One Of Hawaii's Last Authentic Tiki Bars Is A Charming Throwback Where Locals, Tourists, And Celebs Mingle

There are countless reasons to come to Honolulu, Hawaii: It's America's safest city to visit while also one of its most breathtaking. It's one of the top 10 cleanest cities in the world (the only U.S. destination to make the list). And it's where everyone from surfers to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson to your eccentric uncle congregate among gorgeous beaches and tiki bars graced by ukulele players. Most of the original tiki bars of Hawaii have closed over the decades, but one that's remained firmly in place since the 1950s is La Mariana Sailing Club. In fact, it's Hawaii's oldest running tiki watering hole (and it still makes a mean Mai Tai).

Tiki bars are products of a kitschy culture that puts authenticity in a blender. For tiki bars, which began to pop up in the mid-20th century, kitschiness is authenticity. Lloyd Kandell, who once spoke to Anthony Bourdain about American tiki culture, described two types of tiki in Hawaii Magazine: "There are ancient and authentic tiki ... Then there's the pop culture tiki, which got big in the 1950s and brought a sense of adventure and fun to buttoned-up safe suburbs across America." At La Mariana, you get a perfect sense of that co-mingling of ancient tradition with pop culture Americana. Even Bourdain himself called it "one of the few remaining old-school original, non-ironic tiki bars left," according to Hawaii Magazine.

La Mariana has a stuck-in-time feel from its early days in the 1950s, cemented in campy decor like rattan chairs and pufferfish lamps. The bar came to fruition in 1957, founded by Annette La Mariana Nahinu (for whom it also takes its name). Originally, the emphasis of La Mariana Sailing Club was the sailing club — Nahinu's intention was to open a marina that would be affordable to the average boater. The tiki bar was there to serve the marina. Needless to say, though it still has the marina, La Mariana became known for its tiki bar more than sailing, and not for nothing. Since its origins, the bar has persisted through multiple tsunamis, disputes over the lease (and needing to move locations as a result), the COVID-19 pandemic, and the death of Nahinu.

As for its longevity, it's in no small part due to its beautiful setting. "I think what kept La Mariana here was also the view of the harbor, you know, whereas if we had been a tiki bar in an enclosed building, I don't think we would have survived," Toddlyn Aurelio, a manager for La Mariana, told SFGATE. While other tiki bars from the same era have shuttered, La Mariana is both a relic of and tribute to all of them. Nahinu purchased decor from the closed-down tiki bars and integrated them into her own. Stepping into La Mariana today, you'll see totems, masks, and various knick-knacks collected from bygone tiki bars all around the island.

The building of La Mariana is kind of an odd outlier in a sea of warehouses (though it predates the warehouses), on the coastline of Honolulu. Its totem-filled entryway is hard to miss, and inside, you'll see an eclectic assemblage of tiki figures, aquariums, fishing nets, and a waterfall. Aside from being famed for its retro tiki atmosphere and decor, the bar is known to make a strong mai tai. If you're feeling brave, tackle the bar's "Zombie" cocktail, which is a mai tai with 151 proof rum added. La Mariana has a solid food menu, too, serving Hawaiian classics like Ahi Poke and well-reviewed kalua pork nachos.

As you sip your drink by the waterfront, you might spot a celebrity unwinding between scenes of a Hawaii-based TV shoot and see planes fly overhead. In fact, La Mariana Sailing Club is super close to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (about seven minutes away by car). The tiki bar is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. While you're in Honolulu, stop by the Bishop Museum, Hawaii's largest museum and historic site, to deepen your understanding of tiki's more ancient side. It's under 10 minutes by car from La Mariana.