Everywhere I travel, I seek out Tiki bars. On a recent trip to Europe I wasn't surprised to find…read moredecent places in London or Paris, but had low expectations for Prague. To my surprise, Tiki Taki is a fantastic bar with delicious drinks, a great bartender (Daniel), lots of ephemera, an entertaining mix of customers and a quirky origin story.
I went on a Sunday night and there were about ten other customers. Their bar back was new, and wasn't able to answer my questions, but the bartender Daniel quickly came around and helped me customize a Zombie. It was well balanced with fresh ingredients and decent rums. I also had a Suffering Bastard which was more gingery than I'm used to, but it was quite tasty. It was like a Dark & Stormy with more character. Lastly, Daniel graciously let me order off menu and made a Navy Grog. He hadn't made one before, but it came out okay and I appreciated him making the effort.
The owner Jason and his girlfriend were there when I visited. Jason was friendly and hospitable, sharing the story of how he created his first home tiki bar and eventually opening his shop in Prague.
They don't have their own mugs, but serve some drinks out of other bars' mugs which is fun. It'd be great if they eventually make their own though. I really wanted a memento of the visit.
The bar itself is well and thoroughly decorated with mostly typical Tiki decorations. lots of bamboo, paintings, tikis, tapestries and the like. One stand out is the Pac Man machine embedded in a barrel in the corner of the bar. It'd dark and has the vibe of a dive-y but thoughtful tiki bar -- my favorite kind. If you like bars like Tiki Ti or Forbidden Island, you'll feel at home in Tiki Taki.
Lastly, the other patrons were a mix of quiet tourists and local Czechs who had no idea what a tiki bar was and were just ordering beers. No one was rowdy or rude, and I found it fun to watch them try to figure the place out over a pint of Pilsner Urquell. The menu even has a 128 word paragraph about Tiki Bar etiquette in both English and Czech. So I imagine the mellow atmosphere I experienced isn't always what you get there. But it think this makes it unique and fun.
I had a great time visiting here and will definitely make a trip back if I'm ever in Prague again.
Mahalo Daniel and Jason!