The 12 Best Tiki Bars in Seoul

Order: Mai Tai with house orgeat. Mahalo brought serious tiki to Seoul in 2022 and remains the city's only programme built around the genre. The room sits 28 across booth and counter, with tiki carvings imported from Oahu. Order the Mai Tai and the rum flight. Reservations needed Friday and Saturday from 8pm.

Order: Painkiller and Zombie. The Lanai runs a Cheongdam tiki room with a 60-bottle rum list and a kitchen that takes its Hawaiian small plates seriously. The pour generosity earned it a fast local following. Friday nights book out by 9pm. The Zombie remains the room's signature.

Order: Jungle Bird. Volstead's tropical room sits behind the main speakeasy entrance and pours a tight 20-cocktail tiki menu. The bartenders trained on Beachbum Berry's catalogue. Order the Jungle Bird at 22,000 KRW. The room runs intimate and dimly lit.

Order: Navy Grog and Mai Tai. Trader Han's wears its Beachbum Berry inspiration openly, with a 40-rum list and a menu that respects the classics. The room reads bamboo-and-thatch in a way Seoul does not otherwise offer. The wings, glazed with house teriyaki, pair surprisingly well.

Order: Pina Colada done right. Aloha Lounge serves Gangnam's tropical-cocktail crowd at accessible prices, with 16 tiki drinks under 18,000 KRW and a steady playlist of 1960s Hawaiian. The room seats 40 across the main floor and a small mezzanine. Walk-ins fine on weeknights.

Order: Hurricane and Painkiller. Hideaway runs Hongdae's only dedicated tiki room, with a budget-friendly list and a young Korean crowd that fills the bar after 10pm. The Hurricane at 14,000 KRW remains the regulars' order. Last orders 2.30am.

Order: Suffering Bastard. Pago Pago programmes a 30-cocktail tiki list across three rum eras: pre-Prohibition, Don the Beachcomber, and modern. The room reads playful and detailed, with hand-carved tiki masks throughout. The Suffering Bastard runs strong; the food menu skews Pacific Rim.

Order: Mai Tai with aged Jamaican rum. Kahuna stocks 80 rums and runs the city's most serious aged-rum flight at 35,000 KRW. The room sits in a Gangnam basement, low-lit and bamboo-trimmed. The bartenders measure carefully; classics taste right. Reservations recommended Friday from 8pm.

Order: Fog Cutter. Mauna Loa runs a Cheongdam tropical-cocktail room with a 30-rum back bar and a tight menu of nine signature tiki drinks. The Fog Cutter and the Scorpion Bowl share top billing. The room reads more art-deco than thatched-tiki; it works.

Order: seasonal tiki specials. Coobar runs a rotating tropical menu within its main cocktail programme, with 12 tiki drinks designed by head bartender Lee Min-jae. The room remains primarily a serious cocktail bar; the tiki menu sits as a confident sideline. Order the Painkiller off-menu if it is not listed.

Order: Pineapple Daiquiri. Pineapple Lounge runs accessible tropical drinks in a 24-seat Hannam room, with cocktails from 16,000 KRW and a small plates kitchen. The Pineapple Daiquiri remains the regular's order. The room fills with a young crowd Thursday to Saturday.

Order: classic tiki menu. Tiki Itaewon opened in 2024 and runs a faithful Beachbum Berry programme, with 16 classics and four house originals. The bartenders are still earning their reputation; the pours are honest and the rum stock improving monthly. The Mai Tai runs solid.