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    Pagan Idol

    4.2 (843 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 1 month ago

    Pagan Idol Photos

    PAGAN IDOL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Trendy
    Classy
    Casual

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    Recommended Reviews - Pagan Idol

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    Reviews With Photos

    Outside
    John G.

    I really wish I had taken more pictures of the inside. We ended up here with a group of friends. It was around 12:00 am when we walked in. Entering into what looks like the hull of a ship was cool but walking up the stairs into the back room laid out like a Polynesian island was jaw dropping. This was such a fun place. Maggie welcomed us with a smile and Chantilly the bartender was super sweet and made some tasty beverages. I told everyone I know about this place. If you're going to SF a must see and stop.

    Cocktails
    Adrianna P.

    This place has the most adorable tropical vibe! The atmosphere is great, with a setup of many little seating areas and cozy nooks. It makes for a wonderful, intimate setting that is great for both dates or groups. We especially loved the drinks, the cocktails are cute and creative, and we enjoyed sampling a variety of their excellent menu offerings. Highly recommend checking this spot out for a fun night! We received great service from the staff.

    Ronit G.

    Absolutely amazing drinks! Back in 2021 this was the first time I ever went to a tiki bar and it sparked my undying love for tiki bars! This place is a vibe and I recommend it to anyone going to San Francisco.

    Mixing business and pleasure!
    Karin F.

    Great atmosphere, excellent cocktails and superb service! Things an SF institution for good reason. I had two Tucan Dance beverages and they were truly Delicious. The bar tender was great at his job and dealing with a crowd.

    Banana Be'
    Anh T.

    It was a spontaneous decision to come in with a friend on a weekday after seeing the decorative exterior. On the inside, it was just as fun; we noticed a small aquarium along with colorful dim lights. It was free seating, and we sat along the wall of the bar. We ordered their Pagan Old Fashioned and Banana Be' cocktails. Both drinks had a rum base, and I enjoyed the Banana Be' more due to its less strong alcoholic taste. The drinks were worth the price, and the noise level was just perfect, where I was able to talk to my friend! The bartender who made our drink was friendly and made great conversation even for how busy it was.

    Lance P.

    Loved it so much we went two days in a row. Monday was pretty empty but Matt was an amazing bartender. Fun, engaging, lots of spirit knowledge. Went back on Tuesday and although it was super busy, Shelley was also great and engaging. There's a back area with alcoves and a 2nd bar that is open most days except Monday. Being near the financial district, there are a lot of tech and finance bros in the bar ordering whiskey in a tiki/rum bar. But would still go back in a heartbeat when I'm in town.

    the bird + mango tango
    Melody L.

    Cool tiki bar in FiDi! A friend and I stopped in for drinks after work since our offices are basically right next door. Other patrons seemed to be mostly other office workers with the same idea. Definitely took much longer than expected to be able to order and get our drinks despite not too many people. I had the mango tango, which was much more sour than I would've liked. Tried some of my friend's drink (the bird), which tasted much better. Ambiance in the back feels really immersive, and every so often a sound would play on the speakers that make you feel like you're in a pirate ship.

    Great band with no cover charge , fun atmosphere. Good location near Bart station too. Unique setting worth trying out !
    Joe G.

    Great ambiance, fun setting. We enjoyed the music with a local band . Unique setting and near a Bart station. Recommended b!

    Outside
    Yoojin K.

    Need a tiki bar to kill some time in the city? Look no further! This is probably one of the most intricate and beautiful tiki bars I've been to. The inside is very well decorated & clean. Shout out to our bartender for the amazing service! He overheard my friends and I talking about college and as a fellow UCSD Trition, he introduced himself and definitely made our drink with a heavy hand :') if you come with a group of people I recommend getting a bowl, it's so fun to drink with the long straws :)

    Ashley Y.

    Came here on a Friday night for a friend's birthday, which ended up rolling into my birthday at midnight (was trying to keep it lowkey). When I showed my ID to the bouncer, he noticed and joked, "Oh it's your birthday in 5 minutes!" Next thing I knew, the team got a round of shots to keep the party going. Solid spot for birthday vibes and late-night fun! Super fun spot if you're into tiki bars--I think I've become one of those people now. The drinks are playful and tasty, but on the pricier side. Only a few bartenders working, so getting a drink felt a bit chaotic since there wasn't a clear line. That said, the decor is super cute and makes it a fun place to check out. I'd probably come back on a quieter night.

    Riley S.

    This place is great! We got in before it became busy and scored a great seat in the back room. My girlfriend ordered our drinks and she said the bartender was so kind and funny. The drinks themselves were very strong and very delicious. We absolutely loved the entire experience!

    Menu
    Tara M.

    Great bar with a good vibe and fun drinks. It's much bigger than it looks on the outside and good for groups or dates! Drinks are a little on the expensive side but they're strong and taste pretty good!

    Chang T.

    My favorite tiki bar in the financial district. Interior 5/5: Cool nautical theme on the entrance room. It's less noisy than the main. Both rooms have their own bar. The main room is more spacious but noisier. They have cool mist , smoke sound system that create the rainforest vibes. If you can try to snag a private bungalow hut- It can seat 5 ppl very comfy and maybe 8 but tight. It helps with the noise and more intimate. Drinks 4/5 Prices from 15-18$ for single cocktails. $38+ for shared group ones. Some have a fire show for it and they queue the music and sound when it's delivered to you. Service 3.5. Not enough staff. Only two bartenders while a large line is forming. The drinks aren't simple so it increases the wait time.

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    3 years ago

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    4 months ago

    Drinks are good. But FREE THE FISH! It's all alone, the space is small, and the water is shallow!

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    3 months ago

    got the painkiller and it was perfect, creamy and strong with a little nutmeg on top.

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    Page 2 of 22

    Pagan Idol Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Pagan Idol

    Do you serve non-alcoholic drink?

    Yes, they make off menu nonalcoholic drinks like a virgin pina colada, just ask the bartender

    Do they sell food?

    They partner with a food truck that prepares and serves a small menu of food in the bar.

    Do they allow outside food?

    Sorry no

    Is there a cover on Saturdays?

    No. There is no cover on saturdays.

    What would you recommend for two people without a reservation for Saturday night?

    Heroin and then go bar hopping

    Do they allow children?

    It is a bar so everyone must be 21 and over.

    Do you serve food?

    No food.

    Do they serve food? Or only drinks

    only drinks. eat before you go b/c the drinks are very strong !

    What does Pagan Idol San Francisco do for their Happy Hour? Times and details please!

    It's a high end bar, I don't think they do a happy hour

    Do they do mocktails as well?

    Yes and they are awesome!

    How much is it to reserve a table?

    I was able to book a table on Yelp at no charge. We spoke to someone at the bar once we arrived and were seated in one of the walled booths in the back.

    Is there air conditioning here?

    Sort of? It is temperature controlled to be humid like a tropical island.

    View All 19 Questions

    Review Highlights - Pagan Idol

    This is what I had to drink: The Daywalker ($15) It's like a Zombie, I think the strongest drink there.

    Mentioned in 19 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    TONGA ROOM & HURRICANE BAR - Tonga Rolls

    TONGA ROOM & HURRICANE BAR

    3.4(3.3k reviews)
    0.4 miNob Hill
    $$$

    We had a blast celebrating a birthday here! We enjoyed so…read moremany cocktails with friends and everything was amazing. What a beautiful place to celebrate such a special occasion. The staff were so kind and friendly. YES 5 STARS, thats it

    This is a really tough review so I'm going to break it down by aspects…read more Ambiance- really cool aesthetic; they nailed it on the Hawaiian/Polynesian vibe. Spacious seating, very clean. Entertainment- the fact that the live music band is on a boat in water is so cool and something I've never seen done indoors. They were very talented and I truly enjoyed the variety of genres they played as well. Food- we ordered their Tonga pupu platter, kalua pork sliders and coconut curry seafood. The food was delicious! Everything had tons of flavor and all the different proteins were cooked well. My favorite was the coconut calamari on the sampler. The variety of foods gave us so much to enjoy. Service- this is where it all goes left. For starters we had originally made a reservation for 8:45 however the day before they called to inform us they'd be closing early due to a private event (9:30 instead of 11)and if we were willing to come in at 8 instead. This was not a bother at all for us. Well it was to our unfortunate surprise that we noticed that our waited started to hover and even brought us the check at about 8:40....we literally still had tons of our food to eat and drinks not even halfway done. He came to our table excessively trying to collect the check when we still had plenty of time to enjoy our meal and the music. Plenty of tables still had guests so it's not like we were the last ones. When he wasn't at our table he was standing nearby making eye contact with my husband trying to figure out if we were ready to pay out. Completely ruined our otherwise really nice evening. Management- we were able to flag down the manager, Elle D., and explained what occurred during our dinner. She was very nice and apologetic and went out of her way to not only make us feel validated but made sure we ended on a good note. She was professional, nice, and took no time in remediating the situation. It's because of her and the wonderful food and entertainment that I'm giving the 3 starts because honestly it would've been an easy 5 if not for the waiter we got.

    Photos
    TONGA ROOM & HURRICANE BAR - Decorative sculpture.

    Decorative sculpture.

    TONGA ROOM & HURRICANE BAR - Lomi Lomi Salmon Poke

    Lomi Lomi Salmon Poke

    TONGA ROOM & HURRICANE BAR - Lava Flow- alcohol free

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    Lava Flow- alcohol free

    Smuggler's Cove - The best Rum Barrel I've ever had. Definitely bought the mug.

    Smuggler's Cove

    4.1(2.1k reviews)
    1.3 miFillmore
    $$

    My wife and I dropped by Smuggler's Cove on a Wednesday evening right when they opened and we…read moreheaded straight downstairs as recommended by many Yelpers. Be careful as you head down the stairs, as your eyes may need some time adjusting to the dim environment. Seating is first come first serve and the most popular spot definitely seems to be at the bar. Ordering is at the bar, and unfortunately, there's no physical menu here -- only a QR code that you'll have to scan to access their online menu. If you're able to, I definitely recommend browsing through the extensive menu online beforehand. While the menu is predominantly rum based drinks, there is also a handful of drinks that are not rum based. They also happen to have a non-alcoholic option where you can describe the flavor profile you're looking for and the bartender can put together a custom mocktail for you. I came in to Smuggler's Cove assuming everything would be over the top in terms of sweetness, but the drinks here are very well balanced. You can definitely taste the fresh citrus used in the drinks here. If you're looking for something very spirit forward, definitely look for items on the menu with a diamond next to it. I ended up ordering two drinks in the hour that I was there -- a zombie and a "Heaux Geaux", their take on the classic Vieux Carre. Since there was only one bartender downstairs, it took a while for the drinks to be prepared. I would recommend ordering your second drink about 20 minutes ahead of when you actually want it. Overall, Smuggler's Cove is probably the best tiki bar I've visited in the Bay Area. The drinks here are spectacular.

    Tucked away behind a black panel in Hayes Valley is the the not-so-secret Smuggler's Cove (the line…read moredefinitely gives it away). If you brave the line on a weekend, you will be rewarded handsomely with delicious tiki cocktails and friendly service. The menu is extensive, so you won't be hard-pressed to find a drink you'd like. I personally love the Leilani Nouveau, which is refreshing When I lived in San Diego, a bartender at a tiki bar said the first stop in SF must be Smuggler's Cove and it really deserves all that praise and more!

    Photos
    Smuggler's Cove - Upstairs Bar

    Upstairs Bar

    Smuggler's Cove - Downstairs bar

    Downstairs bar

    Smuggler's Cove - Another picture of the inside of the bar I love the atmosphere in here

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    Another picture of the inside of the bar I love the atmosphere in here

    Trad'r Sam - Party Bowl

    Trad'r Sam

    3.7(1.1k reviews)
    4.5 miOuter Richmond
    $

    We went to Trad'r Sam to start our self created tiki tour and we enjoyed hanging out and grabbing a…read moreround of drinks at 3pm on a Saturday. It was pretty empty when we went but we enjoyed the boozy milkshakes (the chocolate banana was super fun) and ended up sharing a scorpion bowl as well. It's super casual but still fun and generally nice place to grab a drink. I can see how this would be a good spot for a nightcap after dinner for a sweet booze drink.

    If you're looking for a cocktail garnished with artisanal moss and existential dread, keep walking…read more But if you want to get functionally over-served in a place that no longer smells like a damp basement from the Truman administration, welcome to the "new" Trad'r Sam. The Glow-Up The "grandfather of tiki" finally went to rehab--and by rehab, I mean it actually got a scrub-down. The legendary grime has been replaced by bright floors, refreshed bamboo, and a bar top so clean you can actually see your pupils dilating after the second round. It's still a dive, but now it's a dive you can bring a date to without needing a tetanus shot. The Heavy Artillery The drinks are still served in bowls large enough to sustain a small village during a drought. Whether it's a Scorpion or a Mai Tai, the ratio of rum-to-juice remains aggressively in favor of the rum. It's tropical, it's blue, and it will have you reconsidering your career at the bank by 10:00 PM. The MVP Bartenders The real reason to crawl out to the Richmond? The bartenders. These absolute legends navigate the chaos with the speed of a high-frequency trader and the patience of a saint. They handle a room full of "one more bowl!" requests without breaking a sweat or losing their wit. The Verdict: It's the oldest tiki bar in SF, and it's finally stopped looking its age. Go for the booze, stay for the bartenders who actually know what they're doing.

    Photos
    Trad'r Sam - Electric palm trees

    Electric palm trees

    Trad'r Sam - Bar area

    Bar area

    Trad'r Sam

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    Pagan Idol - tikibars - Updated August 2026

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