Bali Bar, Mexico City, Mexico (bar)

Name:Bali Bar
Type:bar
Street:Av Oaxaca No. 5
City:Mexico City
State:
Zip:
country:Mexico
Phone:
Status:operational

Description:
In Mexico City, It's the Bali Bar

Recently purchased this postcard and was not sure where to post it so I ended up giving it it's own spot. A very nice early Tiki style bar in Mexico City called the Bali Bar.

Check out the bartender and the array of drinks at the bar.

The back of the card reads:

They certainly envisioned themselves with some pretty high-class company at the time.

This is the message on the back of the card. I don't always post these but this one is interesting. It had been snowing in Mexico City for the first time in 58 years and this traveler was going to hunker down in bed with a bottle of Tequila to stay warm!!

DC

On 2008-04-18 13:53, Chub wrote:
Post card I just got from a friend. Back just says "Bali Bar"

I remebering seeing a variation on this card before - it was posted by Chub under Vintage Drink Guys.

DC

AMAZING! I went to the street Oaxaca 5 a couple of years ago after seeing this ad:
http://www.arkivatropika.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?item_id=357 There was nothing, the number doesn't exists anymore... maybe I did some archaeological mistake, I will look for it again, but I am pretty sure the place is long gone. :( BUT at least you have that amazing document! Gracias for sharing!!

I'm so glad that second picture popped up here. It's on the back cover of Don Tiki's Forbidden Sounds of Don Tiki. I can't remember how many times I have studied that picture thinking what a cool place that must be. Intersting that of all the pictures of places Don Tiki could have used on their cd they chose the Bali Bar in Mexico City. Now I know- Mahalo DC.

On 2009-01-06 23:16, Zeta wrote:
AMAZING! I went to the street Oaxaca 5 a couple of years ago after seeing this ad. There was nothing, the number doesn't exists anymore... maybe I did some archaeological mistake, I will look for it again, but I am pretty sure the place is long gone.

Zeta,

Hope you find something on your next visit to the area. Thanks for the link to the add, I thought I would also post the picture here.

alohacurrent,

Do you have a photo or image of the Don Tiki record cover at the Bali Bar?

DC

DC, It's basically the same photo as above.

This glossy chrome postcard of the Bali Bar is still being published by Quantity Postcards of San Francisco. It's one of their Top 50 best sellers (item QP 708). Here's the link:

http://www.qpfans.com/catalog/psdbi/feature.html?TEMP_PARAM1=retail&TEMP_PARAM2=top50

Check out Bingo Bob on the same page (item QP 701).

As posted by Boris et moi a year ago here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=26774&forum=5&start=30

Found a different interior postcard from the Bali Bar.

Tiki Shaker,

Schweeet Score! Never seen that one before.

DC

Yeah...I would love to be able to see those island renderings on the tables straight on!

I love this thread. Tiki Shaker, great find!

What does the wise men think about this:

Bali bar Mexico Vintage matchbook

The Bali bar swizzle stick

Sans the stick, two arms and a hand

Zeta,

Great matchbook, love the names of the drinks at the Bali Bar, Hula Hula, Bum Bum.

The Swizzle is a bit beat, missing much.

DC

On 2010-02-06 21:29, Zeta wrote:
The Bali bar swizzle stick

Sans the stick, two arms and a hand

Wow, that would be a great swizzle to find intact!

I wonder if the name of this bar is based on the the not uncommon Polynesian pop misunderstanding that BALI had anything to do with BALI HA'I --which it didn't (Book of Tiki, page 127).

...which is not to say that the island of Bali is not a beautific tropical paradise in itself, and could be the inspiration for any tropical bar. But the comparison to Vic's and Don's, and the menu offering Hawaiian drinks show that the bar saw itself as part of the Polynesian pop genre.

Bigbro,

I agree, there seems to have been some confusion between Bali and Polynesian Pop going on at the Bali Bar.

I just picked up the original postcard that was used for the reproduction.

The card also had the comparison to Don and Vic on the back.

In looking at the card I spotted the Balinese inspiration for Tiki Shaker's matchbook and our long lost friend Zeta's swizzle.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2010-02-19 11:34 ]

During the Holidays my Father was telling us the story of the Restaurant my Grandfather (Jorge Martinez) started in Mexico City. It was called the Bali-Bar! I did a quick search on my smartphone and found this great website!
My Father was amazed at the fact that I was able to find a picture of the place. (the postcard)
He Told me that everyone knew that bartender at "perico" (parrot).
I obviously don't know much about the Restaurant, but if anyone has a question, I can try to see if I can find an answer for you.

I would love to see if I can get some of the pictures on this thread in high resolution, so I can make them into large prints and present them to my Grandmother. My Grandfather past away in 2006 at the age of 90.

Mauricio Martinez

[ Edited by: balibar-grandson 2010-12-30 22:32 ]

I love Tiki Central!

Bienvenido Nieto del Balibar!

Many many questions...

Tell me about famous people who went there?

Why the exotic polinesian theme in The heart of Mexico?

Dates, opened? When and why did it closed?

...

I could go on...

No sabemos mucho sobre el bar, pero nos gusta el estilo exótico polinesio, ESPECIALMENTE LOS TIKIS O ÍDOLOS POLINESIOS.

Cuentanos todo lo que puedas, es verdaderamente interesante la historia de este bar.

Los cocteles, LAS RECETAS de las bebidas nos encantaria saber...

Que tipo de música escuchaban?

Mas anécdotas sobre el Barman!

Alguna nota en algún periódico de la época?

Todo nos interesa... Las imágenes en alta resolución te las pasamos luego.

Platicanos mas por favor!

Mucho Mahalo! (Gracias en Polinesio)

Zeta

Embajador del Tiki en México
Presidente del Simposio Tiki Mexico 2010

On 2010-12-28 11:29, balibar-grandson wrote:

I would love to see if I can get some of the pictures on this thread in high resolution, so I can make them into large prints and present them to my Grandmother. My Grandfather past away 5 years ago at the age of 93.

Mauricio Martinez

Mauricio,

Thanks for posting. I can send you a hi-resolution scan of all three postcards if you send me your email address via a personal message. Hope to hear more about your Grandfather's restaurant.

Dustycajun

For You Zeta (and of course you DC) a nice Bamboo cover from my photo archives...OGR I believe the inside was just food...

Mahalo Or Got Rum? Super Nice! Super rare! Where you got it?

The building today...

Tragic!

Spotted this photo of a young gent with the signature pineapple drinks at the Bali Bar dated 1961. You can see the Shiva statue in the background.

DC