Entry No. 33 — the San Antonio file — filed under: speakeasy
Holy Diver Tiki Lounge
Climb the stairs above the scruffy dive bar Hi-Tones on the St. Mary's Strip and the whole mood flips — an opulently decorated, high-end tiki-meets-speakeasy lounge pouring elaborately garnished tropical drinks that lean as complex as they are sweet.
The story
If you weren't looking for it, you'd walk straight past Hi-Tones on Dewey Place, assuming the venue ends at the sticky floors and cheap beers of the St. Mary's Strip dive below. But find the right stairwell and the room abruptly shifts. Opened in February 2024, Holy Diver Tiki Lounge operates as a tucked-away tiki bar perched directly above one of the strip's classic neighborhood haunts.
The lounge leans into deliberate contrast. Downstairs is raw dive energy; upstairs is a moody, meticulously staged tropical getaway with dark wood, layered tiki trim, and low lighting. Rather than churning out syrupy, neon-tinted slushies, the bar focuses on traditional cocktail builds—pouring complex, elaborately garnished tiki drinks built on layered rums, fresh juices, and spiced syrups.
What it's like
Walk into Hi-Tones, find the stairs, and climb into a space that feels entirely disconnected from the street below. It's an intimate room with limited seating, which means booths fill up fast once the weekend crowd trickles in. Starting downstairs with a cheap beer before slipping upstairs early in the evening—or hitting them on a Wednesday right around opening time—gives you room to settle into the booth and check out the menu without working through a crowd.
The move: Have a cheap beer downstairs at Hi-Tones first for contrast, then head up to Holy Diver and split a couple of the most ornate tiki cocktails on the menu in a room that feels transplanted from a different decade entirely.
- 📍 St. Mary's Strip
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 621 E. Dewey Place, San Antonio, TX 78212 (upstairs, above Hi-Tones)
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Flame & Form Metal Studio — Pair a hands-on evening torching and shaping silver at a metalworking bench with a high-end tiki cocktail right around the corner.
- Scobee Planetarium & Scanlan Observatory — Catch a public stargazing show at San Antonio College before heading over to climb the stairs to Holy Diver's dark tropical sanctuary.
- Pink Shark / The Shark Side — Create a themed night by moving from Holy Diver's upstairs tiki lounge to downtown's secret back-room shark bar.
- Transcend Health Spa — Spend an hour floating in total sensory deprivation, then head down the road to reset your senses in a totally different way under Holy Diver's low lights.
Good to know
Where exactly is Holy Diver located?
It sits upstairs above Hi-Tones at 621 E. Dewey Place, just off the main St. Mary's Strip in San Antonio.
When did Holy Diver open?
The lounge opened its doors upstairs in February 2024.
What kind of drinks are on the menu?
Expect classic and house tiki cocktails served in ornate glassware with elaborate garnishes, focusing on balanced rum profiles and complex botanical flavors rather than overly sweet mixers.
Do I need to go through Hi-Tones to get upstairs?
Yes, access to the upstairs lounge is via the staircase inside the Hi-Tones building.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: sacurrent.com · Instagram · mysanantonio.com · mytiki.life · Axios · Yelp
last checked: 2026-07-20