Mahiki Overview
These below-street level premises near to Green Park station have seen quite a number of reincarnations over the years – a slightly off beat Pitcha ‘n Piana, an upmarket Capisce and now it houses London’s most recent addition to the Tiki bar set, Mahiki.
A tiki, for those of you not in the know is a Polynesian (think Hawaii, think Somoa, think Tahiti) god or its representation carved out of wood or stone. Tiki bars first became popular in post war America when an idealized version of Polynesian culture prompted a trend in lush, over-the-top, tropical themed bars.
As for No 1 Dover Street, rumour has it that it was here that Joseph Banks a botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his Tahiti expedition used to entertain friends with his South Seas adventures while serving up rum cocktails.
Some 300 years later when I arrived on the doorstep, Mahiki hadn’t yet opened officially but the place definitely seemed to be on the right tracks. At the first bar, the high-backed cane chairs and candlelit seating areas beckoned appealingly for those who fancied a night simply relaxing with friends or getting to know first dates. Table service was on offer and extravagantly presented cocktails including treasure chest specials and pina colada filled pineapples were brought over with a smile. Bar snacks were also available and considering the bar’s Mayfair location, prices weren’t shocking enough to spoil the holiday spirit.
The second and lower bar (easily missed if you’re not expecting it) is for those who want to dance. And dance amongst the bamboo knick-knacks and fish tank jungle they did as the DJ happily spun requests all night long. I’d been expecting ‘ Sounds of Tahiti’ to truly complete the whole exotic feel but the great mix of blasts from the past worked its magic on me nonetheless.
Thankfully you don’t have to circumnavigate the world to discover Mahiki (only London, which at times seems just as hard) and if it maintains its friendly, anything-goes vitality, undoubtedly the magic ingredient for a refreshing cocktail of escapism and good honest fun, then the tikis are smiling down on us. (Updated 07/02/2007)
Additional Info: Private Rooms, Cocktails, Security, Late License, DJ, Cloakroom, Dancing License, Hire Available, Food, Live Music
Nearby Venues:
- Dover Street Restaurant and Bar, Mediterranean (0.00km)
- Pescatori (Dover Street), Fish (0.04km)
- 50 Dover Street Club, Lebanese (0.05km)
- Kaya, [Other/Unclassified] (0.06km)
- Wolseley (The), Modern European (0.08km)
- Caviar House & Prunier, Fish (0.08km)
- Aura Kitchen & Bar, Eclectic (0.08km)
- Fifty Below, Eclectic (0.08km)
- Giardinetto, Italian (0.08km)
- Ritz Club (The), Fusion (0.09km)
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