Covid does what Blitz couldn’t as legendary club closes
It survived the Blitz, entertained royalty, and delighted the stars of Hollywood’s golden age. But London’s iconic Cafe de Paris has finally been beaten by Covid-19.
The cabaret club has announced that it will close for good after 96 years, with the effects of lockdown in London proving even more devastating than the 1941 bombing campaign by Nazi Germany, which laid waste to the glitzy concert hall, forcing it to close until 1948 for refurbishment.
Cafe de Paris was a symbol of London’s West End, opening in 1924 and hosting a rotating cast of A-list stars including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland and Noel Coward. The then-Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, was also a regular visitor in the 1920s.
In later years, it featured in
David Bowie’s 1986 music video for his song Absolute Beginners, and in 1990 was a setting for the film The Krays.
The closure of Cafe de Paris has heightened concerns that coronavirus may have ended the West End’s glory days for good.
In a statement posted on Twitter, the club wrote: ‘‘With a heavy heart, we can confirm that we will be shutting the doors of our beloved Cafe de Paris for good.
‘‘We wanted you all to know that we have not gone out without a fight. We tried everything, but the devastating effect of Covid-19 in the end was too much.
‘‘We did our best to support our staff, their livelihoods and respect everyone’s health and safety, but in the end, like so many other hospitality businesses, we have reached the end of the road.
‘‘We thank all of our amazing customers for their continued love and support.’’
The cabaret venue’s parent company, Maxwell’s Restaurant Group, also announced that it was going into liquidation, putting an estimated 400 jobs at risk across its nine London venues.
Appointed liquidator Live Recoveries said: ‘‘Despite hope that December would generate a muchneeded upturn in trading income, it was apparent low customer numbers, uncertainty surrounding trading, and mounting creditors and rent arrears left the company with no alternative.’’