arrow-down arrow-left arrow-right arrow-up play-button plus tab-indicator dots close menu search facebook google-plus instagram pinterest rss twitter tiktok youtube rss-two heart Check FeaturedBadge linkedin minus apps placeholder linkedin

San Diego Tiki Bars

Exotic rum punches and smoking volcano bowls

It's no wonder tiki is alive and well in sunny seaside San Diego — who doesn't love good food, delicious drinks in funny mugs, and uplifting music in a tropical setting? Exploring San Diego's tiki culture and scene reveals that it's not just a trend or lifestyle, it's a state of mind.

By: Ann Wycoff

Tiki Takes Off in San Diego

Exotic rum punches and smoking volcano bowls. Flower leis and fruit garnishes. Kitschy décor and flaming torches. Palm trees and palapa huts. Handcarved idols and Hula girls. Kool kats and kittens. The rummy mai tai stands as the anchor cocktail of tiki's retro-cool culture, but there are also Zombies, Grogs, PainKillers and Scorpion Bowls, just to name a few.

San Diego's tiki roots go way back to the 1950s, with tiki heritage found in the architecture, art, bar scene, menus and more. And a wave of new, tiki-style watering holes and eateries have opened their doors in San Diego, celebrating this vibrant slice of culture with creative beverages and Polynesian-inspired eats.

Mai Tais - Catamaran Resort Hotel & Spa

Old Favorites

Town and Country Resort

The beautifully renovated Town and Country in Mission Valley hosts the annual summer Tiki Oasis Convention, drawing the country's largest gathering of tiki devotees for pool parties and tropical fun.

Where: 500 Hotel Circle N, San Diego, CA 92108
> Find out more about the Town and Country Resort

The Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

This Mission Bay resort boasts island-inspired architecture, tropical gardens, koi ponds and a tiki torch-lit outdoor bar called Moray's, a winsome spot for a mai tai and some sushi. The resort also hosts summertime luaus — Polynesian feasts with music, hula and torch dancers.

Where: 3999 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109
> Find out more about the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa

Kona Kai Resort & Spa

Kona Kai Resort & Spa inspires more tiki-style fun with its thatched-roof tiki bar and poolside cabanas for mojitos and mai tais.Belly up to the bar for a Perfect Storm — Black Magic rum, ginger beer and lime — which pairs nicely with chef's seafood poke, plump with tuna, salmon, and shrimp in sesame ginger ponzu with taro chips.

Where: 1551 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106
> Find out more about Kona Kai Resort & Spa

Bali Hai Restaurant

A naval town and gateway to the Pacific, San Diego has long embraced all things tiki. Bali Hai, on Shelter Island, set the tiki tone in 1954 as a Polynesian paradise, replete with handcarved sculptures, Polynesian artifacts, tapa cloths and Mr. Bali Hai ceramic mugs cradling potent, rum-infused mai tais. Their Pacific Rim-style menu spotlights beautiful fresh fish, poke, hamachi, papaya-shrimp salad and more.

Where: 2230 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

San Diego Tiki

One Bright Idea

If you’re an adventurer, this is for you. Especially if most of your adventures include rum. San Diego’s Tiki scene has exploded, and it’s all about crazy-cool cocktails, amazing decor, good vibes and a feeling that you’re far away from the usual. Make your escape to the Tiki side in this episode of San Diego’s “One Bright Idea” series.

False Idol

New Wave of Tiki

The Nolen

The Nolen, has a tiki menu with five colorful refreshers like their Painkiller on draft with pineapple, orange, rum, coconut and freshly grated nutmeg. Or order up an off-menu Junglebird from their spirit savant, bar lead Andrew Larson. He will create a little fire element to the rum and Campari drink by igniting cinnamon. Bar grub like carnitas-jalepeno-salva-verde flatbreads or chili-glazed meatballs over Idaho potato frites soak up the rum.

Where: 453 6th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
> Find out more about The Nolen

Kindred

South Park's revved-up vegan restaurant Kindred hosts "Permanent Vacation" Thursdays, a pop-up, tiki takeover with tropical elixirs and eats. Expect a rotating menu of nuclear rum drinks with fresh juices from bar whiz David Kinsey and Polynesian bites like orange miso-glazed seitin with grilled pineapple and a mango sweet potato aioli dipping sauce. Orchids and mid-century Exotica music add to the ambiance.

Where: 1503 30th St, San Diego, CA 92102

The Grass Skirt

Hidden behind Pacific Beach restaurant Good Time Poke, this Polynesian-style speakeasy takes its cues from classic spots like Trader Vic's and Don the Beachcomber. Beverage director Stephen Tuttle's menu includes classics (Painkiller, Mai Tai) and original creations, like The Tipsy Tentacle (black rum, biscotti liqueur, lime, pineapple, coconut, banana). And when you order one of the three punch bowls, the whole restaurant is treated to the sounds of a tropical rainstorm.

Where: 910 Grand Ave #101, San Diego, CA 92109

False Idol

Hidden inside Little Italy restaurant Craft & Commerce, False Idol's design is a trip. Martin Cate - the guy behind San Francisco's Smuggler's Cove - joined forces with Ignacio "Notch" Gonzalez and San Diego tiki artist Bosko Hrnjak to create an interior so full of clever details, you'll have to visit multiple times to take it all in. Consortium Holdings' head bartender Anthony Schmidt worked with Cate on a 38-cocktail menu that's part classics and part modern interpretations of classics. The menu also pays homage to San Diego tiki bars of yore, with cocktails from spots like the Barefoot Bar at Vacation Village, the Islands Bar at the Hanalei Hotel, and the Hotel Del's Luau Room.

Where: 675 W Beech St, San Diego, CA 92101

The Hive

Located in a large, warehouse-like space, Hive is a self-described "mega-restaurant." But keep an eye open for the guy behind the bar wearing a Hawaiian shirt. That's Ram Udwin, one of San Diego's finest tiki-cocktail makers (and founder of Boy Drinks World). For the first Sunday of the month, he comes up with a special menu of tiki cocktails, served from 5:00 to 9:00 PM. Stop by any other Sunday for some of his fancy rum drinks and to geek out on all things tiki.

Where: 4428 Convoy Street, San Diego, CA 92111

Miss B’s Coconut Club

“Miss B” is short for Mission Beach, and also a reference to the attractive woman who decades ago adorned marketing materials luring folks to San Diego beaches. While this bar and restaurant isn’t decked out in tiki decor, it pays homage to Mission Beach’s resort-town past with tropical libations like The Coconut Club (house rum mix, house orange-pineapple cordial, Coco Lopez) and The Lusca (house rum blend, guava-mango kombucha, nocello, citrus, honey, papaya).

Where: 3704 Mission Blvd, San Diego, CA 92109

Find a place to stay

Book online or call 1-800-350-6205 to speak with a local expert

Tiki Bars of San Diego Map

Related Articles and Features

Deals just for you

Restaurants

SHOW YOUR BADGE

Barleymash
Valid: Jun 26, 2023 - ongoing

Receive 1/2 off drinks with your San Diego Convention Center Badge!  Monday-Friday 3PM-5PM

Activities

Show Your Badge & Save at So Diego

So Diego
Valid: Jul 10, 2023 - ongoing

So Diego is a San Diego Tour company offering locals and visitors unique ways to explore America's Finest City. Learn the history of the Gaslamp Quarter, Little Italy, Old Town and La Jolla while...

Accommodation

Dana for Dogs Package

The Dana on Mission Bay
Valid: Nov 13, 2023 - ongoing

Eat, Fetch, Love your way to Happiness! Make the Dana on Mission Bay your four-legged-family members home away from home as well, with this special pet-friendly package. PACKAGE INCLUDES: Daily...

Events to check out

Event

San Diego Crew Classic

Apr 5 - Apr 7, 2024

Regarded as the first major regatta of the year, the San Diego Crew Classic brings together thousands of athletes from more than 100 universities, clubs and high school programs across the United...

Event

Port of San Diego's Day at the Docks

Apr 7, 2024

A San Diego sportfishing tradition, The Port Of San Diego’s Day At The Docks is the West Coast’s largest public celebration of sportfishing. Signaling the official start of Southern...

Event

La Jolla Half Marathon & Shores 5K

May 18, 2024

The La Jolla Half Marathon is one of America's most picturesque and beautiful point-to-point races. Starting at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, the course follows a scenic coastal route before reaching the...

Stay in touch

Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.

Sign Up

Partners

Explore

Plan

Stay

Follow Us

Language:

English | Change Language

Select your country or region

China
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
Mexico
Korea
Switzerland
Brazil
France
Australia
Canada
USA

Or use Google Translate

Afrikaans
Albanian
Arabic
Belarusian
Bulgarian
Croatian
Danish
Deutsch
Español
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Francais
Georgian
Greek
Haitian-Creole
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Nederlands
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukranian
Vietnamese
Yiddish