http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki <b>Mahiki</b><br />London, 1 Dover Street, W1S 4LD, United Kingdom en http://trustedplaces.com/uploads/placepics/trustedplaces.comaPlacePic['name']}.140.jpg http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1k58w9
Review by Philippe

Rating: 4.00
Tags:
Oh dear, oh my, were the drinks pricey in a MAYFAIR CELEB HANGOUT?
Guys - what do you expect?
Took a bunch of people there last Saturday - had a great night (OK - I WAS dancing with 4 girls, and I DID get some admiring looks!!), but my group all seemed to have fun.
OK - the decor might seem a bit dated after a few visits. SO DON'T GO THERE ALL THE TIME. It was my first visit but it looked like it didn't take itself too seriously. The bar AND door staff were all very friendly, and since my group (mostly) paid attention & met there early, most of us only queued for 10 minutes & got in for free.
The staff in the main bar area warned that there would be a wait for an available table - but my group found an empty one & claimed it without any fuss & ordered drinks. Downstairs in the club the seating was definitely reserved & we were later shooed off seating there - so we just hit the dance floor!
The crowd were fairly young (for ME - that's anyone under 40!)but everyone seemed up for a good laugh (Even the WAG wannabees!). Dance floor is fairly small but we managed to have a good boogie all night - some good mixes.
Definitely go again - after a few months!]]> Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:02:44 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1k58w91048211440 Philippe 51.508396 -0.142202 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1m7557
Review by QueenB

Rating: 2.00
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I've been here a few times now and can honestly say, I like the place less and less each time I go.

The drinks and chinese food are OK - nothing amazing, yet are still well over priced.
The Tiki decor may be award winning but it has a very dated feel to it that will get very naff very quickly.

The type of "clubbers" you get in there are either rich young things with their trust funds or Daddies credit card or few very cheesy pop stars with their hangers on.
It's too small and you have the feeling people are there to be seen and not to really have a good time.

Boring! Lets find a new hot spot or give the understated and underrated venues of London a chance, hey?
]]> Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:32:12 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1m755773485219 QueenB 51.508396 -0.142202 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1d75n7
Review by Hugo

Rating: 3.00
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Is there anything else to add?

Well, I suppose I could add that it is just a touch more cheesy than other ones, with amusingly naff/ danceable music. I suppose that makes it a relatively good nightclub.

I'm a very very sporadic nightclubber, so I'm not sure how useful my review is but Mahiki is super-cheese.]]> Thu, 01 Nov 2007 22:30:39 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1d75n71688226829 Hugo 51.508396 -0.142202 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1r34q8
Review by ShinyGemma

Rating: 3.00
Tags:
If you're heading to Mahiki and you don't know the right people, I'd suggest getting there early. Even though we were 'on the list' we had trouble getting in and when we did the place was packed and the drinks were ridiculously overpriced.

But what more do you expect from a club/bar that draws a paparazzi-friendly crowd almost every night? You don't go here for a few drinks with mates (not at £17 for two vodka and cokes, anyway). You go here to glam it up, see and be seen, schmooze with the Sloanes and flash your cash. It's worth a trip just to see what the fuss is about and check out the tiki themed decor, which is tacky but fantastic. But you'll know instantly if it's your kind of place, and it wasn't really mine.

There's a surprising amount of space, which is a plus, with two main rooms and loads of tables. Unfortunately those tables are off limits unless you're willing to spend - great for parties, not so good on a regular Wednesday night out. Luckily, there are places put aside to stand and pose with your drinks instead (just beware of the predators - there are plenty of blokes willing to buy drinks for groups of girls, but if they're all like the idiot we met, it's not worth it).

There's nothing wrong with Mahiki - it looks good, the music is ok if a bit cheesy and uninspiring, and bar staff are friendly and mix up all manner of exotic cocktails with a smile on their face. It does what it says on the tin, but I can think of better places to spend my hard-earned cash in a tiki-themed venue without the air of 'look how cool we are' (Trailer Happiness in Notting Hill for one)!]]> Tue, 02 Oct 2007 20:23:47 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1r34q8809319795 ShinyGemma 51.508396 -0.142202 http://trustedplaces.com/review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1772n7
Review by idoru

Rating: 3.00
Tags:
The tiki-tastic bar in Mayfair has become a notorious spot for young royals(remember Harry fell off the curb and accidentally punched a photographer here) and celebre-posers. But despite this I have to say I had a lot of fun at this PR fueled venue. I went on a Wednesday for a private party starting around 8pm so I got in very easily, and was greeted by the smile of a beautiful young man from the Fiji Islands wearing a grass skirt.. The club doesn't have a door/guest list policy so after 9 queues and unfriendly door people are in place.

There is an upstairs cocktail lounge with tables, but I was quite happy at the bar. There was a charming dreaded barman who was a master of banter, and preformed with the other barmen, proving to be highly entertaining. He made us killer cocktails with fresh fruit, which were strong, tasty and came in ceramic tiki cups.

Downstairs is the club space, and we collected at the table with the swinging love seat, great idea but impossible to sit on. And we had a table made of cane that our drinks kept tipping over on because it wasn't flat, once again good looking but not practical.

The dance floor, which grooves to desert island style disks promises that if they don't have your request you can have a cocktail on the DJ. It s filled with very well maintained young to middle-aged ladies and young men in blazers. The surrounding tables had older gentlemen entertaining with bottles of Dom Perignon and the infamous £100 treasure chests, made for 8 to share.

Fun times, and celeb spotting is what this venue is good for, and the huge £20 cocktails that resemble buckets on stems. But be weary of long queues and I've heard the table service can be less than ideal, also due to the request nature of the music it can be very cheesy (but in good way if your in the mood). I defiantly recommend this place if you see the fun side of tacky theme bars and clique crowds.
]]> Sun, 22 Apr 2007 13:32:44 +0000 /review/uk/london/bar-pub/1o32i8q/mahiki/1772n71695739965 idoru 51.508396 -0.142202