The Café de Paris is a London nightclub, located in the West End, beside Leicester Square on Coventry Street, Piccadilly. Opened in 1924, it became one of the leading theatre clubs in London. Café de Paris first opened in 1924 and subsequently featured such performers as Dorothy Dandridge, Marlene Dietrich, Harry Gold, Harry Roy, Ken Snakehips Johnson and Maxine Cooper Gomberg. Louise Brooks made history when she worked there in December 1924, introducing the Charleston to London. Much of the early success of the Café de Paris was due to the visit of the then Prince of Wales who became a regular guest, often dining with notables from high society across Europe. Cole Porter was a regular, as was the Aga Khan.
During World War II, on 8 March 1941, the café was bombed soon after the start of a performance and at least 34 people were killed and around 80 injured. Two bombs fell into the basement ballroom down a ventilation shaft and exploded in front of the stage. The victims included 26-year-old bandleader Ken "Snakehips" Johnson, his saxophonist Dave "Baba" Williams, other band members, staff and diners. One survivor was cheered by the crowd outside, when, on being carried out on a stretcher, he shouted to them "At least I didn't have to pay for dinner".
The venue did not reopen until 1948 but re-established itself as one of the leading theatre clubs in London, playing host to Judy Garland, Josephine Baker, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, James Mason, David O. Selznick, Jennifer Jones, Tony Hancock and Grace Kelly. In the 1950s Noël Coward often performed cabaret seasons at the Café de Paris as did Marlene Dietrich. It was also used in the 2006 music video for I Think We're Alone Now by Girls Aloud.
In the 1980s the venue experienced a revived popularity, hosting scene locations for films including Absolute Beginners and The Krays. Today the venue is used regularly for film location, and has been used for scenes in The Queen's Sister (based on the life of Princess Margaret) and in The Edge of Love (based on the life of Dylan Thomas).
Brian Stein and his Maxwell's Restaurants Group purchased the venue in 2002.The Café de Paris, which hosts regular cabaret shows on Friday and Saturday nights, has a dress code for its club and dining room, which states:
More smart than casual. No trainers or sportswear. Smart jeans are fine. No fancy dress or any other paraphernalia for hen parties. Vintage/Burlesque/cabaret attire is encouraged.
I first attended about a year ago and have become a regular visitor ever since. I've never been disappointed at just how wonderful Cafe de Paris is. From the show itself which is always exciting and varies at every visit, to the wonderful venue which feels like an incredible magical escape from the busy streets outside. However what brings me back so often is just how wonderfully I've been treated every single time by all the members of staff and the cast of the show I've managed to meet as they mingle in the crowds. Everyone makes a special effort to make your night truly memorable and I am truly thankful to everyone for making my evenings so magical.
A special thank you especially to Gena who has become something of my regular when sitting upstairs in the balcony. She will go above and beyond each and every single time I see her and always puts a smile on my face. I'm always hoping to see her whenever I plan a visit! It's clear she's passionate and honestly enjoys her work, which makes such a huge difference. I cannot sing her praises enough!!
I plan to return in the very near future and, as always, I am already excited to see what happens next ⭐
The show is amazing! That's what you go for. The food is just meh. And it's supposed to be a disco club? but the music changed to hip-hop after the show and we lost interest. But the show was still specular!!
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