Toronto bar shares heartfelt message after leaving home of 10 years
An iconic Toronto bar that's been a local fixture for the past decade is leaving its beloved neighbourhood behind, issuing a heartfelt 'see you later' in its wake.
If you've found yourself hankering for a Mai Tai (or other South Pacific-angled retro beverages) amid dimly-lit, Tiki Bar-laden interiors at any point in the past 10 years, there's a very hefty chance that you ended up at Parkdale's Shameful Tiki Room.
Save, perhaps, for the handful of years when Miss Thing's, a rival Polynesian-themed bar, held court across the street.
It's a niche craving, sure, but one that creeps up on the best of us now and then, especially when winters in the city are as deep, dark and long as they are, and, over the years, The Shameful Tiki Room became an institution in the area.
Known, of course, for its unwavering commitment to theme alongside its extensive menu of everything from classic tropical cocktails (think your first trip to an all-inclusive resort when you were freshly of age: daiquiris, rum punch and the like) to proprietary house cocktails served in enormous barrels, skulls or topped with a live flame.
As theatrical as it sounds, The Shameful Tiki Room is delightfully unpretentious. It's never taken itself too seriously, and perhaps that's what made it fit so well in Parkdale.
Until now, that is, as, following its final service on May 27, the bar has officially closed the doors of its Parkdale haunt for good.
In the wake of the closure, owner Alana Nogueda took to Instagram to share a heartfelt message to the community that allowed The Shameful Tiki Room to prosper over the past 10 years.
"After nearly 10 unforgettable years filled with good times, laughter, first dates, celebrations, music, handcrafted cocktails, delicious food, heartfelt conversations, and—most importantly—a true sense of community, the time has come for us to say goodbye," Alana writes in the caption of the post on May 27.
"It’s hard to put into words what this place and all of you have meant to me. I opened these doors when I was 26, not knowing much about Parkdale beyond the late nights spent at what used to be Blondie’s (right here!) or across the street at Wrongbar," she adds, closing with, "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
Back in February of 2025, Alana told blogTO that the bar would soon be relocating due to "really tough" landlord conflicts that ultimately led her to the difficult, though necessary, choice to move.
On the bright side, this isn't one of those bar closures that mean you'll never be able to go there again — in fact, we're just a few weeks out from The Shameful Tiki 2.0's grand opening, as the bar puts the finishing touches on their new space at 777 Queen West.
The location was the former home of Banu, which occupied the space for 20 years, a fact that certainly bodes well for a long and fruitful future of The Shameful Tiki Room.
Jesse Milns
