"No list of SF’s hotel bars would be complete without the vintage Tiki masterpiece that is the Tonga Room, lurking in the depths of the Fairmont Hotel. It’s been preserved in almost all its original pseudo-Polynesian details, as originally designed by MGM set designer Mel Melvin back in 1945. Nautical roping, palm frond huts, and kitsch galore fill the space, at the center of which is a pool of water where it “rains” with thunder and lightning every half hour, and where a live band floats on a raft several nights a week. The Tiki drinks are better than they used to be, thanks to the re-introduction of fresh juices during a menu revamp but can be overly sweet and nowhere near the standard-bearers being served at Smuggler’s Cove. But stick to Mai Tais and Singapore Slings and you can’t go too wrong, or just order a gin and tonic and wait for the next tropical storm to pass through." - Dianne de Guzman
