Memories from 1980/90s

Drinking and Dining out in Soho

By Laurance O'neill

I have worked in Soho since 1987, blimey over 20+ years…My pals and I often reminisce about the places that have gone and the things and have ended up in their place. In no particular order, only as it comes to my memory…

FRITH STREET

The Dog & Duck when it was all hot, sweaty and full of blokes invariably in leather jackets with collars up, shoulder to shoulder drinking smoking and talking about work. When the windows were frosted and a trip to the loo was something of a challenge after a few pints.

Across the road on the corner was the now gone Rasa Sayang…where you could get the best prawns in batter…and a post 3pm Tiger Beer before all day hours. Then a trip down to The Carlisle Arms for those delicious door-step sandwiches.

Andreas…the Anglo-Greek restaurant across the road from Tapestry, where you could get the best steak & kidney pie with mash and Brussels sprouts, washed down with gallons of retsina…Capinina’s which was the Italian restaurant with the Swiss Chalet feel, where they presented the food to you raw on a trolley for you to choose you meal. And finally from Frith Street, Lepicure with the gas lamp burning outside and when a visit to the toilet there was a visit to a throne-room with magazines an papers to be read at your ease.

Kettners is still there of course, but not the Kettners we can recall going to. The very expensive Champagne Bar then into the main restaurant to be serenaded by the nice old fellow in the DJ and the grand piano while we ate either pizza, burger, steak, baked potato, with either Peroni or Frascati...

I'm sure there's plenty more...but for another time...