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    The Hidden Nene

    4.6 (130 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

    The Hidden Nene Photos

    THE HIDDEN NENE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Intimate
    Romantic
    Classy

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    Recommended Reviews - The Hidden Nene

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    Annie D.

    Hands down the best bar in downtown Hilo. The cocktails are so creative, each drink is an adventure. My husband ordered the Spam Dram which is reminiscent of a Mint Julep with butterscotch undertones. The Advice was fruity, herbaceous and smooth. The Ko Cane is a spirit forward rum cocktail. Staff are super nice.

    Tarta Da Lima was phenomenal!
    Billy B.

    Amazing experience at this gem in Hilo, it's like stepping into another world, and the cocktails are seriously next level! Excellent service, beautiful interior and lighting, I live on Maui so I will be visiting sooner than later!

    Foood was Ono!!!!
    George R.

    After a day up on Mauna Kea & our last day back home we decided to go our favorite bar in Hilo to top off our trip! Kinda want to keep this place a hidden secret so shhhhhhh. Took my Gf & her brother from Maui 1st time in Hilo and at hidden nene for him. My GF's brother is also a bartender on Maui! He was very impressed with the selection of drinks and of course the ambiance of the bar. We all agreed hands down the best bar and happy hour. Ambiance and speakeasy vibe is our type of bar with the hidden bar. The creativity of the drinks, live music and pop up events make this bar very unique Shoutout to our bartender Tasha!! She was awesome! Made our visit pleasant and welcoming! My gf's brother was amazed of the preparation and presentation of drinks! Tasha and staff sets the bar high for sure! We originally found this spot after seeing my friend Keoni Payton (Pain killers) (Farmers Market Hawaii) post story on IG a while back now officially our third visit. This place is bomb kinda don't want to share it but keep this place in business! Mahalos Tasha & Hidden Nene! Can't wait to be back!

    Juniper
    Amber S.

    Menu has changed a bit since last visit. They have a full menus with bites and cocktails. My group just got cocktail. They still have some of their classics and some new additions. Still a great place to get a drink before dinner reservation. This place is spacious and cozy, if that makes any sense. Servers are attentive and everything was delightful. There was a mix up on our bill but they were quick to fix.

    Hummus wrap
    Darian K.

    This place is the cats pajamas! Definitely stop by for lunch, I tried the hummus wrap, YUM! Great portion size, wonderful accompaniments of sweet potato chips and pickled asparagus. Service was great from Crystal and the owner Char herself! The cocktail list is so creative, you'd have to come back to try 1 of everything! The place itself has such a cozy, speakeasy atmosphere. Definitely the ultimate hidden gem in Hilo. Everything was 10/10. This will be one of my stops every time I am on island.

    tarte de lima
    Morgan S.

    stopped by a happy hour and had the best time! We ordered 2 happy hour drinks and got a charcuterie board and it was amazinggg! The staff was so fun and kind, restaurant was clean and trendy, highly recommend!!!

    Tequila cocktail with coconut meringue topping and rum cocktail with a kick!
    Daniel M.

    This speakeasy in the heart of downtown is the perfect spot to grab a late night cocktail. The drinks were yummy (I tried the happy hour rum and tequila cocktails made with local fruits). The rum cocktail does have a bit of a kick to it. The live music was the cherry on top!

    Tarta de Lima - highly recommend
    Sarahbeth M.

    Cute little place and good happy hour with some snacks. Strong and delicious drinks. Don't get upset as these drinks are a work of art and does take some time so when it gets slightly busy it'll be a wait.

    fire place, I like
    Kaliko P.

    Good Help (Is So Hard To Find) [Official Video] - Death Cab for Cutie A good cocktail is also hard to find, so when I saw this place online prior to arriving in Hilo, I was bent on going, it did not matter that it was 12 noon on a Friday afternoon! Happy hour 12-2 PM on Friday when we went. Just a few blocks from the Hilo Farmer's Market and Pineapple's. Right across the street from KTA. Shady guy on the corner, kept looking at us and I kept looking at him. I see you, bud. Descending into the depths of the quiet darkness was soothing. There was no greeting, so we just sat anywhere. There were two ladies behind the bar, one was mixing up drinks and the other was filling up bottles and ice and such. There were 3 other customers in the bar besides us - two on the couch and one at the bar. It wasn't crowded at all. It took a while before the mixologist came up to us and took our orders. She was nice. The Tea - $10 happy hour price ($16 reg price). A cute drink. The ingredients are listed on their website but it's not easy to read as it scrolls really fast, but without having to list the fancy ingredients like Suntory Roku (gin), matcha, orange blossom, mamaki, lemon, lime and wasabi, the flavor was very straight-forward, not complex at all. It tasted very nice but mostly citrus, strong citrus. The lemon and lime overpowered everything. I could not taste anything else. The presentation was beautiful with the dried mamaki leaf and the white orchid. Buzz factor 2/5. Smoky Bear - $10 happy hour price ($16 reg price). A sweeter drink made of bourbon, birdseye pepper, sugar, wood smoke. My husband said it reminded him of something he's had a kid, like Easter candies. The presentation was really nice, with a charred rosemary and a white orchid. Strange mix of sweet candies and smoky smoke. Buzz factor 3/5. Service: here's where it gets knocked down one star from a 5. The lady mixing the drinks was doing 99% of the work. We felt bad for her. The lady stocking things was just bustling around without being aware that another group had walked in, and was sitting in the corner and waiting awkwardly. I kept looking at them looking at her. They were waiting a long time. She finally saw them when she went to stock something else in another room, got their orders on her way back, and gave the order to the lady bartender. We didn't want to keep waiting for another drink, so we left cash with tip at the counter and left. Return factor: not sure. Would like to try the other drinks in the future but only if we had hours to spare (or waste).

    Key lime pie cocktail
    Kathleen S.

    Cute little speakeasy in downtown Hilo. Came on a Friday evening after eating at Turtle & Moon. We had to wait a little bit (they quoted 20min) but ended up being 5 as a couple left shortly after. I got the key lime pie cocktail which was a unique concept! The tequila threw me off a little bit, but it was a fun little drink to try. It's a small space so I'd anticipate waiting pretty long during peak hours. Their happy hour seemed solid for their cocktails -- I would have loved to come back for that!

    Brent H.

    Amazing little speakeasy with the most delicious cocktails and small bites. The service was top notch and the atmosphere smooth and pleasant. I will be

    Carl B.

    I was told this would be right up our alley for cocktails and it didn't disappoint. From the somewhat hidden e trance to decor to the staff to the cocktails to the food was top notch. We tried almost half of the drinks and they were all balanced and provided something g amazing to my palette.

    Jenna M.

    The hidden Nene is a very special speakeasy 'club'. We went here on a whim on a Wednesday evening and was not disappointed. The location is on the bottom of a hotel and such a chill vibe. There was music and the performers were right on. The drink menu is a little out of my comfort zone but the bartender was so nice and helped us decide and made great drinks. I finally gave in and had the Tarta de Lima and tasted just like a key lime pie. The foam was sooo delicious. They had special touches for each drink and was fun to see what the final result was. Drinks were strong. They had small plates too. Not a whole lot of seating but we found a spot at the bar. Loved the decor. Highly recommend.

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    29 days ago

    Drinks were amazing! Live music, overall fun and great atmosphere. Highly recommended

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    The drinks were AMAZING. The Tarta de Lima was one of the best drink I've ever had. The appetizers were delicious. Highly recommend.

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    Hidden gem! Best drinks I've had in Hawaii. Perfect atmosphere! Bartenders were super helpful and knowledgeable.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - The Hidden Nene

    They advertise a happy hour from 5-7 - but what *is* their happy hour? (What does it cover, and how much off!)

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine

    4.3(2.6k reviews)
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    Came as a party of 2 at noon on a Sunday, and we were seated right away! The ambiance definitely…read moregives a nice island sports bar vibe. Only street parking is available. There was also live music with a lady playing guitar solo and singing! Service was amazing! We never had to wait long to order/get the bill. We were most impressed by the fact that the waitress made sure to split our Hilo local plate into two plates to make it much easier to share! We almost thought we had received two orders because of how well-plated they were. - Poke tower (8/10): Solid choice for an appetizer! There were ample portions of poke, and the flavors were nice. Not a super stand out dish though. - Hilo local plate (9.5/10): If you want to taste a wide range of Hawaiian cuisine in one dish, I would highly recommend getting this one! The Kalbi ribs were sooo good! They were juicy, tender, and bursting with flavor. The Kalua pork was pretty good, and both meats paired well with the rice which had an interesting savory haupia sauce drizzled on it. The mango chili slaw and pineapple salsa added a nice tang to balance everything out. - Triple lilikoi pie (5/10): Wayyy too sweet and sugary for our liking, and you can barely taste the lilikoi flavor. We ended up just picking at the graham cracker crust and couldn't finish the rest. It seemed like one of those desserts that are premade unfortunately, and we wish we hadn't ordered this dessert.

    We chose Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine because it's one of the highest-rated sit-down spots in…read moreHilo, but it ended up being just okayyyy. The menu felt very "meh"...nothing particularly exciting or memorable. The cocktails looked great in photos, so we ordered the piña colada flight, but it tasted like there was little to no rum in it. Pretty presentation, but very mediocre overall. Food was just okay. The burger wasn't bad, but definitely not anything special. The fried shrimp dish was disappointing and lacked flavor. The big letdown was the ambiance. We were seated facing the street and parking lot the entire time ...no view...., just sad street. Overall, it didn't live up to the hype. Not terrible, but definitely not worth going out of your way for. The staff were all very nice though. Service friendly.

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    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Bar with loads of fresh pineapples

    Pineapples Island Fresh Cuisine - Ahi poke tower

    Ahi poke tower

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    Puna Chocolate Company - Chocotini and old fashion

    Puna Chocolate Company

    4.5(125 reviews)
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    Puna Chocolate Company is one of my favorite local chocolate artisan shops, conveniently located in…read moreDowntown Hilo. Since my time away, they have beautifully renovated the interior to have a sit-down booth area. I love the abundance of nene decor honoring our state bird, along with high quality chocolates made in Hawaii. The store clerk was very knowledgeable and described how each cultivars of chocolate differ in their taste profiles. We had the horchata 50% milk chocolate bar, and I don't have a picture because we devoured it in one sitting! Overall, Puna Chocolate Co. is an elegant, delightful, and elevated experience that rivals big names like Big Island Candies and Dandelion Chocolates in San Francisco. Highly recommend in stopping by!

    I stopped by Puna Chocolate Company for an afternoon coffee and ordered an espresso. It wasn't…read moreterribly busy in the store so my drink was prepared in minutes. The espresso was strong, not overwhelmingly bitter, and had a good consistency to it. While sitting at the bar, I noticed that they had a Day Drink menu with a bunch of coffee and chocolate cocktails, including an espresso martini and a cacao old fashioned. For $14 and $13 respectively, these seemed like very reasonable prices. Definitely something I'll check out on my next visit. On the right side of the store is a gift shop, while the left side has a bunch of seating for patrons. I noticed there were a few people here with their laptops out, so I can only assume it's also a good place to work as well. The store seemed pretty quiet, street parking outside was easy, and the staff I interacted with here was friendly. Puna Chocolate Company is a good rest spot to stop by to escape from the busyness of Downtown Hilo.

    Photos
    Puna Chocolate Company - Entry to Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

    Entry to Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

    Puna Chocolate Company - Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

    Inside Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

    Puna Chocolate Company - Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

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    Storefront for Puna Chocolate Company & Cafe

    Moon & Turtle - Market fish (Ono)

    Moon & Turtle

    4.6(854 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Fantastic service and attention from the whole staff! Cozy atmosphere with great music. Every dish…read morewas meticulously crafted with unique flavors, perfectly cooked. We loved the sizzlin tepanyaki poke with Ono and the desserts. Chef Mark and the staff do a wonderful job of showing off the flavors of Hilo...miso infused caramel on a fluffy cheesecake...I'm gonna be thinking about that dinner for a long time!

    My wife and I stopped by Moon & Turtle for dinner during our brief visit to Hilo and we had a…read morefantastic meal. We showed up right when they opened at 5:30 p.m. without reservations on a Wednesday evening and was luckily able to get seated at the bar. Between the two of us, we ordered a bunch of items off the "small" section of the menu, including the smokey sashimi, sizzling tetsuyaki poke, smoked tonnato caesar, crispy rice, and their special of the day -- agedashi wontons. Of the items we ordered, the crispy rice and the agedashi wontons were my favorite items. The crispy rice is priced per piece, and you'll certainly want to order at least two per person, because one is simply not enough. The rice block is fried a beautiful golden brown -- similar to a hash brown. The crispy rice pairs perfectly with the ono mixture on top of it. With the agedashi wontons, I initially thought the filling was a bit under-seasoned at first, but when enjoyed with the broth, the wonton comes out tasting perfectly seasoned. The broth had so much umami to it and the wonton had the perfect crunch to it I always love a good Caesar salad and the one here is spectacular. With anchovy croutons, shaved cured egg yolk, and smoked ahi dressing, you're getting some creative, premium ingredients in this salad and everything works so well together. Even if you're not a salad person, I would definitely recommend giving this dish a try. On top of delicious food, the service at Moon & Turtle was spectacular. Food was promptly brought out after we placed our order, pacing didn't ever feel rushed, our water cups were never empty, and our server checked on us regularly to make sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. I would definitely stop by Moon & Turtle again if I'm in Hilo.

    Photos
    Moon & Turtle - Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation

    Limited seating so it fills fast - so make a reservation

    Moon & Turtle - Market Fish - steamed mahi with garlic, ginger, scallion and soy in roasted bone congee with chili oil and wild rice

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    The Hidden Nene - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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