The New Picadilly Cafe to close in September.

[Salv]

The formica heaven that is the New Picadilly Cafe in Soho, London, is to finally close on either the 22nd or 23rd September this year.

The cafe is the last remaining classic 1950s Italian cafe in Soho. It opened in 1951 and has barely changed since; the tables, chairs, light fittings etc. are all original, as is the sign hanging over the front door. The owner, Lorenzo Marioni (whose father started the business), has been hit with increasing rent and rates demands and has finally been forced to sell up. Apparently the entire block where the cafe is situated will be pulled down to provide office space.

There are lots of articles and reveiws on the web about the New Picadilly, and it has fans worldwide. Here are some examples:

http://www.classiccafes.co.uk/new_picc_special.htm

http://www.urban75.org/london/piccadilly.html (photo at the top from this site)

http://www.thegirlinthecafe.com/tag/cafe

http://www.london-eating.co.uk/4487.htm

And a flickr site dedicated to the cafe:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/newpiccadillymemories/pool/

So, it only remains to say that there needs to be an unnoficial Lounge meet at the New Picadilly before it closes for good.

I'm about from Monday to Friday next week, then 20/21/22, 26/27/28 August, 4/5/6 September then any evening from 14th September onwards. Let's set a date and definitely do this, because we'll never have another chance once it goes.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The formica heaven

So, it only remains to say that there needs to be an unnoficial Lounge meet at the New Picadilly before it closes for good.

I'm about from Monday to Friday next week, then 20/21/22, 26/27/28 August, 4/5/6 September then any evening from 14th September onwards. Let's set a date and definitely do this, because we'll never have another chance once it goes.

yes, i'd like to hit this place again before it closes. Any day is good for this unemployed layabout.

There's a good Samuel Smith's pub 'round the corner, too.

bk

 

[Salv]

I'll actually be in town on Monday evening, 6th August. My wife and daughter are going to the theatre and I'll be driving them up. I'll have some time to kill so I was going to get something to eat, and wander around a few bookshops, but maybe we can organise a short notice meet in the New Picadilly. I'll be in Soho for about 7 pm if anyone else can make it.

I'll mention this in the UK Events thread, just in case London-area Loungers don't notice it here in the News folder.

 

["Doc" Devereux]

Sadly I won't be able to make it on Monday (I'm helping to build the beer festival at Earls Court), but I'll definitely have to visit one more time before the developers finally get their way.

What a shame - in both senses - to see the New Piccadilly go.

 

[herringbonekid]

monday at 7.00 is good for me Salv.

 

[Salv]

Excellent - so that's you, me and Baron and Baroness Kurtz at least.

 

[Benny Holiday]

So increasing rent and rates are all part of the developers' arsenal these days, eh? :rage:

Of course, any place with more than five minutes' worth of history or culture has to be replaced by the latest formless glassinine rubbish that passes for architecture. What a bloody disgrace.

 

[Salv]

So increasing rent and rates are all part of the developers' arsenal these days, eh? :rage:

It's not really the developer's fault - and I'm surprised that I can defend property developers! - it's the landowner who realises he/she/they make more money from rent and rates from a single large office block than it can from a series of small, and in some cases absolutely unique, businesses. There's always this danger in London, where huge areas of land are owned by a few individuals, but, hey, that's capitalism for you...

 

[Ada Veen]

anyone want to arrange another visit before it's too late?

 

[Salv]

It would be great to have one last meal there, but I don't have any free evenings this week, and I imagine it will be mobbed on Saturday. It will be missed.

 

[Miss Sis]

We hit there a few weeks ago - good food and cheap, cheerful staff.

Sad that just as we found it, it's going.

 

[jake_fink]

*WEEPS*

I ate there a few times a week when I worked around the corner on Shaftesbury Ave. I wish I could get there for one last plate of spaghetti and one last cappucino (English style - very milky, lots of sprinkles).

I wonder if I'd even recognize London any more.

 

[Edward]

It's not really the developer's fault - and I'm surprised that I can defend property developers! - it's the landowner who realises he/she/they make more money from rent and rates from a single large office block than it can from a series of small, and in some cases absolutely unique, businesses. There's always this danger in London, where huge areas of land are owned by a few individuals, but, hey, that's capitalism for you...

If politics weren't verboten in these parts, I'd point out that the real villain of this piece is indeed capitalism - or at least base human nature which permits it to flourish! It is sad how much of this city is changing so rapidly. I'm not one of those folks who wants to be stuck in the past, but it upsets me to see how much of London even in my few years living here (nine years next February) has disappeared. Thanks to Camden Council trying to pander to tourists, the soul of Camden Market has been ripped out - what's left is soon to follow. While one wouldn't want to wish ill on the residents and surviving businesses of Camden, the economic death of the area would damn well serve the council right for steamrollering this through, in their greed killing the very thing which drew people and tourists to Camden in the first place. Kensington Market is long gone. Don't even start about Notting Hill (mind you, the market there has survived better than Camden... but for how long?). I just hope that the East End doesn't ever become bland and gentrified and lose what it has now.

 

[Salv]

If politics weren't verboten in these parts, I'd point out that the real villain of this piece is indeed capitalism - or at least base human nature which permits it to flourish! It is sad how much of this city is changing so rapidly. I'm not one of those folks who wants to be stuck in the past, but it upsets me to see how much of London even in my few years living here (nine years next February) has disappeared. Thanks to Camden Council trying to pander to tourists, the soul of Camden Market has been ripped out - what's left is soon to follow. While one wouldn't want to wish ill on the residents and surviving businesses of Camden, the economic death of the area would damn well serve the council right for steamrollering this through, in their greed killing the very thing which drew people and tourists to Camden in the first place. Kensington Market is long gone. Don't even start about Notting Hill (mind you, the market there has survived better than Camden... but for how long?). I just hope that the East End doesn't ever become bland and gentrified and lose what it has now.

So, so true, Edward. But the East End has started suffering already - have you seen what happened to Spitalfields market?

 

[Ada Veen]

So, so true, Edward. But the East End has started suffering already - have you seen what happened to Spitalfields market?

don't forget Angel antiques market, a shadow of its former self...

 

[herringbonekid]

i went to the New Piccadilly tonight with a friend at short notice, and there was a queue out the door. we waited a while then gave up as the queue didn't move. the first time i've EVER seen people waiting there to be seated. it will probably be like that each night until it is closed.

 

[Miss Sis]

We're up town on Saturday. We thought we'd pass by and see if we can get in once more.

Got to show support for the owner, even if it's closing.

 

[Ada Veen]

I'm going to try and go early lunchtime friday. Its nice that they are busy, so the owners can see how much the cafe means to London, and make some money for whatever is next!

 

[Carrie Rouge]

Wow, people care about the New Piccadilly!

I work around the corner from it, and used to always eat there before work (I'm a theatre gal) and I came back from holiday, turned on the telly and saw a news item on my precious gem CLOSING!

I went there this evening, and I too saw the queue going out the door! Got there just before the big rush! There seemed to be only one waiter too, and it was just so busy, unlike anything I've seen before! One of my friends asked for cheese with her chips - and they've run out. Obviously not going to restock. They've run out of sausages too. My usual meal was bangers and mash!

I really have no idea where I'm going to meet friends, eat and be myself in Soho now The New Piccadilly was the last part of London I really felt at home in, despite living here all my life. And it's so perfectly cheap!

I'm going again tomorrow for lunch, then finally on Saturday I'll go for breakfast before work...then my coworkers at the theatre are going down for our Matinee meal - if we can get seats!

It's going to be very odd having London's cold grey winter without the warmth and colour of the cafe.

Soho has changed so much in the past few years

 

[Edward]

Wow, people care about the New Piccadilly!

I work around the corner from it, and used to always eat there before work (I'm a theatre gal) and I came back from holiday, turned on the telly and saw a news item on my precious gem CLOSING!

I went there this evening, and I too saw the queue going out the door! Got there just before the big rush! There seemed to be only one waiter too, and it was just so busy, unlike anything I've seen before! One of my friends asked for cheese with her chips - and they've run out. Obviously not going to restock. They've run out of sausages too. My usual meal was bangers and mash!

I really have no idea where I'm going to meet friends, eat and be myself in Soho now The New Piccadilly was the last part of London I really felt at home in, despite living here all my life. And it's so perfectly cheap!

I'm going again tomorrow for lunch, then finally on Saturday I'll go for breakfast before work...then my coworkers at the theatre are going down for our Matinee meal - if we can get seats!

It's going to be very odd having London's cold grey winter without the warmth and colour of the cafe.

Soho has changed so much in the past few years

Like a lot of London. What frustrates me is when the developers move in and exploit an area that becomes hip, in the process ripping out not only its soul, but every last trace of what made it what it was to begin with, so it becomes yet another highstreet full of the same faceless chains you can find anywhere.

My regular Soho haunt has always been the StockPot, I dread to think what I'd do if that goes. There'll always be a Wetherspoons, but it's really not the same, is it?