Post #53592 by christiki295 on Thu, Oct 2, 2003 8:11 PM

Tiki Ti is justifiably the most beloved tiki bar in Los Angeles, although not the best.

Tiki-Ti has a great vibe based on it's customers spirit & intoxicated chants of "toro, toro, etc." Hawiiaiana abounds and it has a wide selection of excellent tiki cocktails.

The tiki quality is also apparent on its wonderful tiki facade, which is often a consulation prize because the bar does not keep the most dependable hours (I have learned the hard way to always check the website). Possibly this is one of the unfortunate drawbacks to its charm of being a family owned & operated establishment.

Tiki-Ti is also only one of 2 tiki bars in the City of Los Angeles (the other being the Tonga Room) and it is located (somewhat) in Hollywood, so it has a special socio-historical place in the city.

Nevertheless, Tiki-Ti, in my opinion, is overrated in relation to the constant ink it receives (references in Los Angeles magazine and the LA Times in the last 6 months).

It is tiny, like a South Pacific tiki hut, so one often spends the first half of the evening there waiting outside. The cocktails are expensive (although the rest of the city is quickly catching up).

The interior decor is not as attractive, or as tiki, as other local tiki bars - the actual tiki TIPSY factor is far too low. Not surprisingly, the BOT chose to photograph only the exterior of Tiki-Ti.

For all of it's short-commings, I, too, love Tiki-Ti and consider Tiki-Ti part of my tiki upbringing, as that I spent a considerable amount of time there in my mid-20s.