Waitiki, Orlando, FL (restaurant) - Locating Tiki

B bigbrotiki Tiki Socialite Tiki Island, above the Silverlake Joined: Mar 25, 2002 Posts: 11621	B bigbrotiki Posted posted on Mon, Jan 31, 2005 3:19 PM I was there twice, in the beginning and the end of my Florida expedititon. Naomi was really impressed by the Monkey Bar, and I must say they did a good job of creating a retro midcentury modern/Tiki look up there, with whimsical monkey paintings. The main bar was interesting: Although they seemingly did everything "right", not skimping with the decor, getting Tikis and art from many quality noveaux Tiki artists (and some O.A. carvings) that we all know and love here on TC, even wallpapering the men's room with BOT images like at the Purple Orchid (not quite, they did not use complete pages, with the text, but xeroxed and blew up photos and art from the BOT and collaged it nicely into wallpaper, with some other art). Yet somehow it lacked feeling, it was kind of square, like too "by the book", not frayed at the edges, if you know what I mean. The sports TVs and the horrible music were taken for granted, but even with Arty or Marty on the stereo it would have felt not quite there, something missing, like....the soul. I am not saying it's a bad place. Definetely worth visiting. The above might just be my subjective, vintage Tiki lover opinion.

I was there twice, in the beginning and the end of my Florida expedititon. Naomi was really impressed by the Monkey Bar, and I must say they did a good job of creating a retro midcentury modern/Tiki look up there, with whimsical monkey paintings.

The main bar was interesting: Although they seemingly did everything "right", not skimping with the decor, getting Tikis and art from many quality noveaux Tiki artists (and some O.A. carvings) that we all know and love here on TC, even wallpapering the men's room with BOT images like at the Purple Orchid (not quite, they did not use complete pages, with the text, but xeroxed and blew up photos and art from the BOT and collaged it nicely into wallpaper, with some other art).

Yet somehow it lacked feeling, it was kind of square, like too "by the book", not frayed at the edges, if you know what I mean.
The sports TVs and the horrible music were taken for granted, but even with Arty or Marty on the stereo it would have felt not quite there, something missing, like....the soul.

I am not saying it's a bad place. Definetely worth visiting. The above might just be my subjective, vintage Tiki lover opinion.

Post #138553 by bigbrotiki on Mon, Jan 31, 2005 3:19 PM