Pau Hana Patrol: Hyatt Regency poolside bar offers tasty respite

The chef's happy hour chip and dip special is paired with a mai tai and served poolside at Swim bar and grill at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Waikiki. —Jamm Aquino / jaquino@staradvertiser.com

I’m loving the look of the refurbished poolside bar, Swim. The room is bright with natural light and an open view toward Waikiki Beach and the bar’s afternoon performers, and the pool.

On the Thursday afternoon when we visited, Tahiti Rey and Jason Alan were holding it down. These two have fine voices and play a mix of covers (Elton John, Jason Mraz and the like), and local favorites, along with originals. They’re at Swim from 5 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays in February.

The color scheme is extremely refreshing, with cushions and a back bar in turquoise, woven chairs and walls in seashell-compatible shades of taupe, and wood accents. There’s TV, but it doesn’t dominate, and a choice of seating — couches, high tables and straight-backed chairs, and low granite cafe tables with slouchy wicker-look chairs — provides a sense of calibrated comfort. I found it a pleasant and casually cool place to hang out.

With my girlfriend, I lazily watched a couple of people drift across the pool under sunny skies, sipping wine while the sun lowered. The atmosphere was outdoorsy and open, and the staff was friendly and solicitous; there was no reason to hurry.

Our server, a sharp and knowledgeable staffer with 20-plus years of experience (I asked), made it all look easy, providing suggestions and answering questions whenever needed. She was a big reason my visit was so pleasant, and that’s one of the perks at a legacy location like the Hyatt. You expect class and a seamless experience, and you get it, along with classy food and entertainment.

THE FOOD at Swim has Latin influences, seen across the board, even with the pizza, billed as Adobo Flat Bread and subtitled “Signature Surfboard Latin Pizza” ($14). It’s served on an oval wooden plank, with chicken breast, chorizo sausage, grilled onion and subtly cumin-spiced cheese. It’s good — substantial, a bit tangy, certainly better than the average offering in Waikiki bars.

My fave food was the Cuban Sandwich ($12), a nicely done combo that shows what the Hyatt kitchen can do. The sandwich itself is crisp and light, with ham, turkey and a thin-sliced pickle. It’s pressed to give it crunch, but not dosed with too much oil.

The garnishes made this a cut above, too: long, crisp slices of plantain and a citrusy sauce for dipping (secret ingredient, orange juice).

But wait, my fave dish might be the Grilled Fish Tacos, made with island-caught fish, flour tortillas and a delish mango salsa. It was mahi on our visit, done right — and don’t underestimate that. I rarely order mahi because it’s so often either previously frozen or cooked to dryness. These tacos were “luscious” — that’s the note I made at the time — served with a creamy dressing and cabbage.

I couldn’t try everything on the menu, but I found the prices competitive and the food better than many competitors that rely on outdoor seating and the Waikiki views to bring in a cocktail crowd.

A Cuban sandwich is paired with a mai tai. —Jamm Aquino / jaquino@staradvertiser.com

During happy hour, decent wine by the glass is $5. A Mai Tai is $6 (cocktails off the regular menu are $9).

Swim also offers a Turkey Burger and a Natural-Beef Burger with cheese and fries for $14, and a variety of saladas, including Fruit Salad ($9) and Ancho Steak Salad ($16). The plantain chips are also offered a la carte with Papaya salsa ($7). Tortilla chips and hand-blended guacamole is $9.

Menu items I definitely want to try include Shrimp Gazpacho with a tomato-horseradish sauce and avocado garnish ($12) and Kalua Pork Empanadas with garlic and chipotle dipping sauce ($10). With the light hand the kitchen displayed on my mahi and Cuban Sandwich, I would have good expectations for these, as well.

The only hitch of the visit was that the sole discounted happy hour item, Taro Chips with Tomato Relish and Salsa ($3) was not available.

With the great service, good grinds and bright surroundings, I found Swim to be well worth my time and money.

—Elizabeth Kieszkowski / ekieszkowski@staradvertiser.com