Go Tropical With Bungalow Tiki's Intoxicating New Iguana Room and Cocktail Menu

If you felt cramped or – worse still – couldn't get a table during your last visit to Bungalow Tiki, then you'll be happy to know that the next time you stop by is bound to be better. That's because the beloved Jiaodaokou booze haven (which snagged the Bar of the Year trophy at our Bar and Club Awards last year) has recently taken over the neighbording spot left vacant by the now defunct Obsession bistro (a shame as we enjoyed their menu during our visit last summer). Tiki's owners have called the new space the Iguana Room, and it will afford patrons more space to knock back bartender Phil Tory's heady cocktails.

In the process, Tiki has taken the opportunity to expand its cocktail menu, with dozens of new concoctions on offer, including the Captain's Grog (RMB 65, a tangy cocktail made with Caribbean liquor), the Goodbai Fu Manchu (RMB 60), subtly sweet thanks to its lychee, orange, lime juice, and dragon fruit mix, rounded out with chili-infused baijiu and aged rum served in a Fu Manchu mug), and the Slurred Word (RMB 62), which has a bright pineapple flavor and enough rum to impair both our speech and our motor skills.

The bar's expansion also solidifies Tiki's tropical theme, leaving their adored mascot, Higgins the shark, vying for attention with a new parrot on the block, whose moniker will be decided after the owners start a naming contest for him with its patrons. We suggest you start brainstorming now, before your pondering capabilities are skewed by the bar's potent beverages during your next visit.

READ: Sashay on Over to Salud's New Hutong Location

Clever themes and marketing aside, the Iguana Room isn't breaking too much ground – it won't completely change your Tiki experience – and arguably the most welcome change is the addition of a bathroom, which will make the once wobbly sojourn to the hutong bathrooms a happy thing of the past.

And if you're looking for an excuse to check out the new space, this Wednesday (Mar 8) the bar will also have a special for International Women's day, offering select drinks to the ladies in attendance for RMB 35 from 7pm onward.

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Email: kylemullin@truerun.com
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Photo courtesy of Bungalow Tiki