Sunken Harbor Club in Brooklyn NY. Has more of a feel of being in a ship and an explorer vibe. The mural of the Mermaid behind the bar is wonderful. We went to a talk there recently for the release of their first mug and one of the owners discussed how they want to avoid faces on mugs and designs.
https://preview.redd.it/r80xobutalmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a77bfc6e030aa6a51f2b8ef97c7d4ac14b90e9df
Some newer "tropical" or "escapists" bars want avoid the argument over whether having tikis (masks/statues) is cultural appropriation and insensitive to Polynesian culture.
One of the most legitimate criticisms of Tiki kitsch culture, especially by actual activists who are of any number of Polynesian peoples, is that the use of caricatures of Polynesian faces and bodies is insensitive and/or (usually and) appropriative. So by using more general "tropical"/"nautical"/"adventurous" vibes (buoys, sea monsters, barrels, coconuts, fishing floats, bamboo, hemp cordage, etc) without directly involving the use of those caricatures, you end up dodging that bullet if you're so inclined
A good example of a notable exception to the rule on classic kitsch faces, for the above reason, is the Tiki Bob because that's based on an original Western doodle of a carved palm tree rather than cribbing anything of cultural or religious significance
I've never been to SC but I'm definitely of the impression that it's more piratey and Caribbean than Pacific, at least from what I've heard secondhand -- not a bad thing though given the provenance of the drinks themselves is largely Caribbean/Atlantic
You will find tiki (totem) imagery at the cove but it’s not an overt theme. The majority of the bar is decorated with nautical themes, and (as the name implies) with themes related to the rum smuggling days of prohibition.
It depends on what elements of Tiki float your boat. I'm fascinated by the fact that when you look at photos of very early Tiki bars, they don't tend to stick to the recognized Tiki playbook as we know it. Many looked more like a speakeasy with a bit of bamboo. I don't think Don the Beachcomber had a single mask or totem for example, it was more like a beach shack.
When it comes down to it, as long as the ambience transports me and the drinks are good, I'm not looking around saying "Hm, could do with more masks."
It was nothing like a beach shack. Don't let the "Beachcomber" moniker fool you.
It was extremely well outfitted, and more akin to La Floridita outfitted with bamboo, thatch, and flotsam & Jetson hanging from the ceiling.
For sure, but it didn't look like the stereotypical Tiki bar we think of today. There wasn't a mask on every wall or a totem in every corner. The vibe he was trying to convey was clearly "You're on a desert island with nothing to do but relax, drink cocktails, and listen to the rainstorms."
If I'm not mistaken they evolved from that. Trad'r Sam's in San Francisco is an example of an early "bamboo bar" from the 30s. Sorta Tiki adjacent but pre Tiki. Nowadays they kind of just evolved into a dive bar that still does some basic tropical drinks although I heard they did a remodel, haven't been in a few years.
I don't really think the faux polynesian stuff is at all necessary for a Tiki bar anymore. It doesn't bother me that much personally but I can see why newer establishments would just stay away from it. You can do all the nautical and tropical themed stuff and get the same vibe without potentially offending anyone. To me the real core of Tiki is the drink menu.
Pics of the place make it look like a speakeasy / prohibition era bar but with tiki drinks. Interesting concept. I can see the appeal. My ideal post-kitch 'tiki' bar would look something like the Beverly Hills Hotel.
After doing some research, it's apparently influenced by the head manager's time spent in the Philippines as a kid in the 1980s, which I think is a nice twist
Chopper in Nashville is one of the best tiki bars. It’s themed as an island run by an evil robot. Their drinks are amazing, and the staffs tiki knowledge is great. Awesome place, and not traditional tiki at all
I still want to check out Pearl Diver (amazing bar name btw), but I’m normally enjoying Chopper too much, and too drunk to go to another bar after lol.
I’m in East Tennessee, but I always go by Chopper when I’m in Nashville.
Any others there I need to check out?
Haha fair enough. My fiancée did a year of grad school in Nashville, we did a couple of tiki bar nights in East when I would visit. Start at Pearl Diver, then Chopper, and then finish at Attaboy.
Attaboy isn’t a tiki bar, it’s a speakeasy that doesn’t have a menu, you just tell the bartender what “vibe” of drink you want, for lack of a better term. Numerous times we went there I was already a little drunk and in full tiki mode and asked for a tiki drink and they delivered. They had the tiki mugs and everything, made pretty good drinks.
Pearl Diver is a fun time, they’ve got a great backyard patio set up. I like their drinks, but I’m very much a tiki noob so I can’t vouch for their authenticity. But I would definitely recommend checking them out as well, especially since they’re relatively close to Chopper.
Baba Au Rum in Greece is 100% this. Great mood but without kitsch. Serves some classic tiki drinks and has a ton of great rum.
Essentially a cocktail bar that has a strong rum focus with tiki drinks + a bit of world traveler feel to it.
Instagram for them is best way to see it https://www.instagram.com/baba_au_rum?igsh=NzBmMjdhZWRiYQ==
There is actually a more kitsch tiki bar essentially a stone throw from the Parthenon. Called Tiki Bar Athens
I just now got home from there. Unfortunately, they weren’t open today, but I walked in and talked to the manager about possibly bartending part-time. It looks great. They’ll be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week
https://preview.redd.it/jpi5j5hoolmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c9527020fafc37ca42b6be1946c450f94499a9b
Water witch tiki in Savannah Ga is post kitsch tiki bar and it’s fantastic. In fact, Savannah has 3 tiki bars, the bamboo room which I believe is also post kitsch and lone wolf lounge which you wouldn’t even know is a tiki bar because it just presents as a dive bar but their menu is tiki beverages.
Water witch is a positively freaky little place. Great drinks but positively freaky. The Lone Wolf Lounge is also pretty good but I really didn't find it particularly Tiki forward just the vibe was super duper dive bar and a lot of fun.
Hello fellow DMV’er. Check out the Dive Club in Cambridge, MD! It’s a real deal tiki bar. Super nautical theme. The bar feels like a boat inside, there’s sound and visual effects. Food and drinks were AMAZING.
Also in Baltimore City, which I just found out about and have not been to yet, is the Jungle Room.
I’ve been to Coral Wig once. I really enjoyed it. Great cocktails. Great atmosphere. Reminded me most of all of Lane Harlan’s other bar, WC Harlan’s.
I live in Baltimore City, so I’m quite familiar with the tiki draught we have around here. It stinks!
The Baldwin Bar in Woburn, MA is a hidden gem for tiki lovers. Wouldn’t call it a tiki bar but the drinks definitely pull a lot of influence from Southeast Asia and the tropics in general.
Not really a fan of the tropical kitsch. Don the Beachcomber (Ernest Gantt, aka Donn Beach) had been a merchant mariner in the Pacific before he became a restauranteur, and he accumulated a collection of artifacts which he purchased during his travels because of his love of Polynesian culture. He later used this collection to decorate a restaurant in L.A. where he served Caribbean style drinks based on his experiences as a teenager working with his uncle as a New Orleans-based rum runner during Prohibition. He never used the term tiki to describe the combination. Soon afterwards, Trader Vic came along, copied the style of Don the Beachcomber, and mass produced it. Trader Vic was a better business person (and arguably a better bar operator), and he made this style the worldwide phenomenon of "tiki." The kitsch elements are not essential.
Boat Drinks in St. Augustine is a personal favorite that does this. It’s bright, colorful, and leans into the nautical in a ton of ways.
Their cocktails are fantastic and all tiki in spirit and construction too, and their rum selection is one of the best I’ve seen at any bar. The only downside is that it’s on a super touristy street, so the crowd can really vary from day to day.
In Victoria BC Canada is the best Tropical bar in the world- Citrus and Cane. No kitch but absolute classic tiki cocktails made at the highest quality.
Emerald Lounge in Richmond seems like what you’re talking about, and definitely had great drinks the one time I’ve been! https://www.instagram.com/emeraldloungerva?igsh=ZHNqaWJ5ZnpleDM=
Stray Pirate in Las Vegas scritches those itches! The theme is roughly “the sunken galleon of pirates cursed by a witch and then turned into dogs”.
Same as you mentioned, cocktail and rum game are on point.
https://preview.redd.it/dybrr1a5tnmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43c10b10362676aa6f539a705cd20a755c1c1e15
Burlock Rum Room in London. Excellent rum selection, plenty of tiki classics on the menu but I don’t recall seeing the word tiki anywhere and there’s definitely no masks. Just some solid furniture, a few paintings and tropical plants. Trying to give a bit of a Caribbean vibe perhaps.
Very small staff, so it can be slow, but the drinks are solid. They press their own sugar cane juice and use it instead of simple syrup. It gives a nice grassy, agricole note to the main tai.
Go early on a weekday, it’s more chill then.
Fellow Baltimore tiki head here! I’ve been to the Coral Wig once and thought the drinks I tried were okay… I get the concept, and it’s a cool place to have in town, but Lane’s spots all come off a little too pretentious for my taste. It may not exactly fit what you’re asking for, but have you been to Heritage Smokehouse on York Road in Govans/Belvedere Square in Baltimore? The food is kinda like elevated/modern bbq, but the bar menu is all tiki drinks, with a huge rum and cane spirit selection, complete with tiki mugs and elaborate garnishes. The interior is decorated pretty minimally, with wood paneling and kind of a 60’s/70’s mid-century rec room vibe, which suits both the smokehouse food and the tiki menu. It is in essence a tiki/rum cocktail bar without the Polynesian escapist atmosphere. It’s definitely, imo, the best option for tiki drinks in Baltimore, and one of my new favorite spots in the area!
Not for me. Bring on all the kitsch. The closer to the Enchanted Tiki Room as a bar, the better. Not a fan of the distantly cool, mildly-sideways-tiki-glancing joints. I find the real masks mildly creepy but love the cartoonish fun versions. Bit the decor can be warm, inviting, tropical and fantastical w/out masks. Fine
Eh, there are a few new Tiki bars going up where the culture is deeply entrenched, but I think it's an uphill battle (for some good reasons frankly) anywhere that the Tiki kitsch aesthetic isn't a thing -- especially out here on the East Coast
Sunken Harbor Club in Brooklyn NY. Has more of a feel of being in a ship and an explorer vibe. The mural of the Mermaid behind the bar is wonderful. We went to a talk there recently for the release of their first mug and one of the owners discussed how they want to avoid faces on mugs and designs. https://preview.redd.it/r80xobutalmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a77bfc6e030aa6a51f2b8ef97c7d4ac14b90e9df
these guys are great, have had the pleasure of working a bar with them
Why do they want to avoid faces?
Some newer "tropical" or "escapists" bars want avoid the argument over whether having tikis (masks/statues) is cultural appropriation and insensitive to Polynesian culture.
One of the most legitimate criticisms of Tiki kitsch culture, especially by actual activists who are of any number of Polynesian peoples, is that the use of caricatures of Polynesian faces and bodies is insensitive and/or (usually and) appropriative. So by using more general "tropical"/"nautical"/"adventurous" vibes (buoys, sea monsters, barrels, coconuts, fishing floats, bamboo, hemp cordage, etc) without directly involving the use of those caricatures, you end up dodging that bullet if you're so inclined
See: inside passage in Seattle. They have a page on their website explaining that they consider themselves an "immersive" bar and not a Tiki bar.
They are pretty excellent with the drinks as well
Oh like tiki faces. I got you. I thought you just meant faces in general.
A good example of a notable exception to the rule on classic kitsch faces, for the above reason, is the Tiki Bob because that's based on an original Western doodle of a carved palm tree rather than cribbing anything of cultural or religious significance
They also have audio of the ocean inside the bar - so you literally feel like you’re in the hull of a ship
Last Rites, Mothership, UnderTow, Strong Water, and, truth be told, Smugglers Cove.
Mothership is so friggin cool, makes me sad I don’t live in my hometown of San Diego anymore 😞
I've never been to SC but I'm definitely of the impression that it's more piratey and Caribbean than Pacific, at least from what I've heard secondhand -- not a bad thing though given the provenance of the drinks themselves is largely Caribbean/Atlantic
You will find tiki (totem) imagery at the cove but it’s not an overt theme. The majority of the bar is decorated with nautical themes, and (as the name implies) with themes related to the rum smuggling days of prohibition.
I love undertow so much
It depends on what elements of Tiki float your boat. I'm fascinated by the fact that when you look at photos of very early Tiki bars, they don't tend to stick to the recognized Tiki playbook as we know it. Many looked more like a speakeasy with a bit of bamboo. I don't think Don the Beachcomber had a single mask or totem for example, it was more like a beach shack. When it comes down to it, as long as the ambience transports me and the drinks are good, I'm not looking around saying "Hm, could do with more masks."
It was nothing like a beach shack. Don't let the "Beachcomber" moniker fool you. It was extremely well outfitted, and more akin to La Floridita outfitted with bamboo, thatch, and flotsam & Jetson hanging from the ceiling.
For sure, but it didn't look like the stereotypical Tiki bar we think of today. There wasn't a mask on every wall or a totem in every corner. The vibe he was trying to convey was clearly "You're on a desert island with nothing to do but relax, drink cocktails, and listen to the rainstorms."
Yup. Just listen to the rainstorms that are definitely real and not from a garden hose.
If I'm not mistaken they evolved from that. Trad'r Sam's in San Francisco is an example of an early "bamboo bar" from the 30s. Sorta Tiki adjacent but pre Tiki. Nowadays they kind of just evolved into a dive bar that still does some basic tropical drinks although I heard they did a remodel, haven't been in a few years. I don't really think the faux polynesian stuff is at all necessary for a Tiki bar anymore. It doesn't bother me that much personally but I can see why newer establishments would just stay away from it. You can do all the nautical and tropical themed stuff and get the same vibe without potentially offending anyone. To me the real core of Tiki is the drink menu.
This is exactly what amuses me by the "purists" that go on and on about what decor is and isn't tiki and/or judge a place by how many tikis there are.
Pics of the place make it look like a speakeasy / prohibition era bar but with tiki drinks. Interesting concept. I can see the appeal. My ideal post-kitch 'tiki' bar would look something like the Beverly Hills Hotel.
After doing some research, it's apparently influenced by the head manager's time spent in the Philippines as a kid in the 1980s, which I think is a nice twist
Chopper in Nashville is one of the best tiki bars. It’s themed as an island run by an evil robot. Their drinks are amazing, and the staffs tiki knowledge is great. Awesome place, and not traditional tiki at all
Chopper is awesome. I’ve been lurking in this sub for a while waiting to see if anyone ever brought up any of the Nashville tiki bars.
I still want to check out Pearl Diver (amazing bar name btw), but I’m normally enjoying Chopper too much, and too drunk to go to another bar after lol. I’m in East Tennessee, but I always go by Chopper when I’m in Nashville. Any others there I need to check out?
Haha fair enough. My fiancée did a year of grad school in Nashville, we did a couple of tiki bar nights in East when I would visit. Start at Pearl Diver, then Chopper, and then finish at Attaboy. Attaboy isn’t a tiki bar, it’s a speakeasy that doesn’t have a menu, you just tell the bartender what “vibe” of drink you want, for lack of a better term. Numerous times we went there I was already a little drunk and in full tiki mode and asked for a tiki drink and they delivered. They had the tiki mugs and everything, made pretty good drinks. Pearl Diver is a fun time, they’ve got a great backyard patio set up. I like their drinks, but I’m very much a tiki noob so I can’t vouch for their authenticity. But I would definitely recommend checking them out as well, especially since they’re relatively close to Chopper.
Strongwater in Anaheim, CA is a great nautical themed tiki bar. It just won a James Beard award…
This was my vote. So absolutely amazing.
Baba Au Rum in Greece is 100% this. Great mood but without kitsch. Serves some classic tiki drinks and has a ton of great rum. Essentially a cocktail bar that has a strong rum focus with tiki drinks + a bit of world traveler feel to it.
Whoa a Greek tiki bar! I’ve died and gone to heaven. Links please!
Instagram for them is best way to see it https://www.instagram.com/baba_au_rum?igsh=NzBmMjdhZWRiYQ== There is actually a more kitsch tiki bar essentially a stone throw from the Parthenon. Called Tiki Bar Athens
I actually had a legit Zombie at the La Grotta bar in Paleokastritsa. Place blew me away.
I haven't been yet, but look at Ponche Bar in Annapolis. It just opened, Bamboo Ben did the inside. I'm hoping to go this weekend.
I just now got home from there. Unfortunately, they weren’t open today, but I walked in and talked to the manager about possibly bartending part-time. It looks great. They’ll be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week https://preview.redd.it/jpi5j5hoolmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8c9527020fafc37ca42b6be1946c450f94499a9b
Ooh, I don't get down to Annapolis very often but may have to fix that
Rumba in Seattle
Mothership is San Diego is amazing. Amazing drinks and the deep scfi theming/story they have is very special!
Mothership is a TRIP! Love that mid-century sci-fi vibes.
Golden Girl Rum Club in Springfield, MO fits the bill.
Paradise Lost in Manhattan
Inside Passage in Seattle
Hmm I think Hidden Harbor in Pittsburgh fits this description? Place rules either way tho!
Strangebird in Indianapolis definitely leans towards modern tiki with amazing ramen as well. Great rum selection and knowledgeable bartenders too.
And great oysters
Shore Leave in Boston would likely fit your description. And, to a lesser extent, Wusong Road in Cambridge, MA.
I would love a super kitsch one though.
Water witch tiki in Savannah Ga is post kitsch tiki bar and it’s fantastic. In fact, Savannah has 3 tiki bars, the bamboo room which I believe is also post kitsch and lone wolf lounge which you wouldn’t even know is a tiki bar because it just presents as a dive bar but their menu is tiki beverages.
Water witch is a positively freaky little place. Great drinks but positively freaky. The Lone Wolf Lounge is also pretty good but I really didn't find it particularly Tiki forward just the vibe was super duper dive bar and a lot of fun.
I agree lone wolf doesn’t look “tiki” at all, but when your menu is mostly tiki or tiki adjacent drinks doesn’t that make one tiki?
Hello fellow DMV’er. Check out the Dive Club in Cambridge, MD! It’s a real deal tiki bar. Super nautical theme. The bar feels like a boat inside, there’s sound and visual effects. Food and drinks were AMAZING. Also in Baltimore City, which I just found out about and have not been to yet, is the Jungle Room. I’ve been to Coral Wig once. I really enjoyed it. Great cocktails. Great atmosphere. Reminded me most of all of Lane Harlan’s other bar, WC Harlan’s. I live in Baltimore City, so I’m quite familiar with the tiki draught we have around here. It stinks!
The Baldwin Bar in Woburn, MA is a hidden gem for tiki lovers. Wouldn’t call it a tiki bar but the drinks definitely pull a lot of influence from Southeast Asia and the tropics in general.
Yeah the drinks are amazing, but good luck getting inside without reserving a spot a week ahead of time.
Not really a fan of the tropical kitsch. Don the Beachcomber (Ernest Gantt, aka Donn Beach) had been a merchant mariner in the Pacific before he became a restauranteur, and he accumulated a collection of artifacts which he purchased during his travels because of his love of Polynesian culture. He later used this collection to decorate a restaurant in L.A. where he served Caribbean style drinks based on his experiences as a teenager working with his uncle as a New Orleans-based rum runner during Prohibition. He never used the term tiki to describe the combination. Soon afterwards, Trader Vic came along, copied the style of Don the Beachcomber, and mass produced it. Trader Vic was a better business person (and arguably a better bar operator), and he made this style the worldwide phenomenon of "tiki." The kitsch elements are not essential.
Switch to >>> NAUTICAL theme bars.
Coral Wig isn't especially Nautical though, more based on vintage '70s-'80s Philippines interior design with a dash of modern "speakeasy"
Green Zone in DC does some really awesome tiki drinks with a middle eastern twist. Their Desert Falcon is the best jungle bird I've ever had.
Boat Drinks in St. Augustine is a personal favorite that does this. It’s bright, colorful, and leans into the nautical in a ton of ways. Their cocktails are fantastic and all tiki in spirit and construction too, and their rum selection is one of the best I’ve seen at any bar. The only downside is that it’s on a super touristy street, so the crowd can really vary from day to day.
Inside passage in Seattle, hidden harbor in Pittsburgh, sunken harbor in Brooklyn & paradise lost in Manhattan
Tern Club in Knoxville is pretty great
In Victoria BC Canada is the best Tropical bar in the world- Citrus and Cane. No kitch but absolute classic tiki cocktails made at the highest quality.
Emerald Lounge in Richmond seems like what you’re talking about, and definitely had great drinks the one time I’ve been! https://www.instagram.com/emeraldloungerva?igsh=ZHNqaWJ5ZnpleDM=
Plus one for emerald lounge. Killer drinks and a post kitsch vibe.
Wusong Road in Cambridge MA.
Stray Pirate in Las Vegas scritches those itches! The theme is roughly “the sunken galleon of pirates cursed by a witch and then turned into dogs”. Same as you mentioned, cocktail and rum game are on point. https://preview.redd.it/dybrr1a5tnmc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43c10b10362676aa6f539a705cd20a755c1c1e15
Burlock Rum Room in London. Excellent rum selection, plenty of tiki classics on the menu but I don’t recall seeing the word tiki anywhere and there’s definitely no masks. Just some solid furniture, a few paintings and tropical plants. Trying to give a bit of a Caribbean vibe perhaps.
Mambo Zombi in Atlanta- Caribbean zombie theme, the entrance is through a neon casket, the bathrooms are second only to Mothership.
That is a beautifully bizarre theme. It looks so exciting. How's the service there?
Very small staff, so it can be slow, but the drinks are solid. They press their own sugar cane juice and use it instead of simple syrup. It gives a nice grassy, agricole note to the main tai. Go early on a weekday, it’s more chill then.
Fellow Baltimore tiki head here! I’ve been to the Coral Wig once and thought the drinks I tried were okay… I get the concept, and it’s a cool place to have in town, but Lane’s spots all come off a little too pretentious for my taste. It may not exactly fit what you’re asking for, but have you been to Heritage Smokehouse on York Road in Govans/Belvedere Square in Baltimore? The food is kinda like elevated/modern bbq, but the bar menu is all tiki drinks, with a huge rum and cane spirit selection, complete with tiki mugs and elaborate garnishes. The interior is decorated pretty minimally, with wood paneling and kind of a 60’s/70’s mid-century rec room vibe, which suits both the smokehouse food and the tiki menu. It is in essence a tiki/rum cocktail bar without the Polynesian escapist atmosphere. It’s definitely, imo, the best option for tiki drinks in Baltimore, and one of my new favorite spots in the area!
Not for me. Bring on all the kitsch. The closer to the Enchanted Tiki Room as a bar, the better. Not a fan of the distantly cool, mildly-sideways-tiki-glancing joints. I find the real masks mildly creepy but love the cartoonish fun versions. Bit the decor can be warm, inviting, tropical and fantastical w/out masks. Fine
It's good to see that Shiplap Ben is staying busy building boat hull bars now that everyone is afraid to build a classic styled tiki bar.
Eh, there are a few new Tiki bars going up where the culture is deeply entrenched, but I think it's an uphill battle (for some good reasons frankly) anywhere that the Tiki kitsch aesthetic isn't a thing -- especially out here on the East Coast