Tiki Bars
Dum Dum - York
United Kingdom
Opened in Summer of 2022.
Located inside the premises occupied for 20 years by a fish and chip shop, first known as Mr Chippy and later rebranded as Hook & Line.
Owned by Maria Pavlou and her partners who also own Vudu Lounge and have run it since 2004 in the same building.
The name "Dum Dum" comes from the Moai character in the Night at the Museum movies.
The interior is what they describe as "Tiki Modern" by which they mean sparse and uncluttered without doing the immersive decor that is familiar to those tikiphiles who are used to the old school standards set by Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's. Dum Dum's booths and stools incorporate rattan and earth toned vinyl padded seating. Walls are covered with tropical leaf prints. A couple of walls feature fake foliage and neon lighting with messages like "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Rum, Forest, Rum". Ceilings are lit with swag lamps and the space over the bar is draped with several dozen fake flower leis. There are a few small foot-tall Moai statues on one wall, but no large carvings...and especially with the bar's name, it seems like there should be at least one massive Moai on premises, even if carved of foam or fiberglass. Artwork and decor is lacking, but this stripped-down space is more focused on the club crowd who are there to dance.
That said, they appear to have a thriving cocktail menu with a variety of their own concoctions as well as old standards to choose from... and they do serve drinks in tiki mugs.
Chuck's Steak House - at the Edgewater Hotel
Honolulu, Hawaii, United States (Closed)
This first Chuck’s Steak House was opened in Waikiki at the Edgewater Hotel in 1959, by Chuck Rolles.
As seen in the postcard, they had a bar with a tiki, fish floats, fish nets, and other flotsam and jetsam.
The restaurant became known for its casual atmosphere, self-serve salad bar, and high-quality steaks at reasonable prices. Today, a self-serve salad bar does not seem ground-breaking, but Chuck's was one of the first restaurants to implement this and they introduced it to the mainland.
Since 2007, with the creation of the Waikiki Beach Walk, this entire area has been redeveloped and no signs of the original Chuck's remains.
Over the years, the Chuck's chain expanded across the United States, although many locations have since closed, leaving only a few remaining, including one in Santa Barbara, California.
Ho-Aloha
Fair Lawn, New Jersey, United States (Closed)
Open from 1972-1987.
This Chinese/Polynesian restaurant had fake palms in the parking lot and plastic flowers, masks, straw huts and a miniature outrigger in the dimly lighted dining room. All lit by Orchids of Hawaii swag lamps.
The dinner menu had extensive offerings of exotic Polynesian potables and main dishes, along with several Cantonese specialties, a half‐dozen Mandarin delights and some standard American fare.
Hu Ke Lau - Salem
Salem, New Hampshire, United States (Closed)
The Hu Ke Lau was a tiki bar at 7 Veterans Memorial Parkway in Salem, NH and opened in about 1970, but closed in 1976 due to the owners having to run another location in Chicopee, MA. The building was built in 1967 and was originally home to The Friar & Tuck Pub, from 1967-1970. After the Hu Ke Lau's closure in 1976, it was bought and then turned into the Grand China which was a Chinese Restaurant still having most of the remaining tiki decor. The Grand China closed in 2017 after 41 years in business, was then remodeled, and now is The Lim's Sports Bar & Cafe and also Chaser's Poker Room. It is still owned by the same family who owned the Grand China.
The place was adorned with vintage lamps, bamboo poles and some tikis.
Check out ThatTikiKid's YouTube channel (@ThatTikiKidOfficial) on the "My Vintage Menu Collection!" video at 7:29 out of 12:46 for the whole menu.
This Hu Ke Lau was also one in a small chain of restaurants. Johnny Yee partnered with Frank Chin and Robert Lew to open other locations, including the first in Chicopee, and others in: Lenox, Massachusetts (re-named Luau Hale in the 70s), Longmeadow, Massachusetts, a Rocky Hill, Connecticut location, and a Bridgeport, Connecticut location (which burned down in 1983) also.
Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel
Arue, French Polynesia (Closed)
This property sits on an exceptional 12 hectare estate, located at the top of the Tahara’a Cliffs, and the viewpoint offers a spectacular panoramic view of Matavai Bay, and in the distance; Papeete and even the full view of Moorea.
Built in 1967, opened in 1968, and closed around 1989. It was designed by architect Neal Prince, who designed many hotels internationally. Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel was a subsidiary of Pan Am Airlines.
The Tahara'a was less of a Tahitian hotel and more of a Westerner's dream of what a Tahitian hotel should be. It was over the top in almost every way and was THE Tahitian hotel in the 1970s and 80s until its close in 1989.
In addition to the wonderful hillside, with a wonderful view of the Moorea Bay, the hotel offered the largest guest rooms of any hotel in the South Pacific, at the time. Each guest room was air conditioned, with a dressing room, bathroom and spacious terrace.
It had around 201 rooms and many amenities, including the Captain Cook Restaurant and a coffee house/café decorated with pufferfish, cork floats strung across the ceiling on old sailing rope, and many more tikis and artifacts supplied by the famous (at least to tikiphiles) Oceanic Arts in Whittier, CA.
Neal Prince designed the interiors of the hotel. During this time, no one on the island had the skills or the know-how to carve tikis. Thus, Prince hired Oceanic Arts to produce his sketches. Among many other pieces of décor, the owners, Leroy Schmaltz and Robert Van Oosting, produced the 21-foot tall signature hotel tiki for Prince. When that massive tiki was delivered, the plan was for it to be placed in the lobby of the hotel. However, due to the weight and height of the tiki, it was not able to fit. So, they telephoned Prince and inquired what to do with it. Mr. Prince asked where the tiki was at that moment, and Ed Crissman (another carver who worked for Oceanic Arts at the time) noted that it was currently located in the front of the hotel, to which Prince replied, "Great, then leave it right there!!". And so, it remained… an icon of the hotel for many years until the hotel eventually closed.
There are reports that this giant tiki remains standing today, even though the hotel has been closed and the property has been abandoned for many years.
Some wonder why this property was abandoned and the answers remain murky. The hotel announced in 1983 after a worker's strike that it could no longer afford to stay open. At one point later in its life it was named the Hyatt Regency Tahiti. In 1989 it was purchased for $30 million by the Japanese company, EIE, who planned to renovate it with $8 Million earmarked for that purpose. It does not appear that those renovations ever took place.
It is listed for sale by Sotheby's Real Estate with no set asking price and has been for several years.
*Not to be confused with the current InterContinental Resort & Spa which features a Tiki Bar and is close to the airport. The new InterContinental location is quite luxurious and well-reviewed, but perhaps the newest and most exclusive hotel in Tahiti is just down the way from the abandoned Tahara'a -- Le Tahiti by Pearl Resorts (formerly the Radisson Plaza Resort Tahiti).
Polynesian Cultural Center
Laie, Hawaii, United States
Opened on October 12th, 1963.
The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) is a family-centered cultural tourist attraction and living museum located in Laie, on the northern shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The PCC is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and occupies 42 acres (17 hectares) of land belonging to nearby Brigham Young University–Hawaii (BYU-Hawaii).
The PCC encompasses eight simulated tropical villages, in which performers demonstrate various arts and crafts from throughout Polynesia. Visitors may also take a free shuttle tour of the university and see the LDS Church's Laie Hawaii Temple and its associated visitors' center.
Seventy percent of the PCC's approximately 1,300 employees are students at BYU-Hawaii. Since it has opened, the PCC has provided financial assistance to more than 12,000 BYU-Hawaii students. Students may work up to 20 hours per week during school terms and 40 hours during breaks. As a non-profit organization, PCC's revenue are used for daily operations and to support education.
The PCC is one of the most frequently visited tourist destinations in Hawaii, attracting 700,000 visitors annually. The PCC is the venue for the annual World Fire Knife Dance Competition, in which contestants display their skill with blazing swords. Since it opened its doors in 1963, over 32 million people have visited the center.
*As this is a LDS-run institution, there are no cocktails, nor have there been, historically, on any of their menus. However, interestingly, despite LDS prohibitions agains "Hot Drinks" and caffeinated beverages, these are offered to guests. This prohibition against cocktails has not stopped them from issuing souvenir tiki mugs in the past to tourists, either.
Saigon Blonde
St. Petersburg, Florida, United States
Opened July of 2018.
St. Petersburg local Peri Bandazian transformed the former LUX bar and lounge on Central Avenue into a tropical, immersive destination downtown. Bandazian’s Saigon Blonde is inspired by ’60s-era Vietnam and while it has tiki elements, is not exactly a tiki bar in the strict sense. It is best described as a fusion of 60s pop motifs centered around a quasi fictional background of Vietnam War era Saigon, wherein "The proprietor, a beautiful blonde of Vietnamese and French descent, had created an oasis for locals and soldiers alike."
The narrative look of the new bar features design elements like commissioned artwork and custom fixtures to create “a surreal setting unlike any other in the Tampa Bay area.” The owner partnered with Pinellas Park’s Creative Arts Unlimited, Inc. and St. Pete’s Wax & Hive to bring Saigon Blonde to life, and much of the art, which is a crucial component of the bar, was done by local contemporary realist Jean Michael Fait.
Saigon Blonde has five distinct areas for patrons to enjoy — showcasing symbolism and memorabilia, among other decorative details such as woven bamboo-covered walls and nods to folklore: 1) The outdoor walk-up bar. 2) The front bar with tiki totems and murals, plus an inventive cocktail menu that references the Pacific Rim in flavor and color. 3) Highlighting a sultry feel, the downstairs lounge with hanging lanterns, paintings and plush furniture. 4) Fashioned from an old plane wing, the intimate, dimly lit military bar toward the back. And 5) The VIP-like loft lounge — accessed through a narrow staircase and around a bend to overlook the downstairs lounge and front bar — with more plush furniture and a mural ceiling.
*NOTE: They do have a sub-section of their cocktail menu that specializes in drinks with CBD oil or cannabis aromatics, and these additions can be added to their other cocktails as well. Shown in last photo is their Hemp Day Cocktail with Marijuana leaf sprinkle stencil of aromatics.
Ohana - Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
Opened in January 2020. This space boasts that it is Dublin's only Tiki Bar!
Taken from Third Mind Design, who designed the space, which holds 200 people and is divided into 5 separate sections:
"Ohana Tiki Bar is located on Harcourt Street in Dublin, Ireland. The colour palette is a combination of teal, crystal blue and natural bamboo. Oversized palm leaves and pineapples are printed onto custom wallpaper and cover sections of the walls. The exterior is defined by a block colour of crystal blue, wayfinding strip from steps to entrance. The exterior walls and floor are painted black with bamboo cladding and live bamboo plants to bring a softer element. The entrance into the bar begins with a vortex style transition - characterised by mirror panels and neon-style lighting. The reception hallway uses a volcanic effect wall with a vibrant pink ‘Aloha’ greeting. The key design features of the venue are colour block sections, bamboo cladding and a mixture of contemporary and tiki furniture. Tiki heads and Easter Island style statues adorn the corners of the teal colour block rooms. The cove takes on a Caribbean element and the colour palette changes to a monochromatic tan and black. The walls are bedecked with black skulls and a hanging bamboo feature. The copper port lanterns and premium rum feature cabinets complete this look. The outdoor area features an ‘Ohana’ sign made completely from natural bamboo and decorated with soft green foliage."
The bar boasts over 200 rums, and also has a DJ booth across from the bar, so can go from lounge to nightclub space as needed.
After their initial opening, they had barely found their footing when the Corona Virus hit and they had to close for 2 years, opening once again at the end of February 2022.
Ming Garden
Providence, Rhode Island, United States (Closed)
One of the longest lived Chinese restaurants, the Ming Garden was vital to life in downtown Providence. Open from 1941 to 1986, the restaurant was located at 141-143 Westminster Street, which had entrances on Westminster Street as well as Kennedy Plaza (now #68 Kennedy Plaza). The building was 2 and a half stories tall and dates to the late 19th century.
During the 1950s, the Tows contracted a young architect named Morris Nathanson to modernize the restaurant’s interior. Mr. Nathanson was well known for hospitality design, and his portfolio includes The China Inn in Pawtucket and the Johnson & Wales Culinary Arts Museum among others.
The Ming Garden (building constructed 1903): 3-story brick building with tiled modern entrance (similar entrance on Westminster Street side of building) and large plate-glass windows on upper stories; modern interiors by Morris Nathanson (ground floor) and Ira Rakatansky (upper floor). Though architecturally undistinguished outside, the building is heavily altered.
During the 1950s, Ming Garden touted a "Bamboo Room" sort of Pre-Tiki bar space on its outside signage. Later, this appears to have morphed into a "Polynesian Room" as tiki pop culture developed. Below, are photos showing the 1950's era version during hurricane Carol in 1954, when the waters of Narragansett Bay invaded the streets. Also shown are later shots of the front and rear exterior from the 1970s.
They did serve tropical cocktails in branded mugs -- at least one of which, a branded coconut, shows up from time to time.
The Parrot Shadow Rum Bar & Tiki Cocktails - Lima
San Isidro, Peru
Opened in 2019 by Nando Córdova in San Isidro, Lima, Peru.
San Isidro, towards the west center, is one of 43 districts in Lima, Peru.
Nando is a renowned Peruvian bartender, educator and promoter involved in the beverage, education and entertainment industry for over 20 years, specializing in branding, rum and tropical cocktails. In 2016 he was recognized for his track record as “Best Rum Bartender” by the International Rum Conference in Madrid, considered one of the benchmarks for rum and Tiki cocktails in Latin America.
His passion for rum led him, since 2017, to organize and direct Kontiki Lima Tiki Fest, a festival that brings together bartenders from the region and influential characters dedicated to the education and promotion of Tiki culture, as well as the Lima Rum Festival, a space within KLTF that brings together industry experts and the best rum brands in the local market, in order to promote the consumption and value of sugar cane distillates.
From The Parrot Shadow's Facebook:
"Somos un bar de culto al ron, influenciada por la coctelería Tiki, Tropical y Tradicional caribeña. Rescatamos y mantenemos el legado de sus protagonistas y la historia."
"We are a rum cult bar, influenced by Tiki, Tropical and Traditional Caribbean cocktails. We rescue and maintain the legacy of its protagonists and history."
InterContinental Hotel Samoa at Pago Pago
Pago Pago, American Samoa (Closed)
This resort hotel was dedicated in November 1965. The four-day hotel opening celebrations began with a flag-raising at the Governor's Office on Flag Day, followed by a royal ‘ava ceremony conducted at the Fagatogo malae by Taumafaalofi and Aumaga of Nu'uuli. The parade that followed was the longest in the island's history. Several members of the U.S. Congress attended and the Air Force Band played music. Senator Alan Bible was the featured Flag Day speaker and the Department of the Interior sent its top officials. Governor John A. Burns came from Hawai'I with General Harris of the Air Force and Admiral Fabik of the Coast Guard. Prime Minister Mata'afa headed the Western Samoan delegation.
The hotel originally had 101 completely air-conditioned guestrooms and "thatched" cottages on the Pago Pago Bay, facing the Rainmaker Mountain.
Its interior was designed by architect Neal Prince, who designed many hotels internationally, including Tahara'a InterContinental Hotel which, like this one, was a subsidiary of Pan Am Airlines.
The many hanging shell strand curtains and light fixtures were designed by Neal Prince and manufactured by Oceanic Arts.
Oceanic Arts also supplied coconut mugs with the hotel logo (from Desert Ceramics) and table lamps based on the coconut design (ceramic portion made by Desert Ceramics but assembled by OA).
Interior included a Laumei Lounge and the Rainmaker Restaurant, named for the facing nearby mountain.
The hotel flourished in the late 1960s and 1970s.
In 1980, an air disaster occurred when a US Navy plane hit the cables of the Mt. Alava aerial tramway and crashed into the hotel, killing the six servicemen aboard and two tourists who were staying at the hotel.
Some time later, it was taken over by the government, expanded to 250 rooms, and re-named the Rainmaker Hotel.
The hotel hosted most of the Miss Island Queen Pageant competitions between 1987 and 2001.
In the 1990s, due to hurricane damage, poor management, and accumulated debts, the hotel fell onto hard times. Many of the 250 rooms were slowly “cut down” and in 2004, only 10 rooms were being operated.
In 2014 it was announced that the derelict hotel would be demolished, and this happened the following year, in 2015, after sitting deserted for over a decade.
The Hurricane & Tahitian Bar - New York
New York City, New York, United States (Closed)
The Hurricane was a hot pre-tiki era night club on the northwest corner of 49th & Broadway from about 1940 through 1944. It filled the second floor of the Brill Building, a historic landmark famous for nurturing the popular music industry from the 1950s into the 1970s; anyone who was anyone in the music industry at the time was seen there.
The name, Hurricane, was probably inspired by the 1937 film, starring Dorothy Lamour.
It was decorated with fake palm trees and other tropical flora and fauna.
Most notably, Duke Ellington headlined at the Hurricane in 1943. According to Ellington, it was at the Hurricane that night club audiences first began to be integrated.
The Hurricane was operated by lawyer David J. Wolper, but many speculated that he was actually the front man for the mob and that they actually ran the place.
After many conflicting reports towards the end, about whether the club would stay open or was simply closed for remodeling, the Hurricane did indeed close.
Meanwhile, another successful spot, Zanzibar, whose tropical/African theme welcomed both a black and white audience, was looking for a new spot. They had opened the previous year in a smaller venue and were looking to expand.
The Zanzibar owners paid more than $50,000 and apparently another $35,000 to redecorate the old Hurricane location in gold, beige and black and opened later in 1944 to instant success with headliners like Cab Calloway and other famous musicians who frequently squabbled over who would headline this new premier club spot.