The New Piccadilly

darika

Now closed 29th October 2007

1 found this helpful

Sad news is this wonderful placed closed down a few months ago.

antimega

31st July 2007

2 found this helpful

One of the last remaining caffs in central London, it's a down-at-heel gem.

KerryAnn

30th May 2007

3 found this helpful

A great place to grab a bite to eat. Despite the retro appeal it now has, the menu remains full and well priced for a West End venue. It's a relaxed atmosphere and you never leave hungry!

StillOpen

Original 1950s Coffee Shop 24th October 2006

8 found this helpful

The New Piccadilly is an original 1950's coffee shop, with all fixtures and fittings dating back to that era. From the pink enamel and chrome espresso maker, to the Festival of Britain-era Formica table-tops, the vintage cash register, the neon lights, and worn booths, everything is exactly as it was half a century ago. Even the menus remain the same… where else can you buy a peach melba and banana split?!
The one thing missing is a girl with a beehive, wearing an A-line skirt.
The founder, Pietro Marioni, moved to London with his wife shortly after the Second World War and opened the New Piccadilly in 1951 along with six other cafes on this narrow street. When it first opened it was a rock n' roll hotspot, a place where gangsters and tarts mixed with foreign royal exiles, and where you could buy ravioli and chips for three shillings.


Lorenzo, Pietro's son, who now runs the café, started to working there at the age of six, washing up and peeling potatoes. Although the other cafes on the street have closed, this one has managed to survive, mostly thanks to Lorenzo's charm, his commitment to informality and his army of loyal diners, immortalised by the wallpaper of postcards from satisfied customer behind the counter.
Marioni says, “a good caff should feel like an old comfortable suit – you put it on and immediately feel relaxed”.
Film director David Yates agrees and says that the café had a, “quintessential romantic quality that was perfect” for his film The Girl in the Café, a love story by Richard Curtis.