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    The Observation Bar

    3.6 (323 reviews)
    ModerateBars
    Closed 11:00 am - 11:30 pm

    The Observation Bar Photos

    THE OBSERVATION BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - The Observation Bar

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    Who doesn't want a martini in a wine glass or a stick in your nose woth your drink
    Derek E.

    What do you mean plastic cups for martinis!? The bar itself, average or a little less. Was hoping for a cool vibe old school vibe, but..... We had to pre-buy/ register tickets for this...why? I wpuld assume to make aure there was enough room? Enough food and drinks? Staff? Efficiency? Glasses?...what? It opened at 4pm...I was told, got there at 5pm? Got in line for a drink. The line was up the stairs, finally get to the bar order a dirty martini went to look for some seats or a place to have to crew meet while the other waited for our service. They walked up with a martini...in a WINE GLASS . I tried drinking it but kept getting jabbed in the nose by a olive skewer. Walk back up to the bar cause this was silly, to find out they are out of glasses and are considering moving everything to plastic cups. By this time it's only 5:40, it took this long to get a martini with the line in a wine glass, because they ran out. So they finally brought out our munchies (or what they called "Small Bites" on the menu) to our standing area. Ordered charcuterie and an artichoke dip. Small bites was about right, also looked like someone may had stolen a couple small bites from our board. Was like they found a fancy "Lunchable" took off the bad parts tasted a couple others and gave us what left. Check the green grapes un the picture. How does a partially empty stem look good to display? Someone left their table to us and we put our stuff download jackets on the chairs. Asked the people right next to us to keep an eye while we walked out to take a quick picture in the sunset. Came back, food was gone, cocktail was gone (guess the ice to tequila ratio was even too much to them) and another table took our chair, even though the others we asked to watch our chair sid something (they said...I am suspect of that though ). Got the chair back....left the food gone though, maybe they saved us from eating too much (I mean, who really can eat a whole Lunchable?) Maybe next time we go back for the ambiance, a free cup of ice water on the help yourself counter (provided the server doesn't take all the ice, yes, that happened while I waited to be polite), bring my own flask (seemed like some vets of this place were experienced in this here), and eat before we go. You never know, maybe we can get a good sunset... It could be a real good spot, but some work needs to be done

    Justin J.

    The Observation Bar, at the front of the ship, is a lounge bar serving contains and small bites with seating featuring views of downtown Long Beach. The vibe is chill, feels like you're in a lounge in the 40s... maybe... Weekends, there used to be, not sure if they still do, have TVs up to watch football while you sit and sip. Drinks can be hit or miss, friends who is making them. I've had some wonderful cocktails, and some that were not great at all. So really just depends who is behind the bar that day. Overall, cool place to sit and drink it you're on the Queen Mary. Pass by and check it out if you're visiting.

    Lounge area
    Daisy B.

    Amazing ambiance: art deco with awesome views and drinks! Perfect Friday night vibe with live music from Lola Kristine and Nahshon Thomas. Staff was friendly and helpful. Recommend the White Lady!

    Rudy N.

    This bar inside the iconic Queen Mary was the vibe. I had some whiskey and chilled the evening away with nice views. It felt like I went back in time and was just chilling the night away.

    Tiffany N.

    Came to the observattion bar to enjoy some live blues and jazz. The band that was there was okay, there was no saxophone and some the jazz was definitely missing however we still had a great time. The bar is very popular as you will find seating to be difficult - they were at max capacity when I went. You can order drinks and the waiter will come to your table. Recommend to try the restaurants onboard instead of being limited to small bar foods.

    The bar
    Sam S.

    Excellent place to hangout. Live music, dancing and a supercool retro ambiance. The drinks are great, the service is good and the food is just okay. Try going for the Happy Hour.

    Victoria M.

    Was staying in the Queen Mary for the night we went looking around saw this place and went in to get a drink it was happy hour Was welcomed in and sat at a nice table with a pretty view of the ocean Loved the decor and colors restaurant is very welcoming Waiter was nice placed our drink order and then decided on a appetizer Received everything pretty quickly Drinks were strong and delicious Spinach and artichoke dip was so good! Bread was soft and delicious It was karaoke time listened to great singers had a great time would definitely be back

    Mary S.

    Beautifully designed bar and lounge. Cocktail waitresses and bar staff were attentive. My favorite charcuterie did not disappoint. Music was loud and modern. Beautiful views.

    Cindy W.

    It is worth it to come here for the HH (4-7 p.m. Monday to Thursday) and enjoy the beautiful sunset view. If you are visiting (not an overnight guest), there is an additional admission fee to enter the cruise (discounted to $15 at 6 p.m.). The cocktails were exactly what you'd expect at a touristy bar - so I wouldn't come here for any culinary innovation. But the cruise is worth checking out if you are a fan of the art deco designs.

    Erick M.

    Great spot. Great view of the harbor. Food and drinks were good. A cool relaxing area of the ship. Service was good as well.

    Liz S.

    Pleasantly surprised by this bar! You need to pay for access to the queen mary (which i think was 15 dollars that night) but well worth it for the amazing views and historical venue. We got our drinks and walked around looking at the museum pieces then went out on the deck to watch the sunset. Perfect place for a first date or hangout with friends. Grab a drink and go explore the queen mary!

    Octopus tostadas
    Grace N.

    We work group recently gathered here for a farewell party, and we all loved it so much. It was a lot of us' first time and you basically go online to reserve tickets or spot, you can do up to 4 I believe. Then when you go check in they will scan your QR code and you can take the elevator or stairs up to the 4th level. This bar is so nice. I love the Queen Mary, I love historical landmarks and iconic things so to be able to drink and swing dance in this bar, it was so magical to me. There seemed to be a swing/dance club birthday celebration there for seniors, and they were all so fit and sweet and so cute. The live bands were good and our server was awesome despite how crowded it was. We got a table and our server was on top of things taking care of us. I was surprised at their food, it was pretty decent in my opinion. My colleagues got a few stuff but I only had the octopus tostadas, which was pretty good for the location! I would get that again when I come back. It's healthy enough, the tostada was soggy/chewy and not crunchy but we didn't mind that. They also have HH menu. Love this place and I would def come back and bring more friends!

    Erika T.

    I came here to have dinner for a celebration and while we waited for our table to be ready, we stepped into the Queen Mary's Observation Bar. Being in there with the art deco, the ambience and the touch of old world glamor, it was perfect to have a nice conversation without being overly loud. The drinks were rich, smooth, and with the right kick. I was able to capture a nice picture. We would've had another drink and I would've taken more pictures but our table was ready shortly.

    people sitting at the bar

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    Love the Queen Mary! The spinach artichoke dip is so good. Fast service Amazing views!

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    Ask the Community - The Observation Bar

    Does anyone know the ginger ale brand they serve? I remember the bottle has a hen printer on it, thanks in advance!

    When is there live music?

    Tuesdays 4-7pm

    Any cover charge to only go to the observation bar?

    No cover charge. But if there were, I'd pay it. Totally worth it just to sit and think about How Things Once Were.

    Can my husband and I bring our 2 1/2 year old to the o bservation bar/ art deco bar? We wanted to get drinks and appetizers

    When I visited I did see a few children it looked to be family friendly but as far as the service good luck :)

    View All 6 Questions

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    4.5
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    This has become my home bar. It's a great spot for locals to hang and make friends, but also I've…read moremet lots of people who drove from LA to have a Long Beach day, which is fun. Definitely worth it! The vibes are unmatched. It's a unique blend of "top notch cocktail crafting" and "beer and a hot pretzel after work." You can dress up, you can dress down, it's very 'just be yourself' which I love. I've literally had caviar AND hot dogs there in the same night at an event. They know how to blend high/low. Incredible knowledge and ingredients but not snooty patootie. Super inclusive and fun, with cool popups and events happening all the time. It's a full bar so you can get any cocktail you would normally order if you're keeping it simple, or beer, wine, boilermakers, etc. There's a span of offerings and price points, so something for everyone. (Also really good N/A cocktails!) The menu is super inventive and creative! And the cocktail menu changes out every so often so there are new things to try. This area is vintage vibes and Baby Gee speaks it fluently. Really cool decor, curated by the owners who design everything from the playlist to the cocktails to the invention of never-before-seen flavors and shapes of jello shots. Try the Baby Gee appletini while you're there. Mezcal, tequila, sake appletini you ask?? Yes. Trust. And get a hot dog. Do it.

    I really wanted to love this place. The vibe was fantastic...great music, a stylish ambiance, and…read morean impressive selection of specialty craft cocktails. It's clear the owners put a lot of thought and creativity into making their cocktails the centerpiece of the experience. That said, the execution didn't live up to the concept. The menu appears to rotate regularly, and while the drinks were certainly unique, most of the cocktails we tried were hit or miss. At roughly $22 per drink, I expected more balance and refinement. One cocktail started with flavors reminiscent of an Old Fashioned, but after the initial sip, the combination of bitters and fruit syrups created an unpleasant cough syrup like finish. We tried a mocktail as well, and it was mostly ice and soda water, with what seemed like a collection of syrups doing most of the heavy lifting. The drinks were creative, but many of the flavor profiles felt disjointed rather than intentional. The biggest issue, however, was the bar service and sanitation practices. I watched a bartender place a cucumber garnish into a glass using his bare hands, touching the entire garnish in the process. He then continued to take credit cards, cash, and other items before stuffing ice into additional drinks with his bare hands. Whether or not this technically violates health code standards, it certainly wasn't appetizing to watch and left a poor impression. Parking is another challenge. There is no dedicated parking, and unless you get lucky, expect to park several blocks away and walk. Overall, the atmosphere is a lot of fun and the cocktail menu is ambitious, but the drinks didn't justify the price point, and the sanitation concerns were hard to overlook. I wouldn't rush back, especially given the cost and parking difficulties.

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    Hao Peng You

    Hao Peng You

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    First visit was a huge surprise and success. Drinks were exceptional- real treats with unique…read moreflavors. The venue is beautiful and on point with theme. We tried the dumplings and shishito peppers which were tasty and presented equally as well as the drinks. We will be back with friends and out of town guests when we want to impress with a great time.

    Your hao peng you (good friend) on Yelp is sending you a sign to check this hidden gem out! ;)…read more As someone of Taiwanese descent, I always get SO excited discovering Taiwanese restaurants and bars, which are admittedly a bit hard to find if you're not in East LA. We stopped by late Saturday night and were able to snag an immediate walk-in at the bar at Hao Peng You, which is the intimate speakeasy portion of Midnight Oil. The decor definitely reminded me of my grandparents' house in Taiwan, with vintage, ornate wooden chairs, dragon/lion statue carvings, and even a historic century old marital bed that had been repurposed into a booth. The drinks were also VERY unique, with my favorite being Hua sheng (literally meaning peanut), which was crafted from a nostalgic childhood peanut milk drink. All our cocktails were crafted very well, to the point where I thought they were a bit on the lighter side since I couldn't really taste the alcohol. This section does get really busy though and only had one bartender who is making/serving drinks and taking orders, so do expect a bit of a wait. Overall, highly recommend checking out this vibey vintage Taiwanese-inspired speakeasy (that my inner history nerd was so excited about), and I'll definitely be back to try their food items as well as their two other bar/restaurant concepts!

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    La Sala

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    This is such a cute hotel bar with beautiful decor, we made a quick stop before our stop at their…read moreterrace bar. We arrived and there were a few parties leaving, we walked to the bar area and the two servers were occupied with other guests, so we patiently waited. Finally one of them approached us and shared the menu, another gentleman came to the bar and he was quickly greeted with a hello and our same server immediately shared the menu. The gentleman politely said, these ladies were here first please take their order first, which the server did but was not so happy about. To our surprise the server still prepared his drinks first. The gentleman very surprised apologized since he knew we were there before him. With our drinks in hand we found a table with some empty seats. The table side where we sat had a sprite glass bottle and a glass that hadn't been picked up since the last party left. We moved it a side to set our drinks and finally enjoy our conversation. A different server came to the table and asked the gentleman next to us to get his empty glass and she completely ignored our side. She did another round and I finally asked her to pick up the bottle that was left by another party before us. I asked her for the menu again, she brought it but she did say that I had go back up to the bar to order any additional drinks. We decided to not order a second round and head up to the terrace.

    I had this place on my "to go" list and I randomly decided today was the day…read more Decide on a lavazza cup of coffee with almond milk. So good! The service? Incredible. The bartender who is also the barista was so welcoming. I love the historical aspect of this building and they did an incredible job with the maintenance of it. The marble and gold and earthly tones which are deep and rich! Sigh! They're open til 10pm... I'll be back

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    Old fashion and wine
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    Secret Island

    Secret Island

    3.9
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    1.1 mi
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    Very cool hidden tiki bar! The decor is great, really sets the vibe. Not too busy on Thursday…read morenight, but not dead either. Sat at the bar for drinks and appetizers. Not super attentive service considering there were only a few parties at the bar, but our bartender (woman with long wavy hair) was kind and made delish drinks. The coconut shrimp was great too. Karaoke started a little after 8:00pm. Not sure if that's a regular thing, but it was fun to watch! Happy Hour is only one hour a day on weekdays (5-6pm) which was a bit of a bummer because we arrived at 6:30 and thought it went until 7 or 8, but now we know. Would be awesome if it was still 5-8pm like it seems it used to be. Overall a fun time and we'll likely be back!

    We recently visited Secret Island Tiki which has been on our list for a while. It is located on the…read morecorner of Broadway and Pine under Shannon's. We parked in the multi-story parking garage behind Hamburger Mary's. Secret Island is a little over a block away. You can make reservations on OpenTable. It has a bit of a speakeasy entrance, as it is not plainly marked. Look for the staircase going down with greenery around it and the Secret Island sign downstairs. Go right at the bottom of the stairs and there is a little walkway where you see a very cool tiki display. It you stay there long enough, the lights will flash and you will hear thunder. Walk a little further and go through the door to enter. I was blown away by the atmosphere and build. Kudos to Bamboo Ben! It is dimly lit with a ton of cave wall, bamboo, thatch, netting, tiki lights, floats, skulls, tikis, and other décor. The bar is loaded with bottles and looks great with dark blue and green backlighting. The bar top is wood with deep cutouts that are filled with clear epoxy. The booths in the main dining area are little tiki huts and even have clouds overhead. There was great tiki music playing the whole time. A few times an hour a thunderstorm hits. The lights dim, lightning flashes with thunder sound effects, and red lights illuminate cracks in the floor that looks like lava veins. There is also a photo-op "Pele's Throne" which is a big lava rock surrounded chair. We sat at the bar and had the coconut shrimp appetizer ($12). The shrimp were breaded and cooked well, and had a coconut sprinkle on top. The spicy dipping sauce complemented the shrimp well. I started out with the Drunken Monkey (Makers Mark 46, Jamaican rum, banana liqueur, cinnamon, allspice, Angostura bitters, normally $19, $17 during happy hour). It was somewhat bourbon forward with a little funk from the Jamaican rum. I definitely got the cinnamon notes with a little banana and allspice in the background. She started out with the El Capitan Hook (Del Maguey mezcal, pineapple, banana liqueur, Luxardo cherry liqueur, lime, $17, $15 during happy hour). This was smoke forward with light pineapple and banana flavor. I had the Hula burger ($18) which was very good with a lot of different flavors from the various toppings. It came with a decent amount of fries, and was a filling plate. She had the pineapple bowl fried rice and added with BBQ pork ($17 + $5 for pork add-on). It is served in half of a scooped out pineapple and had a good amount of rice with pork and green onions on top. It had a good mix of teriyaki sauce on the rice and BBQ sauce on the pork. Next, I had the Rum Runner (coconut and blended dark rums, banana liqueur, raspberry, grenadine, pineapple, orange, lime, $18, $15 during happy hour). It was very pineapple and coconut forward which overpowered all of the other ingredients. She also had the Let That ManGo (white rhum agricole, coconut, mango, lemon, $18, $16 during happy hour). The primary flavors here were mango with some grassiness from the agricole. We were here from about 6pm to 8pm on a Wednesday night and it was pretty dead with only a few other people in the place the whole time. They do have a stage in the back with live music acts, so it is probably busier when there is entertainment and on weekends. Our first bartender was Alex who was nice but we barely talked with him. Manager Pedro took over the bartender duties later on and we had a great time chatting with him. Service was great from both of them. The drinks are a few dollars above average, but if you come during happy hour, the drinks are several dollars off. Happy hour is currently all day Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Sunday, and Thursday through Saturday from 5pm to 8pm. The food was good, the drinks were ok to good, and the atmosphere was great. Normally, this would probably be a one and done, but I really liked the build and would like to come back when it is busier, maybe on a weekend.

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    Hi-top tables by the bar
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    Tiki Bar in Long Beach
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    Main dining room

    The Observation Bar - bars - Updated August 2026

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