Tropical drinks, ukelele music, kitschy midcentury decor: it's impossible to resist the charms of a tiki bar, especially when there's a pu pu platter involved. Here are five places around D.C. where you can raise your glass (and tiny umbrella) to tiki, from dedicated palaces of tropical beverages to under-the-radar spots serving great tiki drinks.
Farmers Fishers Bakers
The Washington Harbour
It isn't a tiki bar per se, but this farm-to-table restaurant boasts one of D.C.'s most extensive menus of tiki drinks, including three kinds of piña coladas, a wide swath of Caribbean swizzles, and daiquiris galore. The signature Tiki Enlightenment, Silencio Nights, and 1703 cocktails run $25 a pop, but they come with the ultra-cool house tiki mugs (pictured above) to take home. And while there may not be any pu pu platters, the extensive menu means you can pair your tiki cocktail with everything from pizza to sushi to jambalaya.
Archipelago
U Street Corridor
Step inside D.C.'s only dedicated tiki bar, and you'll feel like you've been transported to a remote island without leaving the District. With hula-girl lamps, parrot-shaped mugs, and framed surf-rock records on the walls, it's got a groovy '50s vibe, right down to the Hawaiian-shirt-wearing bartenders. Bring a friend to happy hour (5-7pm), and you can split the famous Pineapple of Hospitality—a whole pineapple filled with enough "rum and secrets" to serve two—for just $16.
Copycat Co.
H Street Corridor/Atlas District/Near Northeast
If somebody tells you that piña coladas and Chinese food don't go together, point them in the direction of Copycat Co. Situated in the H Street Corridor since 2014, this Chinese restaurant is as renowned for its cocktails as it is for its potstickers and bao. The menu is always changing, but the skillful bartenders are happy to whip up something tiki-inspired, from a Jungle Bird to a Mai Tai.
Bar Charley
Dupont Circle
Bar Charley may be best known for its brunch offerings, but it also has some of the best tropical drinks in town. Try the scorpion bowl, which is large enough to get the party started for two to four people—if you order it on a Sunday, you'll get half off a steak. Prefer to have your own drink? They've got a full lineup of tiki classics, from Painkillers to Suffering Bastards. And there are some fun bar snacks, like Korean-style chicken wings.
Barmini
Penn Quarter
With a menu of more than 100 drinks, it's no surprise that José Andres' innovative cocktail bar has some great tropical and tiki-inspired options. Try the Daisy de Santiago (rum, lime, chartreuse, sugar), El Presidente (rum, curacao dry vermouth, grenadine), or Dark & Stormy (dark rum, ginger beer, lime) for $14-16, or opt for one of the three cocktail flights ($40-$60) to sample the full range of the menu.
