NYC's 4 Best Tiki Bars
PKNY
49 Essex St.
New York, NY
(212) 777-8454
pk-ny.com
The massive cocktail menu at this hip underground tiki den (formerly known as Painkiller) includes a section dedicated to Scorpion Bowls, potent punches doused with 151 rum for four to six people to share. Many of the cocktails here are twists on the classic 1930s recipes from Don the Beachcomber and Trader Vic's, and all use fresh ingredients blended at the bar--some are even lit on fire. Try the Bermuda Swizzle (Gosling's Black Seal Rum, Velvet Falernum, lime juice, pineapple juice and Angostura Bitters), and feel your pain slip away.
Lani Kai
525 Broome St.
New York, NY
(646) 596-8778
lanikainy.com
Opened last fall by Julie Reiner (Clover Club, Flatiron Lounge), Lani Kai's modern tropical drink menu is inspired by Reiner's childhood in Hawaii. The subtly decorated bi-level space features a dining room upstairs and a lounge downstairs. Sip a Leilani's Fizz (gin, lychee juice, lime juice, lemongrass syrup and club soda) and nibble on a pu pu platter, and you've booked yourself a virtual island getaway.
Riff Raff's
360 Park Ave. South
New York, NY
(212) 951-7111
riffraffsnyc.com
This basement lounge underneath The Hurricane Club, a Polynesian-themed restaurant, mixes tiki culture with the nightclub party scene. Bottle service is replaced by tiki service, and drinks are served in oversized vessels ranging from plastic flamingo fountains to coconuts hanging from a portable palm tree. Don't be surprised if a conga line breaks out after midnight.
Otto's Shrunken Head
548 E. 14th St.
New York, NY
(212) 228-2240
ottosshrunkenhead.com
Kitschy before it was cool again, this East Village haunt has a tiki-meets-punk bar feel that has made it popular over the years. The bar is decorated with bamboo and colorful blowfish lamps, and drinks here are cheap by New York standards. Drink a mai tai or a zombie from a tiki mug and, on most nights, catch live rockabilly or surf rock in the back room.
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Selena Ricks-Good writes about drinks and produces events as The Dizzy Fizz.
