Outside the Tonga Hut in North Hollywood, a giant Polynesian Moai statue greets those seeking a little tropical bliss. Wedged between a brightly-lit bridal shop and a model store on a quiet strip of Victory Boulevard sits the oldest remaining tiki joint in Los Angeles, dating back to 1958.
The Birth of the Tiki Bar
The tiki bar itself was an L.A. concoction, pioneered with Don’s Beachcomber Cafe in the 1930’s, which quickly became popular with Hollywood celebrities. This ushered in an era of south seas chic that saw the spread of tiki establishments across the country, famous for their exotic cuisine, rum-based cocktails, and wonderful island atmosphere. Created to give late night revelers dreamy island vibes to swoon over, tiki bars served as houses of island kitsch filled with the rich iconography of far away destinations like Tahiti, Fiji, Easter Island, Hawaii, and The Cook Islands, to name a few.
The Best Los Angeles Tiki Bars
The travel industry has since expanded, with authentic Oceanic culture more accessible than ever, but luckily a handful of tiki bars in Los Angeles are still going full swing. Among tiki aficionados, the best places to get your tiki buzz on are Tiki Ti, on Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake, Puka Bar, a Long Beach favorite with live bands and a bar lined with pufferfish lamps, and the Tonga Hut, a NoHo legend.
North Hollywood's Tonga Hut
The Tonga Hut piles in a hefty share of Polynesian revelers. A step across the threshold transports you away from the busy city and lands you in a soft-lit temple to south seas kitsch. The music is mellow, the lava-red lights are moody, and fog rolls over the back counter of the bar from a steaming volcano. Tiki carvings adorn the walls all around you, while overhead palm fronds woven with tropical flowers and strewn with glowing lights provide the perfect compliment to the exotic fountains and 70‘s-green booths beneath. Under the thatched-roof bar, you can sink in to the plush seats and escape with an island-fresh elixir made complete with frou- frou tropical umbrellas and fancy far-flung names. Try the Tonga Lei: a spicy-sweet infusion of crème de banana, coconut nectar, spiced rum and a clove liqueur from Barbados.
With no line and no cover, the Tonga Hut is ultra-relaxed and fabulously hassle-free. If you can't get away, the Tonga Hut will leave you smitten with a vicarious taste of the tropics that will sustain you until your next return to paradise.
12808 Victory Blvd.
North Hollywood
818-769-0708
Gayle Wheatley - Gayle Wheatley is a professional writer, designer, and artist based in Los Angeles, and the founder of Culture Vixen magazine.
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