Waiana Tiki Bar sits at Glockengasse 7 in Zurich's old town, a tropical room a few steps from Bahnhofstrasse. The trade title Mixology calls it the first tiki bar in Zurich, a Polynesian hideaway of carved wooden masks, bamboo and drinks poured in painted tiki mugs. It keeps short, evening-only hours, opening at 4pm from Tuesday to Sunday.
Published October 11, 2025 · By James Harlow
The room
The bar reads as a house within a house, the framing Mixology used at its opening, set inside one of the old town's historic buildings. Carved tiki masks line the walls, bamboo and rattan fill out the seating, and warm low light stands in for a tropical dusk. The space is compact, so it feels like a tucked-away grotto rather than a large lounge.
Reviewers on Tripadvisor and the Swiss guide bestbars.ch point to the detail of the build, from the mugs to the masks, as the reason to come. The modest seat count keeps the bar full on weekend nights. It trades the marble-and-mirror polish of central Zurich for a deliberately playful tropical look.
What to order
The list runs on rum and classic tiki templates. The Mai Tai is the house anchor, joined by a strong, well-rated Zombie and the Kailani, a signature built on grapefruit sherbet. The Bored Panda is another of the bar's own creations that regulars name. Each lands in a tiki mug rather than a coupe, in keeping with the format.
Garnishes run long and the pours are spirit-forward, so two drinks make a full evening. Prices sit in the upper Zurich band, in line with a craft cocktail bar in Kreis 1. The focus is mixed drinks rather than beer or wine.
Who it is for
Waiana suits anyone after a themed cocktail night with friends, a novelty date, or a warm-weather mood in a landlocked city. It is not the choice for a quiet conversation or a wine list, since the draw is the rum, the mugs and the decor. Visitors staying near Bahnhofstrasse or the main station reach it on a short walk.
Best time to go
The bar opens at 4pm and runs to 11pm Tuesday through Thursday, then to midnight Friday through Sunday, and stays closed on Monday. Earlier in the evening is the calmer window, since the small room fills on weekend nights. Booking ahead is the safer plan for a Friday or Saturday group.
Getting there is a short walk from Zurich main station or a tram into Kreis 1, with Glockengasse running off the lower old town near Bahnhofstrasse. The room is small, so a group should reserve for the weekend. A weeknight visit is the quieter way to work through the rum list.
The detail worth knowing
The billing worth knowing is the first-in-the-city claim: Mixology and BAR NEWS both frame Waiana as Zurich's first dedicated tiki bar, a gap the venue filled in a market long built around polished cocktail rooms. That position, plus the carved-mug presentation, is what the coverage keeps returning to. The Swiss tourism board also lists it among the city's bars worth a stop.
The bottom line
Waiana Tiki Bar is Zurich's tropical outlier, a small old-town room of carved masks and rum drinks served in tiki mugs at Glockengasse 7. Come for a Mai Tai, a Zombie or the grapefruit Kailani, arrive early on a weekend, and treat it as a themed night rather than a quiet drink. For a Polynesian break from the city's marble cocktail bars, it is the one address that holds the lane.
Keep exploring with our best tiki bars in Zurich guide, the full Zurich bar guide, and our edit of cocktail bars worldwide. Pair Waiana with Bar 1842 at Baur au Lac, Old Crow, and Raygrodski.
