The Polynesian

As others have stated, The Polynesian is exactly what you'd think of when you say New York Tiki Bar. It's slick and sophisticated with more of a focus on high-concept than traditional Tiki.

Considering that's what it's going for, then it's well-done. I just prefer my Tiki bars more traditional. Plus the Motown-heavy playlist, while fantastic in its own right, just felt out of place and didn't help set the appropriate atmosphere. The drinks were great, though expect to pay $17 and up for what's more typically $12-$15.

Although it was only about a quarter full (early on a Monday evening), they had quite a few staff members both behind the bar and milling about the rooms. However, we felt rather invisible the entire time. In fact, one bartender started to come our way when another bartender stopped him to engage in a conversation. That lasted for a couple minutes until I could get a third bartender's eye to motion him down so we could finally order. That was rather disappointing, especially considering the drink prices.

The Polynesian seem too refined for a Tiki Bar. The drinks are great though. They now have mugs for sale - $120 a mug.

I visited The Polynesian in January of 2019. After a 20 minute wait, we were escorted past the curtain entrance and taken through an impressive space with great decorations. The overall feel was a mix of tiki with modern cosmopolitan, but it was still a great vibe. The drinks were also had good flavor, presentation and selection. Although some of the cocktails were sweeter than I typically prefer, I was able to find a few which were interesting and excellent.

The only thing that was strange to me was the music selection. It was a Saturday night in NYC, at an impressive tiki-themed bar and restaurant, and they were playing motown and R&B music at fairly high volume. This made it quite loud (like a nightclub) and somewhat difficult to hold a conversation with my friends, but it especially detracted from the tiki experience.

Anyway, I had a great time and enjoyed some fine drinks and decent food. I'd go again, for sure.

I really dug this place! Had a taste of 9 different drinks on the menu and was blown away by the originality. I felt like I was rediscovering tiki flavors all over again. The music was a little too disco friendly for my tastes but it helps others get acquainted with the atmosphere. Decor was definitely not you traditional tiki but not a complaint by any means - it definitely achieved an escapist atmosphere but also included touches of luxury and fine art.

Now the highlight: They have multiple custom mugs that are incredibly well done (by Muntiki) and not available for sale. This may frustrate some but I feel like it adds to the upscale mystique and originality. This was a huge plus. I feel like the Polynesian is exploring a form of tiki bar that could sustain the culture for years to come through its innovation, attention to detail, and ability to surprise dedicated tiki fans.

Like its name, The Polynesian whisks you to a tropical
oasis complete with authentic oceanic arts for decor!
While it may not be the typical tiki bar, rest assured you
are in for a real treat, Brian Miller’s concept really hits
the mark. While some will complain about the cost of
the drinks, be prepared for some of the best and creative
drinks you have ever tried! All of the staff were outstanding
and very knowledgeable about tiki drinks/history.
We tried over seven drinks on a Friday night seating,
and not one disappointed. Yes it was crowded, but it is
Manhattan after all. If you are visiting from out of town,
would suggest you stay at the Pod Hotel where the bar
is located, makes for an easy exit to your room later.
Would highly recommend The Polynesian!

I have been here eight times now, and every time the service has been amazing. The staff is friendly and talkative (when it isn't crazy busy). The music varies, and the last time I was there was a mix of reggae and old school sounding covers of songs. The drinks on the menu are all great. I asked for a Man Tai, and was slightly disappointed; it wasn't bad, but it wasn't outstanding. Overall, I really like this place for a drink or two!

We went to the Polynesian twice while visiting NYC, and are glad we did. As other reviews have mentioned, food and drink are off the hook. But I ask myself: if something isn’t a “pure” tiki bar, in the historical sense, should it be penalized or not considered tiki at all? Here’s where I think intent comes in. We’ve been to many places that try to be, for example, both a college bar and a tiki bar. You can’t have a tiki bar with more beers than cocktails, sports on TV, etc. But is the spirit of tiki there? The Polynesian knows what it’s doing with drinks and food. The decor is a contemporary take on classic tiki…even the tikis are contemporary. Yes, they have an outdoor area, and they play a variety of music, but they include exotica and surf. These people aren’t ignorant; they are interpreting tiki for our time and place. We had the same experience we have at the best tiki bars: immersive, fun, with authentic flavors and knowledgeable, friendly bartenders and staff. They are not deserving of such a low overall rating. We would encourage anything that brings tiki into the mainstream more, as long as it stays true to the spirit of tiki, and in this the Polynesian clearly succeeds.

This is a classy place. The food is the best I’ve eaten at anywhere remotely tiki. The drink was so, so good. While exotica was playing, I was completely satisfied, but when they switched to classic oldies, the vibe was tarnished. Still, so so good.

The cocktails were great, as were the food and the service. Our bartender (Kaveh?) really made the night great, he was fun and took great care of us. The decor was nice, kind of like a sleek, tropical NY lounge might be but I'm not convinced it is a tiki bar - it was too bright! The clientele were well-dressed, trendy, and fashionable (i.e. they are not into Hawaiian shirts), I wonder if they will be still be coming around when tiki isn't trendy. I'll be back for the cocktails and the great bartenders.

Cocktails are great

Visited The Polynesian over the weekend late on a Sunday afternoon. There were people there but it wasn't packed, no trouble getting a table. This place has a lot of great things going for it; Drinks: top notch (I had the Tangaroa followed by The Derelict both amazing). Tiki mugs: unique and impressive. There were also some nice touches like the napkins and the drink umbrellas with The Polynesian logo printed on them. Menu also designed with nod to the artwork of vintage Tiki menus. Where the whole thing falls short, as others here have mentioned is the overall design/experience. It is not designed as a tiki bar but more of another upscale NYC bar that caters to the millenial nightlife crowd. The music was a mix of classic rock and hip hop which I didn't totally mind but I didn't feel this was the venue for it. In fact I didn't hear any exotica, Hawaiian or surf tunes. With all that said, I'll probably return for a repeat visit with a friend so they can see how amazing the drinks are, but after that I'm not so sure this will be a go-to in the foreseeable future.

I have been to the Polynesian several times since it opened already, and I am overall very impressed with the place. New York tends to have major issues being Tiki, they feel they must have some sort of twist on it or a modernization. grand opening night I arrived in full Hawaiian regalia, white pants white loafers vintage aloha shirt and straw hat, and I was one of only a few people who were remotely dressed for it. That night I sat at the bar and enjoyed a few too many concoctions starting with some from the menu and of course asking for a Mai Tai, which oddly is not on the menu, nor is any classic Tiki drink except for a frozen pina colada. Every drink is a original, they are great, however there should be a classic section. They do make up for it by having bartenders who know what to do as my might I was gorgeously tasty. That night the music was a lovely mix of retro Hawaiian, surf, ska, and reggae, which really reflected the atmosphere I think.
However, on subsequent visits, it appears the playlist is being slowly tweaked away from the traditional and more towards generic oldies and classic rock. I feel this is kowtowing to the douchey after work crowd that loves the outdoor space, and order beers and vodka tonics. There seem to be more and more of them with each visit. the only way I can see to avoid them is to come later at night, when it's slower and you can chat with the bartender and get some real good drinks. In spite of these things it is still one of the best in the city. If they can just keep in mind that this should an immersive experience, they it could be the best overall.

Great drinks and location. Above a rooftop overlooking as somewhat near Times Square, the drinks are up there, but so are the prices. The food I would pass on... eat before you come. Bar snacks are fine, but overpriced. The mugs are off the hook, way above the ordinary, Its modern interpretation of tiki for sure but they nail it. You soon forget you are in Midtown Manhattan in a 100F heatwave and think you are in a tropical bar. As for the music, everything from 50s Oldies, Motown, even some 70s & 80s Music in there. Worth the trip if you have the budget, especially since its literally only 1 of maybe 3 "real" tiki places in NYC.

Outstanding drinks and excellent service. More Polynesian than Tiki in decor, but drinks are tiki. Food is small portions, delicious, but ridiculously overpriced.

Looking forward to the mugs going on sale.

I went to The Polynesian with open mind because I am not particularly fond of modern very light and bright inside Tiki establishments. I prefer dark such as the Mai-Kai and Frankies Tiki Room. The first visit was on Sunday because I didn't want to deal with crowds, I was impressed with the drinks. Second visit on weekday was crowded but still impressed and accepted the light modern Tiki atmosphere.
Seems like a lot of NYC after work business clientele. On both visits I was the only one with an Aloha shirt except for the bartenders and staff:(

We enjoyed our visit to The Polynesian.
Get the Vaya Kon Tiki. TRUST ME!
They do have signature mugs but were not selling them when we went.
Feels like a upscale hotel tiki bar. Skip the food and come for the liquid paradise.
OH and the mixologist wear Hawaiian shirts and sarongs which I thought was different.

My immediate takeaway from The Polynesian is it reminds me a lot of Milwaukee's The Love Shack, but with more towards a bend towards classic. The vibe of the place felt very much like the type of place in '50s or '60s New York City where a tired businessman would take his wife or mistress to get away from the city. They even have hostesses and greeters in dresses covered in tropical flowers, which feelsl like a modern spin on waitresses in coconut bras and grass skirts. It's a vibe I'm totally okay with.

I don't think it's a tiki bar. It feels like a bar with heavy Polynesian influences, but I saw very few tikis at this bar. It's also way too light, although I went while it was still light out, but I've been to plenty of tiki bars where they're very dark and mysterious at 4 p.m. in June. This is New York. We're really comfortable with very dark bars and restaurants. I will give them credit for playing some traditional Hawaiian music, although they also played reggae and Bossa Nova.

There was no Mai Tai on the menu, but they did have a pretty decent selection of drinks. They also had standard bar drinks, like a rum and Coke with a fancy name, but at least they admitted it was really just a rum and Coke. The Tangaroa was delicious and I loved the mug it came in. It felt like actual carved stone instead of standard ceramic. This also seemed to be the best value for how much liquid I got with my drink, to the point I was stunned there was still liquor in my mug for me to drink, so that does make the prices a lot more justifiable. The Vaya Kon Tiki will likely be the drink that is the most Instagrammed since they light a fire on top, although I did gasp with joy at the sight of a shared drink that looks like it's served in a giant shell. I will also give them props for having alcohol-free drinks because not a lot of bars have those options, period, and it does make it more enjoyable for everyone.

As for the food, they are more on the (very pricey) snack side, but the tuna poke was very tasty. I did see a table that ordered the Polynesian Pupu Platter and I was in awe of the wooden tri-tiered serving set-up, with a pineapple on top. The calamari smelled delicious from where I was seated. The crowd was mostly Midtown Businessmen and some tourists, but it was fairly calm in there and I was able to easily hear the music, take notes, and read a book while enjoying my drink and eating poke.

I don't think it's a good tiki bar, but I do think it's a great Polynesian restaurant and bar and of the tiki bars in New York City, it's the one I would go to again.

It's open and airy, not dark at all, but I don't think that draws away from the Tikiness. It's HUGE by NYC standards. The drinks were all top notch, and I'd suggest people try the menu items before asking for the old stand bys. I didn't notice music and didn't try the food, but I'll be back soon for another experience.

I visited on 6/10/18 on a Sunday evening and the bar was lively, but definitely not packed. The decor is Polynesian modern at best with hardly any Tiki to speak of. The three rooms and outdoor seating area are massive and I can't imagine this place getting packed on the regular.

The drinks were the best part. Our group of three ordered seven or eight different libations and all were excellent. Food was also tasty, albeit more tapas style than a proper meal, which is odd considering how much room their is for full dinner service.

The music started off solid, with a mix of Elvis and surf tunes, but it went south as the evening progressed. That said, the vibe was fun and the atmosphere was enjoyable enough that I would definitely go back. The worst part was that the place has its own series of mugs by Tiki Diablo and Tiki Farm, but refuses to sell them because they are for drinking. I'm not sure how smart it is to have $100 Tiki Diablo mugs for regular service, but after pleading with the stiff manager in the un-Tiki jacket for half an hour, I gave up and went back to my drink.

Upscale modern lounge with Polynesian influences. Beautiful outdoor space, which is uncommon for the city. Tiki drinks are top-notch, but I feel like i'm in a high-end hotel lounge, not a Tiki bar.

This is a lovely hotel bar with a light semi-tropical decor overlay that inexplicable serves wonderful tiki drinks in lovely tiki mugs. It will easily re-theme to Asian Fusion once they are over tiki drinks.

The drink menu is classic tiki - including the fact that they have slightly tweaked classic drinks and re-named them (aka The Double Winchester aka Gun Club Punch). The drunks are A+ but they would taste so much better in a dark bar rather than a classy tasteful expensive hotel bar.

The place is pretty huge by city standards, and has a nice outdoor space with its own bar. Seems very popular with a midtown financier kind of crowd.