The Ark Royal is a modern TiKi lounge in Downtown Raleigh, though our name comes from an old ship commissioned in 1586 by Sir Walter Raleigh.

Raleigh, the man, was a scholar, an explorer, and truthfully, he was a pirate. Much of his later life was spent hunting for the fabled City of Gold; El Dorado.

Raleigh theorized, studied, searched and struggled to that mythical city, though the poor bastard was beheaded by King James before he could discover it.

Our lounge is not an ode to Sir Walter Raleigh, rather it is an ode to exploration, adventure and discovery. Our exotic cocktails feature ingredients from many cultures from many regions around the world. This blend of spices, spirits, sweeteners and liqueurs offers fascinating insight into a whole world of history, tradition and flavor.

The style of cocktails we offer are known as TiKi, but originally, they were known as exotic drinks, or as Don the Beachcomber called them; “Rhum Rhapsodies.”

TiKi is exploration. It is adventure. It is discovery. It is The Ark Royal.