The Federal Hotel opened August 31, 1957 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Kontiki appears to have been an original restaurant that opened on or around the same time.

When it was built, The Federal Hotel was the tallest and most impressive building in the area, constructed to accommodate international guests for the Independence Day celebrations.

Initially a 9 story building with 90 guest rooms, it was later adapted to become a 21 story building with 450 rooms and a revolving restaurant at the top.

Kontiki is located on the mezzanine floor. The mezzanine section appears to have a traditional Malay style multiple pitched roof -- so the exterior does stand apart with its design aesthetic. However, it is NOT the hotel's currently showcased fine dining restaurant.

Rather, after its extensive remodeling (circa 2014?), the Kontiki is an impressive buffet style restaurant with huge selections of BBQ, seafood, desserts, and more.

The huge open-design dining area has some rattan furniture, but little else that calls to mind Polynesian decor or design. However, the exterior entrance is flanked by two large tikis and within the threshold are an additional 5 tiki pillars that have been painted a bright and cheerful yellow.

They do not appear to have a bar or cocktail menu, even though at one time the earlier version of the Kontiki issued swizzle sticks and probably did serve cocktails.

Today the hotel has an Irish Pub, and various other restaurants to cater to different interests. So, the Kontiki does not try to be all-inclusive or compete with the revolving restaurant's amazing views. It does seem to excel at being a buffet restaurant, however.

Soft opening was on February 7th, 2026.

Official general opening was February 11th, 2026.

Owned by Jamie McBride.

This tiki bar is a labor of love, named after the 1958 song by Andy Williams. The lyrics go "It's a made of sticks, Sticks and bricks, But you can get your kicks, In the house of bamboo." However, this build-out took far more than just sticks and bricks. They couldn’t start until after city and county approvals, removing the concrete floor to run gas, water, electrical, drains, framing of walls, HVAC, wiring for sound and special effects, pouring a new concrete floor, purchasing new bar and kitchen equipment and more. Because they added on to the back of the building, they were required to install a fire sprinkler system.

Many hands have had a part in its development, including Ron Ferrell who came onto the project early-on to give guidance, Darrell Clark the bar manager, Notch Gonzalez who led the final build-out, and Kirby Fleming who added many signature touches like tiki sconces and table lamps.

The final result is a bar that is over-the-top in all the best ways possible and that also honors history -- especially the Old Trade Winds bar in Oxnard that ran during the 60s and was operated by Martin "Bud" Smith. Lots of details and a few original pieces came straight from this early precursor.

The building itself was a perfect choice with its iconic mid-century zig zag roof (often termed a "folded plate" or "accordion" roof). Colored fish float lamps accentuate this roofline and large Marquesan Tikis by the legendary Tiki Diablo (passed away in 2026) flank the front entrance. Black lava rock trims the front entrance and wraps around the base of the building.

Beyond the exterior and the front entrance is like entering another realm entirely...

For those who have seen Notch's other finished bars (like The Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach, Smuggler's Cove in San Francisco, or Max's South Seas in Grand Rapids) they will recognize and appreciate the detail of his craftsmanship which executes the concept of classic tiki bar design perfectly. The interior has more lauhala matting and thatching than you can shake a stick at, along with routered and carved trims and panels to complete tha "native hut" look. In the seating area, more carved tikis guard each of the booths which also have Chinese jade tile screen dividers. And, the bar itself is lit by old fashioned Orchids of Hawaii style shell swag lamps and stocked with a plethora of rums.

But this is only the beginning. Animatronic bamboo spikes with impaled skulls menace customers and immersive sound effects lend an air of danger and mystery -- making patrons feel like they have entered an Indiana Jones adventure, rather than just stopping to get a quick drink...

And, if you are in the area for the day and want to check out all the tiki sights, two blocks away is 999 Tiki Bar. House of Bamboo had setbacks during the construction phase (see the city and county approvals listed above) and even though Jamie McBride's project was started much earlier, 999 Tiki Bar was a relatively easier build-out and seized the title of "Camarillo's First Tiki Bar". There seems to be room for both concepts as 999 Tiki Bar caters to a family crowd looking for quick drinks and pizza and House of Bamboo is a much larger traditional tiki bar aiming for an adult audience who is looking for a more immersive experience. What is clear is that Camarillo has become, very quickly, a major tiki destination!

Drawing its name from the original 1960's Tiki Tiki in Edmonton, this establishment opened on June 4th, 2023.

Owner Lonny Seguin was inspired to bring back Tiki to Edmonton after experiencing Tiki spots throughout Las Vegas and San Diego.

Both Tiki Tiki on Whyte and the Honi Honi Tiki Bar in Edmonton sport vintage carved panels from the original Edmonton Beachcomber, salvaged by appreciative collectors, and then re-sold to the New Wave bars.

This small bar has a menu of gastropub island-inspired fare using fresh local ingredients and serves tropical cocktails in tiki mugs.

Tiki Mug Shop in Buenos Aires-Caballito.

From Honolulu Tiki Mugs:

"Honolulu Tiki Mugs was born in 2016 out of our love of Polynesian pop culture. We are creators of Tiki Mugs, designed by Juan Cives, the creative mind behind our brand. Our designs are ideal for enjoying your favorite cocktails."

Opened @ January 2022.

Tiki Jungle is about 6 hours away from Berlin, Germany. This bar is located in the former German city of Danzig (now Gdańsk, Poland) on the coast of the Baltic Sea.

They also do music events at the Tiki Jungle, but you should check before your visit.

This is the third in a series of Tiki Hideaways (the first opened in Leeds and the second opened in Liverpool at a sister Mean-Eyed Cat). It is part of the Escapism Bar Group family, which was founded in 2004 by husband and wife team Phil and Mel Harrison.

This space was previously home to a Thai BBQ restaurant that closed in October 2022.

This third Tiki Hideaway opened September 28th, 2023 in the basement under The Mean-Eyed Cat, and resembles the other two versions with a long bamboo bar, thatching, lit tiki mask wall sconces, palm frond wallpaper, and stools around the perimeter.

There is also a photo booth.

This small seasonal beach bar has been running a tiki theme since 2018.

They do not serve food, but they do have a volleyball net.

They also serve tiki drinks in tiki mugs.

This location was functioning circa 70s - late 80s.

The interior of the restaurant was decorated with lots of decorations including Orchids of Hawaii lamps and masks.

By 1990 this location was closed and had become a Korean Restaurant named Sang Rok Su, which purportedly kept the Polynesian decor.

Today, as of 2023, any sign of Polynesian decor is gone and the location is home to The Celtic House Irish Pub.

In March of 2023, Tiki Hideaway opened this second location at 71a Seel Street, Liverpool, L1 4AZ. This new location is dubbed a "lair", hidden within the existing Mean-Eyed Cat Bar, though with its own exterior and entrance.

The first location is in Leeds.

"Na Plyazhe" translates to "On The Beach".

This is a busy nightclub and tiki bar.

They have rope swings in front of the main bar, but also tables and outside seating.

While they look to have a dearth of tropical materials, they have adapted with rough-hewn poles and arrangements to mimic bamboo and thatch.

The bar features at least one large Tongan style standing tiki. The menu features several classic tiki cocktails and they serve them in tiki mugs.

This was a speakeasy bar that had front access through an old video store.

It opened in October 22nd, 2016 as a Quentin Tarantino inspired bar. It was originally named Video Archive, taking its name from the video store where grindhouse auteur Tarantino famously got his education in all things film.

However, as of July 10th, 2020, with encouragement from their patrons, they decided to change their name and re-brand themselves as a tiki bar.

The change was not a "from scratch" new build-out. The space still looks much the same but with the addition of some added tropical/tiki decorations.

However, their menu is now full tiki.

Tiki style since 2002.

Tiki style coffee shop and bar. Ice cream from Neumanns next door.