When we finally made it to one of the newest tiki bars in town it was on a nice quiet Sunday afternoon. We eagerly devoured the bar with our eyes, making mental notes of the tiki statues and lean-to style compartments in the seating area.
Cheekytiki, the renowned designer of the infamous celeb spot, Mahiki also designed the interiors of the Sugar Cane, and it's a job well done!
Not too familiar with Clapham for going out in, I was a little surprised at it's location, on a remote part of Lavender Hill, with just a few charity shops and a kebab place for company, and I wonder whether this is one of the reasons for it's emptiness. The Australian barman, our host and friend for the evening told us that on Fridays and Saturdays it was rammed, and I can well believe him! Downstairs there is even a cloakroom, a little surprising for a venue of this small scale.
Unfortunately we didn't get to sample the food as we were told the kitchen is closed on a Sundayone of the contributing factors to our raging hangovers the next morning!
The music when we visited wasn't too bad, but it was the same compilation cd with a couple of AC/DC and Guns n Roses tracks. When I asked the barman if he had anything else he said this was the only cdvery disappointing (although I do like that stuff). By the looks of the flyers, I would hate the music on a Friday and Saturday night, mainly RnB, Hip Hop and Urban sounds. This is NOT what I want to hear at a Tiki bar. Why do they always ruin it with the music?
Some well chosen Exotica and Rock N Roll, would turn this little gem into a cult haven, a bit of Link Wray would go down a treat with the real tiki crowd, not the wannabes who think a tiki bar is where they're most likely to get pappedyeuch.
The Cocktails were beautiful. There is a happy hour from 6-8 Sun-Thurs, and the Pina Coladas were 2 for 1.
Die hard Tiki fans will be disappointed at the lack of true tiki cocktails, but I feel that the cocktail menu is very creative and interesting. The MUU MUU, although very girly was a pleasant mix of rose and lychee and rum.
I'm sure my OH had a Suffering Bastard and a Zombie, but they aren't on the internet cocktail list.
Whilst we were there, we bumped into an American who was on an 8 week tiki bar trip. He was over for the London Luau, which sadly had been cancelled after he'd booked his flight. We were very jealous as the barman gave him a tiki mug from the bar but it was the last one left!
I think there are a fair few things that I would do if I owned this bar
A rock n roll, exotica and lounge juke box for starters would be fantasticRnB and Hip Hop do not a tiki bar make.
Next I would commission Cheekytiki to make some special souvenir tiki mugs, which you would have to pay a deposit on (like what they do in the Statesyou pay the deposit, and keep the mug) I say this as the barman said how so many had been stolen.
I would add some true old style tiki cocktails onto the list and get a polynesian menu, as there is nothing extraordinary on the one they have at the moment, although I'm sure it's very nice.
Ohand get some advertising! We thought this bar had only been open a few months, and it had in fact been open over a year! If the owner doesn't up the ante, I fear that this lonely bar on Lavender Hill may disappear into obscurity for good. read more