Campaigners are calling to Save Trader Vic’s, the historic Polynesian themed tiki restaurant and lounge set to be closed on 31 December 2022, just shy of its 60th birthday. An application is being made to Historic England, seeking to have the iconic restaurant listed, while campaigners are organising an event to celebrate the venue as a petition against closure reaches over 6,000 signatures. 

The oldest operating Trader Vic’s in the world, the restaurant opened in the base of London Hilton on Park Lane in 1963. Emerging from the Tiki movement in the US in the early 20th century, the London restaurant is architecturally, potentially, the earliest surviving in the UK of a themed restaurant interior, which was the catalyst for a change in the interior design of public houses from the mid-1960s onwards. Founded by California born entrepreneur Victor J Bergeron (Trader Vic) - who invented the Mai Tai - Trader Vic's restaurants were and are about an authentic appreciation of design. Bergeron was a huge collector of cultural objects, always bought from local Polynesian artists. 

Descending into the basement transports the visitor into a tropical world with decorative and elaborate design, filled with character and heritage craft. Intricate wood carvings, bamboo framing, Chinese jade tiles, synonymous with early Tiki decorative schemes, Japanese and Korean glass floats, South Pacific fish traps, feature in the decoration. One particularly rare survival is the pair of Chinese wood fired ovens which were constructed on site. Wood is fed into the bottom of these large, barrel shaped brick and concrete containers, with the heat and smoke rising through the chamber where the food is hung on tenter hooks.

A listing application to Historic England details Trader Vic’s architectural value, the preservation of its fixtures and fittings, historic and cultural value and place within the design and American hospitality ethos for the first ever international Hilton, which marked the brand’s transformation into a global  chain.

Supporting Quotes:

“I stumbled upon Trader Vic’s one lunch time in the early 2000's when I worked in London, it was around the corner and soon became a favourite place at lunch or after work to soak up the fantastic atmosphere and otherworldliness when weary from the humdrum life of the modern world.  I took my partner there on our second date as he hadn't experienced the pleasures of a Mai Tai in such wonderful surroundings before.  This place holds so many memories for me and others.  It is a constant icon in a world that disguards authenticity for mediocrity and to lose such an original example of early 60s interior design would be a travesty.”

Estelle Bilson - Retro Interiors Expert & Author of '70s House,' Television Presenter on ‘The Bidding Room’

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“The reason I started the petition is through my passion for Tiki & Polynesia, Trader Vic’s is one of the most famous restaurants/bars still in existence and with the London premises being the oldest one left with the best original decor, I knew I had to try and save this iconic bar. To replace it with a boring/bland steak house would be a travesty. We have travelled the World visiting original Tiki bars (many that are now closed) to see history before it is too late. We also have one of the largest Tiki collections this side of the States. Trader Vic’s, London is unique in this Country, there is nothing else like it, The Beachcomber, Mayfair, was similar in style but closed in the 1990’s, it has lasted nearly 60 years in the same spot, this must count for them doing something right! How can it close? It is a favourite destination for people the World over, just look at the ‘Guest Book’, this alone is a piece of history and includes many famous names.”

Campaigner Sue Wright

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“The nearly sixty-year old Trader Vic’s London is not only the longest continuously running restaurant in the worldwide chain but is also London’s oldest example of the Polynesian Pop phenomenon of the Tiki bar and restaurant. It incorporates authentic cultural artefacts and especially commissioned designs from Polynesian artists. Its unique interior scheme was designed by San Francisco-based architects Chan/Rader Associates who were known for restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, civic centres and housing in countries in five continents, including the Hawaii State Capitol Building. I believe that its remarkably intact interior, little changed since it opened in 1963, is worthy of listing as an early example of a themed restaurant that goes beyond pastiche.”

Professor Deborah Sugg Ryan - Professor of Design History, University of Portsmouth, and presenter of national television and radio shows

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An event on 19 December organised to celebrate Trader Vic’s London, with live music, entertainment and the glorious cocktails for which it has received global notoriety, booked up within 24 hours and only limited walk up spaces are available, however spaces are reserved for press. Supporters are encouraged to attend Trader Vic’s on other nights throughout December, including their 1960s themed New Year’s Eve party.

For press information, quotes and details please contact Laura Marie Brown at laura@lauramariebrown.com, 07739321279.

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For press attendance at the Trader Vic’s event on 19 December, please contact info@savetradervics.com