The Claude Mono Blog

Although only minutes away from thriving Piccadilly Circus in central London, the New Piccadilly Cafe was hidden away in a back street just to the north of ‘the Circus’ at 8 Denman Street, W1. It was very much loved by Soho locals and also visitors from around the world who went looking for it, or perhaps stumbled upon its authentic charm quite by accident.

I went there many times. Very sadly it closed in December 2007. This post shares some memories of others.

From its authentic original sign hanging outside little was ever altered in this much-loved Soho institution since it first opened its doors din the 1950s of the last century – including the menu!

It was an exceptionally attractive cafe, from the coffee machine painted the same shade of pink as Lady Penelope’s Rolls Royce in Thunderbirds, to the yellow formica table tops traced through with a sinuous pattern like curls of cigarette smoke. Lorenzo, the owner (ee more below), had run it since the 1950s.

Stepping inside the New Piccadilly café is like stepping back in time – you half expect to find smoking beat poets in the corner, a skiffle band planing their next gig or a youthful Cliff Richard driving past in a red double decker bus.

The formica-topped tables haven’t changed in 50 years ago, the light fittings must be acquiring antique value and even the original seats are still in service.

A close up of a rather well worn menu which includes egg, bacon and chips for £4.50, sausages and mash, £4.50 and cod and chips with peas or baked beans for a fiver.

‘Today’s specials’ included cheese and spinach canelloni for £4.50 with the desert menu offering up a tempting selection of peach melbas, banana splits and apple and custard, all for £1.75 each.

And if you fancy a cup of tea with your meal, it’ll set you back just 50p.

The New Piccadilly lacks only one thing: a girl wearing a beehive and an A-line skirt, kissing off the excess with an Everly Brothers lipstick wipe…

It has everything else that might convince you that beyond its cosy interior is a world in which Harold MacMillan is Prime Minister, Lady Chatterley is banned and Russ Conway’s Warsaw Concerto is a serious piece of music.

The prostitutes who turned tricks in the nearby alleyways have long migrated elsewhere. The strip club next door, the grandly-named Casino de Paris, shut up shop years ago…

The pink enamel backing of the espresso-maker, the Festival of Britain-era squiggles on the Formica table-tops, the glass frothy-coffee cups (all originals, no reproductions), the twist of neon forming the glowing word EATS.

From this great ‘very-London very Soho’ interview with Lorenzo Marioni in Classic Cafes

Proprietor, Lorenzo Marioni has a life-long association with the café. His late father, Pietro, founded the joint in 1951 and Lorenzo has been here ever since. He’s full of fascinating stories about the dark, seedy Soho of the 1950s, the local gangsters, the rockers, prostitutes and a time where the streets were run by Italians, Greeks, Jews, Maltese, Irish and ‘Budapest street rats’.

During the early 20000s, in his sixties, Lorenzo knew the writing was on the wall for his café, as this excerpt from the Independent (June 2003) illustrated:

“This place used to make me a living,” he (Lorenzo) reflects. “Now it’s more like half a living. I’m the like last one on the ship. It’s sinking, and there’s only a little bit of it left above the surface of the water.” There’s not a trace of bitterness in his voice. “I’m standing there,” he says, “smoking a Player’s Navy Cut, and looking at the stars.”

It’ll be a shame if this glorious reminder of a time when city centres were full of local character and colour, so we implore you to give those awful ‘third place’ over-priced corporate coffee houses a miss and pay Lorenzi a visit.

You’ll kick yourself if you miss out on this fabulous experience!

2004…
Soon there may be no more stories to tell. “Since the last rent review I’ve been on a razor’s edge,” he said. “I’ll probably sell to the Indian businessmen who own most of the street and it will be another curry house.”
Half a century ago, restaurants run by Lorenzo Marioni’s family dominated Denman Street. Apart from the New Piccadilly cafe, all that remains now is the Cucciolo, run by his aunt Anchele Musetti.

Next door, his mother’s restaurant, La Barca, is boarded up. An Indian food concern has taken over the Vienna and the Estorial, once run by his father and his uncle Jimmy Musetti respectively.

2007…

Interview with Lorenzo in The Guardian here

What are you working on right now?

Winding down the business. I’ll be closing the doors for the last time on September 22 because they’re knocking the place down for redevelopment.

Thanks to:

London Sound Survey and this post for some of the photos from as series of Photos from London Cafes here

The Urban75 org here

Flicker tag with lots of photos here

Diamand Geezer blog post