Tiki Beijing: A Tropical Journey to Three Beijing Bars
In the labyrinth hutongs of Beijing, beside residential compounds, you’ll find hidden clubs, cafés, and, yes, even Tiki bars. Punks, street artists and rum lovers emerge, all looking for an escape from the mundane of the day-to-day, with a strong libation in hand.
The Legend of the Bungalow
While the hutongs act as an escape from the city's humdrum, their mostly residential status makes it hard to run a business in their vicinity. Noise complaints are plenty, as are nosy neighbors looking out for anything they deem “unusual.”
It’s such well-meaning fervor that nearly ended the run of Beijing’s first Tiki bar and would have had it not been for a few enterprising new owners and bartenders who took over to save it. “When I found out Tiki Bungalow was closing in 2018,” says manager Davy, “I joined [the team] to help save one of my favorite places in the city.”
The Tiki Bungalow & Cocktail Bar has moved countless times since it popped up on the scene in 2015, but it is local loyal fans like Davy that stepped in to save it when the original expat owners left China.
Today, Davy, sporting long locks, tattoos, and an Aloha shirt, holds court behind the stick at the Bungalow, which lies hidden down a small corridor between a concrete wall, to the left of craft brewery Peiping Machine. Of those who stumble into the bar, Davy laughs, saying they’ll exclaim, “Wow, Beijing has its own Hawaii!”
The Bungalow stays as true to form for a Tiki bar as it gets, with rattan-covered walls, masks and other embellishments. Davy says the style and drinks have earned it the moniker “the Office of Hawaii in China.” Said drinks are true to form as well, with classics like Mai Tais, Jet Pilots, Zombies, and even cocktails for sharing, like their signature Volcano Bowl, Davy’s personal favorite.
It’s become an institution and an ever-expanding brand as well. Davy shares that he’s recently become the ambassador for Giffard China, with whom he’s shared Tiki drinks all over the country. Their collaborations with nightclubs and other bars for Tiki nights have brought in new customers to give the Bungalow a try, be they from near or afar.
Tiki Bungalow & Cocktail Bar
46 Fangjia Hutong, Dongcheng District (entrance behind building to left of Peiping Machine)
东城区方家胡同46号
Hours: 7pm-2am (Mon-Thurs & Sun); 7pm-3.30am (Fri-Sat)
Phone: 131 4101 5937
Beyond the Bungalow
Tiki Bungalow isn’t the only Tiki bar in Beijing; others have come into the fold since 2020. One such bar counts itself as “Tiki-adjacent,” offering a different sort of dive within a traditional courtyard house. Here, in the central garden and rooms filled with antiques, retro chic decor, and Kung Fu memorabilia, you’ll find strong rum-based drinks.
The Gate of the Nine Dragons is more about Kung Fu with a bit of Tiki thrown into the mix. Laurence Brahm, an American filmmaker and martial arts enthusiast who hails from Hawaii, founded the venue as a center of subculture to encourage youth creativity in music and the arts. It holds regular symposiums in the courtyard garden and concerts in a small converted bomb shelter beneath a garden rock feature.
Growing up in Honolulu, Brahm learned to respect the Tiki idols on the island as representations of Polynesian gods. This has shaped his overall thoughts on the subculture, and he sees it as an offshoot – something to be enjoyed as an embellishment of Tiki idols – not reality.
Brahm was also exposed to the history of the Chinese Triad secret societies there, many of whom had their own Kung Fu schools – some of which still stand today – and who aided Sun Yat-sen in the creation of the Republic of China. Chinese businesses also held a monopoly over sugar production in Honolulu, providing a little link to the world of Tiki.
Keeping all this history in mind, the drinks here lean on myths of secret societies linked to Kung Fu and tales of Old China. Rum factors in to all, like the Triad Boss, made of white rum, banana juice, and coconut; and Lotus Ladies, made of black rum, summer fruits, and other tasty flavors.
Gate of the Nine Dragons 寻找功夫九龙门书院
9 Dongsi Liutiao, Dongcheng District
东城区东四六条9号
Contact: 010 8401 8886
Keeping Things Tiki at The Local
Venture beyond the hutongs and you’ll find one more Tiki gem, albeit one that isn’t a proper Tiki bar.
Enter The Local, a two-story bar in the heart of the city’s premier nightlife spot, Sanlitun. The bar and restaurant is as American as it gets, with beer, burgers, wings – and a solid menu of Tiki classics, courtesy of owner Kenn Bermel.
While Bermel used to think Tiki was all about kitsch, visits to legendary bars like Last Rites in San Francisco and regular stops by Tiki Bungalow changed his mind. He realized that “behind all the kitsch, you’ll find amazing cocktails and bartenders.”
The strong drinks and the history of strong rivalries between Tiki’s originators inspired Bermel to go out and find all the different rums and ingredients needed to make Tiki a reality at The Local.
“We tried maybe 30 different cocktails,” Bermel recalls, “but only kept the ones we felt were really good. We put them on the menu around 2017, and they’re definitely more popular now than when we brought them in.”
Of the menu of ten drinks, which include the likes of the Nui Nui, Mai Tai, and Navy Grog, Bermel counts the Fog Cutter as his personal favorite thanks to its uncommon pairing of liquors. As for a customer favorite, that’s the Beach Walker, The Local’s take on the Zombie.
Bermel is proud of the menu they’ve created, with hopes that he can introduce the cult of Tiki to more patrons. During our interview, he mentioned that he might bring back weekly Tiki nights so more people can try them.
Deep in the heart of Beijing, Tiki is here to be found. These three bars act as conduits for the thirsty masses, bringing modern drinkers on a journey to their own enchanted island with every sip they take, each spot's variation on a rum rhapsody a new melody to enjoy.
The Local Bar & Grill
1/F, 101, Southeast of Zone E, Bldg 80, Courtyard No. 4, Gongrentiyuchang Beilu, Chaoyang District
朝阳区工人体育场北路4号院80号楼E区东南侧第一间101一层
Hours: 11am-2am
Contact: 010 6591 9525
READ: Beijing's Rooftops & Terraces: the Liangma River
Images: Uni You, courtesy of the venues
