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ALEXANDRIA, Va - A tiki bar has taken over a corner of the Old Town waterfront for the summer.
The Hi-Tide Tiki Pop-Up Bar opens Thursday inside Vola's Dockside Grill at 101 N. Union St., following a preview night Wednesday. The seasonal concept from Alexandria Restaurant Partners will run through Aug. 31, trading Vola's usual dockside feel for carved wood, flickering candlelight and a Polynesian-inspired menu of rum drinks and shareable plates.
Vola's and Hi-Tide's Instagram accounts had been teasing the countdown for days, posting photos of tiki mugs and garnished cocktails over a soundtrack of The Shadows' 1961 surf-guitar standard "Kon-Tiki." "Paradise is calling," one post read.
No reservations are accepted. The bar is walk-in only, and there is no dress code.
Cocktails are the centerpiece. The menu includes the Mai Tide, a riff on the mai tai built with Planteray white rum, Clément agricole rhum, orgeat, orange curaçao, pineapple and lime for $14, and the Black Coral Old Fashioned, made with Cruzan single barrel rum, demerara syrup and blackstrap bitters for $15. Frozen options include the Kohala Lava, a blend of Cruzan rums with basil, cinnamon, white pepper and honeydew, and the Temple of Tides, which layers Don Q rums, gin, cognac, sherry, lemongrass and ginger. Both are $15.
For groups, two punch bowls serve two to four people: the Volcano Whisper with Appleton Estate rums, falernum, pineapple, lime and passion fruit for $39, and the Hidden Cove Punch with Planteray rums, Amaro Montenegro, citrus and hibiscus syrup for $32.
A zero-proof section offers drinks built with nonalcoholic spirits from Lyre's, along with juice- and syrup-based options starting at $7.
The food menu leans toward small plates meant for the table. The $26 Pupu Platter bundles charred pineapple BBQ spare ribs, huli huli chicken skewers, coconut shrimp, a char siu pork egg roll, and sweet soy chicken wings. À la carte options include a crispy mahi lettuce wrap for $12, shrimp potstickers for $8, and chilled rice noodles with nuoc cham for $5.
Hi-Tide is open from 3 to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 3 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday.
Vola's is part of Alexandria Restaurant Partners, the local group whose Alexandria lineup also includes Ada's on the River, Barca Pier & Wine Bar, Mia's Italian Kitchen, Theismann's Restaurant and Bar, and Royal Restaurant.
