LEGENDARY TIKI

Tiki Tatsu-Ya is the result of nearly a decade of research, dreaming, collection, and collaboration. 

The aim was to create the lushest of tiki bars with a distinct Tatsu-Ya point of view. To create an immersive experience, we closed in the space, so there’s no connection to the outside world. The Tatsu-Ya crew created a backstory that’s a throughline – you can see it in the scale model ship, in the island diorama, in the carefully-illustrated map on the wall, in the story you can hear told in the restrooms. There are video projections, infrared triggers, cave formations – and when you order special drinks, light, video, and sound come to life that you can feel reverberating through the banquettes. Nearly everything in the space is either custom-made, carved by hand, or a collected tiki artifact – from the furniture to the stir sticks and tiki mugs and the totems and skulls carved into the walls. 

Decorative wall with a large green sculpture of a mythological figure's face, surrounded by rocks, plants, and illuminated with colorful lighting in a themed interior space.
A cozy dining room with wooden walls, a long glass-topped table with stools, and a mountain landscape painting on the wall.
A staircase leading to a wooden door, with walls decorated with woven panels and framed pictures, and a ceiling adorned with wicker and rattan lamps and light fixtures.

The private dining “captain’s” room features a scale diorama of the fabled island that explorers shipwrecked on in the Tiki Tatsu-Ya tale. 

Interior of a restaurant with Polynesian decor, featuring carved masks and Afrocentric artwork on a textured stone wall, a round table with a glass top filled with rocks and shells, and woven furniture.
Corner booth of a restaurant with dark blue upholstered seating, a wooden table, blue patterned curtains, bamboo wall decor, illuminated figurine decorations, and hanging pufferfish lamps.

A shibori booth with Japanese figurines is a reference to the Aikawa twist on the tiki theme – and the Japanese explorers in the story. 

Colorful bar with illuminated shelves filled with various bottles of alcohol, and bar stools in front of the counter.
Open door revealing illuminated indoor space with a rock wall and decorative plants, warm lighting, and stepping lights.
Interior of a tropical-themed restaurant or lounge with bamboo walls, tribal masks, and carved wooden art pieces. Soft, warm lighting from hanging lamps and colorful window blinds creates a cozy atmosphere with wooden tables and wicker chairs.

Each table on the first floor boasts a collection of unique tiki ephemera, collected throughout the US.

A corner of a room decorated with skulls on the rocky wall, pink hanging lights, and wicker furniture around a circular table with lighting underneath the glass top.
Cozy restaurant booth with a glass-top table, cushioned benches, stone walls, decorative shelves, and warm lantern lighting.
storefront with yellow sign displaying 'Aikawa Tropical Tours', contact number, palm trees, and flying airplane icon, with wooden and concrete exterior, front window, and door, advertising travel deals and cheap flights.

The “front” entrance became closed in (entry is at the “back” of the building), and we created a faux throwback travel agency that figures into the backstory of Tiki Tatsu-Ya. 

A modern restaurant with wooden exterior panels, outdoor seating, and red decorative lighting during dusk.