Story: Barcelona Tiki

Barcelona is best known for its stunning array of art, modernist architecture, and majestic gothic sector, but few are aware of another title the city proudly holds—Tiki Mecca.

Yes Tiki—as in pupu platters, funky mugs, fruity drinks, Don Ho, and the “bad luck” necklace Greg Brady found in Hawaii on the Brady Bunch. Originally established in California by Donn “the Beachcomber” Beach and Victor “Trader Vic” Bergeron as a tropical retreat for city dwellers, Tiki has been a huge cultural entity in the United States since the 1930s and has recently experienced a rebirth throughout the country.

Spain, however, is as far removed from Polynesian and California culture as Siberia, yet nestled amongst the ever-winding streets and boutique shops are no less than three perfectly preserved Tiki bars—Kahiki, Kahala, and Aloha.

Vintage, Not Retro
Unlike many of the Tiki establishments in the United States, the Tiki bars of Barcelona are not theme pubs, kitschy Chinese restaurants, or bad attempts to cash in on a trend. The two places my wife and I visited on our recent trip to Spain looked as if they had been frozen in time, adorned with dozens of hand-carved statues of South American-inspired Tiki gods.

Located in a less touristy, urban area off Las Ramblas, the Kahiki is the easiest of the Tiki bars to find and includes all the styling of a classic Tiki bar, with clay masks along all the walls, low lighting, and a very relaxing atmosphere.

The local clientele didn’t even seem aware that the bamboo-clad cantina was any different than the other hip bars in town. In fact, the night we visited the establishment appeared to be more of a local make-out spot. Every miniature Tiki hut that lined the room had a pair of necking teens inside. The drinks were fruity and hardly tasted as strong as their namesakes—The Zombie, The Suffering Bastardo, etc.—but the place was had a great vibe.

One if the most difficult Tiki bars to get to by foot is the Kahala, but it’s well worth the visit. The place is massive, teeming with aquariums, classic monkey lamps, stoic statues, and a bar that stretches for miles. Nothing about the bar is tacky—no puffer fish hanging from the feeling or Tiki torches on the wall—just classic Tiki imagery against dark wood walls.

We got there a touch early and waited anxiously for the proprietors to open the doors. At six sharp the bar opened, and a jovial bartender came out yelling, “Americans…Tiki…Welcome to Kahala.

After the long walk, we could only get out two words “Mai Tai.” Those two one-syllable words cross all translations and within moments we had a masterfully made exotic drink, culled together from at least three top-shelf rums with only a touch of fruitiness.

With a few drinks under our belts, the bartenders started making small talk with the little English they knew. They were amazed at how many tourists travel the world looking for Tiki and they loved the fact that we cared about the history of the bar and its décor. Our two libation servers decided to show off their tricks, bathing the bar in dry ice and lighting sparklers in mugs for us to take pictures of. The best part—we actually got to buy some of the drinking vessels.

Tiki Mugs
You can’t talk about Tiki without mentioning mugs. Barcelona’s Tiki mugs are as unique as the city. Looking nothing like their US totem pole counterparts, the mugs borrow liberally from Aztec style and tend to be more angular. Names like Dr. Funk and Feather Face make them all the more appealing, and many of the vessels have a separate compartment for dry ice, which the bartenders are more than willing to fill with billowing white smoke.

Trying to buy the mugs (most of which are made only in Spain) is another story. Unless you are even remotely fluent in Spanish, its very difficult go make the bartender understand that you want to purchase one. At the Kahiki, neither of the hula shirts-clad servers understood why anyone would want to own one of the “ugly” mugs and refused to sell them.

We struck gold at the Kahala, where one of the bar backs spoke enough English to let me know that the mugs were for sale, but at a steep cost—35 Euros each, or roughly $50 at the time. Figuring I was never going to get this chance again, I dropped $150 on three and carefully packed and carried them back to the States.

Sadly, we didn’t get to visit the third of Barcelona’s Tiki lounges, The Aloha, but I hear the place is just as cool and well worth scouting out. For tourists looking for something different to do on a Barcelona adventure, spend a night out Tiki crawling, just don’t forget to tip your waiters and try to buy a mug. Mahalo.

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