Hana

This is the cutest little Tiki bar in the heart of the city, with a super cool tropical theme and quirky atmosphere. The decor is tropical kitsch with cool neon signs and comfy seating which encourages you to stay a while.

With a great themed cocktail list and delicious morsels to be eaten, the crew here have nailed the tiki vibe. Staff are super friendly and service is great. Music is played at just the right level so you can still have conversation, and even though it gets crowded at times, there is still a chilled vibe in the air.

Was walking pass little Collins street when I discovered this little gem. It’s based on Hawaiian theme, loud music, colourful ambience and breezy tropical cocktail list with lots of sea food and poke bowls on the menu.

Really enjoyed our visit.
Firstly, the service was sensational. The gentleman serving us was a great communicator, attentive, friendly and helpful.
The food was perfect for a bite with drinks. A little steep given the portion, but it was of good quality at least.
The house made mixed drinks were just delightful. A perfect after work fix.
Well done team!

This place is so cool and it's definelty pretty tropical. This was all about Hawaii! Something different and unique in Melbourne. Just a simply menu done well with some exciting cocktails all in fancy glasses. A great vibe and a lovely night

We were invited to Hana last night which has undergone a bit of a change since my original visit a year ago. It’s shied away from more main style food and now offers purely bite sized dishes. I started with a hana colada, while I prefer sweet cocktails I would consider this one to be excessively so and I really couldn’t drink it until the ice had melted a bit.

The food however was quite impressive. I started with a beef brisket bao which had a bit of a kick to it and a betel leaf poke with coconut and lime. After the spicy bao I had expected a chilli hit from the poke given I was told it was cured with tigers milk but it was surprisingly heat free. It had a lovely flavour regardless but then came the crispy prawns which were my favourite of all. I really enjoyed the marinade here and the crunchy feather light batter.

I loved this dish so much I ordered a second round! Unfortunately the batter was a lot thicker the second time and therefore wasn’t an spectacular as for the original serving. It was also plated slightly differently so I wonder if it was made by another chef perhaps. We then moved on to the Maui sushi which was pretty on the plate and quite yummy. I think Hana really nails those Hawaiian flavours and the vibe is super fun and modern.

We finished with desserts the coconut lime cheesecake and deep fried donuts with chocolate sauce. I loved the zingy flavours of the perfectly creamy cheesecake. I literally almost devoured the entire thing in a matter of minutes. The donuts were interesting too at first I thought they were uncooked in the middle but then I realised they had sort of a blueberry filling that wasn’t called out on the menu.

Both desserts were well done and the price point of all dishes is ideal for all consumers, as they are small you don’t have to commit to a full heavy meal and can try as much variety as you like. I originally wasn’t sure you could make a dinner from the limited menu but you certainly can. And while the menu may be small each dish we tried was well worth ordering so it goes to show short and sweet can be better than a plethora of options that aren’t exceptional

Original review
I chose Hana for dinner last night pre the comedy festival on account of it being a 2 minute walk from the show. The venue itself is visually impressive, very modern with an electric atmosphere worthy of its neon signage. The cocktails were also a sight to behold with mine being served in a sharks open jaws which is a quirky homage to the restaurants Hawaiian cuisine.

The food itself was certainly on the pricy side and not overly filling but the flavours was absolutely delicious and the overall experience stellar. Definitely an Instagram worthy space.
We started with the poke with tapioca crisps, all of the food is designed to share so apologies to the one in our group that didn’t like seafood as the menu has a strong fishy focus.

The salmon was beautifully marinated and got me excited for the second dish the yellowfin tuna with macadamia, avocado and cucumber. This was equally delicious. My fellow diners wanted to order sides of charred snow peas and fried rice which didn’t particularly float my boat but I must say I was pleasantly surprised and rather wowed by the flavoursome fried rice.

Next up the main event the slow cooked brisket with carrot purée. Tender, succulent meat and silky smooth purée. Outstanding. And it would bloody want to be for $46. Overall I was thoroughly satisfied with my experience, but I’m not too sure I would have been so happy had I not had an extremely substantial lunch

Great vibe and tasty cocktails. The Hawaiian beers are also on point. The decor is suitably seedy and dates well given its kinda meant to be like that. Perfect place for a quick bite or longer evening session. You really could be on the Big Island!

Great little Hawaiian vibe. Just what you need on a cold Melbourne winter's night. Cute little drinks. The colada was really good. The only downside is that even on a Friday night it's really empty. Probably needs a bit more marketing. Would definitely recommend for a chill night.

Trendy venue, excellent cocktails, food is served in small but pretty serves.