Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge is a 21+ cocktail bar, tapas restaurant, and weekend brunch spot located inside a restored late 1800s lavender church at 537 Dekalb Street in downtown Port Orchard, Washington. Opened in July 2022 by owner Suanne Martin-Smith, it is widely considered one of the most unique bars in Kitsap County and one of the most distinctive dining experiences on the Kitsap Peninsula. The bar holds a 4.6-star rating from over 604 reviews and more than 7,200 Facebook followers.
The Night Suanne Martin-Smith Got Full-Body Shivers
Some businesses are planned carefully on spreadsheets. Others arrive as a feeling that is impossible to ignore.
Suanne Martin-Smith first saw the building one evening, peering through its narrow windows as the stained glass cast a colored cross of light across the floor. “I got full-body shivers,” she recalled. “I said, ‘We’re going to live here.’ It felt like a higher power telling me this was my space.”
The building she was looking at was a historic church perched on the hillside of Port Orchard overlooking the water, a structure that had been sitting underutilized for years, full of architectural character and waiting for someone with the vision to see what it could become. Martin-Smith had that vision. After months of persistence, she connected with the Seattle-based property owner and made it her own, not just as a bar, but as a community gathering place built around a philosophy she describes with characteristic directness.
“My rule is no assholes,” she said with a laugh. “I don’t care what gender you are, how you identify, who you love — just don’t be an asshole. That’s the line.”
Inside the Building: What Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge Looks Like
The historic late 1800s lavender church building has been situated into the hillside by the water in downtown Port Orchard since the 1890s, located on the corner of Dekalb Street and Cline Avenue, impossible to miss.
Inside, the space is maximalist, intimate, and deliberately theatrical. The interior features 10 tables, 2 lounge areas with green velvet couches, and a 3-top bar, a small footprint that creates an atmosphere of genuine closeness rather than the anonymous scale of a large venue. Candlelit reds and velvet greens have replaced the original pews and hymnals, but the sense of sanctuary that the building carries has not been lost. It has simply been redirected.
The restrooms and a small boutique are housed in an area the bar has named Purgatory — a detail that tells you everything you need to know about how seriously Holy Water takes its theme while simultaneously refusing to take itself too seriously. A seasonal courtyard opens during the warmer months, complete with an outdoor firepit and views that take full advantage of the hillside setting above Port Orchard’s waterfront.
What Does Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge Serve?
Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge serves hand-crafted cocktails made with house syrups and carefully selected spirits, a curated wine selection, daily cocktail specials, tapas, and weekend brunch. The cocktail menu changes regularly, with seasonal specials that reflect the Pacific Northwest’s agricultural calendar, fresh watermelon mint gin fizzes in summer, warming spiced drinks in winter.
The brunch menu has developed a particularly strong following, with regulars describing it as the best breakfast experience in Port Orchard. Notable dishes include artichoke dip with warm bread and oil, and the Hangover Homies breakfast plate. Gluten-free options are available. The bar is dog-friendly on the patio and offers happy hour on weekdays.
For guests who want wine guidance, Suanne herself is known to sit with customers and help them navigate the selection, a personal touch that regulars describe as transforming a bar visit into something that feels more like being hosted in someone’s home.
Why Holy Water Is One of Kitsap County’s Most Unique Destinations
Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge is not simply a bar that happens to be in an old building. It is a queer-friendly, women-forward community space where the building’s original spirit of sanctuary has been preserved and reinterpreted for a new audience. In a town that has struggled to retain and attract small, independent hospitality businesses, Holy Water has become one of Port Orchard’s most distinctive destinations.
Reviewers consistently use the same language to describe it: “a needle in a haystack,” “a remarkable find,” “I can’t believe I didn’t know about this place sooner.” For visitors arriving by foot ferry from Bremerton or driving down Bay Street, it is the kind of discovery that changes how people think about Port Orchard as a destination.
For more on what is happening across Port Orchard and Kitsap County’s local business scene, see our features on Russell Neyman’s Woodturning Experience and the growing independent business communities across Bremerton and Silverdale.
Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge Hours and Location
Holy Water A Heavenly Lounge is located at 537 Dekalb Street, Port Orchard, WA 98366, on the corner of Dekalb Street and Cline Avenue in downtown Port Orchard. This is a 21+ only establishment.
Hours:
Thursday and Friday — 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday — 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday — 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Closed Monday through Wednesday.
Phone: (360) 908-5026
Website: holywateraheavenlylounge.com
Reservations available through OpenTable.
Suanne — if you’d like to share more about your story, upcoming events, seasonal menu changes, or anything else Port Orchard locals should know, reach out to us at TheKitsap.com/contact and we’ll update this feature. This space is yours too.
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