With such a vibrant and diverse food scene, it can be really hard to choose what to eat in San Francisco, California. There’s a plethora of Asian cuisine to choose from, not to mention San Francisco-style hot dogs and so much more. For years, the city has been widely recognized for its foodie scene, but what most people don’t know is that it also happens to be home to one of the best hotel bars in the United States.
Meet the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar, an eclectic tiki bar that sits around an indoor lagoon. The restaurant features an Asian-inspired fusion food menu and a drink menu consisting of tiki bar classics and signature cocktails. However, in addition to the great food, the bar is best known for its atmosphere, which includes indoor simulated rain and a band that plays from a boat that floats in the lagoon.
The standout decor and amazing eats have piqued the interest of many, including that of the late Anthony Bourdain. He considered the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar a personal favorite, and referred to it as ”the greatest place in the history of the world” at one point in time (via the Fairmont San Francisco). Visitors often agree with him, praising it as one of the best tiki bars in the city. Many have noted that the atmosphere was particularly exceptional, citing the simulated rain and the live band as reasons to return to the bar several times throughout the evening.
What To Know About The Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar
Located in the Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco, the Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar is often recognized as a local icon for its distinct aesthetics. The entire bar and restaurant area is meticulously decorated, and it was supposedly designed by a Hollywood set designer. The dining area surrounds an indoor lagoon, which is actually the hotel’s original indoor pool repurposed. The area above the water “rains” occasionally throughout the restaurant’s operating hours, complete with thunder and lightning for effect…