Tiki Bars
Kel Luau - Marina del Rey
Marina del Rey, California, United States (Closed)
Opened in 1964. This was one of a small franchise chain of fast food tiki restaurants.
They served non-alcoholic tiki bowls and drinks.
There was also a Pasadena location at 325 Rosemead that opened in 1968 and lasted through at least 1970.
And there was a third location in North Hollywood.
The Volcano
Winter Haven, Florida, United States (Closed)
Opened in January of 1968 by Don Lester. Closed in Fall of 1970.
From their postcards:
"A million dollar Polynesian showplace with restaurant and lounge in downtown Winter Haven, Fla. on Highway 17, only 4 miles from Cypress Gardens. See the erupting volcano with authentic lava rock and 30-foot geysers while sitting down to our quick and tasty 95 cent lunch or our popular smorgasboard for only $1.75. Entertainment, dancing, and shows nightly in our lounges. No admission or cover charge. Phone 813-293-3138."
Tiki Volcano - Madrid
Madrid, Spain
Open since April of 2023, Tiki Volcano is located in Northern Madrid.
The couple managing the bar, Miguel (Señor Castaway) and Julia Escobedo, are truly passionate about tiki history.
The bar's light fixtures were salvaged from the very first tiki bar in Madrid, opened in... 1961.
Miguel owned and operated two previous tiki bars in Madrid (The Kona Lei from 2013-2015 and the Tiki Chateau from 2016-2022).
Behind the counter stands a wall of rum and here the focus is on quality classic cocktails.
Many other Spanish tiki bars built during the 1960s and 70s may boast a more ornate tiki decor build-out but have lost their way when it comes to quality tiki cocktails in the Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber tradition. Not Miguel. You can count on quality crafted drinks when you visit his establishment.
Ponche Tiki Bar - at Pearl Restaurant
Annapolis, Maryland, United States
Opened February 27, 2024.
Located above Pearl Restaurant, this bar was constructed with the help of Bamboo Ben. It is located near the Naval Academy.
Little Nickel
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Opened January 29th, 2018.
Little Nickel is a neighborhood restaurant. The cuisine could best be described as "tropical diner"- a splash of coastal flair & spirited twists on mid-century American classics alongside thoughtful & funky cocktails.
The main bar definitely feels like a classic diner counter, but there are other mid-century and tropical nods. Tretchikoff's Green Lady hangs adjacent the bar. Palm leaf wallpaper abounds. The hanging lamps are made of cane/rattan materials. Repeated round brass mirrors have a nautical porthole vibe. Some seating areas are shaded by palapa thatched overhangs. What is missing are actual tiki carvings to truly make this a "Tiki Bar" and, without carvings or more tiki-themed art, the decor hovers ambiguously in the middle of "Diner" or "Fern Bar".
They do not attempt to call themselves a "Tiki Bar", but rather, call themselves a "Tropical Diner". But if you are in the area and looking for good tropical cocktails, this looks like it may be the spot!
The Emerald Lounge
Richmond, Virginia, United States
Opened June of 2023.
Just a few weeks after opening Slurp! ramen bar, its ownership team of Kevin Liu, Mattias Hagglund, Thomas Leggett and Brandon Peck unveiled Emerald Lounge (2416 Jefferson Ave., Unit C1), an elevated tropical cocktail bar to the neighborhood.
“We looked at the concept of island escapism,” Liu says of the concept for Emerald Lounge. The crew, also owners of The Jasper in Carytown, looked at American tiki bars from post-World War II for inspiration, but “we wanted to create our own concept,” Liu said. “It’s less tiki and more Havana.”
Soft green walls provide a backdrop for Emerald Lounge’s retro, upscale tropical vibe. Bits of subdued tropical prints peek out amid hanging planters and sleek gold accents. The centerpiece is the bar, stocked with rum, agave and brandy, with a white marble topping and pendant lights that look like pale pink flowers floating overhead.
As Liu notes, the decor is not fully Tiki -- there are no actual carved tikis. Rather, the space incorporates tiki adjacent imagery like palm wallpaper, hanging lights that would look at home in a tiki bar, and nautical elements like a hammerhead shark floating above one of the seating areas. Some tiki purists might call this a "fern bar" hearkening back to similar decorated bars from the 70s, but Emerald Lounge is its own hybrid tropical space.
All of this notwithstanding, it appears that their drinks program is "on point" and tiki cocktail enthusiasts will not be disappointed in their menu.
Friki Tiki - Newcastle
United Kingdom
Opened on February 23rd, 2024.
Friki Tiki occupies the ground-floor of No28 bar in Nelson Street, at the entrance of the Grainger Market.
Owner Paul Skevington says:
"I am very excited about the project. William Hill used to occupy the ground floor but it has been empty for over 3 years now and it's time to bring it back into use. No28 has a very unique look and feel which has proved to be very popular. We are going to make sure the Tiki bar is just as unique, Our 8ft fibreglass shark is just one of the features that will surprise people when they walk in, that`s not to mention the smoke-breathing tiki totem men and we have been buying all sorts of unique bits and bobs for over 6 months in anticipation of opening."
In addition to more traditional tiki cocktails, they also have slushie machine drinks, mocktails, and a range of food, including Jambalaya.
They are the only tiki bar in Newcastle, and the first one in about 10 years since the Kanaloa chain closed all their locations including the one in Newcastle.
Tiki Star
Peoria, Arizona, United States
Opened March 13th, 2024.
Owned by Mario Rana and located inside the Park West Shopping Center.
This large space has many classic tiki elements, including lauhala matting on the walls, tiki masks, fish floats, and three kinds of tropical wallpaper (a leaf print, a tapa/aloha shirt style print, and a tropical landscape print).
They offer a full cocktail menu and serve a rotating menu filled with Polynesian/Asian offerings.
The Luau Room - at the Royal Nevada Casino
Las Vegas, Nevada, United States (Closed)
Opened February 3rd, 1957, at the Royal Nevada Casino.
Steve Crane's Luau was the model for this establishment that, unfortunately, turned out to be rather short-lived.
The construction of the Royal Nevada began on Dec. 1st, 1953. Designed by Paul Williams, in his 'Hollywood Modern' style, it opened on April 25, 1955.
Key elements of the Royal Nevada's design offerings were its front mounted fountain of curved neon tubing, the crown road sign and roof mounted crown. Photo below shows a lovely model with giant crown at the opening day 'crowning ceremony'.
The Royal Nevada's inside attractions were its 'Dancing Waters' fountain show, its Luau Room, Palm Room and Cabaret Room.
The Luau Room closed around 1958 when the Royal Nevada closed.
In 1959 the whole property became part of the Stardust.
Although remembered by few, this precursor may have prompted the Stardust to open the Aku-Aku in 1960.
The Lucky Tiki - West Hollywood
West Hollywood, California, United States
Opened March of 2024, after having been closed for over 20 years following the demise of its original location in the San Fernando Valley.
Run by Bobby Green and the 1933 group.
Re-imagined as a speakeasy at the Tail O' the Pup in West Hollywood, the 18-foot-long hotdog-shaped building near the corner of Santa Monica and La Cienega boulevards, which was also a Bobby Green project (re-opened in July of 2022).
Besides being the site for Tail O' the Pup, this upstairs locale was The Doors’ recording studio in 1970, and it was their office. They recorded “LA Woman” here. Jim Morrison liked the way the tile echo sounded [in the bathroom]. So he sang all the vocals to “LA Woman” here.
At the top of a staircase, the new Lucky Tiki has many of its old features on display, including a huge tiki by Crazy Al, but also incorporates many new pieces, especially hanging lamps by a variety of artists. Other details include some new Tiki tOny tikis, some green breezeway tiles that feature the Lucky Tiki mascot tiki at center, and custom wallpaper that also serves as the pattern for the staff's button-up Aloha shirts.
There is an outdoor patio with tables and chairs, and lit by several tiki swag lamps, also featuring a huge cartoony PNG mask by Vic Hdz.
The bar has their own food menu with coconut shrimp and crab rangoon and other favorites, but you can also order food from Tail O' The Pup downstairs.