Americans have been enamored with the fantasy and escapism of tiki ever since Donn Beach, née Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt, an island-hopping bootlegger-turned-movie consultant, opened his Polynesian inspired bar Don the Beachcomber in Hollywood late 1933. A few years later, visionary restaurateur Victor Jules Bergeron, inspired by the Beachcomber, rebranded his Oakland restaurant Hinky Dinks into Trader Vic’s, a tropical oasis serving Chinese fare and his signature Mai Tai, further perpetuating the exotic allure of tiki. 

By mid-20th century, Polynesian pop culture was at its peak of popularity. Tiki style was ubiquitous, influencing everything from restaurants and bars to graphic art, architecture, fashion and music. Although its popularity dimmed in the 1970s, tiki has withstood the ebb and flow of pop culture tides. Blissfully, the craft cocktail movement has stirred a tiki renaissance. Since the Golden State is the birthplace of tiki bar culture, there is nowhere better to experience all the exotic joys than right here where it all began. Here is a selection of some of California’s most iconic tiki establishments. Cheers!

Tonga Hut, Los Angeles

Opened in 1958, the Tonga Hut has the distinction of being LA’s oldest tiki bar still in operation today. Located in North Hollywood, Tonga Hut is an old school, neighborhood watering hole where the drinks are strong and the vibe is chill. Its authentic retro décor and classic exotic libations are perennial crowd pleasers, attracting both well-seasoned tiki enthusiasts and patrons new to the tiki scene. Tonga Hut’s longevity is credited to its devoted local following, many of whom are members of its “The Loyal Order of the Drooling Bastard” club. These brave souls manage to drink their way through all 78 exotic cocktails featured in the definitive tiki cocktail tome Beachbum Berry’s Grog Log within one year. Not all succeed, but those who do earn lifetime membership in the loyal order and their own self-designed plaque that hangs on the wall next to the legendary 1958 Drooling Bastard fountain. Tonga Hut also has a second location in the heart of Palm Springs, for those in the desert longing for a tropical respite. 

Tiki-Ti, Los Angeles

In 1961, Tiki-Ti opened its doors on Sunset Boulevard in Los Feliz just a few short years after Tonga Hut, but it holds its own longevity distinction. It is the oldest operating tiki bar in Los Angeles under the same ownership. Tiki-Ti was founded by Ray Buhen, a Filipino bartender who was one of the original “four boys” credited with creating the ingenious and super-secret recipes behind Don the Beachcomber’s famous exotic cocktails. After years of bartending at some of LA’s most illustrious tiki bars, Ray had the mixology pedigree, the cash and the loyal following to open his own place. His son and grandsons joined him in the business. Ray has since passed, but his tiki legacy lives on. Tiki-Ti is tiny, so expect a wait to get in, but it’s well worth it. Once inside, you won’t find beer or wine and possibly not even a seat. But you will find over eighty exceptional exotic cocktails made perfectly. That’s clearly the reason Tiki-Ti has such a loyal following. Yes it’s a local dive bar with a devoted clientele, but it’s so much more than that. It’s family; it’s conversation; it’s excellent drinks. And PS, when you visit, order the “Ray’s Mistake” named after their founder. Just don’t make a mistake and have too many of them.

Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, San Francisco

Located underneath the lobby in San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel, Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is one of only a handful of original tiki bars opened during tiki’s golden era that remains in operation today. Originally the hotel’s indoor swimming pool, the bar debuted in 1945 when legendary MGM set-designer Mel Melvin was brought in to transform the space into a tropical nightclub resembling the deck on a luxury liner. Melvin added a ship’s mast as décor, converted the pool into a lagoon with a band stage on a floating barge at its center and built a dancefloor with reclaimed wood from the SS Forrester, a schooner that once sailed the South Seas. In the late 1960’s Tonga Room underwent further renovation becoming a full-fledged tiki bar. In addition to its classic tiki cocktail list and Asian-fusion fare, the lounge features an indoor rainstorm replete with thunder and lightning every half hour. Tonga Room’s tiki experience is so immersive, it prompted Anthony Bourdain to declare it “completely awesome” and “the greatest place in the history of the world.”

Smuggler’s Cove, San Francisco

Not far from the historic Tonga Room is a slightly newer temple of tiki, Smuggler’s Cove in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley. Opened in late 2009, “the Cove” is the brainchild of Martin Cate, a foremost tiki historian and aficionado and a bona fide rum expert. His seminal book on tiki, also titled Smuggler’s Cove, garnered a James Beard Excellence Award, while his superlative tiki watering hole has received countless accolades and been named best bar by multiple entities. A tiki guru, Cate has devoted decades preserving and elevating tiki culture, amassing a remarkable collection of ephemera and memorabilia, while also becoming a foremost expert in and collector of rum. Smuggler’s Cove is his opus offering innovative classic craft cocktails poured by highly skilled mixologists, in a magnificent three-level immersive space. The venue offers over 400 rums from which a devoted club of patrons, called the Rumbustion Society, taste through the expansive list to achieve levels of merit from “Disciple” and “Guardian” to “Master of the Cove.”  

Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Anaheim

Most tiki bars are adult-only experiences, which is kind of shame as the campy theatrical fantasy of tiki is perfectly suited for a child’s wild imagination. Enter Disney. Of course, the theme park’s Adventureland and the Enchanted Tiki Room are the embodiment of the tiki pop culture movement dating back to its golden era in the mid-20th century. But more recently the Anaheim resort brought a fresh take on tiki to be enjoyed by guests outside its park gates. Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar at the Disneyland Hotel is a tiny tiki bar with a big personality, putting on a frequent, entertaining and kid-friendly tiki show. When specialty drinks are served, flamboyant productions ensue. From lightning storms, to erupting volcanos and flaming drinks, Trader Sam’s gives Polynesian pop the Disney treatment. The space is so intimate, bartenders mock patrons on cell phones and spray the crowd with the well water gun when they’re being unruly. Trader Sam’s diminutive size means reservations are a must, and although it’s Disney, it is a bar, thus after 8 p.m., it’s 21+ only.

False Idol, San Diego

Travel a little further south to San Diego’s Little Italy and you’ll find another gem in Martin Cate’s tiki universe. False Idol, a carefully concealed tiki speakeasy within the restaurant Craft & Commerce, is the definition of an immersive experience. Patrons first pass through an innocuous metal door that looks like a walk-in refrigerator at the rear of the restaurant. Once inside, the walk-in is lined with pineapples and shrunken skulls and human heads in jars. Guests pass through a second door into the hidden tiki bar replete with a rock, fire and water wall and a bar top that is an enclosed vitrine displaying authentic tiki artifacts, ephemera and memorabilia. Much like Tonga Room and Trader Sam’s, False Idol’s immersive experience is enhanced theatrically with simulated volcanic eruptions and tropical storms. Beyond its transportive ambiance, False Idol is at its core a Martin Cate tiki joint, so what truly makes it extraordinary is its exceptional craft cocktail program. Use ride share and wholeheartedly imbibe a few of Cate’s craft cocktail concoctions.