I visited Hawaiian Aroma Caffe last month, meeting friends for a pau hana. This place is “hot” — literally.
THE EXPERIENCE
You’ll find Hawaiian Aroma Caffe inside the Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger — one of four Hawaiian Aroma locations in Waikiki, including another that sells alcohol at the Ohana East. All aim to combine “European flair and Hawaiian hospitality.”
Opened in 2016, it’s an attractive spot to grab a coffee, salad or quick drink at this location, centrally positioned on the tourist district’s main drag.
A complete “refresh” of the surrounding hotel was completed by Outrigger in April. Now that the surrounding hotel has caught up to the contemporary vibe current visitors crave, it’s likely more thirsty patrons will find their way here in the months to come.
It’s an open spot with high ceilings, opening up on one side to the hotel’s common area and on the other to the pool. If the weather’s right, it may be most attractive to get your drink and treats and enjoy them poolside — but in the heat of a kona-weather day, you may want to stay out of the sun. I said the place was hot; well, it can be. You’ll be most comfortable in shorts or beachwear, as suited for a poolside spot.
I advise you drop in at the cafe during the golden hour, leading up to sunset. Just as the sun sinks to this angle, a glow reflects into the open cafe, and there’s less heat bounce from the pool and surrounding surfaces. Conveniently, with happy hour lasting until 6 p.m., golden hour will overlap throughout the fall and winter.
The room feels airy and cosmopolitan. One of its unique features is a seating area with a trompe d’oeil chalkboard mural designed by Erin Ibarra, who was also commissioned to draw the flower murals that distinguish each floor of the hotel.
Also part of the cafe’s decor: an assortment of surf memorabilia that will get you itching to head out to the beach.
As part of the hotel’s update, an accessible entry to the pool was added outside of the cafe; owner Jonathan Rotmensch said he plans to expand seating in the cafe area within the next several months.
THE FOOD
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe offers paninis and salads, customary cafe fare tailored more for breakfast and a light lunch than dinner, per se. The cafe also has its own custom roast, incorporating Hawaiian and estate-grown Guatemalan coffee.
When I dropped in with some friends around 4 p.m., it was bright and warm in the room, putting us in the mood for something refreshing and cool. The Hawaiian Aroma Acai Bowl ($10.75) did the trick — sweet, tart and crunchy from its granola topping, it matched up fine with our sweet-tart cocktails.
We also chose from one of the cafe’s waffle combinations topped with chai- flavored sauce ($12) and — yes! did I mention it’s warm in there? — ice cream (an additional $2.50).
THE DRINK
The main appeal during happy hour isn’t grabbing a sandwich — it’s the colorful, umbrella-topped cocktails that make up the pau hana cocktail menu.
We tried the mai tai, spiked tea (literally what it says it is, vodka added to the cafe’s iced tea) and a Blue Hawaiian, all $7 during happy hour. They were all fine, tall and cool as required. My pau hana mate drank down her Blue Hawaiian in a flash; she was thirsty, she said.
Lured in by the name, I tried the Happy Hour cocktail from the regular menu, made with gin, cranberry juice and a splash of liqueur, and rimmed with sugar. It was served in a smaller glass, with less ice, and for that reason did not become watered down as quickly as the others. I would drink it again.
THE VERDICT
Hawaiian Aroma Caffe is a casual, friendly spot to sip a happy hour drink after a Waikiki swim — that should cool you off — or before a night out. The food and drink menus are tightly edited, but cosmopolitan and refreshing. And the price is right, at under $60 including tip for my group of four, enjoying a cocktail and cool, light bite.
HAWAIIAN AROMA CAFFE
Waikiki Beachcomber by Outrigger, 2300 Kalakaua Ave.
256-2602, hawaiianaromacaffe.com
Happy hour: 2-6 p.m. daily
>> Specialty cocktails, $7
