Tiki bars in france?

If you're ever in france(notice? no caps)in Biarritz... My friend Sue owns 3 tiki bars. Tell 'er Tiki Tom sent'cha. She'll take care of ya'

Tiki Tome, do you mind enlighting us on this, please? I have to make a pilgrimage, tiki at night and wave sliding during the day, whoa!

KK

don't know about Tiki bars and certainly don't know about Biarritz BUT, should anyone be going that way, there is a great little shop called "Born Bad" in the Bastille bit of Paris (17 rue Keller, Paris 75011) that is miles better than anything in London for Tiki/exotica/hotrod paraphernalia. I saw a flyer for an exotica night at some club -- but it was a one-off and wasn't happening while we were there. I asked the chap in the shop about Parisian tiki bars and he laughed mournfully. Anbybody know any different?

I guess the French culture police haven't yet found out about the shop "Born Bad" as they are always on the lookout to purge anything in English.

The French seem to forget they'd be speaking German now if it wasn't for us English speaking low-lifes.

In that case the sign would read: BÖSE GEBOREN!

That would be a sure sign of imperialism, right?

KK

No, there are sadly no Tiki bars in Paris. There used to be a jazz bar called 'The Straw Hut' (In French), but that's now closed. The artist & architect Stephane Cazenave was planning to open one sometime, but I'm not too sure how that's coming along.
He's hoped it would attract a similar clientele to Paris' famous Buddha Bar (ie. rich, fashionable types)

I can't really imagine one Tiki bar in Biarritz, never mind three, but fingers are crossed for your visit there!

Trader Woody

Yes, there aren't lots of tiki bars in France... but you can find some nice tahitan restaurants with a tiki feeling.
In the south of France, in Cagnes (near Cannes and Nice), for example there is "le tiki", a tahitian restaurants that makes cocktails (pretty good mai tai) and tahitian dishes. There is just a few tiki inside but some polynesian decor, with a view on the sea. (www.tiki.fr)
If visiting Paris or France, ask me, i can help you finding some fun... ([email protected])

I would rather go to Spain.

Cheers,

KT

virani,
thanks for your post! i wish i had known about you when i was still living in europe.

please keep us posted about any french tiki you come across. do you have any pics of the restaurant in cagnes?

cheers,
tiki chris

As well as the tiki restaurant in Cagnes, there's also a very bad (but with a big tiki sign) junkfood restaurant named "caféteria tiki" in Royan (north of Bordeaux). The tiki-pizza is just awfull (the waitress told me that she never saw anyone finishing it !!!). They have tiki ashtray (is that the correct spelling ??) and menu. Drinks are very bad and nothing really exotic in it (except a nice view on the beach).
This restaurant is famous in the area for family dining.

In Cagnes, the owner has visited Tahiti and he came back with the idea of that restaurant. The Tiki cocktail is made with cocnut milk, rhum and ginger (quite strange but good), the maitai is good and they have many 3 more differents cocktails.
The food contains some fish plates, beef mixture "à la tahitienne", and there's all the traditional plates a really good desert made with mashed bananas, coconut milk and capiocas. The menu (with the tiki cocktail, one appetizer, entree and desert) is about $25. There is some nice tahitian music, and you get the lei when you enter the restaurant.
the exact adress is : tiki, 1 avenue des oliviers (angle boulevard de la plage) 06800 cagnes s/ mer
tel : 04 92 12 16 75

and you can see me in paris doing "Paris tiki room" parties...with cocktails, decors, and exotica music...

For all you french tiki fans, you must listen to the "ukulele club de Paris", with a record covered by shag. Also visit the Roudoudou site, he's a triphopelectrokindof musician with a tiki feeling (he's djing with me).

http://www.roudoudou.fr
ukuleleclubdeparis.artistes.universalmusic.fr

Update anyone? I know there was/is more Tiki bars in France...

There may be no Tiki bars, but I have never seen as many galleries that carried (only) Oceanic Art on a couple of streets in Paris, I dare say more than all of the U.S. it is amazing.

Bosko

On 2010-09-20 10:50, TIKIBOSKO wrote:
There may be no Tiki bars, but I have never seen as many galleries that carried (only) Oceanic Art on a couple of streets in Paris, I dare say more than all of the U.S. it is amazing.

Bosko

Hi Bosko,
where can I find them? Got any names/ addresses?

Keren.

Hello Keren,

I have no idea where they were exactly, we were lost (so to speak) the whole time we were there, it shouldn't be hard to find I noticed many things/stores in Paris were always in the same area as one another. Maybe Virani would know?

Good Luck

Bosko

Hello Keren,

I will have an educated guess and say that the galleries concerned were in the narrow back streets of the St Germain des Prés district (on the Left Bank, south of the Louvre).

Map from the Art Saint Germain des Prés website:

http://www.artsaintgermaindespres.com/quartier.php

In any case, you could try e-mailing Art Saint Germain des Prés and ask them. Even if the galleries concerned are not among their members, they could probably point you in the right direction.

Also, if you're going to Paris, check out the following bookshop, in the Latin Quarter:

Librairie du Pacifique : 32 rue Monsieur le Prince, 75006 Paris

It has been many years since I was there, but the owner (Maurice Bitter - assuming he is still around) was a nice old guy who was a real devotee of the South Pacific, and I remember he sold handcrafts as well as books.

CN

That is correct. Lots of galleries in the Latin Quarter providing African and Oceanic arts. Lots of different exhibitions from time to time on different museums too.

Of course, there is since that original post the Quai Branly, the best collection of Oceanic Arts, with a Moai Head in the garden (near the Eiffel Tower).

Bars : still no tiki bars here (and no proof yet of ones in the past). But rum bars such as "La Rhumerie" still at its location since the 30's, and the new "Experimental cocktail club","Prescription Cocktail Club" and "Curio Parlor" serves awesome drinks, even if not tiki bars per se. (check out my thread on those bars).

Rum store : my friend Christian at "Christian de Montaguère" (rue de l'abbé Grégoire) has a collection of more than 300 rums, plus soft, syrups, and everything from the Caribean.

Faré Tahiti : a tahitian restaurant in Paris. Nothing special, but nice, they have Hinano (better than their cocktails) and shows on week ends.

Stores : for modern tiki mugs, books, records... : Mademoiselle Vegas in the Marais, and Born Bad/Born Bad Exotica in Bastille.

sounds like the tiki factor will be added to the itinerary of my short vacance after all (the initial plan was industrial music and designer bags). I'll definitely search for the galleries and the bookstore (and needless to say - the museum) and get my liquor quota in town. thanks for the info - will update if there's anything to update.

Back from the city of lights, with blistered hands swollen feet and designer bags.
I visited the 3 new bars you mentioned, Virani.
I liked the drinks served in the 3 of them but the ECC was my favourite and I spent 2 evenings there. The atmosphere was friendly, I clicked with the bartenders who let me sample spiced ElDorado and went experimenting per my cravings and also the crowd was good.
But the drinks served at all bars were really good. The Prescription's version of the zombie (not as heavy as the Exotica recipe that we finally mixed last summer) was tasty and refreshing and the Jungle Bird at the Curio Parlor was made with fresh pineapple and served in a moai mug - always exciting for me.
La Rhumerie - crowded and cheerful. Drank a bleh daiquiri there. Should've opted for the Ti Punch I guess.

Christian de Montaguère - what a store! I went there with a full intention to add a bottle of Metusalem to my collection, but was invited to taste all sorts of rum from the French colonies and ended up buying Toz Gold from Saint Lucia (http://www.saintluciarums.com/toz.html - yes, the "younger but sophisticated consumer who appreciates the fine things in life" is certainly me).

The museum - all its wings - was fascinating. Also, PNG stuff kept appearing all over, in non-gallery storefronts and even in Pompidou center.

On 2010-11-22 08:32, nuKKe wrote:
La Rhumerie - crowded and cheerful. Drank a bleh daiquiri there. Should've opted for the Ti Punch I guess.

Oh yes ! I should have mention. Only the Punches are good there (but you can also sample great french rums), and the finger food.
I also agree with what you said on the Zombie, and yes, Christian's store is amazing.

Glad you had a good experience in Paris.

Hey Nick, it looks like I am gonna be in Paris for a week in the middle of January :)

Very cool Sven, I have to take you to these new cocktail bars, with some of the tiki tribe France crew.

This thread reminds me i have to find my photos from the South of France and post them here. I found some quite interesting tiki interpretations down there! Next time i'm in Paris will definitely have to check out those bars.

On 2003-09-17 10:06, virani wrote:
As well as the tiki restaurant in Cagnes, there's also a very bad (but with a big tiki sign) junkfood restaurant named "caféteria tiki" in Royan (north of Bordeaux). The tiki-pizza is just awfull (the waitress told me that she never saw anyone finishing it !!!). They have tiki ashtray (is that the correct spelling ??) and menu. Drinks are very bad and nothing really exotic in it (except a nice view on the beach).
This restaurant is famous in the area for family dining.

In Cagnes, the owner has visited Tahiti and he came back with the idea of that restaurant. The Tiki cocktail is made with cocnut milk, rhum and ginger (quite strange but good), the maitai is good and they have many 3 more differents cocktails.
The food contains some fish plates, beef mixture "à la tahitienne", and there's all the traditional plates a really good desert made with mashed bananas, coconut milk and capiocas. The menu (with the tiki cocktail, one appetizer, entree and desert) is about $25. There is some nice tahitian music, and you get the lei when you enter the restaurant.
the exact adress is : tiki, 1 avenue des oliviers (angle boulevard de la plage) 06800 cagnes s/ mer
tel : 04 92 12 16 75

and you can see me in paris doing "Paris tiki room" parties...with cocktails, decors, and exotica music...

Been to the one in Royan,,,,,,,,,,,,and it WAS bad!

I should add now on this thread that there is a tiki bar in Paris : le tiki lounge.
See the thread here : http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=41953&forum=2

Also, for those interested in buying french islands rum during your stay in Paris, there is a new rum store with more almost 400 bottles from almost 40 countries.
It's called "A'Rhum", and it's : 34, rue du Grenier St Lazare. In the 3rd arrondissement. Very central Paris.