New pirate-themed tiki bar opens on Canandaigua Lake
CANANDAIGUA, NY — Two days shy of their first wedding anniversary, Jeffrey and Danielle Fensken listened to reggae icon Bob Marley lively up the place as Canandaigua Lake glistened in front of them, when the sun occasionally peaked from behind gray clouds on this Friday afternoon, that is.
When at a pirate-themed tiki bar like Corsair’s Cove at the Canandaigua Hotel, one must rum. Reggae is a bonus.
And while not acting like pirates as they sipped their his-and-hers Pillage & Pina rum drinks, the young Avon couple might feel like pirates after a few more, Danielle joked.
Life seems a whole lot easier at the tiki bar.
“It’s nice to sit outside,” Danielle said. “Good views. I feel like I’m not in New York.”
Good vibes at Corsair's Cove
That’s the vibe Corsair’s Cove is aiming for, according to Hotel Canandaigua General Manager Melissa Oliver.
The hotel decided to move on from the former iteration of its tiki bar, the Bird Cage, which opened two summers ago, in favor of a fresh start. The reimagined Corsair’s Cove space was officially opened last month with its first annual Pirate Palooza community event.
“We wanted it to have its own identity, and just a clean, fresh slate,” Oliver said.
And so mateys, Corsair’s Cove. Corsair, of course, meaning pirate and cove, in this case, meaning a fun, different kind of place to enjoy Canandaigua Lake with a casual vibe.
“We wanted it to be able to have a personality,” Oliver said. “There’s just nothing more fun than pirates at the water and everything that goes along with them."
What'll you have at Corsair's Cove?
You can't beat the view of Canandaigua Lake from Corsair's Cove.
Corsair’s Cove offers pirate-themed drinks such as the Pillage & Pina, Pirate Punch and Release the Kraken, all made with rum, and all made to be enjoyed at the bar or at a table in the sun.
Twisted Rail Brewing Co.’s canned Corsair’s Cove Lake to Lake is also available as are other beers on tap. And yes, you can order the Parrot Punch Mocktail when the need for responsible pirating arises.
Light food options also carry a pirate theme.
For example, the Shamrock Plank is a dish of Irish nachos, and the Mango Marauder features chicken fingers with smoked mango barbecue sauce and fruit.
The view of Canandaigua Lake can’t be beat, and the new public art installation, the Ghost of Roseland, is an easy stroll away. On Wednesdays throughout the summer, a concert series also will bring in the crowds looking for their day in the sun. The sun’s here to stay, right?
“The weather has not helped us, but on the days when it’s been beautiful, it’s doing exactly what we hoped it would do,” Oliver said. “And it grows. It’s just a very fun, relaxed little area.”
A sense of pirate's place at Corsair's Cove
You don't have to be a pirate to enjoy a Release the Kraken rum drink at Corsair's Cove in Canandaigua.
Artist Corinne Yaccone went to town in redecorating the space.
In one of her art pieces, the Jolly Roger flag marks the spot of a treasure chest filled with gold doubloons. A pirate’ map marks key nearby locations such as Kershaw Park and the Canandaigua Lady in another.
And there’s more.
“She did an amazing job,” Oliver said. “She completely took the vision and blew it out of the water.”
Oliver wanted to avoid the straight nautical theme, and Jeffrey Fensken acknowledged Corsair’s Cove is a different way to connect to the water.
“You don’t hear of a lot of pirate-themed bars,” he said.
More about Corsair's Cove
Pony up to the Corsair's Cove tiki bar at the Canandaigua Hotel on Canandaigua Lake.
Corsair’s Cove is on the lake side of the Canandaigua Hotel, 205 Lakeside Drive, Canandaigua. It’s open to residents and hotel guests. The hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, depending on weather. For more details and for more on the hotel’s restaurant, The Cove, visit https://www.hotelcanandaiguany.com/dining.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
