The famous Cafe de Paris closes down forever due to the pandemic. It opened in 1924 and had survived a bombing in 1941 bud sadly now it cannot survive the coronavirus. The bad news was communicated on Twitter, unfortunately its closure also means the loss of 400 jobs.

One of the very first nightclubs in London when it opened in 1924. At that time it had the interior inspired by the Lusitania ship and the ballroom by the ocean liner Titanic.  All the great showbiz talents of the time came to the Café de Paris such as Marlene Dietrich, Josephine Baker and Cole Porter, the latter often presenting his latest preview pieces. The venue was the first in the UK to feature the new Charleston dance.

It was the place where all the European elite to be seen. The Prince of Wales always came there and also the Aga Khan. In March 1941 the Café de Paris was bombed during a show, 34 people died instantly including the Guyana-born musician Ken ‘Snakehips’ Johnson who along with his band was often on stage at the Café de Paris.

The Café de Paris remained closed until 1948 when it reopened in time for Princess Elizabeth to celebrate her 23rd birthday. In the following years there were shows by so many from  Frank Sinatra to Grace Kelly.

With the arrival of rock’n’roll and The Beatles, the Café de Paris lost some of its charm and importance, but continued to exist, partly due to its glorious past. In 1983 an evening inspired by the 1920s was launched, every Wednesday the London that mattered (from Boy George to George Michael among many) met here to celebrate pure hedonism. Some films were also shot here including Absolute Beginners.

However, the revival did not last long, at the end of the 1980s the Café de Paris was practically disused, abandoned. It reopened and relaunched once again in 1996, and in the following years it hosted a bit of everything, from a Vivienne Westwood fashion show to a Spice Girls launch party. Since then the place, returning to the glory and splendor of the beginnings, has experienced a second spring, both for the parties that are often hosted but also for the number of films that are shot inside.

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