The Tower of Babel – Shop of the Day No.60
We are staying in Soho all week and why not it’s nearly the weekend! Is there a more iconic Soho stalwart than this? One that almost defines an area?
The coffee shop that predated all other coffee shops, located on Frith Street in Soho Central London. In its present form, it was opened as a coffee shop in 1949 by the Polledri family, and is still owned by Veronica and Anthony Polledri today. It has always and I imagine will continue to be part of the popular culture of Soho.
If you have never been it is an absolute must, feels like you are in Italy in the heart of London. They also have a fascinating history and loads of wonderful photos set out on their website http://www.baritaliasoho.co.uk/
I didn’t know that on 26 January 1926, John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of television at 22 Frith Street (the same address). The blue plaque above the front door commemorates this event. There is also a little-known film about this event.
©Barnaby Barford 2014
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