Mother of Pearl
“My mom, who was with me, got the Shark Eye, which has a wonderful presentation and you get to drink out of a shark shaped mug.”
“The decor is really something, not your run of the mill tiki bar, and the drinks while not classic tiki has some unique spins.”
“We had:
-Tuna Poke (soy tapioca, macadamia, miso, seaweed, furikake): Pronounced Pokay, not poke, which was how I was saying it.”
Mother of Pearl
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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LOVE this place! I stopped in early on a Friday evening, around 5:30 and the bartender was still prepping so the very sweet Hostess offered me a seat in the front by the window. I like the fact that at least at that time, the staff is completely accommodating as far as seating if you're there for just drinks. We had dinner reservations around the corner at their sister place so we were just looking for a few fun cocktails beforehand. We definitely came to the right place! Everyone orders the Sharkeye because how couldn't you? I mean have you seen how darn cute it is? I also tacked on a glass of the Gruet sparkling and was given a very generous pour. Everyone that works here is super friendly as well…can't wait to return and try some different pretty drinks!
Stumbled upon this by accident while roaming the east village. Places like these are why i love NYC. So many distinct and cool places within the same area. Just across the street Sidewalk bar gives you a totally different experience. Mother of Pearl Restaurant has a really cool vibe and decor. It makes you feel like you are in a bar by the beach. I really like this tiki bar with all their aqua colored decorations. Nice spot for a date, casual drinks or gossip with your most gossipiest friends. This is one worth checking it out. They close at 2am, which is why i ended up finishing my night at the bar across the street. Definitely check out if you are in this area. Cute decor, petite, and upscaly if you want to avoid the usual dive bars in the area. Will come back with a larger party and to try the food.
Prior to a recent trip to NYC, I was researching tiki bars for my girlfriend. This one popped up and, to my surprise, indicated that it had recently gone all vegan! There is only one other vegan tiki-themed bar/restaurant that I know of in the country, so we made a point to stop by our last day in the city.
As we walked up to the restaurant, the sign said "tiki" right on it so we were hoping for the best. Once you walk in, though, you realize this is more tiki-influenced at best. The main restaurant area is pretty bland but the back area has a cool design. The stools are tiki gods and the overall feel of the room is on the tropical side.
Unfortunately, we didn't get to try the food as we got there late and the kitchen had already shutdown. Not a big deal, as we were just looking for something small to eat but the bar menu did look appetizing. We got a few different drinks and they were a bit all over the place. The first drink my girlfriend got was on the strong side (a good thing) but not particularly unique. I got a tropicalish Avery beer that I had never had before (which was great.) The last drink we shared – the Shark eye. We had to get this for the novelty, and weren't disappointed on that front. You can find many photos of the gory drink on yelp and our drink lived up to this. However, the drink (to me) didn't seem that strong. Made me think the drink is more about the experience and less about the alcohol.
Not sure if I would go out of my way to try the food next time I'm in town but it's good to know this is an option (not that there's a deficit of vegan options around.) For a more legit tiki experience, I would recommend Otto's.
Came here for vegan brunch and it was delicious! The brunch menu itself isnt so expansive, but I literally wanted to try everything on it. The kalua jack fruit + shiitake mushroom buns were delicious as was the mushroom fried rice. Apparently jack fruit is rich in vitamins, including the b complex group. Also tried 2 nonalcoholic cocktails – forbidden fruit (4 citrus blend + ginger + oregano) and the greenhouse (cucumber water, lime, mint coconut sugar). Nice presentation overall.
The restaurant was a bit empty when we came in here on a Saturday (long weekend), so we were seated immediately. One thing that happened during our brunch was that there was some miscommunication in the kitchen and one of our orders was not placed! The restaurant dealt with this error in a classy manner – they comp'ed the dish, gave us a complimentary sample drink, and apologized profusely.
This is definitely a fun place to eat – creative menu and fun tiki bar vibe.
The archetype of the proper tiki drink is a complex mixture of ingredients presented in a colorful display of whimsy. Mother of Pearl manages to nail the exact inverse of this model. The bar appears at first glance to be sophisticated, yet people are cutting legitimately loose and the bartenders are having as much fun as the guests. That is not to say the food and drink are not refined, just the personality of the place.
I came for the drinking more than the food. The drink menu acknowledges its tiki-tropical roots without indulging in ancestor worship. I'm a fan of the classics, but I really appreciate a tiki-ish bar that can bang out enough compelling original drinks that there would be no reason to add the safety net of a Mai Tai or Fogcutter. For reals. If you go there and ask for one of the classics, I'm sure the staff could do it justice. However I think you'd be a punk for not giving the originals a whirl. I was lucky enough to have enough people in my group to try a good portion of the cocktail list. I was impressed with all of them.
I let others in the group take the reigns for the food ordering due to their pickier eating habits (you know…..vegetarians). I don't mind vegetarian food, but I'm rarely telling others about how amazing it was. Fried Guacamole? You have to be joshing me. I didn't realize until a few days latter ALL the food on the menu was vegetarian. This place just keeps revealing more and more about itself and I have only been there once a week ago. It took me an hour of being in there to realize the stools at the bar had tikis carved into them. One of the bartenders even had a Big Trouble In Little China shirt on under his Hawaiian shirt. Its true, the world is your oyster.
What's not to love about a vegan tiki bar?
I got stuck in traffic and was a whole hour late for my Wednesday night reservation (I called to explain my dilemma) and the hostess was so nice and accommodating once I finally arrived. She'd given my table away but seated me at a different table as soon as she could.
Not sure if my waitress was having a bad night or just hates people in general, but she seemed put out when we ordered anything. She was downright frosty to us. It was…odd. Service was definitely slow, too. I know the place was packed, but we probably would have eaten more or had more to drink if we'd been asked if we wanted anything else.
The drinks were ok. I've had better and I've had worse. The food was pretty decent. The standout to me was the fried guacamole. I want to try to figure out how to make that at home.
Definitely worth checking out for the novelty factor, but this wouldn't be a place I'd frequent.
I cannot say enough great things about this place but I will try. Service was exceptional and attentive. Cocktails were out of this world and you can buy the glasses they come in. For instance, I had this shark drink and now I own the shark. My drunk purchase was worth it to wake up and be started and have a look of shocked incredulity on my face when on my nightstand stood this shark head. It was something out of a ceramic version of the Godfather. (No sharks were harmed in the writing of this review) And the mushroom pots tickers made you forget that pork ones are better. For a second I could dream of becoming vegan…then the memory of bacon happened and I was snapped back to reality. The decor is fantastic and other worldly. Try this place.
Fun atmosphere here, Hawaiian tiki themed! The table we were seated at was really small for four people and very uncomfortable. Despite that, service was really friendly and it is a fun vibe. Tried out their shark drink, check out pic!! Was more fun looking than good! My hubby had a cashew drink which he really enjoyed! My sister and her bf enjoyed their drinks as well I believe. Don't be fooled at how fruity the drinks look, they are VERY strong, I was feeling it after one! We did not get to try food here however I believe it is a vegan spot which is not my thing. Would probably come back to try some additional drinks if I was in the area but would not make a special trip! Still fun option to go to with some friends!