Forbidden Island

The editorial take

Forbidden Island understands that tropical cocktails need architecture more than excess. Its menu may arrive dressed in banana, coconut, pineapple, spice, and theatrical bowls, but the liquid decisions underneath are exacting: citrus is juiced in house daily, orgeat and fassionola are made behind the scenes, and rum is treated as a set of distinct tools rather than a single sweet base. The recently revised Classic Mai Tai leans harder into Jamaican character, sharpening a drink built from lime, house orgeat, and curacao. Bombo takes the opposite route, letting an exclusive 14-year cask-strength rum barrel speak with little more than brown sugar and nutmeg. The Red Sky Swizzle brings agricole rhum, California poppy amaro, Peychaud's bitters, and citrus into a leaner, bitter register. Even the menu's organization is useful: coconut-rich drinks, fruit-driven builds, bitter and spiced options, rum-less cocktails, and shared formats signal the sensory destination before a guest orders. Some creations still pile on several sweet and fruit components, so restraint is not universal. Yet the breadth has a governing idea. This is a tiki bar where exuberance is supported by fresh acid, deliberate rum selection, and enough bitter or spicy counterweight to keep the island from turning into a sugar fog.

What should I order?

Begin with the revised Classic Mai Tai for the clearest test of the house's rum-and-acid judgment. Follow with Bombo if you want the rare barrel nearly unadorned, or the Red Sky Swizzle for agricole, amaro, and bitters.

Who will enjoy this place?

Tropical-cocktail drinkers who want a large menu without surrendering fresh citrus, identifiable rum character, or a clear path from creamy and fruity toward dry, bitter, and strong.

When should I go?

Arrive near opening for time to navigate the list; the official hours are 4 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 2 p.m. to midnight on weekends, with the patio closing at 9 p.m.

What should I expect to spend?

Most individual cocktails cost $15–22; the Classic Mai Tai is $17 with a $5 top-shelf option, and shared drinks range from $30 to $80 before tax and gratuity.

What makes the beverage program distinctive?

The menu translates a technically serious rum and fresh-juice program into flavor-first sections, so guests can choose by coconut, fruit, spice, bitterness, or format without needing a rum education first.

Beverage categories

We only score what a venue sets out to do. Categories a venue doesn't attempt are left unscored rather than penalized.

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