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FOX 5 NY's Ryan Kristafer has the story.
HELL'S KITCHEN - A new speakeasy in Hell’s Kitchen is fusing a tiki bar and piano bar into one Broadway hotspot: The Friki Tiki!
The Friki Tiki in Hell’s Kitchen fuses a tiki bar and a piano bar into one Broadway hotspot.
Co-owners Eamon Roche and Greg Nobile had the concept up and running in Connecticut, but wanted to bring some of that beach vibe to the big city.
"I’m not sure anyone’s ever put all of those concepts together, and we didn’t intend to do so," Roche said. "But they kind of fused into this crucible of a great time that we call The Friki Tiki."
From beer cans in the ceiling, beautiful lighting, to giant posters of Farrah Fawcett and Jon Bon Jovi, to blowfish, you never know what you’re going to find – even a bank vault filled with wine.
The Friki Tiki in Hell’s Kitchen fuses a tiki bar and a piano bar into one Broadway hotspot.
"We are partnered with the restaurant upstairs, Marseille, the fabulous French restaurant that’s been here for years and years," Nobile said. "But we’re also of note inside The Film Center Building (in the basement), and this vault was actually used many years ago when the Film Center was really the Hollywood of New York, and this (vault) is where all the reels were kept."
The Friki Tiki in Hell’s Kitchen fuses a tiki bar and a piano bar into one Broadway hotspot.
Nobile shared that tidbit of New York history, but The Friki Tiki is the perfect spot to go for a tropical libation before a Broadway show, or turn up post show.
"We have a lot of love for Broadway in this space," Nobile said. "My background is in Broadway, and we really wanted to cater to the Broadway experience, which is both the artists on stage, and the audiences who come to join us every night!"
The Friki Tiki is located at 357 W 44th St. in New York.