Top Six in the 6: Tiki Bars

Opaque windows and a heavy velvet curtain beyond the front door prevents passers by from glimpsing into this Queen West bar, making your first entrance into this all-out tiki joint even more entertaining. Shameful’s decor spans floor to ceiling with straw mats and bamboo stalks decorating the walls to high-backed rattan chairs and carved totems in every corner. Hawaiian shirt-clad bar staff sling retro cocktails and punch bowls, the latter of which are accompanied by the appropriate fanfare (gong and/or fog machine). Helpfully, its menu offers a rum-barrel rating of its alcoholic strength.

After a fire in a neighbouring storefront put Patois out of commission for over a year, the Dundas Street restaurant is back in full-force serving up their Caribbean-Chinese fare for the masses. While not exclusively tiki, tropical fruit and colourful umbrellas make an appearance in or on top of the majority of its rum-soaked beverage offerings. New to its cocktail menu is the Party Pineapple – a tequila-beer combo served in the feature fruit with optional sparklers. 

This Parkdale eatery reminds us that tiki culture goes beyond umbrella-topped cocktails. Chef Paul Hadian’s menu merges Asian and tropical, seafood-focused offerings like a shrimp “po’ bao” and fried rice served in a hollowed-out pineapple. Miss Things’ cocktails follow suit, incorporating flavours such as pandan and lemongrass sake, some of which are served in hollowed-out produce (coconut, watermelon). 

Tropical-print wallpaper, colourful decor and delightful staff (dressed in equally vibrant printed shirts) help contribute to the laid-back island vibes in Chubby’s. Appropriately on-theme, Chubby’s boasts a rum-heavy cocktail list with plenty of fresh fruit flavours. One of their signature options is the Calabash Bay, made with Kraken rum, amaretto, pineapple juice and coconut cream served in a hollowed-out pineapple.

This steadfast punk rock venue has been around since 1991 but it was only a few years ago that it gained an unlikely alter ego by renovating its rooftop into a Polynesian tiki bar. Outdoor heaters keep the bar going in winter for an entertaining clash of climates, sipping umbrella-topped Mai Tais as snow falls on the bar’s straw thatched roof. Bovine’s impressive rum collection fuels its cocktail menu.