Though this place is vegan, I don't think that's how they primarily identify. "Your neighborhood Tiki Bar" is what greets you on their website and menus, and lots of people I know who enjoy this place hardly realize their drinks and food contain no animal by products. Unanimously we agree that the motorized banana leaf shades, the flaming drinks, and the server with the spunky attitude all add up to a good time at Mother of Pearl. What's a good tiki bar without a good pineapple drink? The Tide is High pairs the fruit with mezcal, lime, and cashew to give it a slight richness. You'll notice most tables ordering the Shark Eye because it comes in a shark head mug replete with blood dripping from its teeth. Good for the ol' social media post. The drinks are as tasty as they are beautiful, and I've never experienced buyer's remorse from any cocktail I've chosen here. That's saying a lot for this picky imbiber! On my first few visits here it didn't really occur to me to order anything beyond the cocktails, but my last visit has me wondering why I didn't get them sooner. The tonkatsu aioli on the okonomi fries was so addictive and could've fooled me into believing it was mayo and the thai chili added a serious kick to these amazing fries. The cauliflower bao is also not to be missed. The crispy cauliflower was made so flavorful from the gochuchang sauce. Finally, don't miss the watermelon poke. Though I love a good salmon or tuna poke, I was surprised by how much I didn't miss those proteins-- this kitchen is excellent at producing the textures and flavor profiles you're used to if you're an omnivorous foodie. Vegan or not, you're bound to enjoy the vibes, the bites, and the drinks here any time of year.
Tiffany C.
Tiki bars are my favorite type of bars!! I'm so glad I came across this spot on Yelp and decided to go. The drink that really caught my eye was the cocktail in the shark mug. So so cute!! The waitress even drops red syrup onto the cup to imitate blood. The drink itself was delicious! Definitely pretty strong and could taste a bit of alcohol flavors, but it really gets you since the majority of the alcohol taste is masked by syrups. I went with a group of 4 total so aside from our individual cocktails, we also ordered a big bowl drink called the Blue Haiti. It was huge!! Really fun time and would come again. It's definitely pricey though, as individual cocktails are $15+ and the big bowl was $60+. Despite the price, I would still come to splurge once in a while.
Sam Kais
Delicious cupcakes, super friendly staff!!
Annie S
Amazing vegetarian/vegan restaurant. I was super excited that my drink came on fire!
Melissa Berard
The food was out of this world and the drinks were fabulous.
Sara B.
I love a good tiki bar, and Mother of Pearl can certainly hang with the best of 'em. Cocktails are a bit pricey ($16+), but they are fun and fabulous. My 'taste the rainbow' was fruity and refreshing and came topped with a flaming lime. That plus the multi-colored straws made for a super pretty photo opp. And speaking of pretty photos, the entire space is dope. It's such a well decorated tiki bar, and every inch is covered with cool florals / lights / wallpaper. They even had moving plants on the wall. The menu is vegan polynesian. Lots of plates are small and shareable so it's perfect for nibbling while enjoying a drink. The fries were standout --super crispy and topped with aioli, scallions and pickled veggies. I also really enjoyed the sweet and sour cauliflower baos. Service was great. We had a bit of a tricky situation with our group and the bill and they helped sort it out for us no problem. They were also attentive and came over often to check in. Mother of Pearl is a cool and unique. It's certainly not a bar to overlook if you have a penchant for tiki vibes, tasty cocktails, vegan eats or any of the above.
Gaby B.
I have been looking forward to visiting this bar for a very long time. Came all the way there from South Brooklyn midday Saturday a few weeks ago and they were closed (website says they open at 3PM). I called several times and no one picked up. Truly a shame.
Carol X.
Never been a big fan of alcohol but I passed by seeing the Shark sign so I had to order one. It was as good as I imagined and the red syrup wasn't something I had expected. It was a pretty cool drink and tasted great but I think it could have been stronger. I think I've had beer that was stronger. The atmosphere in the room was inviting, but the curtains blocking the door made the place hard to find. I liked the decorations and staff was really nice. Five stars.
Katarina L.
This place is pretty cool. You walk in through a heavy velvet curtain threshold and are hit in the face with paradise (but like, in a nice way). With swinging fans and swaying vines, it's hard to believe that its 30 degrees outside. They open at 5, strictly 5 so don't show up early because you will indeed be waiting outside and feel silly opening the door as soon as they unlock it. We all started off with drinks. I got the Shark Bite because, when in Rome. It's a fruity passion fruit, bourbon drink that comes in a little shark head. When our waitress brought it to the table she dripped red grenadine blood all over the cocktail while singing the jaws theme song. I was VERY into it. The drink was tasty and strong, but most of drink was ice. At $16, it is definitely a pricier drink. We got lots of their appetizers and plates to share family style so here is what the table looked like: a couple of orders of the okonomi fries, sweet & sour bao, hawaiian flatbread, watermelon poke, and the "chicken" katsu. My favorites were probably the okonomi fries (although a bit spicy) and the bao buns. Bread was delicious and cauliflower had a ton of flavor. I am not vegan but always love how the weird and different flavor creations vegan restaurants come up with. I also loved whatever the cheese substitute was on the flatbread, I think I remember reading coconut? This place is cool and I've had it bookmarked on Yelp for so long so I am ecstatic to have finally tried it. It feels like a perfect place to celebrate something. Things are pricey, but it might be hard to find a place like it in the city.
Jared S.
Vibes on Vibes on Vibes! Seriously. This place is so much fun. Everything from the mechanical swinging leaves on the ceiling, to the pages on pages of tiki style drinks, distressed wooden floors and over-the-top chandeliers, simply worked and set the tone for. What tied it all together however was the amazing server we had. She must be there often because I just read many reviews that describe a very similarly hilarious, down to earth, exciting and helpful human being. She has this unique personality that really brightens your day/evening and her jokes and charm were contagious. As a table, we all shared a few rounds and one-of orders of sweet and sour bao buns, okonomi fries, watermelon poke, flatbread, and the chicken katsu sandwich. Everything was good but my two personal standouts were the bao buns (I could eat 10 of those in one shot, no problemo!) and the chicken katsu sandwich. The sandwich was so juicy, flaky, and the seitan inside had such a tender, meat-like texture. In fact, my exact words to myself were "mmm.. that's some of the best chicken katsu I've ever had!" It's funny... I knew that they served only vegan food as we walked into the restaurant however I quickly and completely forgot that I had a meatless experience up until I sat down to write this review. Whether you're a vegan or not, I'm confident you will eat something delicious here and have a great time. Whether going on a date, grabbing food/drinks a coworkers, or even venturing to the bar solo, I invite you to try this place out!
Got here before they opened because that's how old I am now...can't go to a place unless I'm one of the first four people there. They still asked if we had a reservation haha I had gone to make one and saw openings every 15 minutes from opening time so I didn't make one. They get busy at 7 PM apparently, but 2 hours was more than enough for dinner and one round of $15 drinks. Everything was really good, especially the pork bahn mi. It was also vegan. The drinks didn't really wow, I think if I had gotten another it would have, but I was not about drop almost $100 on libations ya feel me. 5 stars though for the vibe, service and food. I'll definitely be back.
Alli Will
Great food and drinks!!! Love that it’s all plant based. The bao buns were phenomenal!!! I had the “keep warm in winter” and “taste the rainbow drink” which came with skittles and on fire!! Only negative side: went there on a Sunday night around 9pm, place was pretty empty but they had very slow service. Only giving it 4 stars due to the service, everything else was excellent. Loved the decor and ambiance as well.
Josh Zignego
Really good cocktails including one that is served inside a ceramic sharks head. They also have really good food that is all vegan-their meatball sandwich and their bao were both awesome
William Crutchfield
A very unique tiki bar with delicious food and drinks! The only reason for four stars is because the service was incredibly slow when I visited. Not a good first impression when there were only 3 other groups in the bar. The place was practically empty. Hopefully this is something they work on as everything else about this place was fantastic!
David W.
This place has the vibes down for sure! Their drinks are also very tasty. However, I'm not sure that they are very strong* I guess it depends on who makes it and what you order right? Anyways, the drinks are good. I cannot comment on the food.
Though this place is vegan, I don't think that's how they primarily identify. "Your neighborhood Tiki Bar" is what greets you on their website and menus, and lots of people I know who enjoy this place hardly realize their drinks and food contain no animal by products. Unanimously we agree that the motorized banana leaf shades, the flaming drinks, and the server with the spunky attitude all add up to a good time at Mother of Pearl. What's a good tiki bar without a good pineapple drink? The Tide is High pairs the fruit with mezcal, lime, and cashew to give it a slight richness. You'll notice most tables ordering the Shark Eye because it comes in a shark head mug replete with blood dripping from its teeth. Good for the ol' social media post. The drinks are as tasty as they are beautiful, and I've never experienced buyer's remorse from any cocktail I've chosen here. That's saying a lot for this picky imbiber! On my first few visits here it didn't really occur to me to order anything beyond the cocktails, but my last visit has me wondering why I didn't get them sooner. The tonkatsu aioli on the okonomi fries was so addictive and could've fooled me into believing it was mayo and the thai chili added a serious kick to these amazing fries. The cauliflower bao is also not to be missed. The crispy cauliflower was made so flavorful from the gochuchang sauce. Finally, don't miss the watermelon poke. Though I love a good salmon or tuna poke, I was surprised by how much I didn't miss those proteins-- this kitchen is excellent at producing the textures and flavor profiles you're used to if you're an omnivorous foodie. Vegan or not, you're bound to enjoy the vibes, the bites, and the drinks here any time of year.
Tiki bars are my favorite type of bars!! I'm so glad I came across this spot on Yelp and decided to go. The drink that really caught my eye was the cocktail in the shark mug. So so cute!! The waitress even drops red syrup onto the cup to imitate blood. The drink itself was delicious! Definitely pretty strong and could taste a bit of alcohol flavors, but it really gets you since the majority of the alcohol taste is masked by syrups. I went with a group of 4 total so aside from our individual cocktails, we also ordered a big bowl drink called the Blue Haiti. It was huge!! Really fun time and would come again. It's definitely pricey though, as individual cocktails are $15+ and the big bowl was $60+. Despite the price, I would still come to splurge once in a while.
Delicious cupcakes, super friendly staff!!
Amazing vegetarian/vegan restaurant. I was super excited that my drink came on fire!
The food was out of this world and the drinks were fabulous.
I love a good tiki bar, and Mother of Pearl can certainly hang with the best of 'em. Cocktails are a bit pricey ($16+), but they are fun and fabulous. My 'taste the rainbow' was fruity and refreshing and came topped with a flaming lime. That plus the multi-colored straws made for a super pretty photo opp. And speaking of pretty photos, the entire space is dope. It's such a well decorated tiki bar, and every inch is covered with cool florals / lights / wallpaper. They even had moving plants on the wall. The menu is vegan polynesian. Lots of plates are small and shareable so it's perfect for nibbling while enjoying a drink. The fries were standout --super crispy and topped with aioli, scallions and pickled veggies. I also really enjoyed the sweet and sour cauliflower baos. Service was great. We had a bit of a tricky situation with our group and the bill and they helped sort it out for us no problem. They were also attentive and came over often to check in. Mother of Pearl is a cool and unique. It's certainly not a bar to overlook if you have a penchant for tiki vibes, tasty cocktails, vegan eats or any of the above.
I have been looking forward to visiting this bar for a very long time. Came all the way there from South Brooklyn midday Saturday a few weeks ago and they were closed (website says they open at 3PM). I called several times and no one picked up. Truly a shame.
Never been a big fan of alcohol but I passed by seeing the Shark sign so I had to order one. It was as good as I imagined and the red syrup wasn't something I had expected. It was a pretty cool drink and tasted great but I think it could have been stronger. I think I've had beer that was stronger. The atmosphere in the room was inviting, but the curtains blocking the door made the place hard to find. I liked the decorations and staff was really nice. Five stars.
This place is pretty cool. You walk in through a heavy velvet curtain threshold and are hit in the face with paradise (but like, in a nice way). With swinging fans and swaying vines, it's hard to believe that its 30 degrees outside. They open at 5, strictly 5 so don't show up early because you will indeed be waiting outside and feel silly opening the door as soon as they unlock it. We all started off with drinks. I got the Shark Bite because, when in Rome. It's a fruity passion fruit, bourbon drink that comes in a little shark head. When our waitress brought it to the table she dripped red grenadine blood all over the cocktail while singing the jaws theme song. I was VERY into it. The drink was tasty and strong, but most of drink was ice. At $16, it is definitely a pricier drink. We got lots of their appetizers and plates to share family style so here is what the table looked like: a couple of orders of the okonomi fries, sweet & sour bao, hawaiian flatbread, watermelon poke, and the "chicken" katsu. My favorites were probably the okonomi fries (although a bit spicy) and the bao buns. Bread was delicious and cauliflower had a ton of flavor. I am not vegan but always love how the weird and different flavor creations vegan restaurants come up with. I also loved whatever the cheese substitute was on the flatbread, I think I remember reading coconut? This place is cool and I've had it bookmarked on Yelp for so long so I am ecstatic to have finally tried it. It feels like a perfect place to celebrate something. Things are pricey, but it might be hard to find a place like it in the city.
Vibes on Vibes on Vibes! Seriously. This place is so much fun. Everything from the mechanical swinging leaves on the ceiling, to the pages on pages of tiki style drinks, distressed wooden floors and over-the-top chandeliers, simply worked and set the tone for. What tied it all together however was the amazing server we had. She must be there often because I just read many reviews that describe a very similarly hilarious, down to earth, exciting and helpful human being. She has this unique personality that really brightens your day/evening and her jokes and charm were contagious. As a table, we all shared a few rounds and one-of orders of sweet and sour bao buns, okonomi fries, watermelon poke, flatbread, and the chicken katsu sandwich. Everything was good but my two personal standouts were the bao buns (I could eat 10 of those in one shot, no problemo!) and the chicken katsu sandwich. The sandwich was so juicy, flaky, and the seitan inside had such a tender, meat-like texture. In fact, my exact words to myself were "mmm.. that's some of the best chicken katsu I've ever had!" It's funny... I knew that they served only vegan food as we walked into the restaurant however I quickly and completely forgot that I had a meatless experience up until I sat down to write this review. Whether you're a vegan or not, I'm confident you will eat something delicious here and have a great time. Whether going on a date, grabbing food/drinks a coworkers, or even venturing to the bar solo, I invite you to try this place out!
Restaurantji Recommends
Got here before they opened because that's how old I am now...can't go to a place unless I'm one of the first four people there. They still asked if we had a reservation haha I had gone to make one and saw openings every 15 minutes from opening time so I didn't make one. They get busy at 7 PM apparently, but 2 hours was more than enough for dinner and one round of $15 drinks. Everything was really good, especially the pork bahn mi. It was also vegan. The drinks didn't really wow, I think if I had gotten another it would have, but I was not about drop almost $100 on libations ya feel me. 5 stars though for the vibe, service and food. I'll definitely be back.
Great food and drinks!!! Love that it’s all plant based. The bao buns were phenomenal!!! I had the “keep warm in winter” and “taste the rainbow drink” which came with skittles and on fire!! Only negative side: went there on a Sunday night around 9pm, place was pretty empty but they had very slow service. Only giving it 4 stars due to the service, everything else was excellent. Loved the decor and ambiance as well.
Really good cocktails including one that is served inside a ceramic sharks head. They also have really good food that is all vegan-their meatball sandwich and their bao were both awesome
A very unique tiki bar with delicious food and drinks! The only reason for four stars is because the service was incredibly slow when I visited. Not a good first impression when there were only 3 other groups in the bar. The place was practically empty. Hopefully this is something they work on as everything else about this place was fantastic!
This place has the vibes down for sure! Their drinks are also very tasty. However, I'm not sure that they are very strong* I guess it depends on who makes it and what you order right? Anyways, the drinks are good. I cannot comment on the food.