{{Short description|Tiki bar in San Francisco, California}} {{good article}} {{Use American English|date=August 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox restaurant | name = Smuggler's Cove | logo = | logo_width = | logo_alt = | image = Smuggler's Cove bar.jpg | image_width = | image_caption = The bar's interior in 2025 | mapframe = yes | coordinates = {{Coord|37.779413|-122.423393|format=dms|type:landmark_region:US-CA|display=inline,title}} | established = {{start date and age|2009|12|8}} | current_owner = {{plainlist| * Martin Cate * Rebecca Cate}} | previous_owner = | head_chef = | food_type = | dress_code = | rating = | street_address = 650 Gough Street | city = San Francisco | state = California | zip = 94102 | country = US | seating_capacity = | reservations = | other_locations = | other_information = | website = {{URL|https://smugglerscovesf.com}} }}
'''Smuggler's Cove''' is a tiki bar in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, California, United States. It was founded in 2009 by Martin Cate, who now co-owns the bar with his wife Rebecca. The three-story bar offers the largest selection of rums of any bar in the US, with over 1,300 varieties as of 2025. The bar's menu features 80 cocktails, including classics of the tiki canon and some original recipes.<ref name="examiner" />
Widely considered one of the world's greatest tiki bars, Smuggler's Cove was named the best cocktail bar in the United States by Tales of the Cocktail in 2016, and it appeared on ''The World's 50 Best Bars'' six years in a row, between 2011 and 2016.
== History ==
Smuggler's Cove founder Martin Cate first encountered tiki culture at a Trader Vic's bar in Washington, D.C. Inspired by the bar's decor, in 1998, he and his wife Rebecca built a tiki bar in their apartment's spare bedroom. In 2004, Cate abandoned his job in transportation logistics and successfully applied for a job at a Trader Vic's in San Francisco despite having no formal bartending experience.<ref name="punch-bio">{{cite web |last1=Pariseau |first1=Leslie |date=3 July 2014 |title=Martin Cate {{!}} Owner, Smuggler's Cove |url=https://punchdrink.com/lookbook/martin-cate-owner-smugglers-cove/ |access-date=20 August 2025 |website=Punch |language=en}}</ref> He later became a co-owner of Alameda tiki bar Forbidden Island, before leaving the bar in February 2009.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bonné |first1=Jon |title=Tiki expert Martin Cate leaves Forbidden Island |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/restaurants/article/tiki-expert-martin-cate-leaves-forbidden-island-3171080.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=20 August 2025 |date=22 February 2019}}</ref>
On June 4, 2009, Cate announced plans to open Smuggler's Cove at an undisclosed location in San Francisco, alongside a browser game that progressively unveiled clues about the bar's location on a treasure map.<ref name="announcement">{{cite web |last1=Lucchesi |first1=Paolo |title=Frenzies: Smuggler's Cove Announced, Crowd Goes Wild |url=https://sf.eater.com/2009/6/4/6766341/frenzies-smugglers-cove-announced-crowd-goes-wild |website=Eater SF |access-date=20 August 2025 |date=4 June 2009}}</ref> The announcement was met with widespread excitement from the cocktail community throughout the United States, with ''The New York Times'' calling Cate "an acknowledged master of both the rum cocktail and of tiki culture" and ''Eater SF'' naming him a "local bar legend" before the bar opened.<ref name="announcement" /><ref name="mackay">{{cite web |last1=Mackay |first1=Jordan |date=4 December 2009 |title=A New Tropical Paradise |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/04/a-new-tropical-paradise/ |access-date=20 August 2025 |website=The New York Times |language=en}}</ref>
Smuggler's Cove opened to the public on December 8, 2009, following a limited media preview night four days beforehand.<ref name="mackay" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Barmann |first1=Jay |title=Smuggler's Cove Opens Tonight |url=https://sfist.com/2009/12/08/sfist_drinks_smugglers_cove_opens_t/ |website=SFist |access-date=19 August 2025 |language=en |date=8 December 2009}}</ref> The bar took the place of Jade Bar, which previously occupied all three floors of the space.<ref name="shutter">{{cite web |last1=Lucchesi |first1=Paolo |title=The Shutter: Jade Bar Makes Way For Smuggler's Cove |url=https://sf.eater.com/2009/9/1/6760279/the-shutter-jade-bar-makes-way-for-smugglers-cove |website=Eater SF |access-date=20 August 2025 |date=1 September 2009}}</ref> As of 2016, Smuggler's Cove has been co-owned by Martin and Rebecca Cate.<ref name="seattle" />
== Decor ==
thumb|Exterior of Smuggler's Cove in 2025
The exterior of Smuggler's Cove is unassuming, with the entrance only marked by a red light bulb and a small placard on the door.<ref name="dispatch" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Ferrell |first1=Jamie |title=16 Of The Best Bars In San Francisco, According To Locals |url=https://secretsanfrancisco.com/san-francisco-bars/ |website=Secret San Francisco |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=11 August 2023}}</ref> The interior of the bar has three floors, with bars on the main and lower floors.<ref name="timeout" /><ref name="backbar" /> The bar's interior decor, initially crafted by local designer Ignacio Gonzalez in collaboration with Martin Cate, was inspired by the nautical aesthetics of Polynesia, featuring dark wood, ropes, an indoor waterfall, a full-sized anchor, and various other flotsam and jetsam and pirate-themed memorabilia.<ref name="examiner" /><ref name="wells">{{cite web |last1=Wells |first1=Pete |author1-link=Pete Wells |title=Staging a Rum Rebellion |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/02/dining/02rum.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=1 December 2009}}</ref><ref name="timeout">{{cite web |title=Smuggler's Cove |url=https://www.timeout.com/san-francisco/bars/smugglers-cove |website=Time Out |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=22 August 2018}}</ref> Cate prioritizes the authenticity of the bar's decor, describing his decorations in a 2025 interview as real and handmade. He further described: "these are crafts. This is texture, natural, real artistry. This is hand-carved."<ref name="dispatch" />
Smuggler's Cove's soundtrack draws from a diverse range of musical influences inspired by the global history of tiki culture, including Hawaiian ukulele music, traditional music from Cuba and Brazil, bossa nova and samba from the 1960s, surf music, funk, soul, and exotica.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Janzen |first1=Emma |title=The Soundtrack of Smuggler's Cove |url=https://imbibemagazine.com/music-smugglers-cove/ |website=Imbibe |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=12 September 2018}}</ref>
== Rum collection ==
[[File:Smuggler's Cove Mai Tai.jpg|thumb|left|The Mai Tai, a classic rum-based tiki cocktail, at Smuggler's Cove]]
Multiple outlets have reported that Smuggler's Cove offers the largest selection of rums of any bar in the United States,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Chandra |first1=Fiona |title=The 20 Best Tiki Bars In America |url=https://www.chowhound.com/1789290/best-tiki-bars-in-america/ |website=Chowhound |access-date=8 August 2025 |date=1 March 2025}}</ref><ref name="sfgate" /> with over 1,300 different varieties in stock as of 2025 according to general manager Christopher Ward.<ref name="examiner" /> The rums are organized by country of origin, split between the first-floor bar, downstairs bar, and storage rooms within the building.<ref name="backbar" /> The collection includes several rare and historical rums that cannot be found anywhere besides Smuggler's Cove, as well as some one-off rums that Smuggler's Cove has created in collaboration with Plantation and El Dorado.<ref name="backbar" /> Only a small percentage of the rums are used in the bar's mixed drinks.<ref name="backbar">{{cite web |last1=Sloss |first1=Lauren |title=Behind the Backbar at Smuggler's Cove |url=https://punchdrink.com/articles/behind-backbar-martin-cate-smugglers-cove-san-francisco-tiki-bar-sf/ |website=Punch |access-date=18 August 2025 |language=en |date=29 January 2018}}</ref>
=== Rumbustion Society ===
Martin Cate created the Rumbustion Society rum club upon the bar's opening to encourage customers to explore the bar's rum offerings.<ref name="examiner">{{cite web |last1=Gurevich |first1=Natalia |title=Rum and magic at Smuggler's Cove |url=https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/the-city/smugglers-cove-tiki-bar-brings-rum-magic-to-san-francisco/article_cf78343c-484d-49b0-9cd1-9f3e5a477dfd.html |website=San Francisco Examiner |access-date=19 August 2025 |language=en |date=28 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Triumvirate Rum: Rumbustion Society Class Project Goes on Sale at Cask |url=https://www.sfweekly.com/dining/triumvirate-rum-rumbustion-society-class-project-goes-on-sale-at-cask/article_8bae83b0-db52-569c-8906-7a4c04637cd5.html |website=SF Weekly |access-date=19 August 2025 |language=en |date=13 May 2011}}</ref> The Rumbustion Society has three main levels: Disciple of the Cove, Guardian of the Cove, and Master of the Cove.<ref name="thrillist-perk">{{cite web |last1=Sterling |first1=Justine |title=Being a Regular at These Bars Comes with Serious Perks |url=https://www.thrillist.com/drink/bars-with-great-customer-loyalty-programs |website=Thrillist |access-date=19 August 2025 |language=en |date=2 February 2018}}</ref>
To become a Disciple of the Cove, participants must sample and learn about 20 rums and pass a 13-question quiz, earning them a Rumbustion Society card and a merit badge.<ref name="examiner" /><ref name="thrillist-perk" /> The Guardian of the Cove level requires larger samples of 80 different rums, and awards entrants a commemorative placard and a red fez.<ref name="thrillist-perk" /> To become a Master of the Cove, customers must sample an additional 200 rums, earning them a tiki mug and a private rum distillery tour.<ref name="examiner" /><ref name="thrillist-perk" />
The Black Tassel Brigade, an additional fourth level, requires sampling 500 different rums and earns entrants a black tassel for their fez.<ref name="thrillist-perk" /> With only 25 members as of 2018, the Black Tassel Brigade was a late addition to the Rumbustion Society, as Cate initially did not expect customers to exceed the 200 rums demanded by the Disciple of the Cove level.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Andrews |first1=Betsy |title=Using Spirits Societies to Grow a Bar Business |url=https://daily.sevenfifty.com/using-spirits-societies-to-grow-a-bar-business/ |website=SevenFifty Daily |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=22 January 2018}}</ref>
== Book ==
In 2016, Martin and Rebecca Cate published the bar's eponymous book ''Smuggler's Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki'' at Ten Speed Press.<ref name="paolo" /> The 352-page book chronicles the history and aesthetics of tiki culture, breaks down what defines an "exotic cocktail", and lists dozens of the bar's cocktail recipes, including both classics and original creations.<ref name="nyt-book">{{cite web |last1=Simonson |first1=Robert |author1-link=Robert Simonson |title=A Book Adds Rigor to the Laid-Back World of Tiki Cocktails |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/24/dining/smugglers-cove-tiki-cocktails-book-martin-cate.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=18 August 2025 |date=22 August 2016}}</ref> It also provides recommendations for essential rums and tiki bars around the world, and offers a new categorization for rum varieties based on production method rather than country of origin.<ref name="nyt-book" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Sterling |first1=Justine |title=Tiki Talk With a Tiki Master |url=https://www.thrillist.com/culture/tiki-talk-with-martin-cate-of-smugglers-cove |website=Thrillist |access-date=18 August 2025 |language=en |date=26 August 2016}}</ref>
The book was well-received upon its release. Paolo Lucchesi of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' called it "an impressively extensive examination of all things tiki."<ref name="paolo" /> In 2017, it received a James Beard Foundation Award for books in the beverage category.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Robertson |first1=Michelle |title=Smuggler's Cove book wins James Beard Media Award |url=https://www.sfgate.com/test-5-5-2017/article/Smuggler-s-Cove-recipe-book-wins-James-Beard-11104242.php |website=SFGate |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=27 April 2017}}</ref>
Since its release, the book has persisted as an acclaimed tiki reference. In 2025, ''Bon Appétit'' listed it as one of the greatest cocktail books, noting its detailed coverage of tiki mixology and history, as well as "the stunning visuals that encourage a little playful escapism."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harrington |first1=Ryan |title=The Best Cocktail Books, According to Our Editors |url=https://www.bonappetit.com/story/best-cocktail-books |website=Bon Appétit |access-date=5 October 2025 |date=24 July 2025}}</ref> In a 2025 review for ''The Dispatch'', Michael Warren wrote: "The book has become a bible for anyone with an interest, from budding to fully blooming, in the strange but alluring world of tiki culture. A useful advertisement for the bar, Cate's book also serves as a terrific introduction to the history, techniques, and entertaining basics of the tiki life."<ref name="dispatch">{{cite web |last1=Warren |first1=Michael |title=Tiki's Tide Crests Again |url=https://thedispatch.com/article/tiki-smugglers-cove-sunken-harbor/ |website=The Dispatch |access-date=19 August 2025 |date=16 April 2025}}</ref>
== Reception ==
Smuggler's Cove is routinely listed as one of the best and most prominent tiki bars in the United States and the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=The World's Most Important Tiki Bars |url=https://punchdrink.com/articles/15-most-important-best-tiki-bars-chicago-london-sf/ |website=Punch |access-date=18 August 2025 |language=en |date=9 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Kirouac |first1=Matt |title=The 20 Best Tiki Bars In The US |url=https://www.tastingtable.com/1024620/the-best-tiki-bars-in-the-us/ |website=Tasting Table |access-date=18 August 2025 |date=25 September 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The best tiki bars in America |url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/bars/best-tiki-bars-in-america |website=Time Out |access-date=18 August 2025 |date=22 July 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Wondrich |first1=David |title=The Best Bars in America, 2013 |url=https://www.esquire.com/food-drink/bars/g1500/best-bars-in-america-2013/ |website=Esquire |access-date=20 August 2025 |date=28 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Walton |first1=Kellie |title=The 18 Quirkiest, Weirdest, and Wackiest Themed Cocktail Bars in the U.S. |url=https://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/g44077607/best-themed-cocktail-bars/ |website=Cosmopolitan |access-date=5 October 2025 |date=30 June 2023}}</ref> In 2016, it was named the best bar in the United States by Tales of the Cocktail.<ref name="seattle">{{cite web |last1=Vinh |first1=Tan |title=Smuggler's Cove, 'America's Best Cocktail Bar,' comes to Seattle for one night |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/life/food-drink/smugglers-cove-americas-best-cocktail-bar-comes-to-seattle-for-one-night/ |website=The Seattle Times |access-date=8 August 2025 |date=28 July 2016}}</ref> It has been listed as one of ''The World's 50 Best Bars'' six times, every year between 2011 and 2016,<ref name="sfgate">{{cite web |last1=Madrigal-Yankowski |first1=Nico |title=One of SF's most awarded bars celebrates 15 years with new collector's item |url=https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/sf-awarded-bar-celebrates-with-new-collectors-item-19916474.php |website=SFGate |access-date=8 August 2025 |date=14 November 2024}}</ref> with judges in 2014 writing, "A tribute to rum as much as it is a tribute to itself, Smuggler's Cove is fast becoming a global tiki reference point ... the often complex concoctions are made with expert skill."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pape |first1=Allie |title=Smuggler's Cove, Trick Dog Named to World's 50 Best Bars |url=https://sf.eater.com/2014/10/10/6960051/smugglers-cove-trick-dog-named-to-worlds-50-best-bars |website=Eater SF |access-date=18 August 2025 |date=10 October 2014}}</ref>
The bar's rum program in particular has drawn praise, with Paolo Lucchesi writing in a 2016 article for the ''San Francisco Chronicle'', "Smuggler's Cove might be the best rum bar in the country, if not the world."<ref name="paolo">{{cite web |last1=Lucchesi |first1=Paolo |title=Martin Cate on the trail of tiki's near-mythical origins |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/cooking/article/Martin-Cate-on-the-trail-of-tiki-s-9136737.php |website=San Francisco Chronicle |access-date=18 August 2025 |language=en |date=11 August 2016}}</ref> The decor was praised by ''The New York Times'' beverage writer Jordan Mackay, who commented that the bar's interior is more characterized by "classical seafaring" elements than a typical island-themed tiki bar, describing: "The dark-wood-paneled ground floor is surprisingly intimate, decorated like the interior of a ship—with thick ropes, a mermaid-like figurehead on the wall, and heavy beams. Old ship lamps, luminous glass fishing orbs, and illuminated, multicolored blowfish provide much of the lighting."<ref name="mackay" />
== See also == * Hale Pele – a tiki bar in Portland, Oregon, co-owned by Martin Cate * Tonga Room – another prominent San Francisco tiki bar
== References == {{reflist}}
Category:2009 establishments in California Category:Drinking establishments in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Food and drink companies based in San Francisco Category:Food and drink companies established in 2009 Category:Tiki bars Category:Tourist attractions in San Francisco