Tiki Bars
Clifton's Pacific Seas (Modern) - on Broadway - Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, United States
Pacific Seas is a bar inside of the Clifton's complex in downtown Los Angeles. It opened November 12th, 2016, and pays tribute to the original Clifton's Pacific Seas, which was located a few blocks away on Olive Street and operated from 1939-1960. This Clifton's location on Broadway opened in 1935 and remained in operation until it closed for extensive remodeling (2011-2015) by new owner Andrew Meieran.
In addition to the nod to Clifton's own Polynesian Pop history, Pacific Seas incorporates elements from the later heyday of 1960s tiki, thanks in particular to decor purchased from Bahooka after it closed in early 2013. Pacific Seas was built by Bamboo Ben, grandson of the famous early Tiki decorator and builder Eli Hedley.
Reservations are recommended, and there is a dress code (basically: don't wear shorts and a t-shirt, put a little effort in and you'll be fine, wear some nice vintage aloha and you're golden).
The venue was open sporadically and for special events since closing in 2018 and again in 2020 during COVID.
In September 2022, Los Angeles real estate investment firm Robhana Group acquired Andrew Meieran’s Clifton’s Cafeteria, aka Clifton’s Republic for $8.6 million. It was said Clifton’s signed a long-term lease with the new owner so that the nightclub, including Pacific Seas, would remain open.
However, since then, the Pacific Seas remained closed until the end of August 2024 when it finally opened once again.
Royal Hawaiian Apartments
Huntington Beach, California, United States
The Royal Hawaiian Apartments were built in 1964. The apartment complex encircles a central kidney-shaped swimming pool. At the front of a building, a rock wall with a "Royal Hawaiian" outrigger sign is on one side of the entrance, and a bamboo-lined wall is on the other, above a parking garage supported by carved tiki posts. More tikis can be found in the inner courtyard.
Royal Hawaiian Estates
Palm Springs, California, United States
The Royal Hawaiian Estates were built in 1960 and opened on New Year's Day 1961. It is a complex of 12 buildings containing 40 condominium homes with two shared central swimming pools, designed by the famous mid-century architect Donald Wexler and his partner at the time, Richard Harrison. The developer was Philip Short, and ownership was initially restricted to Jewish buyers over the age of 55 (Jewish people were not allowed to buy in the other private communities around Palm Springs at that time). Some of Hollywood's movers and shakers owned units as a vacation home in the 1960s. The property fell into disrepair in the 1990s and many of the defining architectural elements were removed. Restoration began in the 2010s, and today the mostly-restored complex is the first Historic Residential District in Palm Springs. The artist Shag (who has a store in Palm Springs) has a tikified vacation home in the complex.
The Jungle Bird
Sacramento, California, United States
The Jungle Bird opened October 23rd, 2016 in Midtown Sacramento. The bar and restaurant is owned by Melissa and Tyler Williams (of Sacramento's Tank House) and Buddy Newby. The decor includes lauhala and bamboo, with a few large tikis. There is an outdoor patio. A full menu of tropical drinks, including many classics, is available. The small food menu has a mix of old school Polynesian and modern Asian-Pacific fare, including a Pu-Pu Platter.
Note: No association with Jungle Bird bar in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which made the Asian Top 50 bars list in 2018-2019. That bar is more of a rum bar than a tiki bar. However both started in 2016 and the "Jungle Bird" name seems to hold steady across the globe!
Lost On 111 Grill & Art Lounge
La Quinta, California, United States (Closed)
Lost On 111 Grill & Art Lounge was a small breakfast cafe and art store in La Quinta, outside of Palm Springs. There were many pieces of tiki art and carvings for sale by modern-day tiki artists.
Lost On 111 Grill was originally called Scramblez Cafe & Grill and was not tiki. Tiki art and decor was added gradually, and the new name and identity was forged by owner Damen Perry in January 2015.
Closed as of 2019.
The Shag Store - West Hollywood
West Hollywood, California, United States (Closed)
The Shag Store opened in 2015 in West Hollywood. The store exclusively sold merchandise and prints created by the artist Shag (Josh Agle). Shag lived in Hawaii as a child and has long been a fan of Tiki style, and Polynesian Pop imagery makes frequent appearances in his work.
This location permanently closed as of May 31st, 2020.
There is another Shag Store location in Palm Springs which is still open.
The Shag Store - Palm Springs
Palm Springs, California, United States
The Shag Store opened in 2009 in downtown Palm Springs. The store exclusively sells merchandise and prints created by the artist Shag (Josh Agle). Shag lived in Hawaii as a child and has long been a fan of Tiki style, and Polynesian Pop imagery makes frequent appearances in his work.
There was a second Shag Store location in West Hollywood, but it permanently closed as of May 31st, 2020.
The Warehouse
Marina del Rey, California, United States
The Warehouse was opened in 1969 by Burt Hixon, of Beachbum Burt's in Redondo Beach. In recent years the restaurant has been owned by Lee and Martha Spencer; Lee Spencer passed away in October 2016. The elaborate decor is much more nautical rather than true "tiki", but with a strong Polynesian lean. The building is designed to look like an old wharf building, surrounded with mature palm trees and a wooden walkway entrance over a lagoon with live turtles. Inside, the main dining room has several tables inside large shipping crates, and a second level mezzanine with small tables rings the room. In recent years, the bar has been rechristened a "tiki bar" though the tiki is minimal and the decoration is more nautical flotsam and jetsam and shipping crates. The Warehouse is most well-known for their souvenir signature barrel mug, still available today. The food menu is very traditional upscale steak and seafood fare. A small number of tropical drinks are available.
The Warehouse is also the location of the Shipwrecked tiki bazaar and social event, started in 2019, which celebrates artists, tiki craftspeople, and plays host to live music.
*NOTE: Discussions of development make the future of this location uncertain but they are still open as of September 2024. If you have not visited it yet, don't wait too long!
False Idol
San Diego, California, United States
False Idol opened September 3rd, 2016 in San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood. It is owned jointly by Martin Cate of Smuggler's Cove and Consortium Holdings (owners of neighboring Craft & Commerce). The walls are covered with panels carved by legendary tiki artist Bosko. The ceiling is crusted with lit glass floats. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made up to a month in advance.
Tiki-Ko & The Sinking Ship
Bakersfield, California, United States
Tiki-Ko opened in Bakersfield in June 2016, and is owned by Roy Scarazzo and Sonya Gamargo. The interior, designed and built by Danny "Tiki Diablo" Gallardo, features vintage Witco pieces, beachcomber lamps, turquoise blue upholstery, and artwork by Tiki tOny. A full slate of traditional tropical cocktails is on offer, and there is a souvenir logo coconut mug available.
In June 2021, The Sinking Ship, a downstairs bar level, was opened. This basement bar, which has a capacity of 70 — more than twice the upstairs bar — has a mix of first come first served seating, and seven reserved areas, which can accommodate parties of two (like Quint's Cove) up to eight guests (Banana Crate Booth, which requires a $100 deposit good toward the bar tab). The entrance for The Sinking Ship is a few doors down from the main Tiki-Ko entrance at the corner. The Sinking Ship is packed with great details, from the Papua New Guinea masks throughout, to the sawfish rostrum hanging behind the bar, to the giant container of "Torpedo Juice" at the end of the bar. Flicker flame bulbs add atmosphere. The main ceiling is a giant map of the Caribbean, but other parts of the room have different ceiling treatments, including aged lauhala matting and corrugated metal papered in old Japanese newsprint. And there is something new to notice on each visit...
Pagan Idol
San Francisco, California, United States
Pagan Idol opened in San Francisco's Financial District on February 24th, 2016. The bar is owned by the Future Bars group, which owns a variety of craft cocktail bars around the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pagan Idol has a front bar, which is designed to look like the inside of a wooden ship, complete with porthole views of swimming fish, and blown glass tentacle light fixtures.
Red-lit stairs lead to the back bar, which is where the full-on Polynesian Pop experience can be found. A second bar is lined with zebrawood and backed by lava windows. Overlooking the bar is a massive tiki carved by Crazy Al Evans, and a large outrigger canoe hangs overhead. A tangle of ropes and fishing floats decorates the bar. The walls are lined with Tongan tapa cloth designs.
Just beyond, the room opens up, and a night sky of twinkling stars hangs overhead, with a volcano waterfall and two cozy booths. Looming over this room is a second large tiki, this one carved by Ivan Lee Mora. Periodically, the volcano "erupts" and a fog creeps along the starry sky, adding to the moodiness of the room.
The soundtrack is all Exotica and hapa-haole music. The drink menu is all original tropical drinks, but a full array of classic tiki drinks can be ordered off-menu.
In the 1950s, this same location held Tiki Bob's Mainland Rendezvous.
Tahiti Hut
Long Beach, California, United States (Closed)
The building that housed the Tahiti Hut was built in 1959.
Tahiti Hut, itself, opened in 1961.
It was owned by husband and wife, Carl Jurs and Irene Jurs, and co-owned by cook Mary Bulich (possibly not at the same time) and Mary and "Mitch" were later listed as "hosts" on postcards from the Tahiti Hut.
The restaurant specialized in steak, prime rib and seafood, and regularly featured piano entertainment. There was full Polynesian decor, including faux palm trees, floats, a hanging reed boat, carved masks, and lamps from Orchids of Hawaii.
Tahiti Hut closed in 1975.
The building still stands and houses several retail businesses that have changed over the years. As of 2021, the storefront is empty but would have been in-between the current businesses of Soggy Dog pet grooming and Studio Red hair salon.