Enjoy the bear necessities!
A tiny tiki bar is blossoming in a Greenpoint backyard each weekend this summer. Yaki Tiki is an outdoor bar and grill pop-up, from the team behind Williamsburg hot spot “Sunday in Brooklyn,” hidden behind the creative space A/D/O. The bar specializes in a handful of tropical drinks, including a tequila, sherry, and grapefruit beverage served in an adorable bear-shaped honey container.
Each of the bar’s three $12 tropical drinks gets an over-the-top presentation, garnished with flowers, palm leaves, and cocktail umbrellas — which is exactly what you want to look at while lounging on a sunny afternoon with a refreshing concoction. Beer and sake are also available for your day-drinking needs.
The pop-up’s name nods to the Japanese yakitori — grilled chicken on a skewer — and it offers a selection of mostly grilled dishes. The small plates, which range in price from $3 to $7, vary by the day, but might include summer squash with almond miso, skewers of tuna belly, the aforementioned grilled chicken, or potato salad.
The spot is hidden from the street (follow the chalkboard signs!), and shaded from the sun by strips of white canvas that flutter overhead like sails. Visitors can settle on an inflatable flamingo pool toy, stretch out on long benches, or perch on pillows set on overturned milk cartons. The vibe is casual, outdoor fun — the spot dubs itself “a backyard grill party,” and it feels like friend’s back yard — if they were really good at decorating.
Yaki Tiki plans to return to this backyard spot each weekend until the end of the summer — but you should go before the word gets out!
Yaki Tiki (171 Banker St. between Norman and Meserole avenues in Greenpoint, www.yakit
