247-249 Lavender Hill,
Clapham,
London,
SW11 1JW
(020) 7223 8866
The ViewLondon Review
Pure tiki at its best. Sugar Cane will blow you away with an exotic and friendly Aloha vibe.
The Venue
Sugar Cane is a tiki bar with all the trimmings: huts as booths, straw chief chairs, tiki statues, exotic flowers, palms, lots of bamboo and woven banana leaves covering the walls, and even tiki face cocktail glasses.
All of this can be found on Lavender Hill and, with its pleasant patio area being the icing on the cake, this can claim to be one of the most stunning looking venues in South London. Designed by the same team behind Mayfair’s Mahiki, Sugar Cane has an equally eyecatching decor but without the pretentiousness and the expensive prices: Clapham Junction may have just found its new centre of gravity.
The Atmosphere
Since its opening in late 2007, people have quickly stood up and noticed this exciting addition to the Clapham bar scene. Hen and stag parties in hula skirts are already staples but the bar is also popular with groups aged 25-35: notably, some are from the area whilst many have made the point to travel in for a visit. Try Sugar Cane during happy hour and you are sure to become addicted to its laid back fun nature.
The Food
The food isn’t overly exotic: you will find rocket parmesan salad and chicken burgers listed together with New Zealand green shell mussels. You can nibble on the generous Sugar Cane party platter (£15) made of lamb and red onion skewers, jerk chicken wings, vegetable spring rolls and wedges. Prices are a decent £4.50-£8.50 for dishes of different sizes. You’ll get the feeling, however, that the food menu will probably evolve with time to include more elaborate tropical flavours: watch this space.
The Drink
The drink list is well put together and there are surprises in every department. Within the beers (£3-£4 with some priced down to £2.50 during happy hours), you can pick exotic bottles like Lao, Mongozo, Coconut Organic or the Tahitian Hinano. Wines (£13.50-£22) and Champagne (£35-£120) are available as well, but it’s the cocktails (£6.50-£8.50) you should try.
Exotic and well presented, you can navigate through a selection of classics and several Sugar Cane own mixes, like the signature Pele – Goddess of Fire (passion fruit, vodka and rum with half a passion fruit shell containing a liqueur set on fire). The Do You Voodoo (vodka, rum, lemon, blue curacao) is just as satisfying and is available in individual glasses or as a jug to share (£15). For a real strong drink, try Dead Mans Punch (a bold mix of tropical fruits and the house special rum grog). All cocktails are heavy on exotic ingredients and a nice list of classic tiki drinks like Mai Tai and Pina Colada complete the list. And you still have 50-60 different rums to choose from!
The Last Word
Sugar Cane is a great tiki bar with a laid back atmosphere: the venue will truly impress you and, best of all, you don’t need to wear designer gear or spend half your salary to enjoy a night out!
Sugar Cane has been reviewed by 22 users