Amazing atmosphere and a neat tiki vibe. A definite recommend for any tiki enthusiast.

We found ourselves at Clifton's while visiting a neighboring bar on a Saturday night and had to stop in, specifically to check out Pacific Seas. I'm a huge tiki fan. We found where it was from other reviewers - upstairs on the 3rd level. The mirrored door was propped open so we didn't get that speakeasy vibe entrance experience. Many people were shuffling in and out. Once you step in though you are transported to another place. The décor and lighting is beautiful, the vibe is very hip and mellow. The DJ is in the boat in the middle and was playing very cool, mellow EDM type music. My husband ordered an old fashioned which was very good. I do not drink sugary drinks at the moment, bummer - on keto. So I got a vodka soda and they were sweet enough to put a tropical flower and umbrella in it to make it feel tiki. We found a table for 2 and enjoyed each other's company and the ambiance. To our surprise, 2 Polynesian dressed dancers came out of a door in the back and put on a great lively show. The crowd loved it. We will most definitely visit again. read more

Great tiki, get a nice mai tai, or go cray and get a scorpion bowl. don't listen to the people giving bad reviews for the wait, just go on a week night. Also it's LOS ANGELES. So demand is a sign of quality. read more

Place is super dope, drinks are made great with care. Bad reviews are probably hired by jealous competitors in the area. This place is one of my favorite places in dtla. read more

I love this tiki theme secret bar! There is a secret door on the 3rd floor you have to find to be able to enter the Tiki Bar, and once you enter, its a lovely themed bar. I came with a party of 8 and we got seated in a corner, but later on we noticed that a bigger and more comfortable seating area and I asked one of the employees if we could move them and he gave the ok. Our server was the best! 2 people wanted beers that weren't served at this particular bar, and our server told us he'd go to the other bars to get it. It took him a while, but when he finally brought it up, he gave it to us on the house for the wait! Plus we had a birthday girl with us and he also gave her a drink on the house and song her a Happy Birthday song. I wish I remembered his name, but I can't. This place is so nicely detailed. It's like Disney for Adults. read more

Place is a joke no shorts at a tiki bar ? Just wasted 10 bucks on valet. Go to tiki ti so much better anyway.

Once you get past the "snooty retro come lately 20-something" hostess you are ushered up from the 2nd floor through a mirrored secret door up 2 flights of stairs. Pass through a common foyer into a south seas paradise. Nod to the designer. A lot of decor and momentous left over from the old Bahooka (RIP). Dimly lit nooks allow you to wallow in your sorrows or woo your date. No physical menu and the server tries to figure out your palate by suggesting drinks for you. Not my favorite means of ordering drinks. As it is, there are actually only few drinks on the menu. Typical traditional tourist drinks that include mai tai, painkiller, zombie, daiquiri, fogcutter, etc. Good drinks but slow turn around, however a very courteous and gracious waitstaff. We'll be back! read more

fDec. 22 After posting the review below, I was contacted by Andrew, who graciously apologized for our experience and invited us back. We went this evening, and everything this time was as we had hoped the first time we went: We were welcomed graciously, escorted to our reserved table, and served with good humor, a warm smile and efficiency by Sebastian, our host. Drinks, as before, were delicious. The vibe was chill and lively at the same time. The place remained as gorgeous and inviting as before. I can now highly recommend you visit Pacific Seas and enjoy the new Tiki experience Clifton's has re-created for L.A. read more

First off I want to start by saying I'd like to aim this post mainly to my fellow hard core tiki bar buffs, who want a first hand review from someone (who much like them) knows and frequents tiki bars. Hopefully this will make you want to try to enjoy this bar, or save the trip. I finally got into Clifton's Fort Knox of a bar, Pacific Seas Wednesday night. A few things.... Going in the middle of the week during the late afternoon/early evening is literally the only way of getting into this place without the hassle or need of a reservation. Which is completely stupid to me and is one of the main reasons this place is getting such bad reviews amongst the tiki community and others. I showed up around 7pm and just walked up to the looking glass door, pushed it open and walked in. No host/ess to deal with and no line, which was really pleasant. Last time I tried to get in, I was in a horrible line mixed with people who honestly are trash...3 or 4 different couples going to town on each other against the wall with no common decency or dignity, and bunch of stumbling drunks. Yes, you will be turned away once you get there if you aren't on the list, and yes its a huge hassle to make reservations. They don't take parties smaller than groups of 10 with a spending minimum of $50 per person. If you email them, it's pointless, you just get automatic responses telling you to just "walk in" or how they only take reservations for dinner (which the bar doesn't serve at all), something really needs to be fixed there. A hostess told me if I came early on peak days you're more than likely to get in... right before she turned me away. But honestly speaking who wants to show up at 5pm if they're going out for a celebration. Calling is what I heard works. Jumping forward the decor of this place is quite stunning, they're are a bunch of neat curios to be found. It's pretty much your typical tiki bar set up with thatch roofing and glass floaters. It's a wide open area that's two or three times bigger that the usual tiki bar. There is a boat in the middle of the bar area that takes up way to much space and is literally just for decor. It's a cool idea but just minimizes the area they have to work with. The bartenders are seriously amazing and extremely friendly if you get to talking with them. Tip them generously for all they put up with. THERE IS A MENU! They have a few floating around, just ask them for it (if someone didn't take it from the bar area). I was sitting at the bar with one and would just hand over to people who wanted to browse the selection. I know a lot of people complain about the lack of tiki drinks on the menu because it's pretty basic and only like 8 drinks long (Mai Tai, Navy Grog, Daquri, Blue Hawaii, Singapore Sling, Scorpion Bowl, ect). If anything just ask the bartenders and they'll whip up something to your liking. They know secret drinks too. But have a basic idea of what you want or a back up go to. It's pretty annoying having to be that person who is indecisive and wasting time. Lastly and importantly the crowd..... I got there early just as a precaution because I felt this place would get packed. It gave me a chance to take in the place and get a feel of the pretty relaxed crowd and vibe. But as soon as 9:30 hit, there is an onslaught of hipster trash that literally just takes up space and waste everyone's time. A lot of the people just move up from the two down stairs bars. Listen I know its a downtown bar, so it's going to attract downtown type of people. But if you coming here to experience a nice tiki bar in a calm setting, your fresh out of luck after 9. It fills up quickly, gets loud, the music gets drowned out, and said huge boat decoration takes up what could be extra space. You'll be having to deal with numbskulls that'll say things like, "It's a tiki bar man, it's all about the art of the cocktail....yeah, can I just get a Jack and Coke" ....because there isn't like two other bars in the building that couldnt do that for you as it is. Or my other favorite "Oh all these drinks look so good....know what can I just have a glass of gin with a few limes and a splash of tonic water." My new bartender friends and I were saddened by this crowd immensely. You come to a bar like this to order something crafted with flavor and variety...not basic two ingredient drinks. Once again hipster, artsy, club trash is what you will have to prepare to be around unless you don't mind it. Oh I can't forget to mention people in rainbow party city leis because you know, "you guys were in a tiki bar, I know right, here I got us these to wear." Solid colors or live flowers are what you should aim for if you're going to wear a lei. This is what you can expect at Pacific Seas. 4 stars because everything is visually pleasing to the eye, the bartenders are great, and the drink are crafted well. -1 star because of all the hoops you have to jump through just to enjoy this place and the crowd you have to put up with. read more

Just a really cool bar. Hidden bar at that. So everyone, stay away so I can find a seat lol.

It looks great but the drinks are NOT good. And it's very pricey. A lemon wedge on a Singapore sling? A milky Mai tai? Never again. It is beautiful here and the music is great. The dj stands in a gorgeous wooden vintage boat and plays great music. Get a rum and coke maybe. read more

MAKE A RESERVATION!!! The wait line was crazy. Hostess and security act as if this was a celebrity venue... Just make a reservation. The decor is awesome. The cocktails are inconsistent depending on the bartender. None of them are "tiki trained".... By that, I mean, if you are a tiki cocktails aficionado, you might be disappointed. Only a few cocktails on the menu... I mean like 8 of them! Will come back for sure, just for the decor. Tremendous potential. Train the bartenders and extend the menu! (By the way, no food up there) read more

HORRIBLE. .....TWICE. The first time I went, it was after all the hype had died down. I took my gf there, we were ignored by the snotty millenial greeter. Finally , a busser saw us standing for ten minutes and he set up a table for us. He was cool. The hostess chick who flits around is the absolute worst. incompetent and sarcastic.....nice match. after 35 minutes the drinks showed up----Painkiller and a Mai-Tai. These were swill, I swear they were Smart and Final mixers. We left, I chalked it up to chance. Any place can have a bad night. Flash forward about 10 months. Went there with an open mind and about 8 people. Took 15 minutes to get seated. ok. no big deal.......then we waited, and waited........waited some more. Finally the airhead toko our orders--6 mixers and two beers. 20 minutes later, the same sh**ty "tropical drinks" arrived. All the flavors wrong. Did I mention two beers? yes, I did. Yeah, those never showed up until I had to GET UP AND GO OVER THE BAR TO ASK FOR THE F***ING TWO BEERS. Done. Never again. Hipsters and millenials will love it because they don't know what a tropical drink is supposed to be. Oh, and the stupid boat in the center of the room?....yeah...it's completely in the wrong place. Don't bother with this place. read more

I'm an ambience freak and loved it. Ladies if you are unsure what to wear I wore a cute top, jeans and bright red heels. My friends wore maxi summer dress with a cute low heel and body con dress with 4" heels. It can range but try to do a cute island theme. Please be aware no food. My fault for assuming. Drinks are great. Came here with friends and please be aware the prices correlate with how strong the drink is. Scorpion bowl: 3 girls or two guys. We split it with 6 people and it went fast. The Blue Hawaiian is super sweet but if you want a coconut rum drink with out the sugar get a Pain Killer. Navy Crog is super sour. Pacific seas Daiquiri is strong and a little sour but smooth. Overall if you read the description you will get what you order. read more

Great decor, awesome tiki mugs, friendly bar staff. If you love tiki bars this bar is LEGIT

The decor is amazing. Drinks are very expensive and watered down and not all that special. We were a party of 14 and our reservation got messed up so we had nowhere to sit. Some of our group were refused entrance because they did not have proper attire. What a joke. No one in the place was dressed in Tiki attire or dressed up at all. I won't be returning. read more

Beautiful decor and a very unique spot! Takes a min to get in but worth the wait!

Had a great time in tiki paradise tonight! Brought some friends from out of town to enjoy the magic that is Pacific Seas and could not have been served better. First off our bartender Nick made us his special concoction, which has yet to be named, it was delicious! Then we seated ourselves down and a "vacant" table, but was then told by Sebastian that this table was reserved and the party had just showed. So instead of just kicking us out , he was very polite and then because of our inconvenience made sure not only did we get another table, but that we received a "Scorpion Bowl" on the house! Then the manager on duty, Jones, came up and noticed we didn't have enough chairs at the table and had someone go down and bring three more chairs for us! Haven't been treated this well in a long time, it was like we owned the place or something. Exceptional service! read more

Wow. Soooo impressed with this amazing slice of paradise. Everyone was so nice and hospitable. The drinks range from 12-115$ but they are totally worth it. Try the off menu drink "coconut smokanut" it was suggested by one of the lovely hostesses. We'll definitely come back here . read more

The bar is definitely beautiful and the ambiance is great. The bar can get a little warm. Def dress the part. Don't recommend for a big party. If so make sure you reserve and get a confirmation email because they will not honor anything. This was a big down fall in service. I was going for my birthday celebration with a large party and I attempted to make reservations a month a head of time via email don't do it they do not respond. I called and received a response a few hours later to make a reservation that on the day of my event they lost.even had the dates and times of calls that were exchanged and still nothing. I spent my first two hours shuffled around as they attempted to "accommodate us" but we're making it seem like it was completely impossible for them to seat us. Tried their drinks the blue Hawaii and pacific seas tiki cocktail were good but prices are high. I feel that they should have an events person additionally instead of the hostess managing everything in this location because it's so exclusive Bad service in that aspect poorly organized. Eventually they got us a table ..in their gothic bar and finally started to enjoy the night away. Drinks were much more limited to this bar not a very good selection. The drunk I got had vodka and mint leaves that tasted like run down water. So srick to the basics. This was my second try to Clifton's republic and the first time to their monarch bar was horrible. Trying to give this place another chance but I don't think I'll be going back again. Although the bars are beautiful the service really is poorly managed. If their attempting to be a classic and high end type of location they really need to up their service. read more

Pacific Seas - Tiki Bars Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Well, it's beautifully art directed, no doubt about that. But I found it a little TOO elegant, if you catch my drift. In this Trader Sam's era, many will adore Pacific Seas' polished Disneyland sheen. Me, I prefer my tiki bars a wee bit more divey, a la Tonga Hut and Tiki Ti. As long as the drinks are potent and tasty (and cheap), right? Pacific Seas, with its dainty, expensive, flavorful but unimaginative cocktails and slow, vaguely snooty service, just doesn't feel like a real tiki bar. Everything about it is just a little too careful, where real tiki bars are relaxed and fun. That said, it's definitely worth a visit, just to drink in the decor. For the record, we went there at 8pm on a Wednesday and noticed no dress code. (Many patrons were in Hawaiian shirts.) You should dress up anyway because it's a nice gesture, you slob. read more

The good: As everyone mentions, the decor is spot on and so were the drinks. The bad: It took forever to get our drinks, luckily our waitress was sympathetic and helped out as much as she could. Bartenders...these are tiki drinks, not a handcrafted specialty cocktail from Varnish. Make the mixes ahead of time and spit them out. read more

This is everything I've ever wanted in a tiki bar. Wow, the decor BLEW me away! I am a regular at Trader Sam's at the Disneyland, but this place feels much more magical to me. Yes, it's expensive, but I was happy to pay premium prices because you can tell how much work went into creating such a well designed space. It's something I can't describe in a review. You really just have to go there to understand how amazing it is! read more

Arrived not knowing about the dress code, table reservations, or coin entry but was let in quickly and given a reserved table for the whole night. Our hostess/server Inna was outstanding and really made the experience worthwhile. The Ernesto and Navy Grog drinks were great. The only issue we had was the bar not stocking all of the liquors listed on the menu. If someone in your group wants a non-tiki drink, the options are slim and the bar might not even have it at all. read more

Pacific Seas is my favorite LA Tiki bar. The attention to detail is unparalleled. If you didn't know this place was new(ish), you'd think it had been there since the 40's. Drinks are great, but they really need a wider selection. I hear they are planning on adding food. I hope that's true. I came after work, found a table and waited for friends to join me. I was starving. But I didn't want to lose the table. LOL. First world problems. read more

This place is horrible. Not only did I have to wait over 2 hours to get upstairs to the tiki room (I showed up at 9:25 and was told I'd only have to wait 30 minutes) then when I asked nicely why the wait was taking so long and how much more we would have to wait, I was rudely told to wait for a text. The people who work here for the most part are total assholes and the experience is 100% not worth the wait. Do not waste your time or money at this place!!!! read more

Super neat tiki bar with a mysterious hidden entrance. I have all kinds of dietary restrictions, so wasn't able to get any cocktails, but my bartender, Bethany was incredibly understanding and committed to coming up with something that would work for me. My companions reported delicious, strong drinks! Other staff members were also great at ensuring accessibility and escorting us to the difficult to find elevator! read more

The best thing about this place is the decor. The drinks are a little underwhelming and a bit pricey for a glass that's just mainly ice. Also, I tried to order two different Tiki drinks that aren't on the menu but are well known in the Tiki community, and the bartender didn't know either of them. Should probably brush up on Tiki cocktails if you're going to bartend at a Tiki bar... read more

Yeah...it's fine. The decor is great and the staff is friendly but for me there are three things wrong. Tiki bars should be chill - the dress code is a little over the top. There's no food - I love nibbling on coconut shrimp to go with my Mai Tai. And it's not a very good value - my party of four ordered a Scorpion Bowl, which is supposed to be a big bowl of booze, but it was a really little bowl of booze that wasn't even half full with a little flaming crouton on top....literally all sizzle, no steak (And very expensive). You should check it off the list, no doubt, but for me it's a one and done. read more

Don't know what a traveler bar is, but tiki bars don't usually have dress codes. Especially when it's 98°+ out.

What a fun little gem in LA. The tiki themed bar will take you to a different time. My favorite part about it is, the music selection. DJ Sailor Mike complements the theme of the bar so well. The song choices (that range from the hits to things you've never heard) always seem to fit the mood of the crowd, which is tough to do! It's definitely a treat when he's djing. read more

With the utmost respect, Andrew Meieran can build a bar better than anyone else in town, I'll go to the mat on that... but when it comes to running them, there's room for improvement. For example, it may take three emails (all unanswered) and upwards of ten phone calls over the course of a week to secure a reservation for a party of four at Clifton's Pacific Seas at 8PM on a Saturday night. No one picks up the phone. The voice mailboxes are all full. When you finally get a person on the phone, they will be professional and kind, but they'll act as though they don't know what you're talking about when you tell them what it took to make it to this point. They'll require a reservation sheet to be filled out, scans of the front and back of your credit card and driver's license. It's not an easy process. Then when you arrive at the appointed time, on time, it may take twenty minutes or more for the hostess to return to the door from who-knows-where and sort through the disorganized crowd of people with and without reservations. And after that, the bar may be short-staffed, and it may take upwards of a half hour in line to get a drink. No table service. No food available in this bar, either, so your $50 per person minimum will be ALL booze. And your reservation is only good for 2 hours, so drink up. Steel yourself. Once inside, the decor is typically exquisite - it's a Meieran property. There are only about eight cocktails to choose from, and most of them are classics, all well done but not terribly exciting. The Terra Incognita is the exception - I loved it, spirit-forward and smooth, even better as it warmed up. Once inside, the staff is friendly and personable even under the duress of short-handedness. Props, guys. The overhead music gets louder as the night goes on until you're yelling over it to be heard and straining to hear (my 20s are long gone, and I am SO not a fan of this). This is not a place to savor a well-crafted drink and enjoy the company of your friends in a well-designed space. It is a place to be seen, and take pictures, and say you've been. Is that a sustainable model? I would absolutely recommend Clifton's in general as a destination for those who've not been. I am not certain that the Pacific Seas, as a bar, was worth all the effort, and there are definitely better tiki drinks to be had in town if you're into that sort of thing. It hurts me to write this, because I want Clifton's (and the Edison, where a similar experience is guaranteed) to succeed. But them's the facts, ladies & gents. read more

I'm going to keep this short and to the point. This place has incredible decor. The best I've seen, ever. But they have seriously bad execution of drinks and no food. That killed it for me, since the drinks are the most important key to a tiki oasis. The rude hostess and long lines weren't a highlight. It felt like all hype, and not worth it, other than to see the decor and theming. We ordered a Mai Tai and a Navy Grog. It wasn't even close to the correct recipe. Probably the furthest off of any tiki bar I've been to (and we go to a lot). Hoping they adjust their recipes. We left after 1 drink, as did the people next to us. read more

Ok. Now this is cool! Used to sneak around Cliftons years ago and never knew there was this secret area! Get the gold deblumes and have fun.

The whole experience was quite mysterious and very cool. Afraid of lines, but not afraid of being uncool, we got there on a Friday at 5:30 - before Pacific Seas opened, so we had a drink at the Monarch on the 2nd floor (a delicious 35 cent grapefruit margarita). Our bar neighbor told us that we could get to Pacific Seas at 6 by going upstairs and pushing the unmarked mirrored door, and follow the secret stairs to the top. Sure enough, that worked. The hostess at the top asked if we had golden coins. Uh oh. We had to say no, but it didn't matter! The place was still empty so we had our pick of seats. There are no bad seats - everywhere is cool and kitschy and tiki and awesome. Our waiter was AWESOME - friendly and fun and delightful. The bartender downstairs tipped us off to the Painkiller (YUM!) and the waiter recommended the Chi-Chi (also YUM!). The whole experience was excellent. And my die-hard tiki fan friend loved it all. Honestly, all of Clifton's is gorgeous and unique, and Pacific Seas was no different. I'll definitely take more people here. (Note - No food served! And no backpacks allowed! And, yes, you can buy a tiki mug to take home.) read more

Great ambiance but poor service. Went on a slow evening but two of the bartenders had poor elitist attitude. Drinks were not balanced or mixed well--just tasted like rum. Not worth the $17 a drink. read more

Ambiance was amazing. By far one of the prettiest tiki bars I've ever been in. The kitschy style and decor is all you could ask for in a tiki bar. My friends and I shared a Scorpion Bowl and it was quite good especially with the novelty of the flaming volcano in the middle. Even at 11 pm we were able to find a table and enjoy our cocktail. All the reviews stating a need to be dressed up don't make sense because most people's attire seemed to be pretty standard--button downs and jeans/khakis for guys and blouses and jeans or dresses for the gals. I will definitely come back and bring friends here for a drink. read more

This place was decorated nice, but the beautiful lady with the earpiece is mean. We got a table and it took an hour to get the first round of drinks. Went to the lady with the earpiece to send a waiter over. She looked at me and says I'll send some right over. Then she walks back over to me asking me to leave because I wasn't wearing a collared shirt. She said this is her event and she wants me to leave. She didn't care that I was there for a friend's bday.... It's a Tiki bar lady. Don't be a buzz kill. Also, this place doesn't check IDs. They didn't check mine. BTW I didn't leave. read more

I was really excited to try this new bar with all the hype! I was hoping to meet friends downtown here, but I could barely get through the phone line. l'm not sure what time of day I ended up calling and actually getting a response, so sorry, no secret here. They eventually answered my email and said 'sorry no reservations'. So I called asking for more information. 'What do you mean no reservations? Don't you have a bar? A place for people to stand?' I honestly cannot fathom what this bar is like, except for the other seriously confused individuals below--and they actually WENT to the bar (if they could get in)! read more

Great place...rules are simple: Dress up a little! Classy place, friendly and attentive staff, most important: DELICIOUS MADE drinks!!! Our new favorite L.A. hangout!! (All 3 bars in Clifton's actually!) read more