Trip Report - Dusseldorf, Germany

I recently went to Dusseldorf because I had been offered a job there. I knew the Trader Vics in that city had closed long ago, and I wasn't expecting to find any Tiki, although I do know how much Germans love Polynesian Pop.

While staying in Altstadt (the old town part of the city), I came across not one, but two tiki bars!!!

The first is called Maitai (one word). The inside is nicely decorated in bamboo and thatch. There are blowfish lamps over the bar, and a lot of tropical elements throughout. There is also a large photo mural near the door, depicting a Hawaii-style beach. Maitai doesn't have any actual Tikis, but makes do with Bali-style statues strategically located inside. In addition to the bar, there are tables scattered throughout. No food was available, but the drinks were sehr gut!!!

Maitai has a very extensive drink menu. There appeared to be well over 70 different drink offerings. The potentcy of each drink was indicated with a scale of circles, 1 being the mildest and 5 being the most potent. A Zombie had 5 circles, and a Mai Tai had 3.

I sat at the bar and ordered a Mai Tai. While waiting for the drink, I thought about buying or 'liberating' a drink menu, but decided better of it (don't mess with Germans!). The bar tender made the drink using a variety of fruit juices, and I feared that the drink would be very fruity. While waiting, the Asian barmaid brought me a small bowl of peanuts.

When the drink finally came, I observed it carefully. The color was right... a nice brownish tint, not red. And the drink was nicely decorated with a garnish, curiously using non-tropical fruits like honeydew melon and grapes. I supposed this made sense, since tropical fruits in Germany might either be cost prohibitive or just difficult to come by.

When I took the first sip, I was very pleasantly surprised! It was a very good drink. Not too sweet, and the fruit, while noticeable, was not overwhelming. And the potency was actually quite strong... and this was a 3 circle drink. I thought about trying a 5 circle drink, but being jet lagged, I thought better of it. This was actually one of the better Mai Tais I have had. Strong, flavorful, and not too sweet. And nicely garnished too!!!

My second drink of the night was a Blue Hawaiian. I selected this because of small signs throughout the bar advertising them for 5.50 Euro. Like the Mai Tai, the Blue Hawaiian was a 3 circle drink. And when it arrived, it too was nicely garnished. The color was a nice cloudy blue. It had a nice coconut flavor, and while strong, seemed a bit more mild than the Mai Tai. In the end, a very satisfying drink. Afterwords, I staggered back to my hotel.

One reason for my trip was to gauge cost-of-living in Germany. And tropical drinks, like most everything else in Germany, is more expensive than in the United States. The regular price of my drinks were 8.30 Euro each for the Mai Tai and Blue Hawaiian. The Happy Hour price was 6.15 Euro for the Mai Tai, 5.50 Euro for the Blue Hawaiian. At the current exchange rate (9/22/07), this translates out to: $11.70 for the non-Happy Hour price, and $8.66 for the Happy Hour Mai Tai, and $7.75 for the Happy Hour Blue Hawaiian.

The second bar is called Kontiki. It is located two buildings north of the MaiTai. I didn't get a chance to go inside, but I did see a large Tiki just inside the doorway. Perhaps next time...

I really thought highly of the Maitai, and that place, along with the Kontiki, should put Dusseldorf back on the Tiki map. Trader Vics is long gone, but Tiki is most certainly not dead in this city!!!

Exterior of the Maitai

Bar of the Maitai - note blowfish lamps

Tropical mural inside the Maitai

The Mai Tai in the Maitai - note the garnish

The Blue Hawaiian in the Maitai

The exterior of the Kontiki

A tiki peering out of the gloom inside the Kontiki

Business card from the Maitai

Backside of the business card from the Maitai - note it reads 'Caribische Cocktail-Bar'