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THE LIGHTER SIDE.

LIFE IN LONDON

WEST END LEST A Li KANTS

It is estimated that the diners-out in the West End of London have dmiided during the last two or three years. Smart restaurants which catered tor (jOOO every evening now provide J or ] 2,000. West JCnd restaurants may oe divided into two classes, writes a London correspondent, in the Melbourne Argus. The larger provide music, dance and entertainment : the smaller and more intimate are content to cater lor clients who wish to combine a meal with conversation. the number oi these restaurants is increasing, as more and more ot those v. ho dine out regularly show their dislike ol the jazz music, which disturbs conversation at the larger and better-known West End restaurants. Nevertheless these are spending more and more money upon their orchestras and jazz bands, realising that these enlivening extras are 01 the utmost importance it their clientele is to be maintained. ' Several ot the large restaurants arc feeling the pinch ol competition, lm; Hotcfc'ccil has been sold to the Shell Alex Company for about C 1,500,000. The great oil company proposes to turn the hotel into offices. Ihe Cecil m ccriainlv well situated for such a purpose. with its .back to the Strand and its facade 1 overlooking the Embankment with a ifi.no vista over the Thames and the southern bank ol the river. The Hotel Cecil was one of the large enterprises of dabez Laliour. 1 hat unluck v financier paid the tMnrquis rl Salisbury C 200.000 I'm- the site ol Ins Loudon mansion—a site which the lamilv had occupied sin e the first Lord Sa lisburv, Secretary ol State to Queen Elizabeth. established the lortunes ol tiw/(Veils \ share in the Hotel Cecil Still iK-longs to the creditors oi dahez Hal four and the Liberator companies. When the crash came Hus asset n--maiiied to the ( reditors. ami or -On •50 v ,.ars efforts have been made to sen tlie" interests without success. No* 11-,e pun base iiy the Shell Mo\ C <>mpanv will provide a pleasant C hristums box' for the 25.(100 men am women who have bean hoping against hope that somethin o ' would.bo recovered iioni da hex Balfour d.-bacle. .The debmttnro holders of the Cecil Will have to II , first, hut a substantial margin wifi remain for the Liberator crcdltois it is understood that the company v 11 - 1 j,,. the ground Hour o> V (Veil and that this will he maintained as a. West End restaurant. The Cafe Koval is another iul - known restaurant which' is finding £ dilli'-ult to attract a paying < la nti ic. Verrev’s in Regent street, is contemplating closing part, ol Hs premise and it has just given notice to -00 members of Vs.staff. Vorrey s was mini lit a lew years a-go. ami l,l * ' rebuilding il hist much ol tin h< 1 actor which made it a tavored l in Victorian times. . Originally e.W - lished bv a Franco-Swiss refugee, lb. .Blue House owed its rise to iantfe to Verrev's lovelv daughter, who assisted her father in the nninagenient. limn came the days of Krehl, of Heidelhei g. who was a fancier not only of wines and meals, hut aU> ol dogs. lor almost 100 rears Verrey s establishment flourished at the corner of Legem, street am? Hanover street, and always its exterior was painted blue. In ]c(cut years it has prospered veil the patronage of Freemasons. A iiuinher of Masonic lodges met regularly in il« rooms. 'the cafe at A cries s will not be. closed, as the license must I, L . kept in being, lint tlie grillrooms and Masonic balls will be dispensed with. ~ i .I, Heavy rentals, duo -to tlie rebuilding of Regent street, have made that locality useless for restaurant entcr-p;-Eos r l'he smaller and more intimate restaurants are situated in the quieter West End streets. Several favored houses are m Soho, a cosnmpoll tan a,run at tlie back ol Leicestci ficjimre and Shaftesbury avenue. lo Now Compton .street one can have a meal of any nationality. Homo s supplies Greek and Turkish dishes, Near f lv are .Japanese houses, where Kakidofu (oyster with bean curd), and A’csc Nahe (a chicken confection) are served. In Soho, too, are Italian, Spanish. Russian. German and French houses, and the Shanghai, in Greei street, offers the dainties oi (lima. Scott's, the famous fish house m pecadillv continues to flourish in spile oi the"fact that in the course ol a century il had to change from a coffee house to a tripe shop to meet the ebanginp; needs before ii found fame ami fortune in oysters and lobsters. Ihe 1 1 ocadero also remains a money-maker, 1 hanks to the management ol Messrs Lyons. The more energetic among London pleasure-seekers have recently abandoned dancing for ice-skating at the luiernational Sportsmen s C iuh in Park Lane and Hie Ice Club, Westminster. The addition of hands has added L> the attractiveness of the icerinks. An ice-drome will he opened next week which will permit ol 12.000 skater;s taking exercise ai a liiiie. An imitation frozen lake is set in a scene of Swiss snow-clad mountains, and I her,- are cha lelet s oil Ihe balconies, ill which private parties can he enieriamod. A troop ol trick dancers, cabaret entertainments, and a’ first-class orchestra will he oilier attractions. Those who wish to dance as well as skate will lie offered one ol the best ma pie floors in London.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DUNST19300407.2.8

Bibliographic details

Dunstan Times, Issue 3464, 7 April 1930, Page 2

Word Count
909

THE LIGHTER SIDE. Dunstan Times, Issue 3464, 7 April 1930, Page 2

THE LIGHTER SIDE. Dunstan Times, Issue 3464, 7 April 1930, Page 2