They are keeping live music around! Relaxed, no stress venue! Good beer! Clean restroom! read more

See all

Tiki themed car. Casual spot, cute decor, really cute mugs. The tiki mugs are available for purchase and you need to place a refundable deposit on tiki mug drinks to ensure you don't leave with the mug. There is a back room with occasional live music. read more

See all

STEPH JUDGEMENT: Good drinks that were more memorable than the ambiance. Our second NY tiki bar stop! The unremarkable storefront bar's tiki-ness certainly suffered in comparison with the more elaborate and glamorous Paradise Lost (that we'd visited mere few hours before), but that didn't mean it was bad in any sense of the word. The decor seemed more perfunctory than inspired, but they did have a great selection of fun tiki glasses and some delicious drinks to put in them. I had the Stormy Skull (in a skull mug), and the hubby had the Creme-a-licious--both very good! The bartender was also friendly and efficient. It turned out to be a great last stop of the night for us. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Cheers! - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

It's a divey, college bar. Stronger drinks but low on quality. If you want to be sweaty and reminisce, it's a vibe. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I could've sworn they had a fish bowl drink,but it turns out the drink is called a volcano bowl.My friends & had a blast except for the dj doesn't know how to dj.He couldn't let not one finish before putting on the next song & I know how it should work because my dad dabbles with q dj system when I was growing up.Also I know plenty of death in the goth scene that doesn't do what this dj did on the night I was there(3/27/2026),but all in all everything else was fine. read more

See all

I enjoyed Otto's well enough! On the more dive-side of tiki, but it was solid. Drinks were totally fine and the service was friendly.

I came to Otto's for their vintage Photobooth but stayed for the atmosphere! The interior of this bar is super fun, the employees had great energy and were very helpful, and the drinks were good! They have a special menu of drinks that come in different fun shaped a take home cups! I couldn't resist and took home the cutest ceramic pig! Otto's is on my NY travel trip everyone from now on and I will be collecting every take home cup! read more

See all

Randomly came across this themed bar and decided to pop in for a drink, relax for a bit, and listen to some music before our local commitment. The bar had a great vibe with plenty of people, but it did not feel too crowded. The bartender was friendly and busy mixing everything from standard drinks to unique creations. We ordered a couple of their signature cocktails, and they were delicious. The atmosphere was cool, and the crowd was chill too. I would definitely come back to this place. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I wanted to rate it higher for the quirky neighborhood bar vibes, as well as some of the 80s synth music they played. There were some interesting characters hanging around, including one colorful guy with a mohawk and punk aesthetic and a drunk guy named Shaun/Shaun/Sean who wouldn't leave the average person alone. The inside is divey and cool, with Hawaiian velvet paintings and cool colors. The drinks just weren't great. Watered down and just didn't taste great. I say this after coming from Paradise Lost, a new tiki bar on the LES, which boasts fancy tiki drinks with prime ingredients, albeit more expensive. I had the shrunken skirt (mango, pineapple, cranberry). The wicked willie (passion fruit, pineapple, and a surprising kick, whatever that means). And ruby jewels (sweet cherry, tart fruit, tastes like summer all year round, except it didn't). The drinks were just not up to par. Service was decent. I am pretty sure based on my bill (for which the receipt was delivered by text and isn't itemized), they charged me for one of the tiki cups. For reference, this place charges you a deposit if you get a drink in a tiki mug, or you can choose a plain cup, or you can buy the mug outright. I chose the deposit every time, because I wanted the experience, but not the mug. I know two of them were refunded. I'm pretty sure the third was not. Anyway, dive bar neighborhood vibe. I don't regret trying this place out, but won't back. I consider my charge for the tiki mug that I didn't purchase as a contribution to the "LES culture preservation club." read more

See all

Just a fun dive bar with a punk vibe featuring live rock bands and creative strong cocktails served in tiki cups. I don't know how to describe this place. It's not your typical Tiki Bar. It's unique - it's colorful yet edgy, and sort of gritty. 4 stars - Overall, very fun and great live music. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

The tiki mugs are what keep me coming back. The whole establishment is amazing. I couldn't finish a mai tai one night because it was that good read more

I was reading Time Out's 2018 list of the "absolute best" tiki bars in NYC and saddened that several had closed their doors in the interim presumably due to the pandemic. Gratefully, Otto's has survived as Jamie W. and I were in the mood to get our heads similarly shrunken in the middle of a colorful East Village stroll. When we saw the fake grass, patio furniture on top of it, and a variety of tropical tchotchkes in the window on East 14th, we knew we found the place. It was retro-cool on the inside with old-timey floral wallpaper, blowfish light fixtures, naugahyde booths, zebra-skin stools, and bamboo wainscoting below the bar. There was also a back room where it looked like they have live music, and we definitely want to come back for that. But we settled ourselves quite easily in one of the booths and reviewed their extensive cocktail list like tax auditors. Pricing was straightforward. Each cocktail was $16 poured in a pint glass, but if you want one of their decorative tiki mugs, you pay $23. You get the difference back if you don't want to keep the mug. Jamie tried Otto's Octane, quite an intoxicating mix of pineapple rum, coffee liqueur, and a banana "concoction" that they described as "speeding you to your destination". I'm not sure where they thought Jamie was going unless they meant slumped over the table. I went for the Singapore Sling which I paid them to serve me in one of their tiki mugs (photo: https://bit.ly/3yQGugF). They chose a mug that looked like either Fu Manchu or Charlie Chan. I knew it would be on the sweet side as it has cherry liqueur, grenadine, benedictine, and pineapple juice mixed with the gin. It was the first time I had one since I had my first one in, believe it or not, Singapore where I had a bright red one at the Long Bar in the Raffles Hotel where it was first introduced. It brought me back. Feeling no pain, we went for a second round. Jamie ironically went for the Frozen Painkiller. It combined dark rum with pineapple, coconut, and nutmeg and was brightened with a little pink umbrella. I had them clean my mug and fill it with a Coco Bango, appropriately named as the mix of coconut rum and vodka was enhanced with a banana liqueur, fresh mango, and my very own pink umbrella (photo: https://bit.ly/3EPojM5). Yep, we were sloshed, and the music wasn't Don Ho twangy but thumping underground rhythms we couldn't quite make out. Maybe our heads did shrink and shrivel up. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...potent sweetness with pink umbrellas AMBIANCE - 5 stars...they nailed a look that's part Trader Vic's and part rock club SERVICE - 4 stars...quietly effective bartender and an enthusiastic manager TOTAL - 4 stars...no shrunken heads required RELATED - Thirsty or hungry in NYC? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: http://bit.ly/2YS9ELs read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Montage of images from Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Really good taste in selecting musical acts. Very unpretentious decor does the job in discouraging pretentious people from taking over.

I like the vibes. It's not pretentious. I like the decor. I stopped in during a weekday night and it was chill. Bartender was nice. The drinks are fun and I love the cups. I like how you can keep the cups if you choose to forfeit your deposit. This isn't a typical bougie tiki bar, more like a punk rock tiki bar. There's surely nothing else like it in New York and maybe in the country. Worth a visit. They also have live music certain nights but I left before it started that night. read more

Great if you like a dive bar vibe. Was less tiki than we were expecting but still good.

Strolled into Otto's Shrunken Head on a whim. It was Halloween so I guess you could say this was the perfect spot for an evening drink. The inside is divey with eclectic tropical decor and a full bar. There's a few booths, stools, and an area for live music in the back. The drinks were strong and on the cheap side. Some of their cocktails definitely play into the tiki theme so expect sugary concoctions. If that's not your thing, they'll make you stuff off the menu. I stuck with my usual tequila soda and had no complaints. If you like a dive bar and a good theme, Otto's Shrunken Head is the place to be. read more

This place is super fun and has all the tiki vibes! It's also connected to the Chinese place next door so you can order your food directly from them and they'll deliver it to you. We sat outside and it was super chill and really enjoyed my time here. The drinks are ok- normal for tiki bar but I'm giving 4 stars mainly because they have this really cute lucky cat mug I bought from them and I'll treasure it forever. We left right when they started playing live music and I assume they play live music all night! read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Outside look - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Stumbled upon this place on a Saturday night and do not regret a single moment of it. A very strange eclectic place with a very mixed age crowd that makes for a fun, chill night. Drinks - the drinks come in fun tiki inspired glasses which you can purchase if you want! They put a $7 deposit down for the tiki glasses, which they refund you if you return it. We decided to keep it because, why not? Crowd - a very interesting mix of older and young people which made it super fun and chill. I would come back again but make it as a pre-game spot or just a fun interesting time to bring friends in. Theres a back area where a live band was playing surfer music and a small small dance area. Lots of people just standing around enjoying the music. They also have some temporary tattoo sheets at the door which we snagged. Overall such an interesting vibe and place that I would totally come back to again, for a fun interesting place. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Was eyeing Tiki Bars to take my Tiki-head of a friend to. He's overly familiar with the West Coast scene (Bali Hai, False Idol, Tonga Hut, Tiki Oasis, etc.) and by osmosis I know what to look for. My only catch was I didn't want to have to leave Manhattan because I knew once the rum started flowing we would be there *a while* and the shorter a ride home the better. Enter Otto's. We posted up at the bar and were greeted by an enthusiastic tender who told us all about the place once he learned we were familiar with the Tiki scene. We had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Nell, who entertained us with stories and has a vodka cocktail named after her on the menu. So if you aren't as big on the rum (like me) there are other options that will tickle that tropical taste bud. You've got the opportunity to actually buy the themed mugs that you'll see at Tiki establishments instead of telling your friend to not walk off with it and avoid a big ol' fine on the tab. Is it some hidden speakeasy tucked behind a fridge? No. But it's got the right vibe and is the perfect Tiki dive-bar; complete with a dance floor in the back for nights where entertainment comes in. I'm already in love with the East Village so the fact it's close to some of my favorite eateries is a bonus. I overheard a handful of people mentioning they came from Cali and made this bar their stop; So if you're looking for your Polynesian-esque fix in NYC, this is it. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - The Nell - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I went to the bar for Halloween with a few friends. Two of us wanted waters (we were slowing down our drinking, yknow being responsible) and were told we couldn't get water at the bar and there was a water station in the back. I went to the water station which had no more cups. I went BACK to the bar to ask the bartender for cups. She nastily pointed her finger at me YELLING at me "NOW YOU CAN WAIT". As she never made it down to me. A friend of mine took over the task. I'm sorry but I'm also a bartender for 8 years. You don't deny waters or service, and especially with a shitty unprofessional NASTY attitude, talking to customers like they're a bother. It's not like I asked for a Mai Tai 2 minutes before closing. She could have just handed a sleeve of cups, which could have taken 2 seconds. I think there might be a training opportunity here. Have a nice day. It was my first time there. Not sure if I'll go back. What a vibe killer read more

Meh, decent setting. Music was 70s and 80s heavy rock, nothing in the Tiki vibe. Super critical of how my Mai Tais are made and this bartender missed it by a mile. Actually saw him look at a menu to check to see if he missed anything. Didn't measure- and I hate free pours. MYERS RUM in a classic Mai Tai. Nah. Menu says The Original and still the king of all tiki drinks. You'd think they'd at least have their bartender understand you can't mess this up. Honestly would have given a 5 star if he nailed this. Bartender was attentive and at almost 6 on a Wednesday the place was lively. Just try a hair harder please. read more

Otto's is a treat. We came in for a quick drink and potential light eat. The menu was surprisingly vast with assortments of dumplings and "small bites." We ordered steamed veggie dumpling and crab Rangoon. After we waited about a half hour, I ventured outside and found another restaurant serving similar items next door. I ordered fried veggie dumps and was surprised to see our bartender come in to order our dumplings & rangoons. As for drinks, you can order all sorts of cocktails and they'll def be tailored to everyone's individual taste. I love Lychee and Passionfruit so the Squealer was my choice and I ordered it without the tiki glass. A+, i could drink one of these everyday. My +1 got a painkiller, which def tasted medicinal but was a decent drink overall. There were two DJs, one spinning digital rockabilly and the other bringing classic rock vinyls. TVs had Elvira playing before getting stuck on the DVD loading menu. Drinks totaled to $16 a piece, which is a hefty price for a pre made beverage. Would return again for sure read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Main entrance and bar - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Frozen coco bango drink in a requested cat mug! Yummiest and most refreshing drink EVER bro. The only downside was that it did not seem/taste alcoholic whatsoever, which is probably an upside for some but not for me bc I have issues. Came for a book reading in the back room which was cool! Nice that the bar hosts events like that read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

I had never been to a tiki bar before this and this was not what I expected. The location is in the East Village, really far East. You'll have to walk a block from the L train, which isn't too bad. When you first enter, you're greeted by a bouncer to check your ID. Your feet are greeted by a "RX" mortar and pestle mosaic. I can only assume that this used to be a pharmacy. There's a bar to your right, booths to your right and a small stage in the back after the bathrooms. The place is light up dimly with a bunch of random tiki decorations. It feels a bit like a dive bar with a theme. There was only one bartender and she was very friendly but it took a while for drinks to be made as the night and more people came. The drinks themselves are so good! I had 3 of the Squealer which comes in a pig tiki mug. It was lychee and passion fruit slush ice with some form of alcohol. It was delicious. Each drink is $15 with the tiki mug, which is a bit expensive since the drinks weren't too strong. It's an extra $6 if you want to keep the mug, which I thought was pretty cool. I didn't end up keeping mine because I already had 3 at home. Overall, a really cool place to go but get ready to spend money if you're trying to get drunk. read more

See all

Let's get this out of the way: these are not going to be the best tiki drinks of your life. But Otto's is a fun place to stop by all the same. My partner and I have gone to Otto's during most of our trip's to NY. It's essentially a tiki-dive-punk rock kind of bar. They often have bands playing in the back and/or djs playing rad music up front. The decor hasn't changed in forever and I hope it never does. At the bar, you'll see a menu with lots of familiar kinds of tiki drinks. These drinks will be more of the pre-mixed variety and will be heavy on the sugar. They also have a small selection of beer. I would recommend either the latter or a non-tiki mixed drink. So again, moral of the story is that if you come for the vibe and good times you'll have a fun visit. If you're looking for a craft cocktail-forward tiki bar, look elsewhere! read more

10/10 - good drinks, good ambiance, fun music, & colorful characters. Came for the antique photobooth, and stayed because it was so cool! Will definitely be coming back next time I'm in the city. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Otto's is plopped on 14th between Ave A and B. I honestly just want to go back to watch the bartender make all their creative drinks... she was so coordinated and the punch had a glow stick in it! The shareable fishbowls had flames and sparks! I got a shark head ceramic cup that I took home for an extra $6, and that is now my fave morning coffee cup. The backroom with live music and the clientele themselves lend a much more rock/punk than island/tropical. Docking a point because their POS on the iPad was frankly annoying, and the opposite of laidback tiki vibes. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Drinks - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

This place is so lit and Josh Hyman is the BEST bartender EVER! They have such fun drinks, had a lit tap dance performance, and is always a great time. Come through on Tuesdays, Fridays, & Saturdays when Josh is here! read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Glowy volcano bowl drink! - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

I love this place and hope it always remains here. The drinks are great, the DJ is great and the bands that play here are great!! A fun place to hang out!! read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Back room where the fun happens. - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

See all

My boyfriend's friend had been raving about this spot for a while. I finally got the chance to go and I cannot remember the last time I went to a cool dive bar like this. There are a few spaces in this establishment: the first are seats outdoors; then seats indoors; and finally some tables and chairs and a dance floor along with a stage for bands. The decor is filled with Polynesian-styles decor from vintage vinyl covers posted on the walls to hanging lamps of puffer fish hanging above the bar at the front, near the entrance. The drinks themselves are strong, but I recommend one called 'The Flying Fish,' which is an alcoholic drink where you cannot taste alcohol just the velvety passion fruit juice. Then, if you are a hooch-less drinker, I recommend the 'Pina Pina' which is a version pina colada. Finally, this place offers you the chance to purchase a mug. When you order one of their drinks, you can get it in a mug! Pay extra -- a down payment-- for a mug in addition to your drink and you can go home with a beautiful souvineir you don't need to wait until the end to pay for this either. The servers make it very easy for you. I highly recommend this place. read more

Randomly ended up here one night in NYC and the tiki drinks were solid, there was rock music playing, and bikers spread throughout the bar, it was nothing like what I expected for a tiki bar, and I was completely happy with that. Recommend and will return again. read more

Drinks are whimsical, but kind of overpriced and not very strong. It's a bit of a gimmicky place.

This place was one of our stops during the Halloween bar crawl, fun looking place we got lucky & found seats at the bar. Drinks we had some Pumpkin ale on tap , not bad very good beer. we stayed at this bar for a few till it was time to move on after the specials were over. Decent service at the bar, fun looking place & decor ..cheap prices during the event, we enjoyed our drinks. read more

See all

Otto's Shrunken Head has gone downhill since I first started coming in 2013, which is pretty disappointing. For years, it was my favorite bar in the East Village, for its excellent drinks, relaxed yet, wild atmosphere, and that fact that it was pretty lowkey. It's not as lowkey as it once was, it's been packed during all my recent visits. Getting a drink takes much longer than it used to, and I can barely get a seat at the bar. Worst of all, the drink prices have gone up ridiculously. Back in 2013, a drink was only $10, with a $5 deposit on the mug, and my usual Volcano Blast was $26. Now, a tiki drink sets you back $14 with a $6 deposit on the mug, and a Volcano Blast will run you $35. This is close to a 50% price increase in about 5 years, but I'm still getting the same drink. This makes things pretty rough, because they still don't accept credit cards. I generally drink between 3 and 5 drinks on a typical night out, not including any drinks I buy for my company. But I generally do not carry more than $50 in cash, meaning I'd only be able to get 3 drinks. The prices are a high now, but I still like coming here for the memories I have of the place. read more

It's not your fancy mixologist type tiki bar. In fact the drinks were really sub par. I got a Zombie and there's like 8 versions of that recipe but this was none of those. Very sweet with lots of pineapple juice and lacking the kick of rum. The other drink we ordered was very weak too. Aside from that, the bartenders were friendly and cool and I liked the surf rock band they had playing in the back. Decor is divey for a tiki bar, but the prices are on par with the high end spots in the Bay Area ($16/drink). I liked the divey punk vibes of the place and the bartenders were cool but good drinks are important for a tiki bar. read more

East Village Tiki bar. All of the cocktails and drinks we tried we really enjoyed. Love the kitschy decor, blowfish lamps, carved tikis and stuff. There was a live band with Hawaiian shirts cranking out some rock music and we really had an enjoyable time here with another couple at the bar. I'd say the bartender could lighten up a touch, relax and actually try to have a good time. I could say that about my wife too, but it gets the job done. I bought one of those $50 silver Otto's Shrunken head mugs - as I tend to collect them. Again, really tasty refreshing exotic cocktails that I would recommend if you are in the area. This place can get the night and party started! read more

See all

This divey little Tiki bar is so fun! We strolled in on a rainy Monday night and grabbed a table. The drinks are creative and for a $6 deposit you can keep your cool tiki mug. We went with the hula drink and it was very sweet, I couldn't taste the alcohol, but I'm sure it was in there somewhere. If you are looking for stiff drinks you're probably in the wrong place, but if you're looking to have a fun drink with friends in a kitschy environment, this is the place for you! read more

Where to start.. live music is alive and thriving here. A tiki bar with lots of character and characters...

Went to this bar fully intending to be a disgusting tourist and it's actually pretty good for that. The drinks are fine and reasonably priced on their own (16 each), but for an additional charge, you can keep their tiki glasses. That gets pretty expensive pretty quickly. 4 drinks with tip keeping all 4 tiki cups (one of which was their special custom silver one) totaled to $200. Like, it was fun, but you should know that going in. read more

Otto's Shrunken Head - Tiki Bars Near Me - New York, New York

Tiki lovers - beware! We went to this spot because it was highlighted in the Smugglers Cover book (aka, the tiki bible). I had, hands down, the worst mai tai I have ever had. It was not drinkable. I wish I saw them make it because maybe I could share what went wrong, but it was a completely clear drink and tasted nothing like a mai tai (I'm thinking no Orgeat and it was bubbly??? Why???) The two other drinks we ordered were barely drinkable. Im not sure where the great tiki bars are in New York City, but this is not it. read more