Visit Us
Address
211 F St
Davis, CA 95616
Phone
(530) 212-8039
Hours
11am-1am Daily
Parking
Metered street parking on F Street; city garages nearby on 3rd and 4th.
Age policy
18+ With ID
About This Location
Walk into Davis and you're standing in a Vanuatu nakamal. Reclaimed barnwood, rusted tin, tiki carvings, and Edison bulbs set the room, and a 15-by-20-foot mural traces kava culture across the Pacific: King Kamehameha, his rival Kāne, Tonga's King George Tupou, and the traditions that carried kava between islands for centuries.
A full-size replica cargo-cult plane hangs from a sunset-toned ceiling, and upstairs there's a small gallery of South Pacific art and artifacts, kava bowls, whisks, fish hooks, worth a look even if you're not buying. The drink menu runs deep on customization, and it's part of what regulars mention most: there's a combination for whatever mood you're in.
Being blocks from campus, Davis runs differently than our other rooms. Afternoons fill with laptops and quiet conversation, it's become one of the better study spots downtown, precisely because it isn't a coffee shop. Evenings shift toward the drink menu and easy conversation with whoever's next to you.
Staff here get remembered by name in review after review, and that's not an accident. It's the same hospitality that built this brand, just with a University accent.
Inside the Bar
What We Serve
Hand Crafted Kava
Fresh frozen kava from Hawaii, Fiji, and our own American farms, poured daily alongside our traditional powdered house kavas. Noble root only, ground fresh and prepared by hand. Fresh is best, and here you can have it every day.
Functional Botanical Drinks
Ancient tonic herbs, iced pours, and botanical blends built for health conscious people who want somewhere to go that isn't a bar. Alcohol-free, made to order, and good enough that nobody at the table feels like they're settling.
Specialty Coffee
We take our coffee as seriously as our kava. Our exclusive Bula Blend™ is microroasted for us in small batches and pulled properly, every time. Whether you're here for a shell or a flat white, you're in the right place.
Find Us
211 F St
Davis, CA 95616
11am–1am Daily
Parking: Metered street parking on F Street; city garages nearby.
Nearby: Blocks from downtown Davis and the UC Davis campus.
Your First Visit
Start with one 12 oz High Tide shell of traditional fresh kava. It's the authentic preparation and the best way to understand what kava actually is. Give it 20 to 30 minutes before deciding on another.
If earthy and bitter isn't your thing, ask about our kava tonics and iced pours. Same root, very different drinking experience. And if you'd rather skip kava entirely, we pour specialty espresso and a full botanical menu.
In a shell, which is the traditional coconut-shell-shaped bowl kava has been served in across the Pacific for thousands of years. You drink it in one go rather than sipping it, then take a chaser if you want one.
Your lips and tongue will go a little numb for a few minutes. That's normal and it means the kavalactones are there.
Bula is a Fijian greeting that means life or good health. In kava culture it's what you say before you drink, and what the room says back. Someone will hand you a shell and say it. Say it back and drink.
No. Walk in whenever we're open. If you're bringing a large group or planning a private event, give us a call ahead and we'll make room.
Constantly. A good portion of our regulars came in alone the first time and left having talked to five people. Kava bars are built for conversation, and sitting at the bar is the fastest way into it.
Equally fine to bring a laptop and keep to yourself. Both work here, especially at Davis, where the afternoon crowd is half laptops.
Yes, if you're drinking kava. You must be 18 or older to be served and we card. Everyone is welcome in the space, and our coffee and botanical menu is open to all ages.