Trader Vic's - Mayfair, London

Before Mahiki there was Trader Vic's. In fact, before most tiki bars, there was Trader Vic's. Following fifty years of operations and guests running the gamut from Charlie Chaplin to Elton John to Amber Atherton (haha), the Polynesian-inspired bar has received a nice facelift. There's a new totem pole framed bar crafted from bamboo tile and south island tapa cloth, there's a fresh colour palette chosen to bring a bit of Oceania to W1, and there's an abundance of exotic ephemera - with a plethora of clam shells, carved wooden statues, boat wheels, pendant Chinese lighting and thatched surfaces. This venue is surprisingly big, it's a great venue to impress with. If you're in need of a quality Mai-Tai (and who isn't?), you'd be hard-pressed to find a better one than at Trader Vic's bar, whose eponymous founder originally created it in 1944.