Since 2004 it’s been Floridita, Terence Conran’s take on the famous bar in Havana of the same name, and has been massively successful. It's a must-see destination for tourists and Latin-music-loving locals.
The site is now owned by D&D – the group which took over Conran's restaurants and is now behind premier league restaurants such as Quaglino’s, Plateau and Skylon, to name a few. The site is also now home to Carom, their Indian version of their very Mayfair-like styling.
To fully embrace the arrival of sunshine in the capital, there is a pop-up summer garden at Carom Soho, complete with flower garlands, native Indian plant life, coloured throws, bamboos, you name it. The Northerner thought we’d stumbled into the head chef’s wedding reception.
The Indian snacks, beers and cocktails went down a treat when we were there, as did the New World wines.
We only dropped by for a visit, and were suitably impressed enough to make a mental note to try the full dining experience sometime. We might even take in a cabaret act at Floridita’s nightclub, to fully celebrate the night.
Who knows? With a bit of luck, Carom might add to 100 Wardour Street’s fame.
Walton Woodford
more stories from Walton Woodford
Walton (aka the Big W) is a failed breakdancer, extras 'actor', rugby player and lead singer of a never-heard-of garage band who, disillusioned with his own lack of talent immigrated from NZ to the UK in the mid '90s. Since then he has dedicated his spare time to drinking and schmoozing his way around various bars pubs and clubs of high - and occasionally low - repute, and writing about them on his now retired blog The Perfect Bloody Mary. After 17 years in the City, he has now found his calling working in the travel industry, and of course, reviewing for HITC.
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