We were in York’s famous Shambles on our tour when a thunderstorm broke out, scattering our tour group. Thankfully, a welcome respite materialized in the form of DumDum, York’s first and only Tiki Bar. We arrived just at opening.
The name comes from the Moai character in the Night at the Museum movies, so this isn’t exactly cutting edge in terms of topical relevance. Inside, there are a few tikis and moais but otherwise this feels like a modern topical lounge: chill music, leafy wallpaper, and kitschy neon signs.
The drinks menu borrows heavily from movies and cultural references, but both Mrs. Mai Tai and I were quite pleased with our cocktails.
My “DumDum Give Me RumRum” had white rum, dark rum, Wood’s Navy Rum, Watermelon syrup, orgeat, and a float of Ting. This was a refreshing tropical cocktail that I enjoyed to the finish. The Ting grapefruit soda played well with the watermelon flavor.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Mai Tai’s “Beach Boys” had Gin, Elderflower, Coconut, Agave, Lime, and Tiki Bitters and was arguably even better. Nice and rich without being overly sweet. We were impressed by the cocktails in this place that seems to gear itself to the shot and party crowd but appears to have additional depth. The staff messaged me saying their Mai Tai is the best in town, but being off-menu I didn’t order it.
DumDum may not be high tiki, nor does it move the genre on a path of inclusion and diversity, but they’re doing many things well. Check them out the next time you’re in York.
