Tiki Bars

[CruisinKikster]

I'm looking for some quality tiki bars along the way. We will be going to Skull & Crown in Honolulu, and I hope to make La Mariana (which just re-opened). Are there any other go-to places for tiki drinks and tiki culture? 

 

We'll be on NCL POA so stopping in Maui, Hawaii (Hilo & Kona), and Kauai. We are also open to other options on Oahu that maybe haven't come up in our searches. 

 

Thanks!

[KeepCalmBearOn]

Just an FYI, you do know the "tiki culture" originated in California right? Donn Beach, aka Don the Beachcomber is credited as the person who started the theme, Vic Bergeron (Trader Vic's) helped push it along and WWII really spread it, especially to Honolulu with the International Market Place and the restaurants there.

[CruisinKikster]

Yes, I'm aware of tiki history. I look for tiki bars generally when we travel. 

[CruisinKikster]

Out of curiosity... Does knowing or not knowing that history negate my question? 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

2 minutes ago, CruisinKikster said:

Out of curiosity... Does knowing or not knowing that history negate my question? 

 

Kind of, if you are expecting to find tiki bars on Hawaii Island, Kauai, and Maui that date from the 40s and 50s. The tiki bars like LA Mariana Sailing Club that date from the 40 and 50s really existed only on Oahu. The point is, it is not a "Hawaiian" thing so you will not find lots of them in Hawaii.

 

 

[lovecruzin]

I just came across this. 

https://thetikichick.com/tiki-bars-in-hawaii/

[CruisinKikster]

21 hours ago, scottca075 said:

 

Kind of, if you are expecting to find tiki bars on Hawaii Island, Kauai, and Maui that date from the 40s and 50s. The tiki bars like LA Mariana Sailing Club that date from the 40 and 50s really existed only on Oahu. The point is, it is not a "Hawaiian" thing so you will not find lots of them in Hawaii.

 

 

Ahh - you could have stated that up front.

 

I didn't state I was only wanting old-style tiki bars, and further, I specifically said we'd be going to Skull & Crown which is a new tiki bar.  I just wondered if there were any I didn't see in my research. Without qualification because then I can make a decision about what I want to do.  

[CruisinKikster]

2 hours ago, lovecruzin said:

I just came across this. 

https://thetikichick.com/tiki-bars-in-hawaii/

Thank you! I somehow didn't come across that in my googling. (Or it got lost in the 400 tabs I have open)

[lovecruzin]

4 hours ago, CruisinKikster said:

Thank you! I somehow didn't come across that in my googling. (Or it got lost in the 400 tabs I have open)

You’re welcome, i love a good mai tai and I had not come across this. Or maybe I just prefer a strong mai tai that doesn’t have a bunch of fruit juice or god forbid, grenadine 😂 

I've been to Oahu 2 times since things opened up and was disappointed La Mariana wasn’t open, never been there. 

 

[93yearsyoung]

Everyone is entitled to their own idea of what a tiki bar is, but I think La Mariana is the last tiki bar in Hawaii. I would not call any of the TS Restaurants "tiki bars", they are Hawaiian or tropical themed restaurants. Todd Rundgren's restaurant on Kauai is nice and fun but is in no way a tiki bar.

[princeton123211]

1 hour ago, 93yearsyoung said:

but I think La Mariana is the last tiki bar in Hawaii. I would not call any of the TS Restaurants "tiki bars", they are Hawaiian or tropical themed restaurants. Todd Rundgren's restaurant on Kauai is nice and fun but is in no way a tiki bar.

Agree with this-- tropical/Hawaiian themed but not really a proper tiki bar in the ilk of Trader Vics or the Tonga Room. 

[CruisinKikster]

On 8/9/2022 at 12:56 AM, lovecruzin said:

You’re welcome, i love a good mai tai and I had not come across this. Or maybe I just prefer a strong mai tai that doesn’t have a bunch of fruit juice or god forbid, grenadine 😂 

I've been to Oahu 2 times since things opened up and was disappointed La Mariana wasn’t open, never been there. 

 

La Mariana just opened like a month ago I think. Reviews are mixed, but we'd like to go anyway to check it out!

[CruisinKikster]

7 hours ago, 93yearsyoung said:

Everyone is entitled to their own idea of what a tiki bar is, but I think La Mariana is the last tiki bar in Hawaii. I would not call any of the TS Restaurants "tiki bars", they are Hawaiian or tropical themed restaurants. Todd Rundgren's restaurant on Kauai is nice and fun but is in no way a tiki bar.

Have you been to Skull and Crown yet? From what I can see, it's a traditional style tiki bar. I can't say for sure until we get there, but looking forward to it. 

 

Which one is Rundgren's restaurant? Neither of the ones from the blog seemed to be real tiki bars - Tahiti Nui or Tiki Iniki. They seem to be more restaurants with some tropical decorations. 

[93yearsyoung]

Tiki Iniki is Todd Rundgren's place.

 

Never been to Skull & Crown because it just didn't seem that interesting. There are just too many other places in Honolulu we like to go to.

 

We go to La Mariana out of nostalgia once in awhile. It was there when my husband was stationed at Pearl, but ironically we never went in those days. Our cocktail places of choice back then were the House Without A Key and the The Banyan Courtyard. We went to the Banyan Courtyard every Sunday to watch Webley Edwards broadcast Hawaii Calls.

 

Those two spots feel more like old Hawaii/real Hawaii to me. We are sure to visit the House Without A Key during our upcoming cruise.

[lovecruzin]

On 8/10/2022 at 12:44 PM, princeton123211 said:

Agree with this-- tropical/Hawaiian themed but not really a proper tiki bar in the ilk of Trader Vics or the Tonga Room. 

Went to the Tonga Room when they reopened last year, it was fun but you pay for the experience, food and drinks were mediocre at best!

 

17 hours ago, 93yearsyoung said:

Tiki Iniki is Todd Rundgren's place.

 

Never been to Skull & Crown because it just didn't seem that interesting. There are just too many other places in Honolulu we like to go to.

 

We go to La Mariana out of nostalgia once in awhile. It was there when my husband was stationed at Pearl, but ironically we never went in those days. Our cocktail places of choice back then were the House Without A Key and the The Banyan Courtyard. We went to the Banyan Courtyard every Sunday to watch Webley Edwards broadcast Hawaii Calls.

 

Those two spots feel more like old Hawaii/real Hawaii to me. We are sure to visit the House Without A Key during our upcoming cruise.

House Without a Key never disappoints, but I do miss the dish of potato chips with my mai tai.

[CruisinKikster]

I am looking for a fun tiki place, because we like to go to tiki bars everywhere we go... not just Hawaii. (If you are ever in DC, I can name 3 or 4 tiki bars to visit. And my recs wouldn't come with a lecture on how it's not real DC culture or where tiki originated.) 

 

I already have HWAK on the agenda for our visit so we can get some "authentic" vibes. But I also want to check out tiki bars. It's not an either/or for us - it's and. 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I like La Mariana Sailing Club, but it would come in well behind the House Without A Key, the Mai Tai Bar (Royal Hawaiian), the Banyan Court (Moana Hotel), Duke's Waikiki and Kani Ka Pila Grille.

[lovecruzin]

@CruisinKikster on Kauai within walking distance of the ship (if no mobility issues) is Dukes. Decent view, tropical vibes and good food.

Wherever  you decide to go, check to see if you need a reservation, even for bar seating. Def book HWAK several weeks ahead of time.

[sirenitas]

We will also sail on the POA and will be going to Skull & Crown, La Mariana, Cuckoo Coconut, Mamahune's and Lava Lava.

We have reservations for our first night at Tiki Grill. And HwoaK for our last night. Not sure yet if we will make it to Tiki Iniki but they have a mug I'd like to get.

 

Do you collect mugs? Geckoz did the interior for La Mariana and his studio is open to those who contact him - he sells his mugs from there. In Maui Beachbumz seems to have a good selection of mugs. TikiRob is also based on Maui and his mugs are works of art.

[CruisinKikster]

15 hours ago, lovecruzin said:

@CruisinKikster on Kauai within walking distance of the ship (if no mobility issues) is Dukes. Decent view, tropical vibes and good food.

Wherever  you decide to go, check to see if you need a reservation, even for bar seating. Def book HWAK several weeks ahead of time.

I definitely have my HWAK rezzie already. 

 

To confirm, Duke's isn't a tiki bar specifically, right? It didn't strike me as one when I looked it up. 

[CruisinKikster]

11 hours ago, sirenitas said:

We will also sail on the POA and will be going to Skull & Crown, La Mariana, Cuckoo Coconut, Mamahune's and Lava Lava.

We have reservations for our first night at Tiki Grill. And HwoaK for our last night. Not sure yet if we will make it to Tiki Iniki but they have a mug I'd like to get.

 

Do you collect mugs? Geckoz did the interior for La Mariana and his studio is open to those who contact him - he sells his mugs from there. In Maui Beachbumz seems to have a good selection of mugs. TikiRob is also based on Maui and his mugs are works of art.

 

Thank you for this! Some of these didn't even come up in my searches. My husband does have some tiki mugs, and if he likes one, he'll pick it up. I'll check to see if he wants to get one from Geckoz. 

 

 

[93yearsyoung]

17 minutes ago, CruisinKikster said:

I definitely have my HWAK rezzie already.  To confirm, Duke's isn't a tiki bar specifically, right? It didn't strike me as one when I looked it up. 

 

Duke's is nothing close to a tiki bar, but that link on tiki bars on Kauai called Keoki's Paradise a tiki bar and it is not either. They are both TS Restaurant Group restaurants along with Hula Grill (Maui & Oahu), Leilani's and Kimo's (Maui), Duke's (Waikiki, Maui, Kauai, Malibu, La Jolla and Huntington Beach). 

 

They all have a Hawaiian theme, but are not tiki bars. Tikis Grill and Bar in Waikiki is another Hawaiian themed restaurant that isn't a tiki bar.

 

Having an Eiffel Tower doesn't make it France, otherwise they'd be speaking French in Las Vegas.

[lovecruzin]

6 hours ago, CruisinKikster said:

I definitely have my HWAK rezzie already. 

 

To confirm, Duke's isn't a tiki bar specifically, right? It didn't strike me as one when I looked it up. 

Correct, not a tiki bar..just tropical and as the other poster has pointed out, part of a chain. 

[93yearsyoung]

3 hours ago, lovecruzin said:

Correct, not a tiki bar..just tropical and as the other poster has pointed out, part of a chain. 

 

The TS Restaurants are a chain, albeit a small one and we really like them. We go to Duke's Huntington Beach and Jake's Del Mar a good bit, and now Duke's in La Jolla too since it opened.

[SilkySal]

On 8/12/2022 at 12:01 PM, CruisinKikster said:

To confirm, Duke's isn't a tiki bar specifically, right? It didn't strike me as one when I looked it up. 

Duke's is not a tiki bar but their Hula Pie is not to be missed!! Yummy!! Maybe just go for dessert!!