his week sees the official opening of probably one of the mostly unique places to drink in the city. To call it a nightclub would be apt, but not entirely accurate. To call it a bar would be selling it short. A live music venue would conjure the wrong images in your minds. Put simply, The LuWOW is what it is – a venue that is a Mecca to both Tiki and fun.

It’s pretty likely you’ve heard of ‘Tiki’. Most likely, the word conjures thoughts of Hawaiian shirts, bamboo-clad walls and maybe even one of those Elvis movies where he had the unenviable task of choosing which incredibly hot babe to fall in love with. And you’re pretty close. Tiki’s roots are planted firmly in Polynesian culture and it was popularised and Americanised from around the 1950s by two pioneers named Trader Vic and Don the Beachcomber. We still credit these men with many of the recipes that dominate the Tiki era of drinking and their interior designs are oft copied, but never equalled. Until now.

The front bar holds down that aforementioned Elvis-on-holiday vibe, with bamboo-laden booths, laidback luau tunes and beautifully over garnished Tiki drinks served in custom LuWOW Tiki mugs. Rum dominates the menu and the back bar. Classic pina coladas, zombies and mai tais are concocted with care, but more importantly, by bartenders eager to make sure you’re having the best time possible.

Hit the back room for the darker side of this establishment. Housing the stage, which plays host to some of the country’s best reggae, rockabilly and revival bands, they’ll be well supported by those highly trained go-go dancers. Spooky looking skulls, pythons and vines exude the vibe of a scary B-grade movie, but in a good way. The back room specialises in punch, with enormous volcano bowls overflowing with Tiki goodness, housing a cornucopia of epic flavour and a fast track to ‘good times paradise’.

If The LuWOW’s original Perth counterpart, Hula Bula, is anything go by, this place will be a one stop shop – the gift that keeps on giving and the first place that springs to mind when you do a word association game involving the word ‘fun’.

62–70 Johnston St, Fitzroy

Hours
Wed to Sun 5pm–Late

theluwow.com