“An Italian name and a French-sounding English menu,” remarked one of our newly-minted Romano’s regulars. “Fascinating. Who is this Romano?”
Our light and bright dining room
Even though our Grand Café-style restaurant has only been up and running for a month or so, we have been delighted by the enthusiasm for our light and bright dining room perched above the Grand Divan. Our answer to an artistic salon, Romano’s is named after an eccentric early 20th century restaurateur on the Strand whose legacy informs much of what we do. So who was this character?
Who was Romano?
Romano, who by some accounts was a Russian with an Italian name. He was nicknamed ‘the Roman,’ having allegedly spent some time in Rome. He saved his earnings as a headwaiter at Café Royal to open his small shop and bar around the turn of the century.
With a French-leaning menu inspired by the modernised traditional cuisine of Auguste Escoffier and César Ritz, Romano’s soon drew London’s bohemian crowd. Regulars included everyone from the illustrator Phil May to the Prince of Wales (afterwards Edward VII), who preferred a balcony seat so he could see the dancers down below.
Romano’s became known for its dealmaking in the theatre world around the turn of the century; a plot to save the failing Drury Lane Theatre was allegedly concocted there. When Romano died around the period of the first World War, he lay in state in a room above the restaurant.
Romano’s Reimagined
Romano’s was destroyed during the Blitz in 1941, and all these years later, it is our great pleasure to give his grandeur and joie de vivre a contemporary spin of our own.
We look forward to welcoming you.
