Shelter Island · Best Tiki Bars in San Diego
Bali Hai Review
Last updatedRanked #2 of 8 in Best Tiki Bars in San Diego
The classic San Diego tiki experience with a skyline view.
Score breakdown
- Experience91/100
- Consistency92/100
- Value80/100
- Atmosphere95/100
- Uniqueness92/100
The verdict on Bali Hai
Ranked #2 of 8 — 90/100 in our Best Tiki Bars in San Diego coverage
Bali Hai has been pouring since 1954 and the Mai Tai is famously strong. It's more restaurant than bar now, but no other tiki room in the city has that water-and-skyline setting.
What to drink at Bali Hai
Bali Hai appears on more than one of our lists, and the pick depends on which one you are reading:
- Original Mai Tai — from our Best Tiki Bars in San Diego coverage
- Mai Tai and the pork belly — from our Best Waterfront Restaurants in San Diego coverage
- Mai Tai, Polynesian plates — from our Best Dog-Friendly Restaurants in San Diego coverage
Sit on the patio at sunset; the downtown view across the bay is the whole point.
When to go
Bars and breweries in Shelter Island typically fill up on Friday and Saturday nights; a weeknight or early-evening visit is the easier way to get a seat without a wait.
Is Bali Hai worth the price?
Bali Hai sits at $16–20 — the budget band for this category. Nothing else we ranked in this category lands in the same price bracket, so the comparison is against cheaper or pricier alternatives rather than a like-for-like rival.
Bali Hai FAQ
Is Bali Hai expensive?
Bali Hai is priced at $16–20, which puts it in the budget band for this category. There is no other option at the exact same price point on the same list, so treat it as its own bracket.
Is Bali Hai worth it?
It scores 90/100, 2.5 points above the 87.5 average for its list. That's a solid recommendation within the category.
What should I get at Bali Hai?
We recommend the Original Mai Tai.
What else is nearby Bali Hai?
Humphreys Concerts by the Bay (89/100 in our best live music venues in san diego list) and Kona Kai Resort bar (83/100 in our best tiki bars in san diego list) are also ranked in the same neighborhood, so it's easy to pair a visit.
Every list Bali Hai ranks on
Bali Hai shows up on 3 of our ranked lists, without a category win so far. Places that hold up across more than one category tend to be the safer recommendation when you are booking for a group with different tastes.
What works
- Strong atmosphere — scored 95/100 in our ranking
- Strong consistency — scored 92/100 in our ranking
- Strong uniqueness — scored 92/100 in our ranking
- Top-2 finish out of 8 spots we scored in this category
Know before you go
- Value is the weak point — 80/100, below the rest of its scores
- Sit on the patio at sunset; the downtown view across the bay is the whole point.
The full review
Bali Hai has been pouring since 1954 and the Mai Tai is famously strong. It's more restaurant than bar now, but no other tiki room in the city has that water-and-skyline setting.
On our weighted scale it earns 90/100 — good for #2 of 8 places we evaluated for best tiki bars in san diego. We drink at the places we rank, pay our own tab, and re-score when a bar changes hands, moves or reworks its list.
What to drink at Bali Hai
Original Mai Tai
Typical spend: $16–20
How we scored Bali Hai
Every score on this page comes from the same editorial rubric we apply to the whole category: experience, consistency, value, atmosphere, uniqueness. The criteria are weighted toward what matters most in the category, compared against every other place we ranked in the same list rather than against an abstract ideal. We drink at the places we rank, pay our own tab, and re-score when a bar changes hands, moves or reworks its list. Scores are editorial judgments rather than aggregated user ratings.