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Beachcomber (May Fair Hotel), London, England (restaurant)

Pages: 1 35 replies

D
Dustycajun posted on 03/19/2010

Name:Beachcomber (May Fair Hotel)
Type:restaurant
Street:Berkeley Square
City:London
State:
Zip:
country:England
Phone:
Status:defunct

Description:

This Beachcomber restaurant was located in the May Fair Hotel in London and was not affiliated with the Butlins Beachcomber bars. I have two postcards showing the great interior of the restaurant and bar.

There has been some interest in the very rare collectible items from the Beachcomber on TC lately, including:

The Salt and Pepper shakers

Which can be seen in the postcard

The plates from photos posted by atomictonytiki


Which can also be seen in the postcard

The Mugs (from photos posted by atomictonytiki)



The Swizzle

The menu with the Mayfair's Marquesan logo Tiki posted by Bigbro

Look forward to seeing photos of the mugs and plates come forward some day.

DC

D
Dustycajun posted on 03/19/2010

I checked out the British website that had some of the images of the Beachcomber and there are two really great video clips of the interior. You can see the mugs and the salt and pepper shakers.

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=1550

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=1552

Here is a screen grab of the Kava Bowl that was served at the Beachcomber, what a beauty.

DC

5HOB
54 house of bamboo posted on 03/19/2010

The music video for ABC's Poison Arrow was made there in 1982

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xbmd0j_abc-poison-arrow_music

5HOB
54 house of bamboo posted on 04/10/2010

In a mixed lot of swizzles bought for £1.04 from Ebay...

Was a Beachcomber Bar stirrer. At last!

There were also three 'Hecho en Cuba' sticks - two Barcardi branded and one dancer from the Tropicana.

D
Dustycajun posted on 04/11/2010

House of Bamboo,

Great score on the swizzle, now you just need to find one of the mugs and a plate!

DC

5HOB
54 house of bamboo posted on 04/12/2010

I won't hold my breath, DC!

I went to look around a year or so back. The hotel spa is where the Beachcomber was, I believe. I had a very expensive rasul and steam room treatment... not a sniff of any tiki!

Z
Zeta posted on 07/14/2010
STCB
Sabu The Coconut Boy posted on 10/21/2010

Spotted this complete lot on eBay a few years ago:

Appetizer Menu :down:

Dinner Menu :down:

Drinks Menu :down:

Matchbook :down:

B
bigbrotiki posted on 10/21/2010

Have we ever seen the inside of the drink menu? I do not recall....
Can someone post it here?

A
atomictonytiki posted on 10/23/2010

I do believe Trader Jim of Pocketiki won these, c'mon Jim give us a peep!

D
Dustycajun posted on 01/02/2011

Here is another matchbook style from the Beachcomber.

And two of the Crypto mugs that sold on ebay as posted by Atomictonytiki.

Still waiting to see the inside of that drink menu.

DC

[ Edited by: Dustycajun 2011-01-08 06:18 ]

B
bongofury posted on 01/08/2011

Another matchcover that Tikiwagon sent to us

KV
Kon-Tiki Viking posted on 10/07/2011

Been meaning to post this photo from the Beachcomber for a while...sorry it's not a good repro but it captures the tropical pool area and the panoramic backdrop quite well. Every half hour the whole area would darken and there would be a tropical downpour into the pool. According to the head barman the baby crocodiles that swam in the pool would escape into the bar area now and again...

A
atomictonytiki posted on 10/16/2011

The Beachcomber was used in the filming of "The Comic Strip presents: Slags"


Starring Antony Stuart Head

You can watch the whole thing on You Tube..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT-E1DXXOUI

KT
Kane Tiki posted on 12/08/2011

the above image is in the latest issue of timeout Sydney, accompanying this article...
http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/the-bridge/features/10075/kinga-arthur-delaney

I'm posting from my iPhone so apologies for the formatting!

A
atomictonytiki posted on 12/11/2011

Ah, The Beachcomber and criminals, it's my cherished hope to find a picture of the Kray Twins in the Beachcomber as they claimed Mayfair as part of their criminal empire in the sixties.

D
dylanesq posted on 03/02/2012

[ Edited by: dylanesq 2014-04-10 18:19 ]

D
dylanesq posted on 03/02/2012

[ Edited by: dylanesq 2014-04-10 18:20 ]

TT
Trader Tom posted on 07/07/2012

Just picked up this dish off of e-Bay:

I think I see this particular dish being served to a table in one of the earlier posted video links, but hard to tell what's in it. Maybe wontons or eggrolls?

More on these here on a previous thread:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=41251&forum=5&hilite=restaurant%20ware

Here is the info I found on the maker:

Tuscan China
Production years: 1898 - 1970
The Tuscan China Plant was a manufacturing plant in Staffordshire County in west-central England. Because of its "Tuscan" name, it is sometimes mistakenly thought to be china made in the Tuscany section of northern Italy. After extensive research, Tuscan Works developed products for hotels called Metallised Hotel China; it was strong enough to resist plate fracturing and better than anything then available. When Wedgwood acquired R.H. & S.L. Plant Ltd. in 1970, it changed the name from Tuscan China to Royal Tuscan Fine Bone China. It was Tuscan Works' line of Metallised Hotel China that had especially attracted Wedgwood. The Tuscan Works plant closed in 2006.

[ Edited by: Trader Tom 2012-07-07 02:20 ]

K
Kon-Hemsby posted on 07/09/2012

That is a really nice find. Congratulations.

5HOB
54 house of bamboo posted on 07/01/2014

This week I had the luck of the devil...

"Unusual vintage cruet set - £3.99"

A
atomictonytiki posted on 07/01/2014

you lucky devil :)

A
atomictonytiki posted on 07/01/2014

you lucky devil :)

5HOB
54 house of bamboo posted on 07/02/2014

On 2011-12-10 21:02, atomictonytiki wrote:
Ah, The Beachcomber and criminals, it's my cherished hope to find a picture of the Kray Twins in the Beachcomber as they claimed Mayfair as part of their criminal empire in the sixties.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/patsy-kensit-life-run-gangster-2348637


Patsy Kensit's dad, Jimmy The Dip Kensit and mum Margie (left) with friends.

I remembered this still from the TV show "Who do you think you are?" Finally tracked it down on the Internet. It's possible there's a picture, given the Kensit connection to them...

D
Dustycajun posted on 11/05/2014

I finally picked up a matchbook from the Beachcomber restaurant at the Mayfair Hotel.

The logo Tikis

Advertising music and dancing to the Paradise Islanders.

The inside features these printed matchsticks proclaiming it to be Europe's only authentic Polynesian Restaurant.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/545a3b66.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=96c1823123fafcaa8917de49f5eb1381

Also advertises the Castaways corner and the Aloha Bar.

DC

D
Dustycajun posted on 06/11/2015

Spotted this photo of Elke Summer dipping her toe at the Beachcomber.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/557903cc.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=951312d12b494d4ee9a0766a081e0cb4

DC

A
atomictonytiki posted on 06/22/2015

Urgh, that's the turtle/baby crocodile pool, I bet it stank.

A
atomictonytiki posted on 06/22/2015

Urgh, that's the turtle/baby crocodile pool, I bet it stank.

D
Dustycajun posted on 06/22/2015

Here is a photo of singer Judy Collins by the Crocodile pool with a peek at a nice Tiki.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/55889188.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=77d6e8018b8e9550cbcadcaaf34fa0ee

The sign reads:

"Warning! These crocodiles are alive and patrons are advised that under no circumstances should they be touched"

Here are some photos from Henry Latu and the Friendly Islanders at the Beachcomber in the Mayfair Hotel.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/55889182.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=49f5f81544dda5ed6e155d70e2942f9d

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5588917e.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=221df897c5f37ca8d2399f01d42d13af

An finally an old advert.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5588917a.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=d88d4482b13dc62d03ad4fbe69dd0e62

DC

D
Dustycajun posted on 03/28/2016

Photo showing the classic ship's figurehead and the Hawaiian band at the may Fair Beachcomber from ebay.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/56f9ab4e.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=5ff456ae9eda832be36a6cfc3b15630b

DC

H Image Missing: https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/fd5eae298d1131eb2381bc5c69f202ec?d=blank&s=192&fit=fill
hiltiki posted on 03/29/2016

Great picture dusty, it has a lot of tiki elements in it. Love the ship's figurehead.

D
Dustycajun posted on 03/07/2017

An old ad from the Beachcomber proclaiming to be Europe's first Polynesian restaurant.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/58bf48e2.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=d596122a48a01052485296f2578f8c3e

DC

B
bigbrotiki posted on 03/08/2017

In all its elaborateness, it probably was the first of its kind.

D
Dustycajun posted on 10/10/2017

I spotted a few more photos on-line from the Beachcomber at the Mayfair Hotel.

A diner scene with the salt & pepper shakers and plates in full view.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/59dcebe9.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=6f60b05ff03394bc18adc907def9a1de

And a 1960s glamor shot with one of the Beachcomber's unique Tikis.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/59dcec97.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=2ba401e14bddd4cf6033eab844969fa6

DC

D
Dustycajun posted on 12/19/2019

Another hot photo of Elke Summer with a Beachcomber Tiki.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5dfba0d0.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=05d458b6022f50ee7b8d2d9eba8deb37

DC

D
Dustycajun posted on 01/17/2020

Souvenir photo from the Beachcomber at the Mayfair with a view of the various wall masks and lamps displayed in the restaurant.

Image Missing: https://tikicentral.com/resize.php/uploads/8169/5e21de24.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&fit=max&sharp=5&s=63ac9b12212d080958d3a93efa6d95bd

DC

Pages: 1 35 replies