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Some information will be out of date.  Some of this writing goes back to 1995.
See Tiki Road Trip (2007 edition) for the most up-to-date information.

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Trader Vic's
Bevery Hills, CA

Full review and history of Trader Vic's
is available in Tiki Road Trip

Summer, 1999

The Trader Vic’s chain is one of the cornerstones of Tiki culture.  The first of Victor Bergeron's proto-Trader Vic's restaurants was called Hinky Dink's, and opened in 1934.  Hinky Dink's later became the original Trader Vic’s, and was a largely successful attempt to imitate and improve on the concept of the Tiki Bar/Polynesian Restaurant hybrid developed by Don the Beachcomber. While Don’s restaurants have all vanished, as have other chains spawned by additional imitators (such as Stephen Crane’s Kon Tiki Ports and Mariott's Kona Kai), Trader Vic’s is still going strong all over the world.  At it’s peak, Bergeron had fourteen Trader Vic’s locations in North America; however at this time there are only five (with five new locations planned, however).  Interestingly, as the Trader Vic’s sites have closed in the US and Canada, new ones have sprung up in places as diverse as Thailand, England, the United Arab Emerates, and Germany. Trader Vic’s in Beverly Hills first opened in August of 1955.  The outside is very impressive, a quintessential example of mid century architecture, complete with Polynesian motifs sculpted into the concrete, and a few towering Tiki gods guarding the door.  Most of the Tikis seem to have been exiled to the parking lot however; you will see very few inside anymore.  Over the years, some of the Trader Vic’s locations remaining in America have toned down their Tiki decor, and have begun to focus on a more conservative upscale yacht club image.  In certain Vic’s, Marquesian Tiki poles have been replaced with ships in bottles, Maori wall ornaments have given way to Currier and Ives prints of schooners, and Leeteg paintings have been mothballed to make way for sailing club pennants.  In the Beverly Hills location, virtually all of the remaining Tiki action is in the bar; the restaurant has been more or less cleansed of Tiki. There are two amazing paintings near the bar area depicting warring Polynesian tribes.  The somewhat violent works of art seem incongruous in the conservative restaurant, but they are highlights of the otherwise tame decor. Sitting at said bar on a good night, you will be given excellent and attentive service by long-time bartender Jack Leoung, who makes an amazing Suffering Bastard.  Rumor has it that Jack has a notorious and rare original Hinky Dink’s drink menu, featuring a few dozen drinks rarely heard of or consumed by modern day Tikiphiles.  Rum-Dum.  Madame Pele (for two).  Auku-Tiki.  Rum Giggle.   One can dream...  If you come for dinner, remember that you are in Beverly Hills.  You will be expected to show up dressed nicely; your Aloha shirt will not be considered festive. As is the case with all of the Trader Vic’s restaurants, the food is excellent.  Given the upscale location, this isn’t really surprising; you can expect to find a fairly affluent crowd dining with Lono (or his memory, at least).  With that in mind, it is not surprising that young hipsters seeking a fun time in a retro bar will not always be welcomed warmly.   If that’s your goal, go to Tiki Ti...

Jimbo writes:

Hello James, I am Jimbo,

Thanks for the great web site.
I too have been to Trader Vic's in Beverly Hills and the Lava Lounge. Trader Vic's is the most upscale tiki bar I've been to, but it is quite pricey and sort of tourist trapish.  The seared Ahi Tuna I had there made me sick.  I much prefer the Lava Lounge.  I find their attention to detail to be amazing, making the best out of their tiny space.  But if you go there on a weekend night, it's just packed with people and noise.  Most of us don't enjoy spending the night screaming in someone's ear.


UPDATE: Trader Vic's in Beverly Hills closed in 2007.

Here's some more Trader Vic's stuff, recued from the various prior incarnations of this web site...