Tucked inside the acclaimed French restaurant La Mer, L’Aperitif invites a certain joie de vivre that keeps people lingering. Though it’s named for the light, often bittersweet drink served before a meal, the elegantly appointed bar feels less like a prelude to dinner than a destination in itself.
Guests come for L’Aperitif’s carefully curated selection of French spirits and craft cocktails, but many return for Henry Kawaiaea. A fixture behind the bar for going on 42 years, Kawaiaea has a way of ensuring every moment makes the most of L’Aperitif’s storied setting. Pull up a seat and he’ll tell you about his encounters with famous patrons such as Elizabeth Taylor and Lionel Richie, or Waikīkī’s evolution from sprawling marshland to a haven for the jet set during Hawai‘i’s golden age of travel.
Stay awhile and Kawaiaea might share the legend of Nae‘ole, a Hawaiian chief and skilled runner who served as kahu (caretaker) of the future ruler of the Kingdom of Hawai‘i, braving a treacherous journey across the Kohala Coast of Hawai‘i Island to carry the infant who would become Kamehameha the Great to safety. Kawaiaea might then recall nights fishing with his father and brother at Ka Lae, the southernmost point of the Hawaiian archipelago, the Milky Way bright overhead and the landscape as wild and untamed as it was when Polynesian voyagers first arrived there by canoe a thousand years ago.
One story drifts into the next, flowing with the warm breeze and fluid melodies of the live Hawaiian band playing on the lawn outside. It’s this unhurried, distinctive sense of place that has kept Kawaiaea and so many of Halekulani’s staff here for decades. Amid the din of modern life, L’Aperitif offers a rare chance to pause and savor the moment, the past settling in beside you like an old friend.
On the importance of the digestif
“People ask what time this bar stays open, and I tell them that as long as there are guests in the restaurant, I’m open. When you come to La Mer for a nice dinner, you should have the whole experience, including the opportunity to enjoy a digestif—an after-dinner drink—after your meal.”
On the hotel’s signature Mai Tai
“Ours is close to the original Trader Vic’s recipe, so it’s one of the most famous mai tais you can get. It’s what we’re known for, and I think we make the best one. First, we start with a squeeze of lime and a shot of mai tai mix, which we make with simple syrup, not the rock candy syrup that some bars use. Next, we add one shot of lemon juice, three-quarters of an ounce of Bacardi Gold, and three-quarters of an ounce of Bacardi Black. Then we fill the glass with crushed ice, float Lemon Hart 151 rum on top, and garnish with mint, an orchid, and a lime wheel.”
On the longtime staff and guests
“I’m proud that the waiters here have been so consistent. There are still about 40 of us who have been here since the beginning. After 42 years, you pick up a lot of regular guests. Even though I haven’t seen them for years, I remember their faces. A lot of them ask me, ‘You’re not going to retire, are you? If you retire, we’re not going to come here.’ So I say, ‘OK, I’ll stay.’”
On bartenders as confidants
“In the old days, your bartender was like your therapist. You could unload all your problems and tell them whatever’s bothering you. It’s my job to help people relax and forget their worries. That’s why I haven’t retired yet. I feel like I can still do that here.”
On the Waikīkī of old
“I think of myself as a connection to the past, a bridge between old Hawai‘i and new Hawai‘i. I tell guests about the early days of the restaurant and the hotel, some of the history of the islands, and try to give them an experience of Hawai‘i they probably won’t get elsewhere. I describe what Waikīkī was like before all these tall buildings started blocking the view. You get a taste of that here: a nice cocktail, the view of Diamond Head, the breeze coming in, Hawaiian music playing. It’s like stepping back in time.”
