The New Picadilly Cafe to close in September.

[Carrie Rouge]

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.

Where I live in SE London is slowly becoming a faceless, souless street... Property developers have no soul. Soho is beginning to look exactly like any other area of London. Very few people seem to care too. All the markets are closing, pie & mash shops have already gone. Where's next?...

I had my last meal at the New Piccadilly on Friday, was supposed to have lunch there today before I went to work, but due to awful traffic I didn't have time But I gave it a good send off, the most beautifully dressed people were eating in there and everyone was jolly; fantastic atmosphere! She will be sorely missed.

 

[dhermann1]

2 Thoughts

Number 1, re: Capitalism. A long time ago in history course I read about the social thinker Henry George. He had very odd but interesting ideas about property values, etc., which I never understood. But his ideas might be germain to the whole topic of land development, if anyone's interested.
Number 2: Preservation: Is anyone planning to buy up the furnishings of this restaurant? How about the sign on the front? About 35 years ago a guy in Cincinnati bought up an entire baseball stadium and rebuilt it in his back yard. Maybe some enterprising individual would like to recreate this place in another location? Or at least recycle the bits. Just a crackpot idea.
But certainly, somebody should at least scarf up the furnishings.

 

[Dominic]

London is a bit far for me but it certainly looks like a very nice place. Places like that are like a trip back in time. I hate to see such beautiful places being torn down only to be replaced by some ugly, concrete and glass building with no soul.
Still, what dhermann1 said isn't a bad idea. Maybe the restaurant could be relocated with much of it's original equipment somewhere else.

In any case, that story bares a striking ressemblance to what happened to one of our landmarks in Montreal.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

And it's gone. I was on Denman St. yesterday, and the New Piccadilly Cafe is a dead Duck. All the signs are down and the husk is in the midst of being stripped. There is a pitiful handwritten biro message along the lines of "Farewell . . . etc"

bk

 

[Miss Sis]

RIP New Piccadily Cafe.

Gone but not forgotten.

 

[Ada Veen]

my poor children will never eat there

 

[PADDY]

Damn.

This is just so infuriating. You cannot turn back time once these places are torn down. What price progress?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

shhhh, don't tell anyone I said so, but the food was pretty poor fare. shhhhh. Pity the decor had to go, though.


(me no fan of greasy spoons)

bk

 

[Ada Veen]

I disagree, the pasta was lovely and the sausages were good.

 

[jake_fink]

Have you seen this elegaic video by St Etienne?

 

[FedoraGent]

This just kills me...

This just kills me because the last time I was there for business last year...that's where I went. It was a bit of a favourite of mine. RIP Picadilly...

FG.

 

[Ada Veen]

Have you seen this elegaic video by St Etienne?

that was great, thanks for the link

 

[Ada Veen]

I just got an old film developed and there were a couple of photos from the last time we visited the New Piccadilly before it closed on there, so in case anyone is interested:

it's a shame it's gone