Lono is a large restaurant and bar in Hollywood, themed to Hollywood's yesteryear of tropical glamour, the pre-tiki era of nearby restaurants such as Bob Brook's Seven Seas
. The restaurant's target era is closer to the '30s and '40s than the '50s and '60s, and as such the look of the space is more tropical-lite than truly tiki. The drink menu is a mix of classic tiki drinks and modern takes on tiki, carefully crafted and presented. The food menu is mainly small plates of flavors from around the world, or on the other end of the food spectrum, you can reserve a complete "luau" experience.
Lono has managed to keep true to the original goal of tiki bars: escape. Right in the middle of souvenir shops and college bars there is this wonderful oasis. Lono is incredibly decorated in adventure/travel/tiki decor and there are even Easter eggs to search for! The bar is very spacious as compared to most tiki bars. This is not a hole in the wall. The staff was incredibly polite and attentive. They have food (I didn’t eat) and souvenir mugs that are expensive but worth it for the unique design. Great place all around!
Great bartenders. There is some very interesting Tiki decor and historical Hollywood memorabilia. Very large, however, reservation still a good idea. Within walking distance of Hollywood sites.
We had reservations right at opening at 5:00 pm on a Sunday. We were seated right away, and our order taken shortly thereafter. It took over 40 minutes to get two of our four drinks, and over an hour total to get the remaining two, and it was not that particularly crowded inside. Our server was very apologetic and did her best to make it right, but there’s still no way to find that acceptable. The bartender was also apologetic, but seemed both inexperienced and overwhelmed. Drink quality was good, as was the food we ordered, which arrived long before any of our drinks. The decor leaned more toward a surfing and beach theme, but was well done.
Lono has managed to keep true to the original goal of tiki bars: escape. Right in the middle of souvenir shops and college bars there is this wonderful oasis. Lono is incredibly decorated in adventure/travel/tiki decor and there are even Easter eggs to search for! The bar is very spacious as compared to most tiki bars. This is not a hole in the wall. The staff was incredibly polite and attentive. They have food (I didn’t eat) and souvenir mugs that are expensive but worth it for the unique design. Great place all around!
Great bartenders. There is some very interesting Tiki decor and historical Hollywood memorabilia. Very large, however, reservation still a good idea. Within walking distance of Hollywood sites.
We had reservations right at opening at 5:00 pm on a Sunday. We were seated right away, and our order taken shortly thereafter. It took over 40 minutes to get two of our four drinks, and over an hour total to get the remaining two, and it was not that particularly crowded inside. Our server was very apologetic and did her best to make it right, but there’s still no way to find that acceptable. The bartender was also apologetic, but seemed both inexperienced and overwhelmed. Drink quality was good, as was the food we ordered, which arrived long before any of our drinks. The decor leaned more toward a surfing and beach theme, but was well done.
Classed up and clean Tiki style with plenty of space to move. Drinks tasted fantastic and were presented well. Get the Curse of Lono for some pyrotechnics. The Kauai Fried Chicken is amazing: tender, succulent and crispy all at once.
Finally made it LONO Hollywood and boy did we have a great time. The bar is an escape from the action of Hollywood Boulevard, and is a mix of tropical, nautical, tiki, and adventure. Drinks are tiki and the food is Asian fusion.
We visited on a Wednesday at 6 pm, and the vibe was friendly but relaxed. Music was a wonderful mix of Exotica, Hawaiian, and Lounge. Decor is not a deep tiki theme (though there are tikis outside the entrance and in the display case) but has some Safari/Adventure elements along with modern tropical and many nautical pieces. Dark but not too dark inside too. I hear this place can be more “clubby” on the weekends.
We had several drinks and they were very good to great. The Mai Tai is the 44 recipe made with Rhum JM, Appleton Signature, Smith & Cross, Coruba, and Lemon Hart 151. Very bold and an excellent Mai Tai. I also had their signature drink Curse of LONO that has a mix of rums, juices, and spices. Served flaming, this was very good.
Mrs Mai Tai had the Nui Nui and a Banana Boo Loo. Both were very good and I liked the bold flavors of the Boo Loo, but didn’t overpower with the banana.
The food menu gave off an appetizers vibe but was surprisingly larger portioned than I expected. I really liked the Musubi Bowl, with teriyaki-glazed Spam. Lots of rice and other goodies, it was really filling. Like the drinks, the food isn’t cheap here but considering the location the prices are in line considering the quality.
We love this place and visit frequently. It mixes old school Hollywood with tiki and exotica music, but... if you’re a tikiphile avoid Lono after 9pm, especially Fridays and Saturdays when the music changes to Tejano, hip-hop, 80’s and the patrons are loud and often drunk and couldn’t tell a Mai Tai from a Manhattan.
This is not your grandfathers tiki bar! I really liked this place. there were some things that weren't perfect but the most important things... the drinks and bar staff were EXCEPTIONAL! We had amazing service, and even though it was full of Hollywood 20 somethings ordering cosmos on a saturday night, they still took the time to create some great drinks. The food selection was great modern and hip, but way way too salty. I couldn't even finish several plates... mentioned it to the bartender and he said they had gotten complaints...
The atmosphere was that of a trendy hollywood club. Not my scene but the decor was really clean and sleek. More of an upscale Hawaiian themed restaurant then a tiki bar. Beautiful though.
Finally got a chance to stop by Lono for dinner and some drinks. We were NOT disappointed! The vibe, while not hardcore tiki, is definitely island-y, and, stepping off Hollywood Blvd into the cool, dark interior on a hot summer evening really did make us feel like we were entering a different world.
I thought the food was surprisingly good (been disappointment by the pupus at too many tiki joints), and the drinks ... top notch! We had six drinks between the three of us, so we had a good sampling of their menu. The King Kamehameha was definitely the standout, though the drinks were all terrific.
The hospitality was also terrific. On a side note, the manager reached out to the tiki community in a very welcoming way on Tiki Central, and I really appreciated that. And, the aloha vibe carried through to the bar. All of the staff we interacted with were wonderful.
One other note. There are two sections to Lono. The front room is a pretty dark bar area, and the back opens up to a surrounded outdoor patio-like area. Going in the early evening, the back area was too light for our taste, but it would probably be a great place to have a drink once the sun goes down.
I came here for my anniversary with my boyfriend and it was GREAT!
It's not the usual tiki experience. It's pretty fancy and the food can get expensive, but I thought it was worth it. The front room has more of a tiki vibe and I hear it fills up pretty quick on the weekends.
The back area of the restaurant is a beautiful, tropical decorated area, but it's not really tiki. The food was AMAZING. We basically had one of everything on the menu. Lava potatoes were out of this world. So were the ribs.
King Kamehameha was my favorite drink. Service was excellent.
I would 100% go back. If I were to get food again it would be for a special occasion. Drinks are priced like other similar tiki bars in the area (they run $12 to $14ish a pop).
King Kamehameha cocktail is fantastic . More details available here: http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-fo-tiki-cocktail-lono-20170624-story.html
Lono is located on Hollywood Blvd, providing an oasis of tranquility. There are multiple sections inside from the bar, the lounge, a quiet retreat area, even a large rear open under glass area. The decor is Tiki Chic, this is not you dark, tiki cave. In general it is light and bright and cool feeling. Coming in off the Blvd you feel like you have stepped into a loune on a tropical island. The drink selection is large and all that we tried were very good. They also have a nice food menu and Kung Pao Ribs and Lava Salt Potatoes. With the demise of the local Trader Vics, Lono serves up a great replacement.