Post #234035 by Sabina on Thu, May 25, 2006 7:06 PM

To be a Tiki bar, the space must have Tikis- lots of them, the more the better! Tiki mugs peering down off shelves, Tikis peeking out from behind tropical leaves in lush gardens, Tikis towering over small children, Tikis and Moai with fire atop their heads, or in their mouths as gigantic fireplaces, Tikis that spit water as fountains, Tikis as furniture, Tikis as decorative moldings, Tikis in paintings, Tikis on tabletops, Tikis between bottles of Rhum, Tikis stirring your exotic cocktails, Tikis rising up out of waterfalls and silent pools, Tiki eyes always upon the unsuspecting, Tikis enjoying the praise of drunken natives on into the night!

Once that basic requirement is fulfilled, (and it never really can be, we continually add to our Tiki Lounge with more and even more images of the Tikis as the artists among us continue to show us more and more of their personalities), but once you at least have MANY Tikis, you can move along towards other 'Tiki elements' that complete the scene. Tiki is about overwhelming the senses with lush exotic escapism. Items don't have to be 'authentic' although it usually helps to have at least a few war clubs, some lovely tapa cloth, or shrunken heads from the isles. Throughout, there should be a sense of leisure, relaxation, and of having traveled to somewhere else, or perhaps some time else, at least for a while.

This means getting all the senses involved. Exotica music coming from 'somewhere', Arthur Lyman, Les Baxter, Martin Denny. etc and the soft splashing of water. A few words of hawaiian spoken here and there; "ono ono","wikiwiki","muumuu","Wahine", etc. Perhaps jungle drums in the distance, or the calls of wild parrots. A Uke! Old Hawai'ian 78s!

Drinks that are truly the elixirs of the gods- not too sweet, not too tart, with mint, or nutmeg, or a wild orchid. Food that often can be eaten with ones hands, puupuus. Fresh fish steamed in leaves, tropical fruits, coconut milk, and pounded poi.

A feast for the eyes by softly glowing lights or better yet, Tiki torchlight! Things that wash up on the shore or relate to seafaring; ships wheels, portholes, gigantic glass fish floats in lovely colors- preferably lit from within! Ships riggings, pufferfish lamps with colored bulbs within. Every flat surface covered with tapa, bamboo, rattan, or woven matting. Whenever possible use of natural materials, raffia, woven palm, bacbac. This makes a wonderful contrast to the high polish of ship's brass. Port and Starboard lights, fish nets, and black velvet paintings of lovely wahines!

Tiki bars are best in unexpected environments, a restaurant shaped like a gigantic war canoe sitting smack dab in the middle of early suburbia, places that look like complete dives from the outside, or soaring A-frames tucked into the modern landscape. Ideally, they have no windows and two sets of doors- so no natural daylight leaks in. You should be unable to tell what time of day it is outside once you're inside. Clocks should be discrete- tucked away, and Televisions are a definite no no!

A stream or waterfall running through even a home bar is a central element, lots of natural rock, sometimes even rock walls with Tridacna Gigas clamshells either catching water dripping down among tropical foliage, or simply backlit as lights. Small bridges crossing the stream multiple times though a space is a traditional design.

Little bits and pieces of oriental art from 'exotic lands' far away may also appear here and there. The occasional Japanese parasol or Chinese carved pannel, and can be in keeping with the pacific rim adventures, so long as these elements do not in any way begin to overwhelm the space.

A Garden area filled with lush greenery and orchids, Anthuriums, and Gingers lit by moonlight and torches with Tikis both front and center and hidden in the underbrush is wonderful. Think of stumbling onto the ruins of a secret garden, then create! It should smell of Pikake, Plumeria, and Tuberose.

There should be areas to sit, be that on sturdy barstools, or comfey couches, or even big overstuffed pillows on a small grassy lawn watching native dancers doing traditional hula. The sit places should also have lots of safe sturdy places to set a Tiki mug safely.

The best Tiki places have a feeling of timeless age. Here and there a slight layer of dust, the browning of old tapa, the mellowing of old bamboo.

Menus should have pictures of drinks and descriptions that may or may not tell you what the primary ingredients in the drink are, but instead how strong it is and what kind of feeling it is mean to evoke. It may also tell you when the drink is to be enjoyed, late afternoon, watching the sun go down, early evening, before dinner, with dinner, after dinner, on into the evening after cigars, etc.

But the single most important element beyond the Tikis themselves is not the tapa, the fishnet, the blowfish lamp, the antique rhums, the music, the drinks, or any one THING, instead it is attitude.

A Tiki bar must have Aloha spirit. It must be welcoming to newcommer and old timer alike. It must have a sense of PLACE, and exude the love of those who created their little piece of paradise on earth from every detail. A Tiki bar without Aloha is like, a Tiki bar without Tikis- it fails to meet the basic definition.

[ Edited by: Sabina 2006-05-25 19:11 ]