talented, but she's also kind, professional, and passionate about her work. You can tell she puts her heart into every tattoo she creates. I'm so grateful to have her as my artist, she's truly one of the best. The shop itself is just as impressive. The atmosphere is welcoming, and everyone there is kind and talented. I always feel comfortable walking in, and I couldn't recommend Peggy or this shop more.

I have been wanting a Polynesian style tattoo for awhile and I did my research before coming to the…read moreisland for vacation. I ultimately chose this shop because the artists here are so talented. It was actually quite hard to narrow it down and choose which artist I wanted to do my ink - they're all crazy talented. But then I fell in love with a design I saw and I selected Brian and sent him an email to begin correspondence. When I arrived in Oahu I went by and we discussed what I wanted and I made and appointment and put down a deposit. My appointment was for Friday 2/9 at noon. Brian had drawn up the design for me that included the elements I asked for and it was even more beautiful than anything I had pictured. He managed to incorporate the ocean sunset design I loved, altered it to include flowers instead of leaves and he worked in the Polynesian element I wanted. He massively exceeded my expectations. The appointment was great. Brian is a skilled tattoo artist, he is very personable and I enjoyed talking with him as he used his 6-7 colors of black and grey to create my tattoo. I am very pleased with the result. Everything he used was new/disposable and he was meticulous in his care of keeping everything as clean and sterile as possible. I highly recommend this shop and Brian.

Reccomended to all!! if i can give more stars i will. got my first Tattoo it came out really Nice…read more Steve is really talented artist , so dedicated to his work! Excellent work Brother! Hope to see you soon again!

Levi James Purdy is my tattoo artist and he works out of this shop. Very professional and the shop…read moreitself is super cute and in the heart of Chinatown. Cash only-- but they have an atm machine inside if you forget. Surcharge is $5. Follow my artist on ig to see his amazing work: levijamespurdy He's the best!

The tattoo shop and most of the artist here is great. There is just one problem. KALLEY. She will…read moretake a $100+ deposit from you, schedule you an appt and not show up, then re-schedule you another appt and then cancel it and once you have had enough of that you ask for your deposit back and she denies you. Avoid this woman at all cost.

I'd like to take a second to express my gratitude for the amazing experience I had at Sacred Art…read moreTattoo. As soon as I walked in, I was welcomed by Donny the tattoo artist here at this location and we instantly clicked. He helped me decide where and how I should go about the placement of my tattoo making the process really easy for me. Throughout the session, our conversations went so deep to the point I almost forgot I was getting tatted. It was a worthwhile experience and a really good way to conclude my trip to Honolulu. Book with him! He's a gentle giant with a good soul. Thanks for making this moment memorable. Till next time brotha.

Had the best mocha of my life from the beautiful and funny barista Eva !! I've been back many times…read moreon my trip to Oahu and was not once disappointed -- they also serve a mouth-watering egg and bacon croissant breakfast sandwich that is to die for.

Neil is the best!!! He got me back into my love for tattoos and with his artistic skill and genuine…read morelove of his work, he made every tattoo a one of a kind work of art. Beyond that, he is the most genuinely kind person and treated my family like his family. We will be making trips out to Hawaii just to get more ink!

Second tattoo here and Neil is a bad ass. Shop is clean, a little hidden but definitely worth…read morefinding. He sketched out the idea and was open to any input I had but I had full trust in him. He does great work and definitely was affordable for being in Waikīkī and cheaper than a lot of Vegas places where I live. I recommend and will Definitely be back

I had such an amazing experience at Skin Deep Tattoo! From the moment I walked in, Gabby at the…read morefront desk was incredibly welcoming and made the whole check-in process a breeze. My artist, Barbara, was fantastic. She really took the time to listen to what I wanted and executed the piece perfectly. Barbara knew I was emotionally invested in getting this tattoo and I could tell that she enjoyed doing this tattoo. The shop has a great vibe and a lot of history. I highly recommend both of them if you are looking for a tattoo in Waikīkī

Q: How much do pirates charge to pierce someone's ears? A:…read more A buccaneer (a buck an ear)! I yanked my hidden helix piercing out on accident while washing my hair at the hotel. I didn't have the needle to put the piercing back in and since it was still relatively new, I knew the chances of it closing were high, especially since the same thing of my hair yanking the piercing out in the shower had just happened to me the month prior. It was half-closed in less than twelve hours! I had originally wanted to stop off at another spot but their piercer wasn't in. What? So I opened Yelp and found this place a short distance away. I came here and saw Krista and it was amazing. She got me cleaned and my piercing placed back in fast for the low price of $10 (plus tax). She's amazing. Mad love for this cool tattoo and piercing salon in Waikiki. Service is insanely friendly, place is clean, and the vibes are vibing. Five stars!