Bamboo Hut

When Bamboo Hut opened in 1999, it was at the very front of the wave of modern bars inspired by the resurgence in interest in Polynesian Pop. It's more of a nightclub than a bar, with DJed '80s pop music setting the soundtrack, but it's full of spot-on details. There is lots of bamboo and thatch, pufferfish lamps and glass floats, and an outrigger canoe hung from the ceiling. The lighting is appropriately dim and moody. Drinks are served in tiki mugs and bowls, but are on the sickly-sweet side.

Near the entrance is a dramatic waterfall feature, topped by a massive tiki head. The tiki started life as a road sign for the Coral Reef Restaurant in Sacramento, and the Bamboo Hut website says it dates from 1947.

Bamboo Hut is on the south side of the street, east of the major intersection of Columbus Ave, between Kearny and Montgomery. Look for the sign painted on a tan awning.

Parking in the North Beach neighborhood is a challenge. Street parking is very hard to come by, but there are a number of paid lots in the neighborhood. The lot I use is a few blocks north-west, on Vallejo St. on the other side of Columbus.