,,the ,,gourmet',s ,,guide ,,to ,,london ,,by ,,lieut4-,,col4 ,,newnham-,,davis ,author of ,the ,gourmet's ,guide to ,europe ,,new ,,york ,,brentano',s #aiad ,,printed ,,by ,,the ,,riverside ,,press ,,limited ,,edinburgh1 ,,scotland ,illustration3 ,,the ,,cheshire ,,cheese ,from a drawing by ,harry ,morley ,the pleasures of the table are common to all ages and ranks1 to all countries and times2 they not only harmonise with all the other pleasures1 but remain to console us for their loss4-- ,,brillat ,,savarin4 ,,to ,,all ,,good ,,gourmets ,,preface ,in describing in this book some of the restaurants and taverns in and near ,london1 ,i have selected those that seem to me to be typical of the various classes1 giving preference to those of each kind which have some picturesque incident in their history1 or are situated amidst beautiful surroundings1 or possess amongst their personnel a celebrated chef or matre d'htel4 ,the ,english language has not enough nicely graduated terms of praise to enable me to give to a fraction its value to each restaurant1 from the unpretentious little establishments in ,soho to such palaces as the ,ritz and ,savoy1 but ,i have included no dining-place in this volume that does not give good value for the money it charges4 ,twelve years ago ,i wrote a somewhat similar book1 ,dinners and ,diners1 which ran through two editions1 but when ,i looked it through last year ,i found that there had been so many changes in the world of restaurants1 so many old houses had vanished and so many new ones had arisen1 that it was easier to write a new book than to bring the old one up to date4 ,mr ,astor very kindly gave me permission to use in this volume any of the series of ,dinners and ,diners articles that appeared in ,the ,pall ,mall ,gazette1 but it will be found that ,i have availed myself very sparingly of his kind permission4 ,the chapters of this book appeared1 with very few exceptions1 in ,town ,topics1 and ,i am indebted to the editor of that paper for his leave to gather them into book form4 ,mr ,grant ,richards1 the publisher of this book1 quite agrees with me that no advertisements of restaurants shall find a place within its covers4 ,should ,the ,gourmet's ,guide to ,london find a welcome from an appreciative public1 and should1 in due time1 other editions of it be called for1 ,i shall hope to broaden its scope to include in it some of the hostelries of ,brighton and other seaside towns1 also those of the great cities and great ports1 and to describe some of those fine old country inns scattered about the kingdom where good old ,english cookery is still to be found in good old ,english surroundings4 ,for the ,french of the menus ,i do not hold myself responsible4 ,the kitchen writes the ,french that it talks and who am ,i1 a mere ,briton1 that ,i should attempt to alter it8 ,n4 ,,newnham-,,davis4 ,,contents ,,page ,i ,,old ,,english ,,fare #a ,,ii ,,simpson',s ,,in ,,the ,,strand #f ,,iii ,a ,,walk ,,down ,,fleet ,,street #ab ,,iv ,,the ,,carlton #ai ,v ,,two ,,little ,,soho ,,restaurants #bf ,,vi ,a ,,rag-,,time ,,dinner #cb ,,vii ,,the ,,caf ,,royal #ch ,,viii ,,oyster-,,houses #df ,,ix ,,whitebait ,,at ,,greenwich #ec ,x ,,the ,,cecil #ei ,,xi ,,claridge',s #fg ,,xii ,,the ,,eustace ,,miles ,,restaurant #gc ,,xiii ,,the ,,princes' ,,restaurant #ha ,,xiv ,,the ,,criterion #hf ,,xv ,,some ,,chop-,,houses #ib ,,xvi ,,some ,,grill-,,rooms #ii ,,xvii ,,romano',s #aje ,,xviii ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,commons #aae ,,xix ,a ,,regimental ,,dinner #abb ,,xx ,,jolly ,,good #abh ,,xxi ,,in ,,the ,,shadow ,,of ,,the ,,palace ,,theatre #acd ,,xxii ,,the ,,welcome ,,club #ada ,,xxiii ,,goldstein',s #adg ,,xxiv ,,the ,,mitre #aeb ,,xxv ,,in ,,the ,,hands ,,of ,,pi7,e7,,rates #aeh ,,xxvi ,,appenrodt',s #aff ,,xxvii ,,the ,,burford ,,bridge ,,hotel #agd ,,xxviii ,,the ,,ritz #ahj ,,xxix ,,some ,,outlying ,,restaurants #aij ,,xxx ,,the ,,king',s ,,guard #aie ,,xxxi ,,the ,,old ,,bull ,,and ,,bush #bja ,,xxxii ,,the ,,berkeley #bjf ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,joys ,,of ,,foreign ,,travel #bad ,,xxxiv ,a ,,supper ,,train #bbj ,,xxxv ,,the ,,adelaide ,,gallery #bbf ,,xxxvi ,,the ,,compleat ,,angler #bce ,,xxxvii ,,artists' ,,rooms #bda ,,xxxviii ,,the ,,piccadilly ,,restaurant #bdi ,,xxxix ,,the ,,rendezvous #bee ,,xl ,,the ,,pall ,,mall ,,restaurant #bfa ,,xli ,,in ,,jermyn ,,street #bfg ,,xlii ,,the ,,men ,,who ,,made ,,the ,,savoy #bgb ,,xliii ,,the ,,duties ,,of ,a ,,ma,,tre ,d',h,,tel #bgi ,,xliv ,,the ,,savoy ,,to-,,day #bhc ,,xlv ,,the ,,restaurant ,,des ,,gourmets #bij ,,xlvi ,,the ,,maxim ,,restaurant #bid ,,xlvii ,,birch',s #cjj ,,xlviii ,a ,,city ,,banquet #cjh ,,xlix ,,the ,,cavendish ,,hotel #cac ,l ,,the ,r,,union ,,des ,,gastronomes #cbj ,,li ,,the ,,ligue ,,des ,,gourmands #cbe ,,lii ,,the ,,cavour ,,restaurant #ccc ,,liii ,,verrey',s #cch ,,liv ,,the ,,cathay ,,restaurant #cde ,,lv ,,the ,,white ,,horse ,,cellars #cec ,,lvi ,,the ,,monico #cfj ,,lvii ,,the ,,italian ,,invasion #cfe ,,lviii ,,the ,,hyde ,,park ,,hotel #cga ,,lix ,,ye ,,olde ,,gambrinus #cgh ,,lx ,,my ,,sins ,,of ,,omission #chd ,,illustrations ,,the ,,cheshire ,,cheese ,frontispiece ,,to ,,face ,,page ,m4 ,,escoffier #bd ,m4 ,,ritz #ahd ,,joseph ,,carving ,a ,,duck #bgf ,,mrs ,,lewis #cad ,i ,,old ,,english ,,fare ,when a foreigner or one of our ,american cousins1 or a man from one of the ,colonies1 comes to ,england1 the first question he generally asks is3 ,where can ,i get a typical good old ,english dinner8 ,good old ,english fare is by no means too abundant in ,london--and old ,english fare ,i would define as being the very best native material1 cooked in the plainest possible manner4 ,we talk of ,english cookery1 though it should really be termed ,british cookery1 for ,irish stew and ,welsh lamb1 ,scotch beef and cock-a-leekie soup1 and even a haggis1 can fairly be included in the comprehensive term4 ,when men on short commons on an exploring expedition1 or on a sporting trip1 or on active service1 talk of the good things they will eat when they get home to ,england1 the first idea that occurs to most of them is how delightful it will be to eat a good fried sole once again2 and with fried sole may be coupled ,english bacon1 for no bacon anywhere else in the world is as good as that which the kitchenmaids fry in thousands of ,british kitchens4 ,perhaps the ,channel sole and the bacon of the ,southern ,counties1 ,oxford marmalade and ,cambridge sausages belong to the home breakfast-table more than to meals in the haunts of the gourmet1 though the sole plays a most important part in many dinners1 and the ,christmas dinner turkey would be unhappy without its accompanying sausages4 ,it is1 however1 at lunch-time1 the time of pasties1 puddings and pies1 that old ,english cookery is seen at its best4 ,i do not know of any eating-house that makes a speciality of the mutton-chop pudding with oysters1 that ,abraham ,hayward praises so unrestrictedly1 but now and again ,i meet in restaurants such good ,english dishes as ,lancashire hot-pot and gipsy pie1 which is an admirable stew of chicken and cabbage2 shepherd's pie1 in which the minced meat is covered with a well-browned layer of mashed potato1 ,i am given sometimes at shooting luncheons4 ,toad-in-the-hole and bubble-and-squeak are pleasant memories of my schoolboy days1 but if some ,frenchman1 who has studied ,dickens1 asked me where he could eat the stew described in ,the ,old ,curiosity ,shop1 which consisted of tripe1 and cow-heel1 and bacon1 and steak1 and peas and cauliflower1 new potatoes and asparagus all worked up together in one delicious gravy1 ,i should have to admit my inability to direct him4 ,a fish pie is excellent at any meal1 but a woodcock pie or a snipe pudding1 ,i think1 should be reserved for the dinner-table4 ,the pork-pie now seems sacred to railway refreshment-rooms1 picnics and race-courses4 ,oysters are real ,british fare1 though other countries have learned from us to appreciate them2 but ,i fancy that the old ,romans first taught the gentlemen who clothed themselves in woad tattooings what delicacies they had waiting for them in their shallow waters4 ,oysters are admirable creatures when eaten out of their deep shell1 and they play their part well in oyster soup and scalloped oysters and oyster fries4 ,and there are many puddings and made dishes that would be incomplete without the presence of oysters in them4 ,jugged duck and oysters is a good old ,british dish1 and there are oysters in the majestic pudding of the ,cheshire ,cheese4 ,i may perhaps be allowed to suggest to some cooks who put the oysters into puddings and pies with the other raw materials that a better way is to cook the dish1 then remove the crust or paste1 slip in the oysters1 fix the crust again and cook till the oysters are warmed through4 ,the typical ,british dinner most often quoted is that which the ,lord ,dudley of the thirties1 a noted epicure1 declared was a dinner fit for an emperor1 and it runs thus3 ,a good soup1 a small turbot1 a neck of venison1 duckling with green peas1 or chicken with asparagus1 and an apricot tart4 ,of ,british soups turtle always takes precedence in the list of honour1 but as the turtle comes from ,ascension or the ,west ,indies1 it can hardly claim to be a denizen of these islands4 ,hare soup and mock turtle1 mulligatawny1 mutton broth and pea soup are distinctively ,british1 though the curry powder in the mulligatawny--a soup which takes its name from two ,tamil words3 ,mllg pepper1 and ,tunni water--comes1 of course1 from ,india4 ,oxtail soup has a good ,british sound1 but ,i fancy that ,french housewives first discovered the virtue that there is in the tail of an ox4 ,lord ,dudley loved a turbot1 but other judges of good ,british dinners sometimes give the preference to cod4 ,walker1 of ,original fame1 gave a ,christmas ,day dinner to two friends1 and the fare he provided for them was3 crimped cod1 a woodcock a man1 and plum pudding4 ,one of the most typical ,british dinners ,i have eaten was that which a gallant colonel1 who very worthily filled the mayoral chair at ,westminster1 used to give annually at the ,cavour ,restaurant4 ,it consisted of a large turbot1 a sucking-pig nicely roasted1 and apple pudding4 ,roast sucking-pig is a dinner dish better understood in ,england than anywhere else in the world1 except1 perhaps1 in ,china4 ,when the ,duke of ,cambridge1 brother of ,george the ,fourth1 was entertained in princely fashion at ,belvoir1 and was shown the menu of a dinner on which a great ,french chef had exhausted all his inventiveness1 and was asked if there were any dishes not included in the feast for which he had a fancy1 answered that he would like some roast pig and an apple dumpling1 both good ,british dishes4 ,his son1 the ,commander-in-,chief of our days1 also had a liking for pork1 and1 at one time1 word went round the ,british army that at inspection lunches it was wise to give his ,royal ,highness pork chops4 ,of course1 the ,british army overdid it1 and the old ,duke had so many pork chops put before him in the course of a year that at last their presence on the menu was far more likely to assist in the securing of an unfavourable report on a regiment than was their absence4 ,gravy soup1 a grilled sole1 a boiled hen pheasant stuffed with oysters1 and an open tart formed the favourite dinner of a renowned gourmet of my acquaintance4 ,of the made dishes that belong to ,british cookery1 jugged hare1 ,i think1 has the leading place4 ,yorkshire pudding is as ,british as ,stonehenge is1 and mince pies can claim to be to-day exactly what they were when the ,puritans used to preach against them4 ,marrow bones and ,welsh rarebits1 buck rarebits1 and stewed tripe and onions are old ,british supper dishes1 but the early closing laws have killed the old-fashioned ,british supper in eating-houses4 ,good ,british cookery in ,london has not fared well in its battle against the invasion of good ,french cookery1 and the number of houses which made a speciality of ,british fare has decreased woefully in the last twenty years4 ,the old ,blanchard's and its half-a-crown ,british dinner is a memory of the past 7for the new ,blanchard's turned towards the goddess ,a la71 and the ,blue ,posts in ,cork ,street has been converted into a club4 ,it was curious that the prosperity of this typical old ,english house depended to a great extent on a ,german head waiter2 for ,frank1 who had all the best traditions of ,british cookery at heart1 had served under the old ,emperor ,wilhelm in the great war1 and had been wounded by a ,french bayonet thrust4 ,there were certain rules of the house that were excellent4 ,one was that1 no matter what orders you might give beforehand1 no fish was ever put near the fire until the man who had ordered it was inside the building1 which ensured it going to table cooked to the second2 and another was that the steaks1 which were a great stand-by of the house1 were cut from the mass of beef just in time to be transferred at once to the grill1 thus making sure that none of the juices should drain away4 ,but there are still some temples of ,british cookery left in ,cockaigne1 and to some of them presently ,i will direct your steps4 ,,ii ,,simpson',s ,,in ,,the ,,strand ,a wide entrance glowing with light1 with ,simpson's plain to see1 on a wrought-iron sign above it1 is in the great block of the ,savoy ,hotel building in the ,strand1 for the new ,simpson's1 though it retains all its old associations and its old manager and its old head cook--,mr ,davey1 the polite1 white-haired little ruler of the roast1 who wears a velvet cap1 and who for forty-six years has seen the joints turn before the vast open fire in the kitchen--is now under the rule of the great organisation that controls the ,savoy4 ,come into the entrance hall1 where you can give up your hat and coat to an attendant2 though if you have been accustomed all your life to take them into ,simpson's you will still find in the dining-room stands on which to hang them4 ,the hall1 with its marble pillars1 white panels and groined roof1 is light and airy2 a staircase runs down from it to the smoking-room1 and another one runs up to the dining-rooms upon the first floor4 ,there is a tobacconist's stall in it1 and if the door of the expense bar to one side be open you see through it shelves of bottles and flasks4 ,through the wide door leading into the big dining-room you see white-jacketed waiters moving hither and thither1 and white-coated and white-capped carvers pushing the dinner waggons1 crowned with big plated covers1 before them1 and as a background the fine fireplace1 with its carved wooden overmantel and its little marble pilasters1 and a picture of a knight and lady of ,plantagenet days feasting let into the central space4 ,mr ,n4 ,wheeler1 the rosy-faced manager1 white-haired1 and wearing the frock-coat of ceremony1 will probably greet you as you go into the dining-room4 ,he has seen all the various transformations of ,simpson's ,chess ,divan1 which was originally ,ries's ,divan1 and he probably knows more about good old ,english fare than any man living4 ,when we have eaten our turbot and saddle of mutton we will ask him how it is that these two best of ,british dishes are sent to table at ,simpson's in such absolutely perfect condition4 ,but before we choose our seats at one of the tables let us look round the room4 ,the old ,simpson's is still fresh in my memory4 ,the painted garlands of flowers and studies of fish1 flesh and fowl on the walls1 glazed to a deep rich colour by the ,london atmosphere1 the ground-glass windows1 the big bar opening into the room1 with ,rembrandtesque shadows in its depths2 the great dumb-waiter1 which looked like a catafalque1 in the centre of the room2 the folded napkins in the glasses on the mantelpiece2 the horsehair-stuffed1 black-cushioned chairs and benches2 the divisions with brass rails and dingy little curtains on the rails4 ,the pens with their brass rails are still in the old place1 but they are modernised pens2 the wood is oak1 and there is a comfortable padded back of brown leather to lean against4 ,the eating-room has been transformed into a banqueting hall4 ,the walls are panelled with light oak1 with pilasters to give variety1 and an inlay of lighter wood at the corners of the panels4 ,there is a white frieze with good modelling on it1 and round the white-clothed tables which fill but do not crowd the floor space are chairs copied from a fine ,chippendale example4 ,a good old ,english clock is on a bracket1 and fine cut-glass lustre chandeliers hang from the ceiling4 ,in old days the waiters at ,simpson's were mostly ,british veterans1 and in the upstairs room ,charles ,flowerdew1 the head waiter1 a genial old soul who always offered his favourites amongst the customers a pinch from his snuff-box1 had a wealth of anecdotes about the great men of the ,victorian era who were habitus of ,simpson's4 ,the waiters of to-day are ,britons1 but they are young men1 and if anyone has doubts whether ,englishmen properly trained can be as quick and silent in the service of a dining house as foreigners are1 ,i would advise the doubter to eat a meal at ,simpson's and to watch how the waiters do their work4 ,the boys who take round the vegetables become in time full-blown serving-men4 ,the waiters no longer wear the dress-coats1 heroes of many clashes with sauce-boats and plates of soup1 which used to be the official garb of the ,british waiter4 ,they wear white washing jackets1 with at the breast a little black shield1 and on it the crest of the house--the knight of a set of chessmen4 ,all the tips are pooled1 with the result that all the serving-men work for the general good4 ,and now to look at the bill of fare4 ,there are no such foreign innovations as hors d'uvre allowed at ,simpson's1 where the only concessions to ,france are in the wine cellar and that little ,french rolls as well as household bread are in the bread baskets4 ,you can obtain a fish dinner of three kinds of fish for three and ninepence2 but we will order just what we feel our appetite demands1 and take no account of set dinners4 ,if your taste is for turtle soup1 a plate of that luxury will cost you three shillings1 but1 if one of the simpler ,british soups will content you1 hare1 pea1 mock turtle1 ,scotch hotch-potch1 oxtail1 giblet or mulligatawny are priced at one shilling or one and sixpence4 ,then comes the important question of fish1 and the choice really lies between a ,sole ,souchet1 which ,simpson's ought to write ,zouchet1 boiled codfish and oyster sauce1 and boiled turbot and lobster sauce--the last one of the dishes on which ,simpson's prides itself4 ,until ,i chatted with ,mr ,wheeler on the subject ,i always understood that a turbot to come to table in perfection should be hung for several days1 but ,mr ,wheeler denounces this as rank heresy4 ,a turbot should be nicked to draw off the blood of the fish1 it should be soaked for twenty-four hours1 and then it is ready to be boiled4 ,it is instructive to watch a real habitu of ,simpson's who prefers cod to turbot when a portly white-clad carver wheels his waggon up to the table4 ,there must be the right proportion of liver with the fish and the due quantity of oyster in the sauce1 or there will be dire threats of report to higher quarters4 ,a boiled potato to anyone who knows what is good ,english fare is not to be accepted without criticism1 and he would be a bold carver who dared to give the knowledgeable man a helping of saddle of mutton without a slice of the brown4 ,but before we go on to the supreme matter of the saddle let me point out to you that whether you eat sole1 or cod1 or turbot1 it means an item of two shillings on your bill4 ,the joints ring the changes on roast sirloin1 boiled beef1 boiled leg of mutton1 roast loin of veal and bath chap1 and saddle of mutton1 and it is the saddle that is the favourite dish4 ,forty saddles a day is the quantity consumed at ,simpson's1 and now that the new room is opened sixty are required4 ,simpson's employs a buyer whose duty in life is to travel about ,england buying saddles wherever the finest mutton is to be procured4 ,for fourteen days the saddles hang in the stock-room at ,simpson's in a temperature of #ch1 then they are moved for two or three days to another store1 through which there is a current of air1 and then they are ready for the fire4 ,and whether you eat of the mutton1 the beef1 or the veal1 your portion and the accompanying vegetables will cost you half-a-crown4 ,we will not trifle with such kickshaws as salmi of game1 or ,irish stew1 or jugged hare1 and to finish our dinner we will take a helping of one of the pies or puddings on the bill of fare1 or1 better still1 a good scoop of ,stilton cheese or a wedge of ,cheshire4 ,if you wish to be as ,british in your drinking as in your eating1 there is cool ,british ale from the cask1 which comes to table in a tankard1 and cider1 and the whisky of ,scotland and that of ,ireland4 ,the house is also celebrated for its moderate-priced ,bordeaux and ,burgundy wines1 bottled in the cellars4 ,if we go upstairs before leaving we can see the dining-room to which ladies are admitted--a handsome room of white with marble pillars--and you will notice the great bunches of wild flowers which adorn all the tables4 ,on this floor there is a smaller private banqueting-room1 and the new white ,adams' ,room1 the double windows of which look into the ,strand on one side and the entrance courtyard on the other4 ,it is a handsome room1 with settees by the window tables1 and at night hanging baskets and lamps on the cornice throw light up to the ceiling to be reflected down into the room4 ,down in the smoking-room on the basement level you will find a little band of chess-players1 faithful to the old ,divan1 hard at the game1 using the old chess-boards and the huge pieces of the ,divan days1 and it may further gratify your love for antiquarian lore to know that ,simpson's stands on the site occupied by the old ,fountain tavern1 of which ,strype wrote3 ,a very fine tavern1 with excellent vaults1 good rooms for entertainments1 and a curious kitchen for the dressing of meat4 ,it was at the ,fountain that the opponents of ,walpole held their meetings and that the ,earl of ,derwentwater and the other ,jacobite lords on trial for rebellion1 being taken daily backwards and forwards between the ,tower and ,westminster1 made favour with their jailer to let them halt for an hour to eat what they expected to be their last good dinner on earth4 ,,iii ,a ,,walk ,,down ,,fleet ,,street ,,the ,,cheshire ,,cheese ,doctor ,samuel ,johnson stands in bronze before ,st ,clement ,danes and faces his beloved ,fleet ,street4 ,if the great dictionary maker took his eyes off the book he holds in his hands1 got down from his pedestal without knocking over the inkpot which is perilously near his clumsy old feet1 and started for a walk down the street he loved so well1 his remarks on the changes that have been made by time and the architects would be instructive4 ,what would he say to ,street's ,law ,courts8 ,and with what sesquipedalian words would he lament the disappearance of ,temple ,bar and the appearance in its stead of the pantomime ,griffin8 ,and how the old man would snort and fume to find the taverns he was used to frequent altered out of recognition1 or moved from their old places4 ,the ,rainbow's lamp would bring him to a halt1 for the ,rainbow stands to-day where ,farr the barber set up his coffee-house1 by inner ,temple ,gate4 ,farr was presented1 in #afeg1 as an abuse by his neighbours1 who protested against the smell of the coffee1 but were in reality afraid that the new drink was going to oust canary and other wines4 ,johnson knew the old tavern in the brave days when ,alexander ,moncrieff was the host1 when it still1 though its stewed cheeses and its stout were celebrated1 called itself a coffee-house1 and the largest room was the coffee-room1 with a lofty bay-window at the south end looking into the ,temple4 ,in this bay the table was set for the worthies who frequented the house1 and they could1 through a glazed screen1 see all that went on in the kitchen4 ,the old ,doctor1 reading on the door-jamb that the ,rainbow is occupied by the ,bodega ,company1 would discourse learnedly on the meaning and uses of a ,bodega4 ,he would note with approval ,groom's little coffee-house1 a few steps farther on1 which1 though it did not exist in his days1 for it dates back only to #ahah1 is one of the few establishments still existing which lives by the sale of coffee as a beverage1 and prospers on its best ,mocha at threepence a cup4 ,the ,cock in its present condition would puzzle the old man most consumedly1 and he would look across the street to see what has become of that tavern's old site2 but if he went inside the house he would find that ,grinling ,gibbons' wood-carving of the cock had flown across the street1 and that in the upper room is the panelling from the old alehouse in which the festive ,pepys drank and sang and ate a lobster and afterwards mightily merry took ,knip for a moonlight row on the ,thames4 ,it would be useless to talk to the ,doctor of ,tennyson and the plump head-waiter of the ,cock1 but pilgrims following the footsteps of those poets who have lunched in ,fleet ,street will find that the ,cock is still a house where the perfect pint of stout and the proper chop are reached out with deft hands to customers1 and that no head waiter unless he be plump is ever engaged for the upper room4 ,the ,devil ,tavern1 which ,ben ,jonson made so famous by his ,apollo ,club1 and which stood between ,temple ,bar and the ,middle ,temple ,gate1 was bought by ,messrs ,child1 the bankers1 in #aghg1 some years after the death of ,samuel ,johnson1 when it had fallen into disuse1 and was pulled down and dwelling-houses erected on its site4 ,ben's ,welcome and the ,apollo bust were transferred to the bank4 ,the most famous of all the ,johnsonian taverns1 the ,mitre1 was another of the old houses to fall a victim to bankers1 for four years after the ,doctor's death it ceased to be a tavern1 became in turn ,macklin's ,poets' ,gallery and ,saunders's auction-rooms1 and was finally pulled down that on its site ,hoare's ,new ,banking-house should be erected4 ,joe's ,coffee-house in ,mitre ,court borrowed the derelict name when the ,mitre closed its shutters1 and set up a copy of ,nollekins' bust of the ,doctor as homage to his memory4 ,opposite to ,wine ,office ,court1 the ,sage of ,fleet ,street would stop in his shamble and would wait for an opportunity to cross the road4 ,if ,doctor ,johnson hated the transit of the roadway when the traffic was but of hackney carriages and the coaches of aldermen and stage coaches and horsemen1 how would he face the hurtling streams of taxi-cabs and motor omnibuses which nowadays jostle in the road8 ,and what1 when he had crossed the road1 would he think of ,fuller's little sweet-stuff shop which1 gay with colour1 has fastened itself1 where there used to be a dingy wine merchant's office with cobwebbed bottles of old port in its dim1 solemn windows1 on the ,fleet ,street front of the ,old ,cheshire ,cheese8 ,the new-comer looks like a bright stamp stuck on some musty old parchment deed4 ,doctor ,johnson would1 ,i am sure1 growl as he rolled through the narrow entrance into the court and on to the door of the old tavern4 ,and as he and you and ,i stand in the narrow doorway and look to the right at the little bar1 a harmony in dark colours with the old china punch-bowls in their accustomed corner1 and glass and pewter and silver catching reflections of light amidst the black of old oak2 and to the left at the old dining-room kept exactly as it was in ,doctor ,johnson's time2 and to the front at the old oak staircase leading to the rooms above1 let me explain to you that each white-haired generation of frequenters of the ,cheshire ,cheese finds fault with the arrangements made for the newer generation4 ,when ,johnson and ,goldsmith ceased to use the house ,i am sure that the comfortable gentlemen who had sat at the long table and had listened to their conversation found that of an evening the talk had grown dull2 and when ,colonel ,lawrence1 who had carried one of the colours of the #bjth ,regiment at the battle of ,minden1 had been a crony of ,goldsmith1 and had hobnobbed with him and with ,johnson over the port at the ,cheese1 died1 the company at the long table must have lamented that all the good old sort and the good old customs were passing away4 ,a sturdy supporter of the ,cheese1 who is some fifteen years older than ,i am1 sighs for the days when he was first allowed to sit at the table where the ,deputy-,governor of ,newgate and a head clerk of ,somerset ,house led the conversation4 ,and when ,i go into the ,cheese nowadays and find that two score belles from ,baltimore1 or half-a-hundred pretty ,puritans from ,philadelphia1 have taken possession of the lower room1 are drinking tea with their lunches1 are talking like an aviary in commotion1 and are more intent on buying souvenirs of ,johnson than on appreciating the delights of the pudding1 ,i sigh for the days thirty years ago when the ,cheese was a grumpy man's paradise4 ,i am quite sure that when ,mr ,dollamore1 a host of the ,cheese who has grown to heroic size as seen through the mists of time1 died1 people of that day thought that the great pudding would never again be mixed and carved by a master hand4 ,i look back now to the serious expression1 the sort of expression we all assume as we enter a church door1 that used to come upon the face of smiling ,mr ,moore as the vast pudding was carried in and he prepared to pierce its snowy covering4 ,when ,henry ,todd1 a waiter who entered ,mr ,dollamore's service two years before the battle of ,waterloo1 left the house and his portrait was painted by subscription and given as an heirloom to be hung in the dining-room1 no one believed that young ,william ,simpson1 then just entering the service of the ,cheese1 would live to be even a more famous head waiter1 to have his portrait painted to be hung in honour in the coffee-room1 and to give his name to one of the rooms upstairs4 ,and now1 having explained that if an old frequenter of the ,cheshire ,cheese sometimes grumbles at changes it is only through affection for the old house1 let us go into the dining-room and sit down and look around us4 ,we will leave ,doctor ,johnson's seat at the long table1 with its brass tablet and his portrait above it1 for the ,shade of the great man4 ,you shall sit in ,oliver ,goldsmith's seat with your back to the windows looking out into ,cheshire ,cheese ,court1 roofed in now to make a second dining-room2 ,i will sit opposite to you1 and we will take note of our surroundings4 ,the approval of the old ,doctor can be safely guaranteed4 ,the sawdust on the floor2 the wide grate with a shining copper kettle on the hob2 the old mirror2 the churchwarden pipes on the window-sill2 the green-curtained cosy corner by the door1 just like the squire's pew in many old churches2 the black-handled knives and forks arranged in a row of black oak hutches2 the willow-patterned plates and dishes2 the queer old receptacle for umbrellas in the middle of the floor2 the wire blinds1 and the old tables and oak high-backed settles are to-day exactly as they were when ,johnson in the flesh frequented the tavern4 ,the greybeard and the leathern jack1 gifts from ,mr ,seymour ,lucas1 ,r4,a41 are quite in keeping with the room1 and such of the pictures as are not old deal with incidents in ,johnson's life or are sketches of the room and of the worthies who have frequented it4 ,the manager of to-day keeps the house just as it used to be a century and a half ago1 and being so1 it is one of the most interesting old buildings in ,london4 ,upstairs are the kitchen1 where the woman cook responds to the verbal shorthand shouts of the waiters by putting chops and steaks on to the grill and clanging the oven door as good things to bake go into its recesses1 and other old rooms1 in which are some interesting relics of the old lexicographer1 the chair in which he always sat at the ,mitre1 and other things curious and quaint1 but they must await inspection till after lunch1 for to-day is a pudding day1 and the fat waiter with a moustache is waiting for our orders4 ,the pudding in its great earthenware bowl stands on a little table in the middle of the room4 ,it is a triumph of old ,british cookery4 ,in it are larks1 kidneys1 oysters1 mushrooms1 steak1 and there are ingredients in the gravy which are a secret of the house4 ,there are many imitations of the ,cheshire ,cheese pudding1 but no such pudding unless it comes from the ,cheshire ,cheese kitchen has quite the right taste and quite the right richness of gravy4 ,there is no stint in the helpings at the ,cheshire ,cheese4 ,any man with an appetite has only to ask for a follow to obtain it1 and there are traditions that some men of mighty capacity have even had three helpings4 ,monday1 ,wednesday and ,friday are pudding days4 ,there is generally ,irish stew on non-pudding days1 and the ,cheese ,irish stew is admirable4 ,marrow bones are another speciality of the house1 and a ,cheshire ,cheese bone holds much marrow4 ,the typical ,cheshire ,cheese meal1 however--and ,i am sure ,doctor ,johnson would agree with me--is ,the ,pudding1 and the strong ,scotch ale of the house therewith2 stewed cheese1 which comes to table in a shallow little pan accompanied by hot toast1 and to finish up a bowl of the ,cheshire ,cheese punch served from an old china bowl with a good old-fashioned silver ladle4 ,but beware of drinking too much of this punch1 being deceived by its apparent innocence4 ,i know one man who1 saying it was as mild as mother's milk1 drank the greater portion of a bowl of punch1 remarked that he was a boy again1 and behaved as a boy1 and not until noon next day came to the conclusion that he was a very elderly man with a headache4 ,,iv ,,the ,,carlton ,if all the great ,french chefs all the world over were canvassed for an opinion as to which amongst them is the greatest cook of the day1 ,i am sure that the majority of votes would be in favour of ,m4 ,auguste ,escoffier1 the ,matre-,chef of the ,carlton ,restaurant in ,london4 ,when any restaurant is exceeding successful1 whether it appeals to popular taste1 or to the taste of the most cultured classes1 there is sure to be amongst those men who have brought it fame or brought it popularity1 some strongly marked personality1 a great organiser1 a great cook1 or1 perhaps1 a great matre d'htel1 such as poor dead ,joseph was4 ,and the commanding personality at the ,carlton is ,m4 ,escoffier1 who1 had he been a man of the pen and not a man of the spoon1 would have been a poet1 and who1 wearing the white cap and the white jacket1 makes the sense of taste respond to the beautiful things he invents1 just as the sense of hearing thrills to the cadence of a poet's words1 or the melody of a great composer's music4 ,and ,m4 ,escoffier holds that things which are beautiful to the taste should be fair to the eye1 and should have pleasant-sounding titles4 ,he1 for instance1 rechristened frogs1 making them nymphes1 and nymphes l',aurore has a place in his great book on modern cookery4 ,the following is a typical ,escoffier menu4 ,it is for a little supper after the ,opera1 and was published in ,le ,carnet d',epicure1 a magazine1 to the pages of which ,m4 ,escoffier is a prolific contributor4 ,gele de ,poulet aux ,nids d',hirondelles4 ,souffl d',ecrevisses ,florentine4 ,ctelettes d',agneau de ,lait ,favorite4 ,petits ,pois ,frais4 ,ortolans au ,champagne4 ,salade d',oranges4 ,asperges de ,serre4 ,pches la ,fraisette des ,bois4 ,baisers de ,vierge4 ,mignardises4 ,the menu reads as delicately as the dishes would taste4 ,the baisers de ,vierge are twin meringues1 the cream perfumed with vanilla and holding crystallised white rose leaves and white violets4 ,over each pair of meringues is a veil of spun sugar4 ,this is worthy of the man who conceived the bombe ,nero1 a flaming ice1 who gave all ,london a new entremet in fraises la ,sarah ,bernhardt1 and who added a new glory to a great singer by creating the pche ,melba4 ,m4 ,escoffier is a little below the middle height1 grey haired1 and grey of moustache4 ,his face is the face of an artist1 or a statesman1 and the quick eyes tell of his capacity for command4 ,the quiet little man who1 amidst all the clangour of the great white-tiled kitchen below the restaurant of the ,carlton1 seems to have nothing to do except to occasionally glance at the dishes before they leave his realm or to give a word of counsel when some very delicate entremet is in the making1 to taste a sauce or give a final touch to the arrangement of some elaborate cold entre1 has organised his brigade of vociferous cooks of all nations as thoroughly as ,crawford organised the ,light ,division of ,peninsular fame4 ,there is never any difficulty1 for every difficulty has been foreseen4 ,only a man who has climbed the ladder from its lowest rung possesses such knowledge and such authority4 ,m4 ,escoffier began his career as a boy in the kitchen of his uncle's restaurant in ,nice4 ,he went to ,russia to the kitchen of one of the ,grand ,dukes1 he served in the ,franco-,prussian ,war as the ,chef de ,cuisine to the ,general ,staff of the ,army of the ,rhine1 and he knows the bitterness of captivity in the hands of an enemy4 ,he was with ,marchal ,mac,mahon at the ,elyse and left the ,grand ,hotel at ,rome when ,ritz and he and ,echenard came to ,london to make history at the ,savoy4 ,he writes with a very pretty wit on subjects connected with his profession1 and he is married to a lady who1 under her maiden name of ,delphine ,daffis1 is well known in ,france as a poetess1 and who has recently been decorated with the violet ribbon as ,officier d',acadmie4 ,if ,i have given so much space to a sketch of the great ,matre-,chef1 it is not that he is the only man of talent amongst the personnel of the ,carlton4 ,m4 ,kreamer1 the manager1 is eminent amongst his fellows4 ,in the restaurant ,m4 ,besserer1 light of hair1 and with a light curling moustache1 is an admirable ,matre d',htel1 and the ,carlton grill-room 7to which ,i shall give attention when ,i write of the grill-rooms of ,london7 owes much of its popularity to its manager1 ,signor ,ventura4 ,and now for a little ancient history4 ,her ,majesty's ,opera ,house1 with a colonnade surrounding it in which were shops and a little restaurant1 ,epitaux's1 where the ,iron ,duke and other famous men gave dinner-parties in the early ,victorian days1 stood at the corner of the ,haymarket and ,pall ,mall4 ,if ,i wrote of the glories and the disasters of the big house of song ,i should have to write a book4 ,when a company bought the site1 and the ,carlton and ,his ,majesty's ,theatre rose on it1 the colonnade disappeared from three sides1 and all the shops on those sides also vanished except the offices of ,justerini and ,brooks4 ,these wine merchants held to their old position1 and their window front was encased in the building of the new hotel without the business of the firm suffering a day's interruption4 ,a cigar store has since then found an abiding place on the ,pall ,mall frontage4 ,the name of ,epitaux's was taken by the restaurant next door to the ,haymarket ,theatre1 but was eventually dropped in favour of a more attractive title1 the ,pall ,mall4 ,the tall porter outside the entrance of the ,carlton in ,pall ,mall sets the swing door in motion to let us through2 coats and hats1 cloaks and furs are garnered from us as we pass through the ante-room1 and then we are in the palm lounge1 that happy inspiration of the architect which has been copied in other hotels through the length and breadth of the habitable world4 ,the double glass roof1 letting in light but keeping out draughts1 was a novelty when the hotel was built4 ,but1 though this palm court has been copied far and wide1 it has never been bettered4 ,the terrace breaks up pleasantly the great width of floor space4 ,the tall palms1 and the flowers and smaller palms before the terrace1 and the green cane easy-chairs give a sylvan touch to this great hall in the heart of ,london2 and1 as an instance of perfect taste1 notice the little medallions of ,wedgwood ware dependent from the capitals of the creamy marble pilasters4 ,up the broad flight of steps we go into the restaurant1 a restaurant the colouring in which is such that it never clashes with the hues of any lady's dress4 ,the garlands of golden leaves on the ceiling1 the artful use of mirrors and evergreens to give the illusion that outside the windows north and west there are gardens1 the cut-glass chandeliers converted into electroliers1 and giving a soft rosy light1 the brown and deep rose of the carpet1 the lighter rose of the chairs1 the gilt cornice1 the il de buf windows towards the palm lounge1 all form a perfect setting for charming people eating delicate foods4 ,the keynote of the restaurant in decoration1 as in the dinners which come from ,escoffier's kitchen1 is refinement4 ,it is a pity1 perhaps1 that there is not daylight to brighten the restaurant from end to end1 and that the electric lamps are always alight2 but at dinner-time this is no drawback4 ,an excellent string band plays on the terrace1 but it is as well at dinner-time to choose a table far enough away from the musicians to ensure comfortable converse4 ,and now to describe to you a typical ,carlton dinner4 ,it is not easy1 for ,i have so many memories of so many typical dinners there4 ,once the annual banquet of my old regiment was held at the ,carlton in a great space of the restaurant screened off from the other diners4 ,that was a noble feast6 ,again a memory comes to me of a silver wedding dinner1 for which the table was decorated with creamy white and light pink roses1 with silvered leaves4 ,escoffier composed for the occasion a dinner all white and pink1 in which the ,bortch was the deepest note of colour1 the filets de poulets la ,paprika halved the two hues1 and the flesh of an agneau de lait formed the highest light in the picture4 ,that was the second occasion on which ,m4 ,escoffier sent to a dining-table the pches ,aiglon1 the first occasion being a supper which ,madame ,sarah ,bernhardt gave to ,sir ,henry ,irving and other stars of our stage4 ,but most distinctive of all the dinners of ceremony at which ,i have been a guest at the ,carlton was the dinner which ,mr ,william ,heinemann1 the well-known publisher1 gave to celebrate the publication by his firm of ,escoffier's great work1 ,a ,guide to ,modern ,cookery4 ,the dinner was the idea of the ,matre-,chef1 who suggested that the best way to criticise the book would be to invite some of the men in whose judgment the publisher had faith to eat a dinner cooked by the man who had written the book4 ,we were fourteen in all1 mostly ink-stained wretches1 and amongst the signatures on the menu1 which ,i religiously pasted opposite the title-page of my autographed copy of the work1 are those of ,sir ,douglas ,straight and of ,t4 ,p4 ,o',connor1 of a member of the great house of ,harmsworth1 and of other men whose palates are as keen as their pens4 ,this was the menu of the dinner and the list of the wines we drank that #cjth ,may #aijg3 ,melon ,cantaloup4 ,caviar de ,sterlet4 ,tortue ,claire4 ,velout ,froid de ,volaille4 ,mousseline d',ecrevisses ,orientale4 ,jeune ,agneau ,piqu de ,sauge4 ,morilles la ,crme4 ,petits ,pois l',anglaise4 ,poularde ,ena4 ,trou ,normand4 ,cailles aux ,raisins4 ,asperges d',argenteuil4 ,pches ,sainte ,alliance4 ,mignardises4 ,,vins4 ,vodka4 ,amontillado1 ,dry4 ,berncastler ,doctor1 #ahic4 ,heidsieck and ,co41 ,dry1 #ahib4 ,pommery and ,greno1 ,nature1 #aijj4 ,chteau ,lafitte1 #ahgh4 ,dow's ,port1 #ahhg4 ,caf ,double--,grandes ,liqueurs4 ,illustration3 ,m4 ,,escoffier ,the velout froid is a test dish1 for only a master hand can give it the right consistency without allowing it to become pasty4 ,the mousselines were beautifully light1 each in the form of a cygnet1 surrounding a central figure of a swan4 ,the poularde ,ena was the one dish in the banquet to which1 because of its richness1 ,i kissed my hand and passed it by4 ,the combination of quails and grapes is one of ,m4 ,escoffier's happiest inspirations1 and the pches ,ste ,alliance is one of those delicate entremets in which ,escoffier excels any other great chef of to-day1 or of the past4 ,the trou ,normand is rather a violent stimulus to appetite1 and consists of a liqueur-glass of old brandy4 ,when ,m4 ,escoffier came with the coffee1 to ask us what our verdict was on his dinner1 our only difficulty was to find a sufficiency of complimentary adjectives4 ,v ,,two ,,little ,,soho ,,restaurants ,,au ,,petit ,,riche4 ,,moulin ,d',,or ,there is a little restaurant in ,old ,compton ,street1 the ,au ,petit ,riche1 with the outside of which ,i was acquainted for some years before ,i put foot inside it4 ,it so evidently kept itself to itself that ,i felt that my presence might be resented4 ,it has little casemented windows in white frames1 and inside the windows are muslin curtains1 on a rail1 hung sufficiently high to prevent anyone from looking over them4 ,below the windows are green tiles1 and above it a stretch of little panes of bottle-glass in white frames to give additional light to the rooms inside4 ,a little ground-glass lantern hung outside the door1 and the name of the restaurant was painted over the window1 but there was no bill of fare put up outside1 no attempt to draw in a diner unless he had made up his mind to dine at the ,au ,petit ,riche and nowhere else4 ,i had been told all about the restaurant by those gallant souls who experiment at every new eating-place that springs up between ,shaftesbury ,avenue and ,oxford ,street1 and though all ,i heard about the little place was pleasant and interested me1 ,i felt that the ,petit ,riche was not anxious to make my acquaintance4 ,but when the ,petit ,riche put up outside its windows an illuminated sign and its number1 #dd1 in big figures1 ,i felt that it had abandoned its haughty reserve and was beckoning to me1 and the rest of ,london1 to come in4 ,and in ,i went1 and have been going in at intervals ever since1 for the little restaurant is artistic and ,french and amusing4 ,when you open the glazed door and go in you are faced by the question3 ,on the level or down below8 ,a door to the right leads into the little series of rooms on the ground floor1 and a flight of stairs plunges down into the basement4 ,come1 first of all1 through the door to the right4 ,we are in the first of three little rooms1 with light-coloured walls4 ,a row of small tables is on either side of each room1 and in the first room a white desk1 with palms on it1 faces towards the door4 ,a score of pretty little ,french waitresses1 ,bretonnes all1 in white and black1 are bustling about1 and ,mademoiselle1 if she is not sitting at the white desk1 will probably receive you at the door and smile and pilot you to a table4 ,and ,i should1 before going any further1 explain to you who ,mademoiselle is1 and tell you the story of the ,au ,petit ,riche4 ,a good ,breton and his wife came to ,london and established a little restaurant in ,old ,compton ,street1 and with them came their two very pretty daughters4 ,and they made the ,au ,petit ,riche a corner of ,brittany in ,london4 ,the chef1 who had graduated at the ,escargot d',or1 a big bourgeois house near the ,halles in ,paris1 is a ,breton by birth1 and all the merry little waitresses are from ,brittany4 ,the elder of the two daughters married a young journalist and for a while left the restaurant1 but when her father and mother thought that the time had come for them to retire1 she and her husband took up the management of the restaurant1 with her sister to help them4 ,and ,mademoiselle1 fresh and smiling1 with a bunch of roses pinned to her blouse1 is in command in the upper rooms1 while ,madame1 as gracious as she is handsome1 sits at her desk in one of the lower rooms with a great bowl of flowers before her1 and laughs with the young artists1 who form a large portion of the clientele of the ,au ,petit ,riche1 and controls the waitresses1 and sends the waiters1 of whom there are two1 out to fetch the wine1 which comes from a wineshop a few paces away4 ,established at a table in the first of the upstairs rooms1 a glance at the walls will tell anyone that the place is a haunt of artists1 for the pictures are just the omnium gatherum of artistic trifles that an artist generally puts on the walls of his den4 ,pencil drawings1 rough things in charcoal1 etchings1 mezzotints1 caricatures1 sketches in colour1 ,japanese coloured prints--a gallery of scraps at which a ,philistine would turn up his nose1 but which look comfortable and homelike to the eye artistic4 ,and at the head of the carte du jour1 which a little waitress holds out to you1 there is a good black and white of the exterior of the little restaurant--there is the atmosphere of art about the place4 ,let us look down the list of dishes and order our dinner4 ,the little waitress1 on chance1 has addressed us in ,french1 but if she is answered in ,english can carry on a conversation in that language4 ,there are two soups on the list1 consomm ,colbert1 which costs sixpence1 no doubt because of the egg1 and crme ,cressonire1 which costs only threepence1 and we will choose the cheaper of the two4 ,amongst the fish dishes1 the salmon and the sole cost a shilling1 but we will choose the vol au vent de ,turbot ,joinville1 which costs ninepence4 ,amongst the entres is an item1 two quails en ,cocotte1 for a shilling4 ,curiosity prompts me to suggest that we should order this1 having in mind what the price of a single quail is on a club bill of fare1 but we shall be on safer ground in ordering one of the dishes of the house1 the filet mignon ,petit ,riche1 which costs a shilling1 and with it some peas1 fourpence1 and some new potatoes1 also fourpence4 ,amongst the entremets is a ,pche ,petit ,riche1 which the little waitress strongly recommends1 but beignets de pommes at threepence seems to me a more fitting ending for our repast4 ,there is no long waiting for one's food at the ,au ,petit ,riche2 the soup arrives almost immediately and is wonderful value for threepence4 ,the vol au vent is an admirable little fish pie1 and the filet mignon a most toothsome morsel of meat1 while the beignets are all that they should be4 ,the little waitress1 when we have arrived at the filet mignon stage of the dinner1 asks with the utmost solicitude3 ,do you like eet8 and ,i have replied for both of us ,very much indeed4 ,at the table to one side of us are a young couple whose dinner has consisted of curried chicken and plum pudding au ,rhum1 and at the table to our other side1 two ladies are eating a typical woman's dinner of hors d'uvre1 poached eggs and spinach1 and a vanilla ice4 ,the ,au ,petit ,riche finds room on its small carte du jour for dishes to suit all tastes4 ,the little waitress brings the total of the bill on a bit of green paper2 and having finished our dinner1 and having paid for it1 we will go down into the lower rooms before leaving the restaurant4 ,in the lower rooms every table is always occupied1 and ,i fancy that the habitus of the restaurant prefer them to the upper ones4 ,one of them is decorated with golden fleurs-de-lis on a blue ground1 and another is an admirable representation of the kitchen of a ,breton farmhouse1 crockery and all complete4 ,there is a great buzz of talk in these lower rooms1 and ,madame la ,patronne1 sitting at her desk amidst the tables1 takes her share in the conversation and attends to the making out of the bills at one and the same time4 ,if you go to the ,au ,petit ,riche in the right frame mind you will be abundantly amused and interested1 and you will get wonderful value for the very small sum your dinner will cost you4 ,and now for my other little restaurant in ,soho4 ,it is the ,moulin d',or at #bg ,church ,street4 ,when ,karl ,thiele1 who was in the employ of ,peter ,gallina at the ,rendez-,vous ,restaurant1 married the pretty book-keeper at the ,richelieu ,restaurant1 they determined to set up in business on their own account1 and took a ground-floor room in ,church ,street1 gave it a good-looking window1 put a row of little trees outside1 hung baskets of ferns within1 and christened it ,le ,moulin d',or1 hoping that their mill would grind golden grist4 ,it was a doll's house restaurant when ,i first discovered it two years ago1 and the great ambition then of its proprietor and proprietress was that they might in time become sufficiently prosperous to add the first-floor room to their establishment4 ,they have prospered1 and when ,i lately went to dine there ,i found that the lower room with a restful green paper had been increased in size by taking in the passage1 and that upstairs is a new restaurant room also with green walls and a large window1 the dream realised of the young couple4 ,and not only have these improvements and additions been made1 but quite close to the ,moulin d',or there has been put up a wonderful windmill with electrically lighted sails which revolve1 and below it a hand pointing in the direction of the restaurant and a transparency whereon see inscribed the prices of the table d'hte meals1 luncheon1 and dinner1 and supper1 for the ,moulin d',or has both its carte du jour and its table d'hte meals4 ,for half-a-crown1 on the occasion of my last visit1 ,i could have eaten hors d'uvre1 made my choice between a consomm and a crme soup and partaken of salmon1 filet de buf1 roast chicken and caramel cream1 but ,i preferred to turn my attention to the carte du jour1 and ordered crme ,suzette1 #f;d42 truite au bleu1 #as4 #c;d42 escalope de veau ,viennoise1 #aj;d42 haricots verts1 #f;d42 and an omelette au ,rhum1 #aj;d41 all very well cooked and served piping hot4 ,the restaurant has not yet a wine licence1 but for all that a special wine is reserved for it at a neighbouring wineshop1 an excellent light burgundy1 ,chteau ,villy1 at #ds4 #f;d4 a quart1 and #bs4 #f;d4 a pint1 and1 besides1 there is a quite comprehensive wine list4 ,karl ,thiele and his wife1 looking for new kingdoms to conquer1 have moved to ,brighton1 where they are established in ,st ,james's ,street1 and the new host at the ,moulin d',or is ,m4 ,combes1 a very young man1 assisted by a very young wife4 ,they are1 in spite of their youth1 maintaining the reputation of the house for good cookery4 ,,vi ,a ,,rag-,,time ,,dinner ,,at ,,the ,,imperial ,,restaurant ,my little ,french cousin who has married the ,comte de ,st ,solidor 7if that is not his exact title it is1 literally1 next door to it7 has brought her ,breton husband across the ,channel to make the acquaintance of his ,english relatives1 and is desperately anxious that he shall not be depressed by ,london4 ,he is a jolly1 round-faced ,frenchman1 with a rather straggly light beard and a great head of intractable light hair1 and1 were it not that he cannot speak a word of our language1 might pass for a young ,yorkshire squire4 ,my little ,french cousin was particularly afraid that ,robert1 that is his first name1 would suffer all the tortures of ennui on ,sunday1 for her mother1 who was ,english-born1 had told her that the ,english in ,england spend their ,sunday afternoons1 when they are grown-up1 in singing hymns1 and when they are children in repeating aloud the catechism4 ,i told my little cousin to have no fear1 that ,london ,sundays are no longer what they were when her mother was a child1 and ,i offered to take charge of ,robert and herself on their first ,sunday in ,london1 from after lunch-time till bed-time1 and to try and keep them amused4 ,i asked my little ,french cousin whether rag-time had penetrated to ,brittany1 and she1 pitying my ignorance1 told me that at ,dinard1 last summer1 they had talked to rag-time music1 and bathed to it1 and had even played syncopated chemin de fer to it1 as well as danced to it4 ,but1 when ,i asked her if at ,dinard she had ever eaten to it1 she said1 ,but no1 and gave a mimetic sketch of eating food to the air of ,everybody's doing it now1 which was very funny4 ,that settled where we should dine on ,sunday1 and ,i wrote off at once to the ,imperial ,restaurant to secure a dinner-table for four1 and asked another cousin1 a ,british one1 to complete the partie carre4 ,the afternoon of ,sunday caused me no anxiety4 ,robert is devoted to music1 so ,i took him and the ,comtesse to the ,queen's ,hall to one of ,sir ,henry ,wood's concerts1 and on to the ,royal ,automobile ,club to tea1 and neither of them showed any sign of being oppressed by ,sabbath gloom4 ,at ten minutes past eight ,i was waiting in the vestibule between the street entrance and the restaurant1 where a marble bust of the late ,king ,edward smiles at each customer who enters4 ,i had ordered my dinner1 a very simple one--potage ,germiny1 truites au bleu1 noisettes de mouton1 new peas and potatoes1 ham and spinach1 asparagus1 and a bombe1 and a magnum of ,goulet1 #aijj1 to drink therewith4 ,for ten minutes ,i sat in the window-seat watching pretty ladies and men of all ages and types pass through the vestibule1 give up their coats and cloaks1 shake hands1 and go in little coveys into the restaurant4 ,the orchestra in the distance was sawing away at an operatic overture1 the ante-room was comfortably warmed1 and as dinner was the only event of the evening ,i did not fidget because my little cousin delayed in her coming4 ,i was not the only solitary man waiting4 ,in front of the fireplace stood a beautiful young man1 with sleeve-links and studs and buttons to his white waistcoat that must have cost a fortune4 ,now and again he glanced at the clock1 a work of art1 in which a gilded cupid points with a finger to the revolving girdle of hours on a vase1 and when he had ascertained how late she was already he surveyed the other human creatures about him with tolerant pride and slight hauteur4 ,i have no gift of telepathy1 but ,i was quite sure that he was waiting for some very beautiful lady of the stage1 and pitied those of us who had no such divinity to be our guest4 ,the ,british cousin arrived to time1 and not very long afterwards my ,french cousins appeared4 ,she looked at the clock and declared that they were late because ,robert could not find his evening studs1 and ,robert laughed1 as men do when called upon to substantiate a white fib told by their wives4 ,she had asked me whether she ought to dine in her hair1 or in a hat1 and ,i had answered that either way would be quite correct4 ,she had decided not to wear a hat in order to be quite ,english1 and she looked entirely charming4 ,i could not help glancing at the beautiful young man who monopolised the fire to see what he thought of my star guest4 ,he was slightly interested1 but he answered my glance by one which meant ,wait and see4 ,i had secured a corner table at a reasonable distance from the band1 which occupies a platform about half-way down the room1 and we enthroned the little cousin on the chair in the angle1 so that she could see everybody and everything in the room4 ,every table but one was occupied1 and that ,i knew was reserved for the beautiful young man whom we had left looking with a frown at cupid's finger4 ,my little ,french cousin was in high spirits1 and ,robert acted as an amiable chorus4 ,she recognised that the room was ,french--it is a copy of one of the salons at ,fontainebleau1 and perceived that the pictures of cupids1 which are between the round windows and the tall casemented glasses1 were inspired by ,boucher4 ,she liked the carved marble mantelpiece and the crystal and gold electroliers4 ,i was called upon to tell her who everybody was at the other tables1 and ,i launched out recklessly into fiction4 ,i knew by sight a dozen of our fellow-diners1 and the rest ,i described as ,m4,p4's and ladies of title1 officers of the ,household ,brigade1 and divettes of the ,gaiety1 ,daly's1 the ,lyric1 and the ,shaftesbury1 which they probably are1 celebrated painters and prima donnas1 according to their appearance4 ,my ,british cousin choked over a bone of the trout1 so he said1 but my little ,french cousin and her spouse were much impressed by my exhaustive acquaintance with all the celebrities of my native city1 which was just the effect ,i wished to produce4 ,little ,oddenino1 going the round of the tables1 saying a word or two to all his clientele1 came to our corner1 asked if all was as it should be1 took up the menu1 and lifted his eyebrows4 ,of course ,i know that to follow the noisettes by ham was inartistic1 but being in the vein of romance ,i said that my little ,french cousin was passionately fond of ham1 and demanded it at all her meals1 and not that ,i prefer ham to mutton1 which would have been the truth4 ,the little man bowed and smiled and passed on2 ,my cousin asked who he was1 and when ,i replied1 ,oddy1 she inquired if it was he who would presently make the rag-time4 ,pleased to be on bed-rock truth at last ,i gave her a shorthand sketch of ,oddenino's career2 how ,turin is his native town2 how he opened one of the great hotels at ,cimiez1 and earned the thanks of the late ,queen ,victoria and a fine tie-pin when she stayed there2 how he was manager of the ,east ,room at the ,criterion1 and of the ,caf ,royal1 and from the latter restaurant stepped two doors farther down ,regent ,street and built the ,imperial ,restaurant4 ,i described story upon story of banqueting-rooms that are to be found on the ,glasshouse ,street side1 and how ,freemasons--good1 charitable ,british ,freemasons1 not troublesome political ,french ,freemasons--feast in them in great numbers every night in the year4 ,i sketched out the little man's other ventures1 and ,i ended by telling her that ,oddenino is a man of much consideration in the ,italian colony in ,london1 and has been decorated by his king4 ,surely she did not expect a ,cavaliere to make rag-time music8 ,and my little ,french cousin said assuredly not4 ,when we had come to the noisettes' stage of our dinner the beautiful young man whom we had left waiting in the vestibule came in--alone4 ,he looked as gloomy as ,hamlet1 and held in his hand a letter1 which he tore into small pieces and thrust into the ice pail beside his table4 ,the poor animal6 said my little cousin pityingly4 ,he is dining with an excuse4 ,he drank two glasses of champagne in quick succession1 and then felt strong enough to sup his soup4 ,about this period a change came over the music of the band1 which had conscientiously worked off the barcarole from ,hoffman1 a ,viennese waltz and a minuet4 ,a clean-shaven young man1 ,mr ,gideon1 the clever composer of the rag-time successes who had been eating his dinner like the rest of us1 took his place at the piano1 and the orchestra subordinated itself to his leadership4 ,mr ,gideon can make the piano speak as few men can1 and my little ,french cousin and ,robert both pricked up their ears and even let the asparagus get cold in their new-found interest4 ,when ,mr ,gideon1 dispensing with orchestral aid1 sang ,honolulu1 and here and there a girl's voice joined in the refrain1 my little cousin turned sharply to me4 ,ought one to sing8 she asked1 and ,i told her that it was as she pleased4 ,she listened with all her ears to catch the words1 and at last trilled out with the rest3 ,ma onaleuleu on leu1 and then laughed at her own boldness4 ,a quarter of an hour later my little ,french cousin1 with both elbows on the table1 a cigarette between her fingers1 and sipping at intervals some crme de menthe1 was singing ,hitchy ,koo with the best of them1 and ,robert was booming away harmonising a bass bouche-ferme accompaniment4 ,it was curious how this general singing brought together those who dined4 ,we had been separate little parties before1 but the humanity of song made us into one big friendly audience4 ,even the beautiful young man recovered his spirits sufficiently to try to start an eye flirtation with my little cousin4 ,the heat in the room grew and the atmosphere thickened with tobacco smoke1 but we all sat on till close on eleven o'clock1 when the vestibule doors were opened to let out the smoke and let in the cold air1 and the ladies put their stoles round their necks1 and the men called for their bills4 ,mine1 including cigars and liqueurs1 came to exactly a guinea a head4 ,before bidding me good-night my little cousin1 speaking for herself and ,robert1 said that they had well dined and had amused themselves1 and that the ,britannic ,sunday was not frightening4 ,but ,i told her that all our ,sunday entertainment was not yet at end1 that ,robert1 when he had taken her home to their hotel1 was going to drink a whisky-and-soda with me at the club1 and that then ,i would take him on to an hospitable house1 where chemin de fer is played1 and that if there was no police raid she would see him back about five ,a4,m4 ,my little ,french cousin looked at me to see whether ,i was serious1 laughed in my face1 and taking ,robert by the arm led him to the taxi that was waiting for them4 ,,vii ,,the ,,caf ,,royal ,one of the questions people are fond of asking and1 like jesting ,pilate1 do not stay to have answered1 is1 ,which is the best place in ,london at which to dine8 ,this is generally only a prologue to their opinion on the subject1 but when it is an inquiry1 and not an overture1 ,i always reply by another question1 ,whom are you going to take out to dine8 for there are so many best places that the selection of the right one depends entirely on what are the tastes of the person1 or persons1 you wish to please4--,if a man were to answer my question by saying that he wished to entertain some bachelors of his own ripe age and ripe tastes1 and that he would like to go somewhere where the food is very good1 the rooms comfortable1 and where there is no band to interfere with conversation1 ,i should diagnose his case at once as a ,caf ,royal one4 ,the ,caf ,royal is pleasantly conservative1 and it is more like a good ,french restaurant of the ,second ,empire than is any other dining-place ,i know in ,london4 ,its fame has reached to all other countries in the world1 and a ,french waiter who hopes to become in due time a manager looks on an engagement at ,the ,caf as a step in his career4 ,therefore1 if ever you feel inclined to be tight-fisted in the matter of tips to the waiters at the ,caf ,royal1 reflect that you may meet them again where their good word can help to make a meal comfortable for you4 ,once in ,paris1 when ,i went to dine at ,maire's1 far up the boulevards1 a restaurant into which ,i had not been for years1 ,i was surprised to be received as though ,i was the prodigal son of the establishment1 a matre d'htel taking especial care to find a pleasant table for me1 and suggesting various dishes from the carte du jour1 which shaped into a dinner after my own heart4 ,i asked him if ,i had ever seen him before1 and he replied3 ,i waited on monsieur at the ,caf ,royal in the days when he used to drink the ,cliquot vin rose4 ,i pause here to sigh regretfully over the memory of that cuve of ,cliquot1 at which many men shied because of its colour1 but which was the most delightful wine that ever came from the great house of the widow of ,rheims4 ,on the first occasion that ,i entered the restaurant of the ,esplanade ,hotel in ,berlin1 feeling rather like a boy going to a new school1 ,i was received by a matre d'htel who knew that ,i liked a table at the side of the room1 suggested to me three of the lightest dishes on the carte as my dinner1 and told me that he remembered that at the ,caf ,royal ,i always asked for the table in the far corner of the first room and that ,i liked short and light dinners4 ,it may be that in a few years1 when the ,quadrant of ,regent ,street must be rebuilt1 and all the other houses in it will be obliged to conform in some respects to the ,piccadilly ,hotel1 the sample building of the new style1 the ,caf ,royal as we know it to-day may be altered in appearance and in the arrangement of its rooms1 but ,i hope that this will not happen in my time4 ,it was the first restaurant at which ,i learned the joys of dining out in pleasant company--a sole ,colbert1 a ,chateaubriand and pommes sauts1 an omelette au rhum and a bottle of good ,burgundy was my idea of a suitable dinner in those my strenuous days1 and ,i have for the house all the affection ,i have for old friends4 ,the influence of ,madame ,nicols is against any unnecessary change4 ,an old lady with white hair and dressed in black walks every day through the rooms of the ,caf ,royal1 and the habitus know that this is ,madame ,nicols on her tour of inspection4 ,she still gives personal supervision to the work in the linen-room1 as she did in the early days of the caf1 and her wish is that everything should remain as much as is possible as it was when ,m4 ,nicols was alive4 ,there is a romance in the history of most restaurants that have existed for any length of time1 and the rise of the ,caf ,royal from small beginnings is interwoven with the ,franco-,prussian ,war and with the rise and destruction of the ,commune4 ,on #aath ,february #ahfe ,m4 ,daniel ,nicols1 who had been in the wine trade at ,bercy1 that part of ,paris where the great wine depots are1 opened a modest little caf-restaurant in the lower part of ,regent ,street4 ,it occupied the space where the entrance and hall now are4 ,a photograph of the front of the house at that time is extant1 showing the plate-glass window with a broad brass band below it1 and on the glass in white letters announcements of the good things to be found within4 ,in front of the modest doorway stands ,m4 ,nicols1 looking very proud of his establishment1 while two of his friends lean gracefully against the pilasters of the entrance1 and the head waiter stands respectfully a step or two farther back4 ,on the little balcony before the windows of the entresol stand the ladies of ,m4 ,nicols' family4 ,the interior of the window was in those days decked with salads and with any foods that looked tempting1 to catch the attention of the passer-by4 ,in fact1 it was just such an unpretentious little restaurant as any young foreigner coming to ,london and determined to make a competence might start nowadays hoping that ,fortune would turn her wheel in his direction4 ,but most young foreigners do not have the chance1 or the judgment1 to establish themselves in ,regent ,street4 ,i have a dim memory when ,i was a schoolboy of being impressed by some stuffed pheasants in the ,caf ,royal window1 and at the time of the great war ,i was first taken inside it to meet there a distant connection of my family1 a ,buonapartist1 who had been one of the ,empress's ministers during the short period when the ,government of ,france fell into her hands and had gone into exile when the ,republic was proclaimed4 ,those are my first two recollections of the ,caf ,royal4 ,it was the flood of non-combatants and political exiles1 business men1 authors and actors2 ,red ,republicans1 ,monarchists1 and ,buonapartists1 whom the war and the political upheavals in ,france sent over to this country1 that made the fortune of the little restaurant4 ,however they might differ as to the colour of their politics1 they were all ,frenchmen1 they all sighed for the blue skies of ,france2 they found in the ,caf ,royal a little corner of their beloved native land1 and they naturally all gravitated to it4 ,the house was much too small for the number of its frequenters1 when1 fortunately1 the old ,union ,tavern in ,glasshouse ,street came into the market1 was bought1 and converted into the caf as we know it1 with its painted ceiling and its wealth of gilding1 and the restaurant and the private dining-rooms were established on the other floors4 ,this was the first of many extensions and alterations4 ,a building on the ,air ,street side was absorbed1 and a billiard-room established on the ground floor1 but very soon the billiard-tables were given marching orders1 and the space they occupied was turned into a grill-room4 ,an enlargement of the kitchen1 the installation of a lift on the ,air ,street side1 the making of a little ante-room and cloakrooms outside the restaurant--before this improvement any man waiting for a lady who was going to dine with him did so in the passage leading to the caf or on the stairs--and the construction somewhere very near the roof of a masonic temple and a ballroom were all additions4 ,m4 ,nicols and ,madame ,nicols gave personal attention to all details1 and the experience ,m4 ,nicols had gained at ,bercy was of great use to him in laying down the fine cellar of wines1 particularly of red wines1 which is the great pride of the house4 ,to draw a very fine distinction1 ,i would say of the ,caf ,royal that it is a restaurant to which gourmets go to drink fine wines and to eat good food therewith1 while at other first-class restaurants gourmets go to eat good food and to drink fine wines therewith4 ,the only cellar of red wines that ,i know which can compare with that of the ,caf ,royal is the cellar of ,voisin's in ,paris4 ,the wine-list of the ,caf ,royal is splendidly comprehensive1 and in its pages are to be found all the fine wines grown in ,europe1 even ,switzerland being recognised1 and the wines of the ,rhone ,valley above the ,lake of ,geneva being given a place in the book4 ,m4 ,delacoste1 the first manager ,i remember at the ,caf ,royal1 under ,m4 ,nicols1 was a great authority on wines1 and he bought so largely that there came a time when ,m4 ,nicols recognised that his clients with the utmost good will could never drink all the wine laid down for them1 and sold a portion of it by auction4 ,other managers of the ,caf ,royal have been ,wolschleger2 ,oddenino1 who was appointed when ,m4 ,nicols died in #ahig1 and during whose tenancy of the post many of the improvements in the house were made2 ,gerard1 mighty of girth1 who had been in the kitchen of the ,caf ,anglais under ,dugler1 and who moved on to the ,ocean ,hotel1 ,sandown2 and now ,judah1 who had been manager of the ,cecil1 and who keeps a very steady hand on the tiller4 ,m4 ,judah1 on the occasion of the visit of the ,president of the ,french ,republic to ,london in #aiac1 was created an officer of the ,order of ,mrite ,agricole4 ,sportsmen have always had a special affection for the ,caf ,royal4 ,the men who were prominent in the revival of road-coaching were all patrons of the restaurant1 and any night you may see half-a-dozen well-known owners of race-horses dining there4 ,the ,stage1 the ,stock ,exchange1 and ,literature also have a liking for the old house1 and hunting men love it4 ,when ,i mentioned it as the ideal place for a dinner of bachelor gourmets1 ,i did not mean that men do not bring their wives and sisters and sweethearts there4 ,they do4 ,but the ,caf ,royal does not lay itself out to capture the ladies4 ,i never heard of anyone having afternoon tea there1 and when a lady tells me that she likes dining at the ,caf ,royal ,i always mentally give her a good mark1 for it shows that she places in her affections good things to drink and good things to eat before those springes to catch woodcock1 gipsy bands in crimson coats1 and palm lounges4 ,in the great gilded cage of the restaurant and the big room the windows of which open on to ,glasshouse ,street1 the custom is to eat the lunch of the day1 or to select dishes from it1 while dinner is an la carte meal4 ,if one entertains a lady at dinner one probably orders a dinner which canters through the accepted courses1 and ,i have by me the menu of such a one3 ,hors d'uvre ,russe4 ,pot-au-feu4 ,sole ,waleska4 ,noisette d'agneau ,lavallire4 ,haricots verts l',anglaise4 ,parfait de foie gras4 ,caille en cocotte4 ,salade4 ,ple ,nord4 ,and with this dinner we drank a good bottle of ,st ,marceaux4 ,but men when they dine together think little of the rightful sequence of courses1 and order what their taste prompts them to eat4 ,i have dined at the ,caf ,royal1 and dined well on moules ,marinires--and one can eat moules at the ,caf without fear1 half a cold grouse1 a salad and a petit ,suisse cheese4 ,when the ham is a dish of the day it always tempts me1 for the ,caf ,royal hams are princes of their kind1 and the cold mousses that the chef de cuisine1 ,m4 ,franois ,matre1 makes are beautifully light4 ,the specialities of the cuisine of the ,caf ,royal are ufs ,magenta1 ufs ,wallace1 homard ,thrmidor1 sole ,beaumanoir1 filet de sole ,simone1 darne de saumon l',ecossaise1 truite ,dartois1 turbotin ,paysanne1 poularde bisque1 faisan ,carme1 perdreau la ,royal1 caille ,chtelaine1 poulet saut ,sigurd1 suprme de volaille la ,patti1 tournedos ,figaro1 noisette de pr sal moderne1 cte d'agneau ,sultane1 filet de buf ,cambacres1 selle d'agneau favorite4 ,down in the caf a table d'hte meal is served1 wonderful value for very few shillings1 but ,i am not smoke-proof1 and ,i like eating my meals without the taste and smell of tobacco added to them4 ,the grill-room is always full1 and perhaps more solid eating1 of juicy fillets and grilled chops and cutlets1 is done there than anywhere else in the house1 except in the banqueting-rooms4 ,i have banqueted with the ,bons ,frres1 a club of cheery connoisseurs who like their dinner to be light and the songs that follow it also to be airy1 in the great gilded banqueting-room with1 as part of its decoration1 many crowned ,n's1 which might stand for ,napoleon1 but really indicate ,nicols2 ,i have dined in smaller rooms with the ,foxhunters' ,lodge1 and with many other groups of good ,freemasons and good diners2 ,i have assisted at ,au ,revoir banquets without number1 and ,i know when ,i am bidden to feast in a private room at the ,caf ,royal that ,i shall be given a good dinner on sound if perhaps conservative lines4 ,this menu of a banquet given not long since1 which is typical1 will convey more what ,i mean than many words of description3 ,natives4 ,petite ,marmite4 ,saumon ,sauce ,genvoise4 ,blanchailles4 ,caille la ,cavour4 ,jambon d',york aux ,petits ,pois4 ,caneton de ,rouen la ,presse4 ,salade d',orange4 ,asperges ,sauce ,divine4 ,bombe ,alexandra4 ,friandises4 ,os la ,molle4 ,caf4 ,dessert4 ,,vins4 ,graves ,monopole1 ,dry4 ,heidsieck and ,co41 #ahih4 ,louis ,roederer1 #ahii4 ,ch4 ,le ,tertre1 #ahhh4 ,martinez ,port1 #ahhd4 ,denis ,mounis1 #ahfj4 ,liqueurs4 ,as a final word of praise for the ,caf ,royal1 let me record that just as many of its waiters grow grey-headed in its service1 so the steps of any man who is a lover of good cheer and who has been an habitu of the restaurant seem unconsciously to lead him to its doors4 ,it was my first love amongst the restaurants1 and--well1 you know how the proverb runs4 ,,viii ,,oyster-,,houses ,the great catastrophe of my life1 ,i think1 was that the first oyster ,i ate was a bad one4 ,i was at school for a year or two at ,dedham1 as a preparation for ,harrow1 and ,dedham is in ,essex1 and not far from ,colchester4 ,an old man used to wheel a barrow of oysters to the playing field1 and dispensed his shell-fish at a penny an oyster4 ,one day when ,i was in funds ,i thought that ,i would begin to enjoy the luxuries of life1 and bought an oyster4 ,that oyster was a bad one4 ,not just an ordinary bad oyster1 but of a superlative badness1 the most horrible oyster that any small boy ever tried to swallow--and failed4 ,the memory of that oyster kept me for many years from making a second attempt4 ,when ,i was first bidden to a ,colchester oyster feast and sat amidst ,cabinet ,ministers and mayors and aldermen in their robes of office1 and generals and admirals all pitching into the bivalves like winking1 ,i1 to the great surprise of the waiters1 ate twice as many oysters as any alderman present4 ,had ,i been given an opportunity of making a speech after lunch ,i should have told the assembled company that my unparalleled feat in the absorption of ,colchester natives that day was my revenge for the horrors of the first ,colchester oyster ,i tried to eat one sunlit spring afternoon on the ,dedham playing field4 ,i have not yet been invited by a ,mayor of ,whitstable to accompany him to sea to eat oysters afloat on the first day of the dredging season1 but ,i have eaten many oysters plain and oysters scalloped at the ,bear and ,key1 and ,i never have had a grudge against any individual ,whitstable oyster1 so there is no injury to redress4 ,all this1 ,i know1 should be reserved for my autobiography2 but as ,i am never likely to autobiograph myself it has to be set down here4 ,and now to talk of some of the oyster-houses of ,london4 ,if on the ,roof of the ,world1 the great tableland of ,thibet1 one ,british explorer met another ,british explorer1 and the first man suddenly said ,scott's6 the second man inevitably would answer ,oysters1 for ,scott's window at the top of the ,haymarket1 with its little barrels of oysters and its crimson lobsters reposing on beds of salad stuff1 and its big crabs lying on their backs and folding their vandyke-brown claws1 as if in pious meditation1 over their buff stomachs1 is one of the landmarks of ,london4 ,the old ,scott's1 before the fire that gutted it1 has faded from the memory of most ,londoners1 and the new building1 with its pillars1 which are apparently of mother-o'-pearl pressed into black marble1 with bands of ornamental brass about them1 and its red blinds and red-shaded lamps in the upper storeys1 is accepted as being the hub of the ,west ,end of ,london1 just as the old one was4 ,inside the doors are the two marble-topped counters with piles of plates upon them1 and on their fronts long napkins hanging from rails4 ,behind the counters men in white jackets are busy opening oysters and pouring out tumblers of stout and glasses of ,chablis all day long4 ,there are on the counters stacks of thin slices of brown bread and butter and other stacks of sandwiches of various kinds of fish and plates of prawns of coral-pink4 ,i know of no better place than this wide oyster hall of ,scott's for a theatre-goer to eat a very light meal before going early to a theatre when he intends to sup luxuriously after the show4 ,scott's1 though its shell-fish are its trump cards1 desires to be all things to all men1 and to all women4 ,it possesses a dive in its basement with tiled walls1 on which ,japanese fish swim in and out through ,japanesy weeds1 and behind the oyster hall is the grill-room1 shut off from draughts by a great glass screen1 in which a white-clothed cook stands with a table of viands at his elbow1 turning the chops and steaks1 sausages and rashers on the big grill4 ,upstairs there is an la carte restaurant1 where all kinds of luxuries are obtainable1 and ,scott's is a very popular place at which to sup after the theatre4 ,if you would like to see how popular oysters are with ,londoners at lunch-time1 come with me to the ,macclesfield in the street of that name leading out of ,shaftesbury ,avenue4 ,when ,papa ,de ,hem first took over the ,macclesfield it was just a public-house in the ,soho district1 but ,papa1 who is a veteran of the ,franco-,prussian ,war1 and who was through the ,siege of ,paris1 brought the thorough methods of an old soldier to bear upon the house4 ,he turned all the old clientele out of its doors1 and1 though he kept a bar in the premises1 it was by selling very large quantities of ,whitstable oysters at a price that left him a very small profit that he saw his way to a fortune4 ,journalists and actors and artists and other dwellers in the realms of artistic ,bohemia soon learnt of the new resort4 ,dagonet chatted of it in ,mustard and ,cress1 ,pitcher told tales concerning it in ,gals' ,gossip1 and took the chair at the smoking concerts for charities held in the grotto upstairs1 and as the prices have been kept rigorously low1 and as the oysters have always been excellent1 the ,macclesfield is now one of the most popular oyster-houses in ,london4 ,come in through the glass door1 and you find on one side the long bar1 and on the other side little tables1 at which every seat is occupied by lunchers who are eating ,whitstables on the deep shell1 or oyster stew1 or oysters fried1 or oysters grilled1 or broiled lobsters1 or the mayonnaise of lobster which is one of the specialities of the house4 ,there are luncheon dishes of meat and fowl also obtainable1 but when ,i go to the ,macclesfield ,i go there to eat shell-fish1 and am not to be turned from my purpose by any roast chicken or grilled chop4 ,we are not in the least likely to find a vacant seat at any of these first tables1 so we will move on into the wider space where is the oyster bar1 with men in white behind it1 busy with their oyster knives1 and behind them a background of barrels of ,meux's stout4 ,here is the entrance to the grotto--an entrance beautified by trellis-work and ,japanese lanterns4 ,the walls of the grotto are of oyster-shells1 with here and there an irregular piece of mirror showing through1 and all ,papa ,de ,hem's best customers have written their names on the oyster-shells4 ,the tables in the grotto are set close together1 and there are two of them in a snug corner1 towards which every customer first makes his way1 only to find nine times out of ten that there is no place for him4 ,the waitresses bustle about1 and the proprietor has a word to say to all old friends4 ,upstairs on the first floor is another grotto1 larger than the downstairs one1 and quieter1 and here ladies are often brought to lunch4 ,stout is the classic accompaniment to oysters1 and it is possible to eat the bivalves actually in the shadow of ,meux's great ,horseshoe ,brewery1 for the ,horseshoe ,tavern next door has an oyster dive down in the basement1 just below its grill-room4 ,on the way down to the dive you pass the great spirit casks of the ,horseshoe safely placed behind a grille1 the biggest cask of all being that of the ten-year-old ,annie ,laurie whisky1 which holds #ajjj gallons4 ,the oyster bar resembles a horseshoe in shape1 and behind it is a wall of small kegs of ,meux's stout4 ,the ,horseshoe is a good old-fashioned ,british house1 with one of the largest open fires in ,london1 and ,i remember that once when there was an especially splendid haunch of venison to be cooked for a party of gourmets ,mr ,baker was approached1 and the venison feast was held at the ,horseshoe4 ,rule's ,oyster-house1 in ,maiden ,lane1 in the window of which are two huge shells from ,singapore and many big champagne bottles1 is a house of many associations with the men of the pen of ,victorian days4 ,albert ,smith was the demigod of the establishment4 ,mark ,lemon1 ,douglas ,jerrold1 ,henry ,irving1 ,besant and ,rice1 ,thackeray1 ,wilkie ,collins1 ,yates and ,sala were some of the men who used to eat oysters in ,maiden ,lane and who have accorded appreciation of them4 ,there are busts and portraits on the walls of the rooms of many theatrical celebrities1 and in one room is a fine collection of ,dighton caricatures4 ,white's and ,gow's1 in the ,strand1 both old-established fish and oyster houses1 each deserve a word1 and the ,chandos1 over against the ,national ,portrait ,gallery1 gives its oyster-eating patrons six oysters1 a glass of stout1 and bread and butter for a shilling4 ,sweeting's1 in ,fleet ,street1 is especially dear to me1 because of its sawdusted floor4 ,the front of the house has been set back in the widening of the street1 but the house remains very much as it was4 ,by the marble-topped counters are wooden stools1 on which the lunchers perch like sparrows1 and besides the oysters there are fish snacks and big lobsters1 and on one of the counters is a selection of sandwiches of all kinds4 ,upstairs there are two floors of dining-rooms for people who want something more solid than oysters or sandwiches4 ,no chapter on oyster-houses would be complete without reference to ,driver's in ,glasshouse ,street1 and ,wilton's in ,king ,street1 both houses which supply the clubs and great restaurants with oysters1 and which1 as well1 open oysters for hungry customers at their counters4 ,at ,driver's a little screen of stained glass only partially conceals the oysters which are spread out on the broad space behind the glass4 ,on the door is the simple legend1 ,driver1 ,oysterman1 and inside are three black-coated men opening oysters behind the counter4 ,in a little glass box sits a lady cashier4 ,this in old days used to be where ,mrs ,driver sat1 and could always spare time for a smile and a word to an old customer4 ,on the wall behind the counter is a board with the orders for oysters contained by clips1 and two shelves1 on which are rows of big shells1 showing wide surfaces of mother-o'-pearl4 ,a little staircase leads to an upper room1 where sybarites can sit and eat oysters and caviare and bread and cheese1 and there is a little table downstairs tucked away behind the staircase2 but ,i am one of the stalwarts who have always stood at the counter at ,driver's to eat my oysters and to wipe my fingers afterwards on the pendant napkins4 ,behind ,wilton's plate-glass windows there are warrants suitably framed1 and the proprietor is generally to be seen either behind his counting-desk or the little oyster bar in the spacious shop4 ,wilton's at one time used to purvey ,irish oysters1 as well as other ,british varieties1 but the supply was so uncertain that they have been taken off the list4 ,if ,i have omitted to give the prices of the oysters at the various oyster-houses1 it is because they vary so much4 ,one can buy native oysters in the shops at ,whitstable for #as4 a dozen1 or #as4 #i;d4 for twenty-five4 ,by the time they arrive in ,london their cheapest price is #as4 #f;d4 a dozen1 and the specially selected ones1 which are sometimes called ,royal ,natives1 cost as much at some oyster-houses as #cs4 #f;d4 a dozen4 ,seconds1 ,anglo-,dutch and ,anglo-,portuguese are each a step lower down in price4 ,american oysters are to be obtained in ,paris at ,prunier's1 but ,i know of no house in ,london at the present time which imports them4 ,ten years ago they were obtainable at two of the houses4 ,,ix ,,whitebait ,,at ,,greenwich ,gone are the great days of the whitebait dinners at ,blackwall and ,greenwich4 ,no longer does ,the ,morning ,post ever publish such a paragraph as this1 ,yesterday the ,cabinet ,ministers went down the river in the ordnance barges to ,lovegrove's ,west ,india ,dock ,tavern1 ,blackwall1 to partake of their annual fish dinner4 ,covers were laid for thirty-five gentlemen1 which appeared on #ajth ,september #ahce4 ,no longer is there a great rivalry between the two ,greenwich taverns1 the ,trafalgar and the ,ship4 ,the ,ship still remains and the whitebait have not deserted the ,thames1 but though at intervals ,i read paragraphs that fish dinners are still to be obtained at the ,ship1 ,i never meet anyone who has journeyed to ,greenwich to see whether this is so1 and the last time that ,i went there to dine my reception was so chilly that ,i have not experimented again4 ,but the account of that dinner may interest as showing what a ,greenwich fish dinner was in the days of good ,king ,edward4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was pleasant to see ,miss ,dainty's 7of all the principal ,london theatres7 handwriting again4 ,she had been very ill--at the point of death1 indeed--owing to a sprained ankle1 which prevented her going to ,ascot1 for which race meeting she had ordered three dresses1 each of which was a dream4 ,when was ,i going to take her out to dinner8 ,the parrot was very well1 but was pecking the feathers out of his tail4 ,she had some new pets--two goldfish1 whose glass bowl had been broken and who now lived in a big yellow vase4 ,the cat had eaten one of the lovebirds1 and was ill for two days afterwards4 ,the pug had been exchanged for a fox-terrier--,jack1 the dearest dog in the world4 ,jack had gone up the river on the electric launch and had fought two dogs1 and had been bitten over the eye1 and had covered all his mistress's white piqu skirt with blood2 but for all that he was a duck and his mother's own darling4 ,this1 much summarised1 was the pretty little lady's letter1 and ,i wrote back at once to say that the pleasure of entertaining a princess of the blood-royal was as nothing to the honour of her company1 and if the foot was well enough1 would she honour me with her presence at dinner anywhere she liked8 ,and1 as the weather had turned tropical1 ,i suggested either ,greenwich or the restaurant at ,earl's ,court4 ,for ,greenwich the fair lady gave her decision1 and then ,i made a further suggestion3 that1 if she did not mind unaristocratic company1 the pleasantest way was to go by boat4 ,this suggestion was accepted1 and ,miss ,dainty in the late afternoon called for me at a dingy ,fleet ,street office4 ,i was delighted to see the little lady1 looking very fresh and nice as she sat back in her cab1 and ,i trust that my face showed nothing except pleasure when ,i perceived a small fox-terrier with a large muzzle and a long leash sitting by her side4 ,miss ,dainty explained that as she had allowed her maid to go out for the afternoon she had to bring ,jack1 and of course ,i said that ,i was delighted4 ,we embarked at the ,temple pier on a boat1 which was as most river boats are4 ,there were gentlemen who had neglected to shave1 smoking strong pipes2 there were affable ladies of a conversational tendency and there were a violin and harp2 but there were as a compensation all the beautiful sights of the river to be seen1 the cathedral-like ,tower ,bridge1 the forest of shipping1 the red-sailed boats fighting their way up against the tide1 the line of barges in picturesque zigzag following the puffing tugs2 and all these things ,miss ,dainty saw and appreciated4 ,there was much to tell1 too1 that ,miss ,dainty had not written in her letter1 and ,jack was a never-failing source of interest4 ,jack wound his leash round the legs of the pipe-smoking gentlemen1 was not quite sure that the babies of the conversational ladies were not things that he ought to eat1 and at intervals wanted to go overboard and fight imaginary dogs in the ,thames4 ,arrived at ,greenwich1 at the ,ship 7the tavern with a rather dingy front1 with two tiers of bow windows1 with its little garden gay with white and green lamps1 and with its fountain and rockery which had bits of paper and straws floating in the basin71 ,i asked for the proprietor4 ,mr ,bale1 thick-set1 and with a little moustache1 came out of his room1 and whether it was that ,fleet ,street and the ,thames had given me a tramplike appearance1 or whether it was that he did not at once take a fancy to ,jack1 ,i could not say1 but he did not seem overjoyed to see us4 ,yet presently he thawed1 told me that he had kept a table by the window for us1 and that our dinner would be ready at six-thirty as ,i had telegraphed4 ,in the meantime ,i suggested that we should see the rest of the house4 ,would it not be better to leave the dog downstairs8 suggested ,mr ,bale1 and ,jack was tied up somewhere below1 while we went round the upper two storeys of dining-rooms--for the ,ship is a house of nothing but dining-rooms4 ,it is a tavern1 not a hotel1 and there are no bedrooms for guests4 ,we went into the pleasant bow-windowed rooms on the first floor1 in one of which a table was laid ready1 with a very beautiful decoration of pink and white flowers1 and in the other of which stand the busts of ,fox and ,pitt4 ,we looked at the two curious wooden images in the passage1 at the chairs with the picture of a ship let into their backs1 and at the flags of all nations which hang in the long banqueting-room2 and all the time ,jack1 tied up below1 lifted up his voice and wept4 ,i asked if ,jack might be allowed to come into the dining-room and sit beside his mistress while we had dinner1 giving the dog a character for peacefulness and quiet for which ,i might have been prosecuted for perjury2 but it was against the rules of the house1 and ,mr ,bale suggested that if ,jack was tied up to a pole of the awning just outside the window he would be able to gaze through the glass at his mistress and be happy4 ,a fine old ,britannic waiter1 who looked like a very much reduced copy of ,sir ,william ,vernon-,harcourt1 put down two round silver dishes1 lifted up the covers1 and there were two souchs1 one of salmon and one of flounder4 ,i helped ,miss ,dainty to some of the salmon and filled her glass with the ,pommery1 which1 after much thought1 ,i had selected from the wine list4 ,but she touched neither2 her eyes were on ,jack outside1 for that accomplished dog1 after doing a maypole dance round the pole1 had now arrived at the end of his leash--and incipient strangulation4 ,miss ,dainty went outside to rescue her pet from instant death1 and ,i1 having eaten my souch1 followed4 ,jack wanted water1 and a sympathetic hall porter who appeared on the scene volunteered to get him a soup-plateful1 and tie him somewhere where he could not strangle himself4 ,the souchs had been removed1 and some lobster rissoles and fried slips had taken their place4 ,miss ,dainty took a rissole and ate it while she watched the hall porter put ,jack's plate of water down1 and ,i made short work of a slip and was going to try the rissoles when ,jack1 in a plaintive tone of voice1 informed the world that something was the matter4 ,his mistress understood him at once4 ,the poor dear would not drink his water unless she stood by2 and this having been proved by actual fact1 ,miss ,dainty1 with myself in attendance1 came back to find that whiting puddings and stewed eels had taken the place of former dishes4 ,miss ,dainty took a small helping of the eels1 looked at it1 and then turned her eyes again to ,jack1 who was going through a series of gymnastics4 ,i ate my whiting pudding1 which ,i love1 in fevered haste1 and had got half-way through my helping of eels when ,miss ,dainty discovered what was the matter with ,jack4 ,the boys on the steps below were annoying him1 and the only way to keep him quiet would be to give him some bones4 ,the sympathetic hall porter again came to the rescue1 and ,jack1 under his mistress's eye1 made fine trencher play with two bones4 ,there was a look of reproach in the veteran waiter's eye when we came back and found that the crab omelette and salmon cutlets l'indienne were cooling4 ,i tried to draw ,miss ,dainty's attention away from ,jack4 ,i told her how ,mr ,punch had called her ,faustine1 and had written a page about her2 but when she found there was nothing to quote in her book of press notices she lost all interest in the hump-backed gentleman4 ,with the advent of the plain whitebait a new danger to ,jack arose4 ,a turtle was brought by three men on to the lawn and turned loose1 and ,miss ,dainty had to go out and assure herself that ,jack was not frightened1 and that the turtle was not meditating an attack upon him4 ,the turtle was found to be a harmless and interesting insect1 and having been shown1 with practical illustrations1 how the beast was captured by savages1 ,miss ,dainty took great pity on it1 collected water in the soup-plate from the fountain1 poured it over its head1 and tried to induce it to drink1 which the turtle steadfastly refused to do4 ,the veteran waiter was stern when we returned and found the devilled whitebait on the table4 ,i told him to bring the coffee and liqueurs and bill out into the garden1 because ,miss ,dainty1 having been separated from her dog so long1 wanted to nurse and pet him4 ,this was the bill3 ,two dinners1 #ads42 one ,pommery1 #ahs42 two liqueurs1 #as4 #f;d42 coffee1 #as42 attendance1 #as42 total1 #a1 #aes4 #f;d4 ,we sat and watched ,st ,paul's stand clear against the sunset1 and ,miss ,dainty1 her dog happy in her lap1 suddenly said3 ,if you give this place a good notice1 ,i'll never speak to you again4 ,why8 ,i replied4 ,the whitebait was delicious1 the whiting pudding capital1 the omelette good4 ,i liked the fried slips and the rissoles4 ,yes1 perhaps1 said ,miss ,dainty1 with a pout4 ,but they wouldn't let me have my dog in the dining-room6 ,x ,,the ,,cecil ,i wonder whether ,jabez ,balfour1 the genius who jumped at ,park ,lane and landed on ,broadmoor1 ever comes to ,london from his country retreat1 where1 under another name1 he earns his daily bread1 and looks at the great palaces which were one of his money-spinning schemes and notes the changes that are made in them4 ,he certainly would scarcely recognise to-day in the modern ,hotel ,cecil the great red-brick and stone block of chambers and flats which first grew up1 some seventeen or eighteen years ago1 next to the ,adelphi ,terrace overlooking the ,embankment ,gardens4 ,a company with some very distinguished gentlemen on the list of the directors was formed to buy the great building1 and they have worked with indomitable perseverance to make a house that was not intended to be an hotel into one of the most comfortable hotels in ,london1 and to popularise a restaurant which at first refused to respond to their efforts4 ,the ,cecil ,restaurant opened with a great flourish of trumpets1 with ,m4 ,bertini1 a clever1 quick-eyed1 bearded ,italian as manager1 and ,m4 ,coste1 who was one of the greatest of the great chefs of the close of the ,victorian era1 in command of the kitchens4 ,but the company had been in too great a hurry to begin to earn money1 and the arrangements were not yet working quite smoothly when ,london that dines and thinks about its dinners was first asked to sit in judgment on the new dining-place4 ,the first roughnesses soon wore off2 ,m4 ,bertini was an admirable matre d'htel--,i have lost sight of him of late years1 but ,i think he went for a time to ,south ,africa1 and he made a short appearance as proprietor of a small restaurant in the ,haymarket--and ,m4 ,coste1 the old man1 as the rest of the staff affectionately called him behind his back1 sent out through the doors that separate the kitchen from the restaurant little dinners that delighted the palates of connoisseurs4 ,this propinquity of kitchen to restaurant is a great advantage4 ,as you sit at your table in the ,cecil ,restaurant you can1 if you listen for it1 hear the voices of the men who call out the orders to the cooks--an unceasing chant1 a hymn to ,gastronomy1 and as a result no dish ever comes cold to table at the ,cecil ,restaurant4 ,what1 however1 was radically wrong at first with the ,cecil ,restaurant was its decoration4 ,it is a very large1 very high pillared hall1 with a glazed balcony overlooking the ,victoria ,gardens1 and big windows on the west giving a glorious view of ,westminster2 but its decorations were at first too sombre in colour4 ,the panelling was of walnut wood1 a large square of deep crimson velvet was embroidered with the ,cecil arms1 the great mantelpieces of purple-grey ,sicilian marble conformed to the quiet scheme of colour1 and the pillars and great window casings all harmonised in the minor key4 ,the mantelpieces are all that remain to-day of the original scheme of colouring1 and they are scarcely noticeable amidst the shimmer of pink and white and gold4 ,a minor drawback was that the restaurant had no ante-room1 and that a dinner-giver had to await his guests in the bustling hall of the hotel4 ,people who dined at the ,cecil ,restaurant in those days praised the cooking1 and had nothing except good words for the attendance and wine1 but they said it was not cheery4 ,nine out of ten ladies or men did not trouble to analyse their feelings1 but it was the coldness of their surroundings that affected them4 ,to tear down all the decorations of a newly built hall is an heroic remedy which no board of directors would willingly face1 and before this was done other less expensive remedies were tried4 ,a separate entrance for the restaurant was made in the courtyard1 and a lounge built and quite charmingly decorated4 ,m4 ,paillard1 the great ,parisian restaurateur1 crossed the ,channel and became for a time manager of the restaurant1 making with ,m4 ,coste in the kitchen a remarkable combination of talent4 ,a ,roumanian band1 fierce-looking gentlemen in embroidered garments1 who had been sensationally successful at one of the great exhibitions in ,paris1 were imported1 were perched up on a rostrum and made the roof reverberate with their czardas4 ,the services of ,smiler1 a curry-cook of great renown1 were exclusively retained for the ,cecil4 7,sherry's in ,new ,york offered ,smiler large sums of money to transfer his services1 and he crossed the ,atlantic with a little band of underlings of his own nationality4 ,smiler travelled first class1 and the reporters on the other side not unnaturally took him to be an ,indian ,prince on his travels4 ,smiler did not undeceive them1 and enjoyed for some days all the privileges given to royalty in a republic4 ,then he reported at ,sherry's47 ,mr ,hector ,tenant1 the managing director of the ,empire1 joined the ,cecil board1 and a series of variety performances after dinner on ,sundays filled the big restaurant to its holding capacity on those evenings4 ,harry ,lauder1 concerning whose talent and fine voice everybody was talking at that time1 sang1 ,i remember1 on one of those occasions4 ,but there must have been some excellent reasons for not continuing these variety performances1 for after a time they ceased4 ,at last the board took its courage in both hands and redecorated the restaurant from floor to ceiling4 ,it is now a hall of white and gold and pink4 ,the panels are of ,rose du ,barri silk1 the pillars are gleaming white1 while the frieze is of the lightest blue4 ,a dark rose carpet gives relief to this shimmering1 shining restaurant1 and in its centre is a handsome table of many tiers for fruit and sweet things1 a table of gilt sphinx heads and many electric lamps4 ,the waiters wear knee-breeches2 the band plays in an ante-room4 ,the redecorated restaurant at once jumped into the affections of the world that dines1 and further to add to the good temper of this place of butterfly colouring1 the directors engaged as the matre d'htel in charge of the restaurant1 ,m4 ,califano1 who is known to the patrons of the ,cecil as ,sunny ,jim4 ,one of the advantages with which ,m4 ,califano has been endowed by ,nature is a smiling face1 and some wit at the time that ,sunny ,jim was a favourite figure on all the hoardings1 gave ,m4 ,califano his nickname4 ,to complete their work of betterment1 the board added to the restaurant and hotel the new palm court1 a sumptuous lounge1 upholstered in powdered blue and gold1 which has eaten up more than a half of the great forecourt of the ,cecil4 ,this forecourt1 which was almost of the size and shape of a ,roman hippodrome1 was a great comfort in past days to the cabdrivers of ,london1 for there was unlimited room in it for them to wait to take up guests at the hotel2 but it was a great waste of space4 ,the new palm court is a very splendid place1 and besides giving the restaurant a noble reception-room1 it has shut away from the hotel all the noise of the street and all the bustle of the reception hall4 ,it has1 however1 done away with the most ,american spot in ,london1 the space of paving outside the front entrance of the ,cecil which used to be known as ,the ,beach4 ,here used to be cane chairs and rocking-chairs and piles of luggage1 and a newspaper stall1 and in the summer-time pretty girls sunning themselves1 and waiters hurrying to and fro with cold drinks and long straws in them2 and the ,american guests of the hotel who loved the brightness and the bustle of the spot christened it ,the ,beach1 and preferred it to any of the gilded parlours inside the hotel4 ,the new palm court1 however1 in a stately manner1 has taken the place of ,the ,beach as a meeting-ground for the hotel guests4 ,mr ,kaiser1 the general manager of the ,hotel ,cecil1 tells me that the building of this fine lounge has been of benefit to the restaurant as giving a finishing touch to its comforts1 and ,i have no doubt that this is so1 for dining in the restaurant1 ,i found it comfortably filled by people staying in the hotel1 and guests from outside1 and ,sunny ,jim told me of the vast numbers whom on such special occasions as ,christmas and ,new ,year's ,eve he manages to accommodate in the restaurant and balcony4 ,i ate the ,cecilian dinner1 a seven-and-sixpenny table d'hte meal1 which ,i found quite excellent4 ,this is the menu3 ,hutres ,natives on ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm ,princesse4 ,crme ,parisienne4 ,filets de ,sole ,carme4 ,quartier d',agneau ,arlquine4 ,pommes ,macaire4 ,caille en ,cocotte au ,jus d',ananas4 ,salade4 ,asperges1 ,sauce ,hollandaise4 ,glac l',andalouse4 ,friandises4 ,the delicate sauce with the sole1 the neatness of the garnish of the vegetables with the quarter of lamb1 the plumpness of the quail and their contrast of taste with the pine-apple1 would have assured me that the kitchen is in first-class hands1 even had ,i not known that ,m4 ,jean ,alletru1 a chef who stands very high in the estimation of his brother chefs1 had succeeded ,m4 ,coste1 when that great man retired4 ,i might have spent a shilling less and have eaten an alternative dinner without the oysters in it1 or ,i might have taken advantage of an arrangement by which anyone dining at the ,cecil can pay a fixed price for his or her dinner1 and choose practically anything they like from the carte du jour1 which is a very ample one1 and which generally contains some of the spcialits created by ,m4 ,alletru4 ,this is the list of these spcialits and a couple of very pretty little dinners can be arranged from amongst them1 the only thing needed in addition being a soup4 ,tomate en surprise au caviar1 turbotin ,prince de ,galles1 filet de sole ,clarence1 timbale de truite froide ,norvgienne1 ris de veau ,st ,cloud1 caille la ,salvini1 poitrine de volaille ,providence1 selle d'agneau ,cecil1 poularde la ,jacques1 fraises ,tetrazzini1 bouteille de champagne en surprise4 ,i have given high praise to ,m4 ,alletru1 but the highest praise that a matre-chef can receive is that which comes from his brothers in art1 and no higher compliment could be paid to the management of the ,hotel ,cecil and their chef de cuisine than that the ,ligue des ,gourmands1 the association of all the principal ,french chefs in ,england1 when they held their first ,dner d',epicure under the presidency of ,m4 ,escoffier1 placed themselves in the hands of the ,cecil and of ,m4 ,alletru1 who1 with his brigade of cooks1 sent to table the dinner that ,m4 ,escoffier had designed4 ,if ,i print the menu of this banquet1 a banquet at which there were three hundred guests present1 in preference to that of any of the many banquets at which ,i have been a guest in the great banqueting halls of the ,cecil1 it is because in my opinion it is the perfection of a dinner of ceremony4 ,the ,dodine and the ,fraises ,sarah-,bernhardt were the two sensational dishes of the feast1 but it is not a dinner of many courses of rich food1 and is interesting without being heavy3 ,hors d'uvre4 ,petite ,marmite ,barnaise4 ,truite ,saumone aux ,crevettes ,roses4 ,dodine de ,canard au ,chambertin4 ,nouilles au ,beurre ,noisette4 ,agneau de ,pauillac la ,bordelaise4 ,petits pois frais de ,clamart4 ,poularde de ,france4 ,cur de ,romaine aux ,pommes d',amour4 ,asperges d',argenteuil ,crme ,mousseline4 ,fraises ,sarah-,bernhardt4 ,dessert4 ,caf--,liqueurs4 ,bndictine4 ,whether the ,cecil was the first of the great banqueting houses to effect a reform in the service of public banquets ,i am not sure1 but it was at the ,cecil that ,i first found that such a reform had taken place4 ,in old days it was the custom for the waiters to trail a dish along the whole length of a banqueting-table1 and the salmon1 which went up the room a noble-looking fish1 came down five minutes later to starvation corner1 a head1 a tail and a skeleton4 ,it was at the ,cecil that ,i first noticed the breaking up of the tables into manageable sections of guests1 with a waiter and his aids to each section1 and the dinner served straight from the kitchen to that section4 ,the restaurant and the banqueting halls and the private dining-rooms by no means exhaust the list of the accommodations of those who dine that the ,cecil affords4 ,there is below the ,rose du ,barri room another one1 the ,indian room1 decorated in ,oriental fashion with blue and yellow tiles1 and in this a grill dinner and a table d'hte dinner are both served1 and when this room overflows another equally spacious room is opened and becomes the grill-room4 7,as ,i correct the proofs of this chapter news comes to me that ,sunny ,jim will in #aiad become a joint partner in the management of the ,st ,james's ,palace ,hotel in ,bury ,street and will give special attention to its restaurant47 ,,xi ,,claridge',s ,i reach back in memory farther in touch with ,claridge's than with any other hostelry in ,london1 ,one of the stories of her early life that my mother often told me when ,i was a small boy was how my grandfather1 as crotchety an elderly widower as ever ruled an ,indian district1 when he finally retired from the service of ,john ,company1 arrived in ,london with his bullock trunks and sandalwood boxes lined with tin1 his bedding rolled up in bundles1 his guns1 his fly-whisks1 and palm-fans1 and all the strange paraphernalia that an ,anglo-,indian official gathered about him in those days4 ,with him came his faithful bearer1 and an ayah1 and his little pale daughter1 and they all descended at ,claridge's ,hotel--though perhaps in those days it might have been ,mivart's4 ,the first great grief of the little girl's life was that the ,nabob1 as my grandfather was called in the family1 delivered a hookum to the manager of the hotel that an ,english nurse must be provided directly for his small daughter1 as the ayah ought to return at once to her own country1 and my mother was obliged to say good-bye to her devoted ,indian attendant4 ,my first personal introduction to ,claridge's was when1 as a schoolboy1 ,i was invited by another schoolboy1 who wished to show off1 to go with him to visit a ,german ,graf1 a nobleman with a very long string of minor titles1 whose greatest glory was that he owned a castle on the ,rhine4 ,the ,graf was very polite to the two little ,english boys1 and talked to us in very bad ,english2 and when we took our departure he saw us to the door as though we had been persons of the greatest importance4 ,mr ,claridge1 wearing a skull-cap of velvet1 happened to be in the hall as we passed through1 and ,i remember well the beautiful bow that he gave to the ,count4 ,mr ,claridge's bows were celebrated2 they were of a different depth1 according to the rank of the person to whom he bowed1 and there was even a delicate difference in the salute that he gave to a ,serene ,highness to that with which he welcomed a ,royal ,highness4 ,claridge's in those days consisted of half-a-dozen houses connected with each other1 and the best rooms in these houses formed the suites where the various royalties who patronised the hotel lodged1 ,mr ,claridge and his staff of servants being always on the watch that the privacy of his guests should not be invaded4 ,on one occasion1 when a famous caricaturist took a room at the hotel1 ,mr ,claridge waited on him and informed him that he must transfer his custom elsewhere1 for1 though he1 ,mr ,claridge1 was a great admirer of the artist's talent1 and decorated the walls of some of the rooms with his work1 he could never allow a royal personage to be caricatured within the walls of his hotel4 ,not that ,mr ,claridge himself always spoke too respectfully of the great ones of the earth4 ,archbishop ,temple used to tell a story that when in #ahdf the ,pope seriously thought of taking refuge in ,england1 ,mr ,claridge remarked that he was so full up with kings and royal dukes that he could only offer his ,holiness a small back room1 but that1 being a bachelor1 he1 the ,pope1 would probably not mind4 ,the old ,claridge's was pulled down and the new ,claridge's built in the nineties1 and ,i remember the opening day1 when a great crowd of fashionable people came to look at its salons and ballroom and restaurant1 and the royal suite4 ,the india-rubber roadway in the entrance1 then a novelty1 was much admired1 and the six footmen in the hall1 in their state livery1 looked mighty splendid4 ,mr ,d',oyly ,carte1 who more than anyone else had been the moving spirit in the creation of the new hotel1 was wheeled about in a chair through the crush of pretty ladies and distinguished gentlemen1 for he was then very ill4 ,the new ,claridge's soon found its own particular atmosphere1 an atmosphere of perfect serenity4 ,the little army of footmen1 who were too gorgeous for ordinary occasions1 were reduced in numbers1 and now only one superb being in plush and silken calves moves about the hall and arranges the papers in the reading-room4 ,the inner hall1 with its pillars and walls of white1 and its reflected light1 is a most comfortable lounge in which to sit after dinner and listen to the orchestra1 and out of this open two rooms1 one of ,wedgwood blue with ,wedgwood designs on it1 and the other of old gold4 ,the restaurant has been considerably altered since its first opening1 for it has been divided into two rooms1 the colouring of it has been brightened1 and at night an abundance of light is now thrown on to the painted ceilings from cunningly concealed lamps4 ,the bases of the great arches which support the roof are cased in dark oak1 with an inset of olive wood2 the carpet is of rose and grey and the chairs are of green leather with the arms of the hotel stamped upon it4 ,it is a restaurant in which dinner takes its right place as one of the tranquil pleasures of life4 ,the music of the band is never too loud1 the fine napery and the admirable glass are pleasant to the touch1 the flowers in the silvered stands of the table lamps give an agreeable touch of colour1 the cut glass of the pendent electroliers sparkles1 and the first and the second matres d'htel1 ,m4 ,invernizzi1 who comes from the ,palace ,hotel1 at ,st ,moritz1 to ,london for the season1 and ,m4 ,castelani1 who is a permanency at ,claridge's1 are tactfully attentive1 while ,m4 ,gehlardi1 the manager of the hotel1 walks through the rooms during the course of dinner to bow here and there at a table1 and to assure himself that all is well4 ,it is the clientele of ,claridge's that has made its atmosphere1 for the well-dressed1 good-looking1 quiet people who dine at the tables1 put a comfortable distance apart1 are folk whose names bulk largely in the ,society columns of the newspapers1 and the list of the diners on any given night in ,claridge's ,restaurant would be for the most part a string of titles4 ,good manners are in the air1 and ,i do not think that even the rawest plutocrat could be unmannerly amidst such surroundings4 ,on the night that ,i last dined at ,claridge's1 ,i had written beforehand asking that a table for three should be reserved for me1 and ,i had intended to give my guests the larger of the two dinners of the restaurant1 the twelve-and-six one1 which runs through the usual courses1 and which is by no means a set dinner1 for any dish which does not exactly match the fancy of a dinner-giver is changed for another to suit his whim or his palate4 ,but ,i found that a special little feast had been ordered for me by ,m4 ,gehlardi1 and the menu of it was as follows3-- ,melon ,cantaloup4 ,bortch la ,russe4 ,filets de ,sole ,newnham-,davis4 ,noisette d',agneau aux ,fines ,herbes4 ,petits pois frais4 ,pommes ,noisettes4 ,coq en ,pte4 ,salade de ,romaine l',estragon4 ,fraises ,parisienne4 ,friandises4 ,the chef de cuisine at ,claridge's is ,m4 ,maurice ,bonhomme1 who had passed through the kitchens of two great ,parisian restaurants1 the ,caf de ,paris1 and ,ledoyen's1 in the ,champs ,elyses1 before he came to ,london4 ,he is a chef of high repute1 and these are the specialities of his kitchen3--filet de sole ,tosca1 suprme de sole ,pr ,catalan1 ,coulibiac de saumon1 suprme de volaille d',orlans1 cailles ,hacchi ,pacha1 ,coq en ,pte ,claridge's1 pches ,caprice1 fraises ,delphine4 ,of the dishes of my dinner1 the excellent ,bortch la ,russe was served as it is in ,russia1 with little pts to break into it4 ,the list of these pts in the menu of a ,russian dinner is often a long one4 ,the filet de sole1 which ,m4 ,bonhomme paid me the compliment of christening to my name1 is a quite admirable sole poch au ,madre1 with all the fumet of the fish retained and served with sliced champignons and pointes d'asperges4 ,i sent my very best compliments to ,m4 ,bonhomme on his masterpiece4 ,the coq en pte is an ornamental dish1 for the fowl stuffed with all manner of rich things is encased in a paste shaped like a cock1 crest and all4 ,the outer covering is broken before the bird is carved4 ,it is a dish of almost terrifying richness4 ,quite a number of the great people of the land give their banquets at ,claridge's1 and out of the sheaf of the menus of these feasts ,i select one of the ,surrey ,magistrates' ,club ,dinner1 which shows that our ,solons across the ,thames dine and wine with much discretion and taste3 ,royal ,natives4 ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm ,monte-,carlo4 ,bisque de ,crabes4 ,turbotin brais au ,champagne4 ,whitebait diable noir4 ,selle de ,bhague l',estragon4 ,haricots verts de ,nice4 ,pommes nouvelles au ,beurre4 ,timbale la ,galoise4 ,caneton d',aylesbury l',anglaise4 ,salades d',oranges4 ,asperges vertes ,sauce ,hollandaise4 ,pches ,melba4 ,friandises4 ,bonne ,bouche4 ,,vins4 ,oloroso ,fine ,old4 ,piesporter1 #aijd4 ,george ,goulet 7mag471 #aijj4 ,mot et ,chandon4 ,dry ,imper41 #aijd4 ,dow's #ahif4 ,courvoisier ,brandy4 ,fine ,champagne1 #ahfe4 ,i wonder how a club dinner of magistrates of fifty years ago would contrast with such a dinner as the above4 ,,xii ,,the ,,eustace ,,miles ,,restaurant ,old ,rats1 which is the disrespectful title by which most of his friends call ,major-,general ,sir ,ulysses ,ratbourne1 late of the ,bundlekund ,fusiliers1 was holding forth to his crony1 ,colonel ,bunthunder1 late of the same distinguished regiment1 in the hall of the ,cutlass and ,cross-bow ,club as ,i passed through it1 and the ,general paused for a second in his denunciation of ,radicals and ,socialists to say that he wanted to have a word with me1 and then finished his peroration4 ,colonel ,bunthunder muttered3 ,very true1 very true1 and went on into the smoking-room shaking his head sorrowfully1 and the ,general turned to me4 ,look here1 my lad--anyone under seventy is my lad to the ,general--said he1 ,i want you to give me a bit of advice4 ,i said the correct platitude1 and awaited developments4 ,my nephew ,bill1 the one in the ,hussars1 has just married1 and he and his wife are coming up to town1 and ,i want to know where to take 'em to dine4 ,i reeled off the list of the half-dozen most fashionable restaurants2 but the ,general cut me short4 ,ay1 my lad1 that's all very well2 but the girl that poor old ,bill's been and married is a vegetarian4 ,what d'ye say to that1 now8 ,the ,general had put into the word vegetarian just the tone of astonished disgust he would have employed had he told me that the young lady was a militant suffragette2 but ,i did not echo that at all4 ,take them to the ,eustace ,miles ,restaurant in ,chandos ,street1 ,i advised2 and whatever your niece's fads may be1 you can give her what she wants there4 ,old ,rats thanked me with the chastened thankfulness that men show when given the address of a specialist for some obscure disease of which they think they are a victim1 wrote the address down on a card1 and went after ,colonel ,bunthunder into the smoking-room to tell him all about it4 ,it occurred to me1 however1 directly the old ,general had left me1 that ,i was sending him to a restaurant into which ,i had never myself been1 and concerning which ,i knew nothing1 except that ,i always look into its windows and at its bill of fare whenever ,i pass down ,chandos ,street2 and1 therefore1 in order that ,i might be able to give the old man some detailed information from my own experience1 ,i went next day to ,chandos ,street to lunch4 ,before ,i set down what my experiences were1 ,i wish to express my personal admiration for the single-mindedness of ,mr ,miles and his wife in doing the work they have set themselves to do4 ,that ,eustace ,miles1 half trained1 went into a tennis court to defend his title of amateur world champion against a young ,american gentleman trained to the second1 and that he made a fine fight for the championship with the odds desperately against him1 shows that a diet of non-flesh food doesn't kill pluck or stamina4 ,and before the authorities asked ,mrs ,miles not to send the ,e4,m4 soup barrow down to the ,embankment on winter nights1 as they wished to clear that thoroughfare of derelicts1 she and her helpers had done much to feed the hungry and to reclaim some of those who were not irreclaimable1 which shows that a kind heart thrives on ,emprote and ,protonnic and ,compacto1 and the other meatless foods with strange names4 ,lastly1 that the ,eustace ,miles ,restaurant celebrated last year the seventh anniversary of its opening1 shows that ,london wanted such a restaurant1 and that it has kept its clientele4 ,the big windows of the ,eustace ,miles ,restaurant are dressed as if they were shop-windows4 ,sometimes they are full of tins and packets of the non-flesh foods arranged in piles and pyramids2 sometimes they look like the windows of a book shop1 piles of literature and charts of the human frame being in evidence2 and sometimes boxing-gloves and foils and pictures of young men holding themselves upright and sticking out chests as full as those of pouter-pigeons draw attention to the fact that a physical school high up in the building is one of the ,eustace ,miles activities4 ,sometimes the windows look like those of a pastry-cook's shop1 and sometimes they bristle with copies of ,healthward ,ho6 the monthly magazine which ,mr ,miles edits4 ,always outside the door in a glazed case is the bill of fare for the day printed in red and green type1 and ,i have often wondered what ,egg and ,mushroom ,fillets and ,duxelles ,sauce with ,asparagus and ,new ,potatoes 7,n471 or ,pinekernel ,quenelles and ,onion ,sauce with ,spring ,cabbage and ,potatoes 7,n41 ,f4,u471 or ,hazel-nut ,sausages and ,gravy with ,cauliflower and ,roast ,potatoes 7,n41 ,f4,u471 taste like1 and what the capital letters after each dish mean4 ,now1 however1 there was no reason to linger and look at the card4 ,i was about to plunge into the great unknown1 to sample the dishes with strange names1 and to learn the secret of ,n4,n4 and ,f4,u4 ,a commissionaire1 looking just like other commissionaires1 though he1 like all the other employees of the restaurant1 eats the food of the restaurant1 opened the door to me and gave me a card for my bill1 and my first impression was that ,i was in a ,food and ,cookery ,exhibition1 for in front of me was a stall piled high with tins of ,emprote and a cash desk with a little model of the ,e4,m4 barrow by it1 a stall for pastry and biscuits1 and a book-stall2 but beyond this first line of defence ,i saw little tables with white cloths on them1 and many people sitting at them1 and ,i walked on looking for a vacant seat4 ,i came to a table with only one occupant1 and sat down2 a little waitress in a neat brown dress put the red and green printed bill of fare into my hand1 and ,i found myself suddenly faced by a puzzle to which the purple ink carte du jour of a small provincial ,french restaurant is as ,,abc is to a jig-saw puzzle4 ,however1 in larger print than anything else on the card was the announcement that a half-crown table d'hte luncheon and dinner was served1 so ,i said to the waitress in an offhand manner1 as though ,i were an habitu3 ,i'll take the half-crown lunch1 please4 ,she never budged4 ,compacta crotes or roasted cashews8 she asked me1 and ,i gasped out1 ,compacta1 and wondered what on earth ,i was going to eat4 ,then1 while the little waitress had gone to get me the first instalment of the unknown1 ,i looked down the menu and made up my mind which of the two soups1 the two entres1 the two sweets and two savouries ,i would order when the waitress came back again1 and then turned my attention to the room and the people at the tables4 ,there is a suggestion of a gymnasium about the restaurant1 for it is a high room with a broad gallery running round it about half-way up its height1 and it is lighted by a great space of skylight4 ,all the boarding1 and there is a good deal of it1 is painted dark green1 and on the walls is a dark green and white paper4 ,a tea-stall1 green and white1 and a long buffet of green wood1 with pots of flowers on it1 are at one end of the restaurant2 the floor is covered with oilcloth1 with strips of crimson cocoa-nut matting laid over it1 and there are flowers in vases on the little white-clothed tables which occupy all the floor space below and in the gallery4 ,there is a sense of airiness and spotless cleanliness about the place4 ,big notices draw attention to the ,normal ,physical ,school and other of the ,eustace ,miles activities1 and a request to gentlemen not to smoke till after six ,p4,m4 was just above my head4 ,the people at the tables were just like the people one sees at any other restaurant where the prices are not high--ladies who might be stenographers1 or country cousins up for a day's shopping1 young men who1 ,i daresay1 are bank clerks--a good1 level1 healthy-looking gathering4 ,a man with clear blue eyes and a close-clipped white beard sat down in the seat opposite to mine1 and ordered something without looking at the menu2 a youngster in golfing kit took the other unoccupied place at the table1 and a wrinkle came across his forehead as he plunged mentally into the intricacies of the la carte sheet1 until the waitress helped him by pointing with her pencil to some dish printed in red ink1 and he joyfully assented to her suggestion4 ,a young man brought in a bull-dog on a leash1 and the dog was petted on his progress up the floor by all the little waitresses4 ,the waitress who had me in her charge returned with the ,compacto crotes1 two little angles of hot toast with something spread on them1 and she took my order for the next course1 of lettuce and sorrel potage1 and for some ginger ale1 which ,i ordered as having a vague feeling that it would be in keeping with the meal4 ,the ,compacto had a far-off taste of potted meat1 and ,i had noticed that it was labelled ,n41 ,f4,u41 which a note at the top of the menu told me meant nourishing and free from uric acid4 ,the dishes marked ,n4,n4 are ,very ,nourishing4 ,the lettuce and sorrel soup1 when it came1 was distinctly to be commended1 a trifle thin1 perhaps1 but having the taste of the vegetables in it1 and being excellently hot4 ,this also1 ,i was pleased to see1 was noted as ,n4 and ,f4,u42 and had ,i been subject to gout1 which--touch wood1 ,i am not1 ,i should have been eating an admirable non-gouty meal4 ,then came what on the menu was described as a main dish4 ,it was asparagus and lentil timbale1 cucumber sauce1 stuffed vegetable marrow and new potatoes sauts4 ,i rather hope that this will not be the main dish that old ,rats will stumble up against when he takes his niece to dine at the ,eustace ,miles ,restaurant1 for the timbale did not seem to me to have any strong taste of asparagus in it--perhaps the lentils had killed it4 ,the stuffed vegetable marrow was rather a watery delicacy1 but ,i ate up the sauts potatoes1 feeling quite glad that ,i knew what their taste was going to be4 ,the next dish1 however--honey shortbread and stewed apricots--,i can unreservedly praise2 the shortbread was excellently light and the stewed apricots were good things of their kind4 ,i had told the waitress that as a savoury ,i would have matelote eggs on toast1 but ,i cancelled that order1 for ,i look on savouries as superfluities1 and ate some cheese as a finish to my repast4 ,the little waitress totalled up my bill on the card that the commissionaire at the door had given me1 and ,i was making my way to the pay-desk when ,i saw in a corner by the book-stall a lady engaged in opening letters2 and1 thinking that this must be ,mrs ,eustace ,miles1 ,i asked her if such was the case1 and when she said ,yes1 introduced myself4 ,she welcomed me to the restaurant1 explained that her husband was away playing a championship game at tennis1 and said how sorry she was that she had not met me before ,i lunched1 as she would have liked to suggest to me the dishes that best suit anyone making their first essay on non-flesh foods4 ,i told her1 however1 that ,i had wished to make my first attack just as any other meat-eating member of the public would do1 and ,i was very glad to be able to compliment her on the cook's soup and the shortbread4 ,i had bought at the book-stall the ,may number of ,healthward ,ho6 and had carried off from the dinner-table a sheaf of leaflets giving information concerning the restaurant and the salons1 and in addition to these ,mrs ,miles gave me a leaflet describing the exhibit that the then chef of the restaurant1 ,mr ,blatch1 ,n4,c4,a41 sent to the ,food and ,cookery ,exhibition in #aiaj1 and which won a gold medal there1 and an account of the djeuner at which ,m4 ,escoffier and the editor of ,food and ,cookery and ,the ,catering ,world were present1 and which was described by the latter in glowing terms1 excellent1 delightful and delicious being adjectives used for every course4 ,this was the menu of the feast3 ,milk ,cheese and ,celery ,mayonnaise4 ,salsify and ,barley ,cream ,soup4 ,cashew ,nut ,timbale and ,cranberry ,sauce4 ,nut and ,vegetable en ,casserole4 ,vegetables 7,conservatively ,cooked74 ,jamaican ,fruit ,salad4 ,devilled ,compacto4 ,it was recorded that ,m4 ,escoffier very much enjoyed the devilled ,compacto1 and praised the work of the chef who had prepared the hors d'uvre and the entres4 ,as1 however1 since the date of this djeuner1 which was in ,march #aiaj1 ,m4 ,escoffier has given the world his famous ,dodine1 and his not less famous ,poularde ,poincar1 he was evidently not weaned from the errors of flesh-eating by his visit to the ,eustace ,miles ,restaurant1 nor shall ,i be lured away by any stuffed vegetable marrow from creamy salmon and plump quails4 ,but ,i shall say no word to dissuade old ,rats from going to dine at the ,eustace ,miles ,restaurant1 for ,i am quite sure that what he will eat there will certainly do him no harm1 and if he chooses ,f4,u4 dishes may probably do him a lot of good1 but ,i should like to be present when the old man first looks down the green and red bill of fare of the day and finds himself faced by all the strange new dishes1 for his remarks will be worthy of the occasion4 ,,xiii ,,the ,,princes' ,,restaurant ,when the house for the ,royal ,institute of ,painters in ,water ,colours--that classic stone building with busts of great painters in the ovals that ornament its faade1 busts on which the sparrows perch and watch the traffic in ,piccadilly--was put up in the early eighties1 there was space below the galleries for some shops and for a large hall4 ,it occurred to somebody1 probably ,m4 ,benoist1 whose great charcutier's shop was just over the way1 that ,princes' ,hall was eminently suitable to be a dining-room1 and ,princes' ,restaurant came into existence1 ,m4 ,benoist being the moving spirit1 his brother-in-law1 ,m4 ,fourault1 being the manager1 and ,m4 ,azema1 a chef of much fame1 being at the head of the kitchen4 ,princes' ,restaurant1 as ,i first remember it1 was not the beautiful room it is now4 ,the painted ceiling with its concealed lights1 as fine an example of this kind of art as we have in ,london1 was a later addition2 the garden outside the windows of the restaurant had still to be made1 and ,i think that the windows which look towards ,st ,james's ,church were not in the great room when it was first built4 ,the hotel1 which has an entrance in ,jermyn ,street1 and in which there are some noble rooms for banquets and balls1 was another afterthought4 ,the lessees of some of the shops on the ,piccadilly front were bought out before the palm garden1 in which impatient gentlemen wait for ladies who are late1 and where satisfied diners smoke their after-dinner cigars and drink their coffee1 could be made1 and comparatively lately communication has been established between the restaurant and the galleries above1 in order that when there is a ball in the picture-hung halls the dancers can troop down to sup below4 ,if ,princes' ,restaurant and ,princes' grill-room and ,princes' ,hotel are like ,rome in that they were not built in a day1 they are very good to look upon in their finished state4 ,the restaurant has a great height1 and the early diners can smoke there without the least taint of tobacco greeting the later comers4 ,its ceiling is1 as ,i have already written1 a beautiful example of decorative art1 and a bill of exceeding length1 the sum total of which astonished me when ,i was told how many figures it comprised1 was paid for this embellishment4 ,its walls are creamy in colour1 the curtains are of soft pink1 and the tall windows south and east are reflected in mirrors1 looking like other windows on the northern side1 where the space is not occupied by the ,palm ,lounge4 ,a musicians' gallery runs along the western side1 and the doors into the kitchen are below this1 but the red-coated musicians have forsaken their aerie1 which now forms a way to ballrooms and galleries1 and have found a snug corner on the floor of the restaurant4 ,there are some fine marble statues of nymphs on pedestals and palms and banked-up plants and flowers in the restaurant1 and the general effect suggests that one has stepped out of ,london greyness into some ,southern clime where all is light and bright and spacious4 ,at night the electroliers are shaded so as to give a mixed golden and pink light1 which is most comfortable to the eyes1 and is1 ,i am sure1 very becoming to the complexions of the ladies1 and the carpets and the upholstering of the chairs carry on the harmony of deep rose and pink4 ,the history of the present success of the ,princes' ,restaurant is the story of the triumph of the short dinner over the long one4 ,as a lunching place ,princes' was a great success from the day its doors first opened4 ,the ladies of ,mayfair and ,belgravia and ,tyburnia found that it was comfortably near their shopping centres1 and the little ladies of the stage also liked to lunch there4 ,the musical comedy ladies monopolised the first half-dozen tables to the right as one entered1 leaving the rest of the tables to the other ladies1 and ,stage looked at ,society's hats1 and ,society looked at ,stage's furs1 and no doubt each envied what the other wore4 ,but for quite a while--it seemed a long while to the shareholders--,princes' did not find its destiny as a dining place4 ,m4 ,benoist wished it to be a great la carte restaurant such as he has made the restaurant of the ,hermitage at ,monte ,carlo1 but for some unexplainable reason diners did not flock to ,princes' to eat expensive dinners1 nor did a long table d'hte dinner tempt them4 ,at last it was determined that new methods should be tried and new men came on to the ,board of ,directors to try them1 that very energetic and very successful organiser1 ,mr ,harry ,preston1 of ,brighton1 being one of them4 ,a short theatre dinner became the trump card of the restaurant in the evening1 the ,princes' ballrooms became the scene of most of the dances organised in theatreland1 and when the company began to earn an annual dividend for its shareholders the advantages of brief dinners became very apparent to them4 ,this was the dinner of the day that ,i took a lady to eat at seven o'clock on an evening on which ,sir ,george ,alexander produced a new play at the ,st ,james's3-- ,hors d'uvre la ,russe4 ,petite ,marmite ,henri ,,iv4 ,crme ,lamballe4 ,suprme de ,saumon ,doria4 ,agneau de ,pauillac la ,grecque4 ,boutons de ,crucifres aux ,fines ,herbes4 ,chapons la ,broche4 ,salade4 ,biscuit ,glac au ,chocolat ,pralin4 ,friandises4 ,this was the six-and-six theatre dinner of the day1 not too long to be eaten during the hour that theatre-goers allow themselves for a meal1 and quite long enough for those for whom dinner is the one event of an evening4 ,m4 ,roux1 the matre d'htel1 who has been at the ,princes' for eighteen years1 also showed me the menu of a half-guinea dinner which the ,princes' holds in reserve should the little dinner not be impressive enough for some of its clients4 ,the dinner was excellently cooked1 and the tiny pilau which came to the table with the lamb would have caught the appreciative attention of any gourmet1 and assured me that ,m4 ,gnie1 the present head of the kitchen1 who had previously won his spurs at the ,carlton and the ,brighton ,metropole1 and had at one period learned all there is to learn in ,egypt1 the land of pilau1 is a worthy successor to ,m4 ,azema and ,m4 ,granvilliers4 ,the lady who dined with me was much impressed by the two ,pierrots sitting on the moon1 a work of art which came to table with the biscuit1 and was enthusiastic as to the playing of the orchestra4 ,i thought myself that the musicians insisted a little too much that their music and not my conversation was what the pretty lady had come to ,princes' to hear1 but the question of music in a restaurant is a matter on which the gentler sex and the denser one are never in accord and the managers of most establishments find it a thorny question4 ,if an orchestra of distinction is engaged nothing in the world will persuade its head that his music should be merely an accompaniment to conversation1 and the opinion concerning music of a young man who has so much to say to a pretty girl that a dinner never lasts long enough to allow him to say it all1 is very different to that of a bored husband1 who has nothing in particular to remark to his wife after they have reached the soup course4 ,at seven1 when we commenced our dinner1 two other tables were already occupied4 ,by half-past seven the room was comfortably full1 and at a quarter to eight1 when we left to go to the ,st ,james's1 diners were still coming in to their tables4 ,most certainly what the dwellers in the leafy lanes of ,mayfair and by the snipe-ground of ,belgrave ,square required was a restaurant in ,piccadilly1 where they can dine well and at not too great a length1 nor at too great a price1 on their way to the theatre1 and ,princes' has at last given them what they wanted4 ,,xiv ,,the ,,criterion ,the ,east ,room at the ,criterion is a trophy of one of woman's victories over man1 for it was one of the first1 if not the very first1 restaurant-rooms designed and decorated to harmonise with feminine frocks and frills1 and made beautiful that mankind should bring beautiful womankind there to eat things delicate4 ,in the sixties1 restaurants were few and far between1 and were mostly places where men dined without their feminine belongings4 ,but all this was changed in the seventies1 and the ,east ,room did its full share in persuading man that it added pleasure to a good dinner in a restaurant to be faced by a pretty woman4 ,the ,east ,room of to-day is twice the size of the one that ,messrs ,spiers and ,pond first built1 and its decoration of white and gold1 and panels painted with ,watteau subjects1 its harmony of greys and pink in carpets and furniture and curtains1 its ante-room with old ,french furniture1 and the satisfactory arrangement by which the music of the orchestra1 perched in a gilded cage above the big entrance hall1 comes softened by distance to the diners in the ,east ,room1 are all happy second thoughts4 ,but the ,east ,room was1 in #ahgc1 when it was first opened1 the dining place to which every lady asked her husband to take her1 and it has held its own against ever-increasing competition through the years4 ,its windows look down on the rush and swirl of ,piccadilly ,circus1 a wonderful scene either by day or night1 and it adds to the pleasure of an unhurried meal to watch the hurry of thousands of one's fellow-creatures4 ,at one period1 after the extension of the building1 there were two ,east ,rooms1 a dividing wall being where the arches and curtains now are4 ,the one of these nearest the grand staircase was a strictly la carte restaurant1 while in the other1 approached through a corridor1 a table d'hte meal was served4 ,the ,east ,room of to-day smiles on both classes of diners4 ,when a man sits down at his table there at dinner-time1 ,m4 ,kugi1 the matre d'htel1 puts before him the carte du jour1 an ample one1 with any special delicacies in larger print than the others1 and also lays on the table the menus of the half-sovereign and seven-and-six table d'hte dinners1 and it is his experience that the greater number of diners look at the carte du jour and then1 mistrusting their own judgment1 order one or the other of the table d'hte meals4 ,this was the menu of the seven-and-six dinner one night when ,i dined at the ,east ,room at a tiny dinner-party1 before going to the theatre down in the cellars of the big building to see the play running there3 ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm ,rossolnick4 ,crme aux hutres4 ,truite de rivire ,dona ,louise4 ,selle d',agneau ,mascotte4 ,pommes nouvelles4 ,poularde du ,surrey la broche4 ,salade4 ,parfait au moka4 ,friandises4 ,dessert4 ,it was a very well-selected1 well-served dinner4 ,had we chosen the half-guinea dinner we should have had an addition to this menu of cailles la ,grecque and chou de mer1 sauce vierge4 ,the ,rossolnick1 with its flavour of cucumber1 was excellent1 the trout were fresh and firm1 and the ,surrey fowl as plump as any foreigner from ,mans4 ,m4 ,auguste ,pannier1 the chef of to-day1 is worthy of the great men who have preceded him in the kitchen of the ,east ,room4 ,and not only have there been great cooks1 but great managers as well at the ,criterion1 with the ,east ,room as the particular object of their care4 ,oddenino1 ,mantell1 ,gerard1 who all moved on to other posts1 were predecessors of ,m4 ,emile ,campenhaut1 the manager of to-day1 as was also ,m4 ,lefvre1 whose health broke down1 but whom ,i remember as being an enthusiast on the subject of the art of cookery1 a man who brought plenty of brain power to bear on the subject of delicate food4 ,i think that the best of the many dinners ,i have eaten deux in the ,east ,room was one ordered in consultation with him1 and ,i subjoin it as a good specimen of an ,east ,room la carte feast3 ,caviar4 ,consomm la ,diane4 ,filets de sole aux dlices4 ,suprmes de volaille grills4 ,carottes nouvelles la crme4 ,laitues braises en cocotte4 ,cailles la ,sainte-,alliance4 ,salade de chicore frise4 ,crotes la ,caume4 ,souffl glac la mandarine4 ,the caille la ,sainte-,alliance1 in imitation of ,brillat ,savarin's faisan la ,sainte-,alliance1 consisted of a truffle in an ortolan1 the ortolan being in the quail4 ,the ,crote ,caume is an admirable banana dish in which the tastes of the banana and pine-apple and apricot and kirsch all mingle4 ,the ,east ,room is1 of course1 only one of the many restaurant-rooms in the great stone building4 ,immediately under the ,east ,room are the ,marble ,restaurant and the grill-room4 ,the ,marble ,restaurant1 in old days1 when men of position did not think it undignified to stand at a bar and drink brandy and soda1 was the ,long ,bar1 and a wonderful sight this bar1 running the whole length of the building1 used to be at midnight1 crowded with ,londoners of all the leisured classes and with a score or more of good-looking barmaids in black behind the bar4 ,when the habits of the men of ,london began to change1 and the ,long ,bar did not draw so many devotees1 the firm of ,spiers and ,pond was not quite convinced for some time that the palmy days of the bars were gone1 and they made the ,long ,bar one of the most beautiful saloons in ,london1 decorating it with marbles and inlay of ,venetian glass4 ,that beautiful saloon is now the ,marble ,restaurant1 in which a five-shilling table d'hte meal is served1 and where singers on ,sundays discourse music to the diners4 ,the ,american ,bar had its period of great success1 and in the grill-room1 which formed part of the bar's surroundings1 chops and steaks1 unsurpassed anywhere in ,london1 used to be grilled4 ,but the character of some of the habitus of the ,american ,bar was too pronouncedly sporting to be altogether satisfactory1 and the ,american ,bar passed away from the front part of the building as the ,long ,bar did4 ,there is a buffet now at the ,jermyn ,street side1 but it is no longer the haunt of the gentlemen who were so overwhelmingly devoted to sport4 ,the grill-room1 without the ,american ,bar1 is a very flourishing section of the ,criterion4 ,it differs from most other grill-rooms in having plenty of sunlight and fresh air1 and has this distinctive feature1 that there is an ,american cook in its kitchen and that ,american dishes can always be obtained there even when they are not on the bill of fare4 ,i have eaten clam broth1 terrapin1 dry hash1 scalloped sweet potatoes1 and ,graham pudding1 when dining there with ,americans4 ,the ,criterion contains a score of banqueting-rooms1 including a huge one at the top of the house1 where a statue of ,shakespeare looks down upon the diners4 ,the ,west ,room1 which is now one of the banqueting-rooms1 has been used by the management for many experiments4 ,for a long time a ,dner ,parisien was served there1 and as its cost was only five shillings1 and as one got a great deal of very good food to eat for that sum1 ,i used to patronise it very regularly in my subaltern days1 when a dinner in the ,east ,room could not be budgeted for4 ,at one time it was given over to the vegetarians1 and good-looking damsels in art clothing brought the diners dishes of nut cutlets and vegetable steaks2 but the nut-eaters did not hold possession of the room for long4 ,it is not easy to-day to associate the great stone building in ,piccadilly ,circus with the revels of miners in an ,australian township4 ,but it was in ,melbourne1 during the gold fever1 that the seed was sown which blossomed into the big stone house in the centre of ,london4 ,felix ,spiers and ,christopher ,pond were both young ,englishmen4 ,felix was born in one of the old houses on ,tower ,hill1 which was then the office of the ,general ,steam ,navigation ,company1 whose agent his father then was4 ,the family of the ,spiers moved to ,paris1 and young ,felix was put into a banking house1 where he remained until he was eighteen4 ,then he went to ,melbourne1 with the gold fever upon him1 to make his fortune4 ,in ,melbourne1 he met young ,christopher ,pond1 also an ,englishman1 and also determined to make his pile4 ,spiers had become1 for the time being1 a wine merchant1 an experience which later was to serve him to excellent purpose at the ,criterion1 for he laid down some admirable wine there1 amongst it some hock which as long as it lasted ,i used to drink in preference to any other wine on the ,criterion list4 ,the miners were spending money in ,melbourne as though it were water1 and the ,theatre ,royal1 ,melbourne1 received much of the golden shower4 ,it occurred to young ,spiers and young ,pond that it would be a profitable undertaking to start a restaurant next door to a theatre1 and they established1 in ,collins ,street1 the ,caf de ,paris4 ,their next enterprise was to become caterers for the ,melbourne and ,ballarat ,railway4 ,they were full of ideas in those days1 and one of these was to bring out to ,australia a team of ,english cricketers and to tour them as a speculation4 ,this was the thought of which the test matches were born4 ,spiers and ,pond came to ,england intending to persuade ,charles ,dickens to make a great reading tour in ,australia1 and then it was that they espied the nakedness of the land in regard to railway catering4 ,dickens came to their aid with his attack on ,mugby ,junction1 and he wrote an article in ,all the ,world entitled ,the ,genii of the ,cave1 in which he described the then novelty of the ,silver ,grill under the arch at ,ludgate ,circus1 which ,spiers and ,pond established4 ,the ,criterion was the pet child of the two great caterers4 ,it rose on historic ground1 for it occupied the site of the old ,white ,bear1 which had been a celebrated coaching-house1 one of those fine old inns of many galleries4 ,the theatre was opened four months later than the restaurant2 but it was not until #ahgi that ,sir ,charles ,wyndham1 with whom so many of its successes are associated1 took over sole management1 though he had been a partner for the previous three years with ,mr ,alexander ,henderson in its control4 ,,xv ,,some ,,chop-,,houses ,many of the ,city chop-houses nestle together in the alleys and courts between ,cornhill and ,lombard ,street4 ,there1 on either side of one of the narrow little passages1 you will find ,simpson's ,chop-houses1 with pleasant grey-green walls to their rooms and a window in which simple food1 cooked and uncooked1 is shown as bait to draw in the hungry passer-by2 and there in ,castle ,court is the ,george and ,vulture1 which is also ,thomas' ,chop-rooms1 which dates back to #affj1 is proud of its ,dickens' traditions1 and is more ambitious in its bill of fare than most of the chop-houses4 ,there also1 in ,chance ,alley1 is ,baker's ,chop-house1 which1 that there may be no mistake as to its pretensions1 describes itself on a board at the ,lombard ,street entrance to the alley as a tavern1 and a chop-house1 a coffee-house1 and soup-rooms4 ,it is a dignified little house1 which bears its years well--it was founded in the seventeenth century--and which1 with its two bow-windows with small panes of glass and its glass door in between1 commands confidence even before one has crossed the threshold4 ,inside one of the windows are wire screens to give privacy to the company in the house1 but the other window begs all men to look in and see the fish and the joints1 the vegetables1 the salad stuff1 and1 perhaps1 a loin of cold beef1 samples of what the larder contains4 ,beyond this rampart of good things edible you may see dames and damsels attired in black1 busy in a glassed-in little room drawing beer1 taking payment from satisfied customers for what they have eaten1 and a grave gentleman1 with white hair and beard1 making entries in a large ledger2 for the little portioned-off space you are looking into serves as bar and counting-house1 some old punch-bowls on a shelf giving it its right old-world note4 ,once inside the door you find yourself in as snug and cosy an eating-house as you can find in ,london4 ,the ground floor is partitioned off into many boxes4 ,there is one to your left as you come in1 the counting-house being on your right1 and two1 one of them with a curtain to give it privacy1 facing you1 and another just beyond the grill1 and yet another one below the round clock in a black frame which is on the back wall4 ,the partitions and the walls are of wood panelling painted and grained to resemble light oak1 but whoever the craftsman was who worked at it with feather and comb1 he must have passed away long ago1 for the painting1 like everything else in the house1 has been mellowed by time4 ,the partitions are carried up high wherever there is any possibility of a draught reaching anyone sitting in one of the boxes1 and in the high partitions the top panels are of glass4 ,there are pegs for hats and coats on the wall and a stand for umbrellas near the fireplace4 ,the fireplace1 a big grill in a stone frame1 is in one of the side walls1 and close in front of it1 his body partially sheltered by a wooden screen1 stands the cook1 white-bearded and in white cap1 white jacket and apron4 ,at his elbow is a compartment1 a big box without a lid1 in which are chops1 steaks1 and all other things grillable1 and any man who thinks he is a judge of a raw chop or steak1 looks over into this box before he finds a seat for himself1 and indicates to the cook which particular fragment of red meat he wishes to have prepared according to his liking4 ,above the fireplace is a framed water-colour picture of the outside of the house1 and on either side of this work of art are pewter plates in a splendid state of polish4 ,the other interesting work of art on the walls is a portrait of ,james1 who was a waiter at ,baker's for thirty-five years4 ,james was1 ,i imagine1 early ,victorian4 ,he has a benign appearance1 and his watch-chain is almost as large as a cable4 ,the waiters of to-day are as ,british as ,james was1 and they go about their business with much quickness and dexterity4 ,to complete my description of the lower room at ,baker's1 ,i should add that there is sawdust on the floor1 and that a narrow staircase1 the steps of which are covered with lead1 leads up to the rooms on the other floors4 ,you will have seen written in little frames on one side of the counting-house window looking into the chop-room some of the dishes of the day that are ready--curried chicken1 ,irish stew 7one-chop and two-chop portions71 stewed steak1 and the like1 and your waiter will tell you of other good things--pies and puddings1 each a portion for one--that are ready4 ,if you are for something from the grill1 you make your selection from the cook's stores4 ,if a cut from the joint is to your taste1 you go upstairs to the big room on the first floor1 where there are red walls and no partitions4 ,a basket of great chunks of household bread is on the white-clothed table at which you find a place2 your chop1 if you have selected a chop1 will come to you on a willow-patterned dish1 and you will transfer it to a willow-patterned plate4 ,in old days all meat at ,baker's used to be served on pewter4 ,but if the four plates over the fireplace are the only survivors of the pewter set1 your beer will be brought you in a pewter tankard1 and most of the glass is of old pattern4 ,when you come to the cheese stage your slice of ,cheddar and pat of butter are both excellent4 ,indeed all the food at ,baker's is good4 ,no eating place which does not give good food at reasonable prices ever survives in the ,city1 and ,baker's has seen nearly three hundred years pass away4 ,who the original ,baker was who gave his name to the chop-house no one knows1 but a guess is made that he was a relation of that ,mr ,baker who was ,master of ,lloyd's ,coffee-,house in ,lombard ,street in #agdj1 and who carried to ,sir ,robert ,walpole the news of ,admiral ,vernon's taking of ,portobello1 being suitably rewarded as a bringer of good tidings4 ,the customers of ,baker's ,chop-house are excellent walking advertisements of the house4 ,they all seem to be prosperous ,city men1 young and old2 they are well groomed and they look well-fed and contented4 ,when you have finished your meal at ,baker's you leave twopence by your plate as the waiter's tip1 you give the grill-cook another penny1 if you have eaten grilled fare1 as you pass him on your way out1 and then1 pausing at the wicket of the counting-room1 you recite to the lady who faces you the things you have eaten and what you have imbibed1 and she1 doing a sum of mental arithmetic1 tells you instantly what you have to pay4 ,as a souvenir of the house she will give you a post card1 if you ask for it1 carrying a miniature copy of the work of art over the fireplace4 ,but there are chop-houses in ,london outside the ,city limits1 and ,i know of three of them within arrow-flight of ,piccadilly ,circus4 ,there is ,snow's1 for instance1 in ,sherwood ,street1 almost in the ,circus4 ,snow's has a reputation for its steaks1 and ,i know men who declare that the best bacon and eggs in the world are those brought in between two plates from the kitchen and placed on the tables at ,snow's4 ,it has lately been rebuilt1 and is a modern reproduction of a ,tudor house1 its three little gables and the green gallery before its upper windows being very picturesque4 ,the old tables and the old partitions are in their old places in the lower rooms1 but the walls of glazed tiles and the curved brass hangings for coats and hats are scarcely ,tudor4 ,the company at ,snow's at its busy times of the day is a curious mixture4 ,your neighbour at table may be a clergyman up from the country1 or the man who shaves you at ,shipwright's round the corner1 or a young artist1 or a taxi chauffeur4 ,stone's in ,panton ,street1 which dates back to #aggj1 is another chop-house1 though it is better known as a wine-house4 ,it has its coffee-room1 where good1 plain grilled food is obtainable1 though it rather sinks the title chop-house in the more aristocratic la carte restaurant4 ,stone's has always been a favourite resort of men of the theatre4 ,not very many ,londoners know of the ,sceptre ,chop-house1 ,number #e ,warwick ,street1 a little street which runs parallel1 on the east1 to part of ,regent ,street1 for it is not in a main thoroughfare4 ,it is a typical early ,victorian chop-house1 and it used to be a haunt of ,charles ,dickens when he was making his first successes as an author4 ,the front of the house has been newly painted1 but the interior remains as it was in #ahcj1 when it first opened its door4 ,its window is frosted half-way up to obviate the necessity for blinds1 with a pattern and announcements that the house supplies chops and coffee left in plain glass amidst the frosting4 ,i warrant that window created considerable enthusiasm in ,warwick ,street in #ahcj4 ,at least three of the proprietors1 past and present1 of the ,sceptre have their names recorded on the front of the building4 ,sanders' name is almost obliterated on the length of brass that forms the window-sill1 and shows faintly on the glass of the door4 ,gosling is preserved to memory by his name in gold letters over the door1 while ,purcell's is very large above the window4 ,inside1 the long room is a harmony of quiet colours4 ,there is brown boarding half-way up the walls1 and above that green that rests the eye4 ,by the door is an enclosed cosy corner1 with a mirror in an old black frame over the fireplace4 ,all down the room are low mahogany partitions with seats cushioned in black4 ,the tables are of mahogany1 polished by constant rubbing of the waitresses' napkins1 and no tablecloths ever hide the deep colour of the old wood4 ,at the end of the room is a screen of three arches of dark wood4 ,the two side arches are filled with panelling and mirrors2 but through the centre arch can be seen the kitchen with its sawdusted floor1 its ranges of plates and dishes1 and the cook and the cookmaids in print dresses going about their work4 ,the waitresses in black dresses and white aprons and caps bustle up and down the room and in and out of the kitchen4 ,a stove heats the long room1 and glazing in the roof gives it light4 ,a staircase of black wood leads to the upper rooms1 and by the doorway into the street is a little compartment1 no larger than a sentry-box1 which is the pay-desk4 ,the food at ,the ,sceptre is of the simplest kind1 and a haricot chop or roast chicken are about its highest flights4 ,your soup1 mutton broth1 or mock turtle or kidney costs you #d;d4 or #f;d41 according to the size of the soup plate4 ,you can pay #i;d4 or #aj;d4 for your chop and #aj;d4 for your steak4 ,a cut from the joint1 for ,the ,sceptre gives you a choice of three joints1 is a #i;d4 matter2 but you can get a very ample helping of apple tart for #c;d4 ,it is under the heading of entres that ,the ,sceptre puts such high flights of cookery as curried mutton and rice1 boiled tripe and onions1 ,irish pie and mixed grill4 ,many men distinguished in art and music and literature have felt1 and still feel1 the fascination of ,the ,sceptre ,chop-house4 ,you may1 very likely1 amongst the company at the old mahogany tables1 see one of the brightest writers on ,punch1 or our greatest living painter of battle pictures1 or the man who composed ,in the ,shadows4 ,upstairs are two delightful old rooms1 browned by time and the ,london climate1 with old wooden shelves1 old clocks1 old brass candlesticks1 old chairs and tables4 ,in one corner of the front room1 by a window1 stands ,dickens' chair1 for it is here1 so the tradition of the house has it1 that ,dickens used to come in his early days to write1 and it was in this corner that many of his ,sketches by ,boz were jotted down on paper4 ,the ,sceptre was a spruce1 new little house at this period of ,dickens' life1 and probability as well as tradition is on the side of its having been one of his early haunts4 ,,xvi ,,some ,,grill-,,rooms ,the modern grill-room we owe1 ,i think1 to the ,americans1 for the travelling ,american1 who has his own very sensible ideas as to what comfort is1 does not wish every night of his life to attire himself in a claw-hammer evening coat1 but he feels that without that garment he would be out of place in the restaurant of any of the fashionable hotels4 ,the grill-room gives him an excellent dinner1 just as long or just as short as he likes1 served quickly1 in luxurious surroundings1 and he can dress as he likes1 to eat it4 ,an ,american always knows what he wants1 asks for it1 and keeps on asking until he gets it4 ,quite a number of ,britons of both sexes wanted all the conveniences of the grill-rooms long before the modern grill-room came into existence4 7,hard-working men of business who had not time to go home to the suburbs to change their clothes1 men of the theatre1 authors and managers who work late in the evening1 actors and actresses who like a very light meal before going to the theatre1 and to sup after their work without wearing gorgeous raiment1 and a host of other people who get their living by their brains47 ,but they had not the pertinacity of the ,american in demanding what they wanted4 ,quite the beginning of the modern grill-room was that silver grill which ,messrs ,spiers and ,pond established some time in the sixties under the arch at ,ludgate ,hill2 but ,i look to the little grill-room in the old ,savoy ,hotel in the days before the new building had pushed through to the ,strand as being the ideal of a modern grill-room1 and ,i always measure any grill-room of to-day by the standard of that little place of good eating4 ,it was small1 and its windows looked up an unlovely cul-de-sac of which it formed the end4 ,the people who controlled the ,savoy ,hotel and the ,savoy ,theatre all used it as their own dining-room2 the general public scarcely knew of its existence2 the food there was excellent4 ,besides the chops and steaks and other real grill-room fare1 there were always one or two savoury entres kept hot in metal pots and pans on a miniature hot plate in the middle of the room1 and when the matre d'htel brought over one of these and took off the cover under one's nose1 the savour of its contents alone gave one an appetite4 ,the present ,caf ,parisien at the ,savoy1 which the russet-bearded ,gustave steered to a great success1 is the legitimate successor to that other grill-room which was hidden away in the midst of the building1 but it has not the charm of discovery felt by those who used the old grill-room4 ,the ,caf ,parisien1 which has its entrance in the ,savoy forecourt1 where gorgeous servitors in ,french-grey uniforms of ,state take one's coat and hat just as they do if one is going to spend one's money in the restaurant1 is a great ,adams room painted a very light grey1 with portires of light pink1 and with chairs and carpets of a deeper rose4 ,it has a little space outside1 a terrasse1 as the ,french would call it1 which is railed off from the courtyard by a white trellis1 over which roses are trained4 ,this is a very pleasant spot in hot weather1 if so be that no motor sighing out deep breaths of petrol is standing in the vicinity4 ,this ,caf ,parisien is a place of pleasant1 clean-shirted ,bohemianism1 much patronised by the aristocracy of the theatre4 ,there is an elaborate la carte menu with stars against those dishes which are ready4 ,a man in a hurry can eat a four-course dinner here in half-an-hour without risking indigestion1 but a couple who wish to talk over their meal can make a cutlet and an ice an excuse for sitting out an hour4 ,the grill-room of the ,princes' ,restaurant1 to which one descends from an entrance in ,piccadilly1 is a comfortable white room1 with white pillars and mirrors in the panelled walls1 where quite good food is served1 and where there are always the dishes of the day ready as well as the chops and steaks1 kidneys and sausages1 and other legitimate grill fare4 ,the ,brussels carpets and the dark leather of the chairs are restful to the eye1 and the lights in the crystal bouquets which hang from the ceiling are not too glaring4 ,almost across the way1 in the great building of the ,piccadilly ,hotel1 quite an unpretentious entrance and a small staircase with marble walls lead down to the grill-room4 ,there is a lift by the stairs which is much used by the people coming up from the grill-room1 though only lazy folk use it to go down there4 ,this unpretentious entrance and staircase are the portals to a suite of very high1 very spacious rooms1 running the full length of the building4 ,there are pilasters with gilt capitols2 and casemented mirrors in the walls4 ,the electroliers holding imitation candles give abundant light4 ,the grill is behind a great glass screen2 carvers in white wheel about big joint waggons and a ,turk in gorgeous raiment is ready to make ,oriental coffee4 ,the deep rose of the carpet contrasts with the white of the walls4 ,at a multitude of tables are hundreds of people of every comfortable class in life1 from the bank clerk to the field-marshal1 and from the typist to the duchess1 eating meals simple or elaborate1 just as they will4 ,this grill-room1 like most of the others1 caters for every taste2 for there is an elaborate carte du jour1 two table d'hte luncheons at half-a-crown and three-and-six1 and a table d'hte dinner at five-and-six4 ,electric fans keep the atmosphere pure4 ,this grill-room is all day long a very busy place1 and as many as five hundred dinners are served nightly4 ,of the ,criterion grill-room1 the great airy hall on the ground floor of the building1 ,i have already written in another article4 ,on the other side of ,piccadilly ,circus the ,monaco has a grill-room with light buff walls and light buff marble pilasters4 ,its entrance gives on to ,shaftesbury ,avenue4 ,near by is the ,trocadero grill-room1 down to which a staircase of green and grey marble descends1 and which1 with its walls of grey marble and gold and buff1 its mirrors1 its hammered copper-work1 its great grill and its orchestra1 is handsome almost to the point of gorgeousness4 ,a table d'hte dinner is served here1 as it is now in most modern grill-rooms4 ,in ,regent ,street the ,caf ,royal possesses a heavily gilded grill-room1 with entrances through the caf and from ,air ,street1 a grill-room in which the best entrecte and the best pint of ,burgundy in ,london are obtainable2 and on the other side of ,regent ,street1 its entrance hidden away in that dead little road1 ,haddon ,street1 is the grill-room restaurant of the ,new ,gallery ,cinema ,theatre1 in the basement of that establishment4 ,it consists of two rooms1 panelled with oak and hung with copies of old tapestries4 ,from these it takes its name ,les ,gobelins4 ,mr ,goetz1 of the ,vienna ,caf1 opened this little place of refreshment1 and there were always ,austrian and ,german dishes on its bill of fare1 but it has now changed hands1 and ,m4 ,victor1 late of the ,imperial and ,les ,lauriers1 is in command4 ,its cookery remains very good4 ,the ,carlton grill1 which has its own entrance in the ,haymarket1 is as good a specimen of the grill-room of to-day as one could select to show to anyone who wished to understand the differences between the chop-houses of yesterday and the grill-rooms of to-day4 ,the staircase which leads down to it is oak-panelled4 ,in the little ante-chamber where hats and coats are given up there is a newspaper stall1 and in another ante-room are easy-chairs1 dark green in colour1 and small tables with tops of burnished copper4 ,the grill-room itself is all white1 little pilasters breaking the smooth sides of the walls4 ,blue china stands on the shelves1 a ,cromwell clock ticks on a bracket1 and at one side of the room are arched recesses with stained glass windows at the back of them4 ,the lights in the electroliers burn here day and night1 but the atmosphere is never stuffy4 ,a glass screen keeps the heat of the grill from the room1 and in front of this screen are piles of crimson tomatoes1 and chops and steaks of deeper red1 and mushrooms yellow1 grey and warm brown1 a harmony in reds and greys4 ,its carte du jour is all-embracing1 and some of the dishes are always ready4 ,m4 ,ventura is the presiding spirit in this grill-room4 ,he knows the tastes of his clientele and which tables they prefer1 and when there are no unoccupied tables and people have to be turned away1 as sometimes happens1 or asked to wait in the ante-room until tables are free1 his grief is really heartfelt4 ,at the very gateway of the ,strand the ,grand ,hotel has a popular grill-room1 walled with shining tiles of white and buff2 the ,cecil has a great ,indian room of blue and yellow tiles2 and1 indeed1 every big hotel from the great pile of the ,kensington ,palace1 in the west1 to the hotel of the ,great ,eastern ,railway in ,liverpool ,street in the east1 has its grill-room1 the simplicity of the fare and the fact that the raw material is always on view to the diner before it is placed on the grill being a guarantee of the quality of the meat4 ,most of the restaurants also have their grills4 ,romano's turned its old kitchen into a reproduction of a room in a ,russian farmhouse with horns on the walls and an icon up in a corner1 and even at one time carried realism to the point of putting the waiters in this part of the establishment into white blouses with red sashes at the waist1 the dress the ,tartar waiters in ,moscow wear4 ,you get the restaurant food in this grill-room at about half the restaurant prices4 ,a new electric grill has been installed in this ,russian room which grills just as well and far more quickly than a charcoal or a coal grill4 ,the ,frascati1 in ,oxford ,street1 has a grill-room on the ground floor with walls of white marble veined with grey1 and with mirrors in ,oriental frames2 and at the entrance to ,tottenham ,court ,road the ,horseshoe has an excellent grill above its oyster saloon4 ,the ,holborn shows originality in devoting a grill-room to ladies1 and in the old ,freemasons' ,tavern in ,great ,queen ,street1 which now calls itself the ,connaught ,rooms1 there is in the basement a large grill-room1 with a choice of three joints at luncheon time as well as an extensive carte du jour1 a grill which is much patronised by the lawyers from ,lincoln's ,inn ,fields4 ,in the evening a dinner is served in a smaller room1 and ,i have dined there before going across the way to the ,kingsway ,theatre4 ,those who dine are1 ,i think1 mostly connected in some way or another with ,freemasonry1 and the talk that goes on at the tables has reference to high offices in the ,craft and ,mark1 to raising and passing1 and to that ancient and sacred ritual which ladies still believe to be in some way connected with a red-hot poker4 ,,xvii ,,romano',s ,alfonso ,nicolino ,romano1 a head waiter at the ,caf ,royal1 in #ahgd bought with his savings a small fried fish shop in the ,strand1 converted it into a bar and restaurant1 and in addition to his own name on its front added ,caf ,vaudeville1 for it was1 and is1 almost next door to the ,vaudeville ,theatre4 ,romano's in those days possessed a central window flanked by two doors1 one leading into the bar and the other to the rooms above4 ,in the window as an ornament was a small aquarium which contained goldfish1 and those fish must have lived exciting1 if short1 lives1 for the patrons of the bar tried to feed them with cigar ash1 lemon rind1 burnt almonds1 and torn-up notepaper1 and it is even said that ,hughie ,drummond1 one of the most amusing and most reckless of the clean-shirted ,bohemians who made the ,roman's known all the world over1 tried to take a swim with them4 ,romano was a curly-haired1 humorous1 quick-witted little ,italian who talked a strange ,anglo-,italian jargon--,pore ole ,romano e got badda addick this morning his usual morning greeting1 was an example of it--and who was on the easiest terms of familiarity with most of his clients without ever overstepping the line4 ,he had not very many rules as to the conduct of his business1 but one from which he never departed was that he would under no circumstances make a reduction in the total of a bill4 ,he would give an aggrieved customer some of the very best cognac of the house or split a bottle of the most expensive champagne with him or ask him to dinner next day1 but what he would not do was to reduce any item in the account4 ,one of the most frequent forms of verbal invitation given by ,the ,roman was to a ,sunday midday inspection of his cellars in the ,adelphi arches4 ,you coma see my cellars1 ,mister ,so-and-,so ,eskwire1 best in ,london was the actual wording4 ,romano had come from a good school1 and he laid down an excellent cellar4 ,the food in the restaurant was also beyond reproach4 ,behind the bar1 a bar which was always full of racing men1 journalists1 coaching men1 men from the ,stock ,exchange1 men about town--for those were the days when no man in the movement thought it undignified to be seen standing up in a place of refreshment--was the restaurant4 ,it was little more than a corridor1 a long1 narrow room with space for one line of tables only2 but at those tables used habitually to sit the merriest gathering of good fellows1 and ,i include the ladies in that term1 that ever came together in a ,london restaurant4 ,there were witty journalists such as ,shirley ,brooks1 ,pot ,stephens1 ,jimmy ,davis1 and ,shifter1 and there were men of the theatre--,cecil ,raleigh1 for instance1 and ,charlie ,harris1 who when the waiter called the order for his dinner down the speaking-tube always added himself pour le patron1 for ,romano1 who lunched and dined at the table nearest the bar door1 was not likely to get a tough steak or a thin quail4 ,there were ,guardsmen1 such at ,the ,windsor ,warrior1 ,billie ,fitz,ditto1 ,haddocks1 and ,the ,bonetwister1 and men about town1 of whom ,hughie ,drummond and ,fred ,russell were perhaps the best known1 and coaching men1 ,dickie the ,driver and ,swish and ,partner1 who used to delight in bringing jolly old ,jim ,selby to dine2 and ,arthur ,roberts1 then at the very top of his form1 and ,mons ,marius1 as representatives of the actor fraternity4 ,and around this kernel of good-fellowship formed a fringe of other good fellows who came and went1 men from the country1 men from the far parts of the world1 soldiers1 sailors1 planters1 explorers1 country squires4 ,it was rather a clannish gathering1 for everybody seemed to know everybody else at the line of tables1 and people who were not taken into companionship1 no difficult matter if they were kindred souls1 felt out of it1 and went elsewhere4 ,between the ,gaiety ,theatre and ,romano's there grew up an indefinite alliance1 and golden-hearted ,nellie ,farren would lunch there when a new burlesque was in rehearsal1 and the ,child and dear ,jack ,st ,john and others of the principals looked with favour on the restaurant1 and on ,lord ,mayors' days made a brave show of beauty at the windows of the first floor4 ,the ,gaiety ,girls of those days1 splendid women and jolly good fellows1 who enjoyed life1 and by their beauty and sociability helped other people to enjoy life1 lunched and supped at the ,roman's4 ,i have a dozen names at the tip of my pen1 but if ,i wrote them down ,i should stray into a gossip over the ladies of the burlesque and light opera stages in the seventies and eighties1 and should require columns and columns of space to deal adequately with such a subject4 ,most of them married1 and1 as the fairy tales have it1 lived happy ever after4 ,and the halls1 we didn't call them variety theatres then1 were also represented at the ,roman's4 ,jolly1 humorous ,bessie ,bellwood lunched there five days out of six1 though she kept the ,roman humble by asserting that she preferred the tripe and onions at ,chick's to anything his kitchen could produce1 and when she was in good anecdotal form kept everybody near her tremulous with laughter4 ,and the sisters ,leamar1 who used to sing a duet as to ,romano's being a paradise1 sure1 in the ,strand and added the information that the wines and the women are grand1 naturally paid frequent visits to the restaurant to assure themselves that the description was a correct one4 ,the ,roman gathered about him a staff which exactly suited the tone of the restaurant1 proof thereof being that so many of them remain in its service to this day4 ,m4 ,luigi ,naintre1 the manager of ,romano's1 has climbed the ladder of promotion steadily through all the grades at the restaurant1 and though for a while after ,romano's death he wandered into other folds1 one of the first acts of the company which now controls the restaurant was to ask him to come back to it4 ,long experience has taught him the art of making each frequenter of the restaurant believe that the establishment is maintained entirely to meet his or her taste and whims1 and he is essentially the right man in the right place4 ,m4 ,minola1 his second in command1 also graduated in the ,roman school4 ,the cellarman1 ,l4 ,bendi1 and the wine-butler1 ,l4 ,villa1 have been in the restaurant as far back as ,i can remember4 ,i must pass quickly over the fire which burned down the old ,romano's and its rebuilding on the site of the old restaurant and on that of another house next door4 ,the panelled hall and1 in the restaurant1 the ,moorish arches with the pictures of the ,bosphorus seen through them were features of the new building1 and remain to-day as they then were4 ,in the nineties ,romano died of pneumonia1 contracted by standing one cold winter day outside the restaurant door with no great-coat on1 and the restaurant came under the ,court of ,chancery4 ,the ,court of ,chancery was not at all sorry to hand over its duties to a company1 with ,mr ,walter ,pallant1 the then chairman of the ,gaiety ,company1 as its chairman1 which was formed to purchase the restaurant4 ,mr ,teddy ,bayly1 who as a patron of the restaurant had helped materially in making the fortune of the ,roman1 became manager1 and ,luigi was appointed as second in command4 ,when ,mr ,bayly left ,romano's for a restaurant of his very own ,m4 ,luigi mounted one rung more of the ladder of promotion and was appointed manager4 ,the first business of the company1 after giving the building a wash and brush up1 was to find a chef of celebrity and experience to take charge of the kitchens4 ,they found in ,m4 ,ferrario exactly the man for whom they were looking4 ,m4 ,ferrario had learned his art under ,m4 ,coste in the kitchens of the ,cecil1 and when he himself became the commander of the kitchens of a restaurant of the first class he showed that he had used his powers of observation1 that not only did he know all that there was to be learned concerning the haute cuisine franaise1 but that he had an open mind with regard to the cookery of all other nations4 ,the mouzakkas that ,m4 ,ferrario sends from his kitchen are the best ,i have eaten outside ,bucharest4 ,he makes a ground-nut soup1 the one delicacy that ,nigeria has added to the cookery book1 quite admirably1 and ,romano's is the only restaurant that ,i know of in ,europe where one can eat a ,malay curry cooked as it is cooked in ,malaya and served in the ,malay fashion1 with sambals and with shining ,malayan shell spoons for the rice4 ,what substitute ,m4 ,ferrario has found for the fresh cocoa-nut pulp which is the foundation of all ,malay curries ,i do not know1 but he has found something which replaces it admirably4 ,in the winter at lunch-time north countrymen say that ,romano's ,lancashire hot-pot is the real thing1 and there is another ,british luncheon dish1 gipsy-pot1 which ,i eat at ,romano's1 a savoury stew of chicken and cabbage and other vegetables and other meats1 which ,i find exceptionally good4 ,but perhaps ,i had better give you in detail what are the specialities of ,romano's kitchen4 ,they are1 for lunch3 ,malay curry of chicken1 ,lancashire hot-pot and gipsy-pot4 ,for dinner3 poule au pot1 bortch la ,russe1 potage ,normande1 potage ,nigrienne1 filets de sole ,romano1 filets de sole ,sportive1 sole au plat aux courgettes1 sole la crme1 truite ,george ,v41 poulet nouveau ,valencienne1 perdreau ,romano1 mousse de volaille au curry1 the last being an admirable mousse with just a far-away reminiscence of ,india1 a sort of dream of all the good curries of the ,east1 in it4 ,if ,i gave you the menus of all the nice little dinners for two of which ,i have been one of the participators at ,romano's ,i should fill a fat volume4 ,but here is a little spring dinner which will serve my purpose very well3 ,crevettes ,roses4 ,fumet de ,volaille aux ufs ,fils4 ,filets de ,sole ,sportive4 ,epaule de ,pauillac ,bergre4 ,petits ,pois ,nouveaux la ,crme4 ,asperges d',argenteuil4 ,sauce ,divine4 ,fraises ,diva4 ,and the wine ,i drank with this was a bottle of #aijj ,st ,marceaux1 which was the choice of the lady who honoured me with her company4 ,the filets de sole ,sportive are soles which bring to table with them just a dream of ,chablis1 and which are nobly backed up by crayfish4 ,the old ,romano's in its first period was very clannish4 ,the new ,romano's1 though it is a comparatively small restaurant1 finds room for all men and all ladies who love good food and who like the slightly ,bohemian1 pleasantly ,parisian1 atmosphere of the ,paradise in the ,strand4 ,i have seen a duchess dining at one of the corner tables1 and ,i do not suppose that there is a man about town1 from dukes to the latest emancipated ,oxonian1 who does not know ,romano's and its ways4 ,the clientele varies with the different meals4 ,at lunch-time1 particularly1 if there are rehearsals in progress at the ,adelphi or the ,gaiety or any of the other light opera or revue theatres1 a host of pretty little ladies go to ,romano's and very probably the ,governor and the librettists and composers1 and a stage director or two1 will be lunching at a corner table4 ,half-a-dozen other managers are sure to be somewhere in the restaurant1 and there will be ladies not of the stage1 and solicitors1 and barristers from the ,law ,courts and a plaintiff or two1 and a journalist or two1 a very interesting salmis of the stage world and the business world and the world of ,law1 with a good seasoning of men from the far parts of the world1 and men about town and soldiers and sailors4 ,at dinner little parties going on to the theatre finish their feasts about the time that the habitus of the restaurant1 who are going on nowhere or to a variety theatre1 make their appearance4 ,at supper-time the stage is once again the most strongly represented element1 and there is no restaurant in ,paris which can show at this hour prettier faces or more unforced gaiety4 ,the bright young spirits from the 'varsities all love ,romano's1 but ,luigi has a wholesome fear of the ,twenty-firsters1 as the boys call their coming-of-age feasts1 and the numbers at these gatherings at ,romano's are kept within very strict limits4 ,there is one happy young ,oxonian who absolutely defeated ,luigi at a birthday feast4 ,he had been solemnly warned that the spirits of his party must not rise too high1 and he and they had all behaved with quite suspicious decorum during supper4 ,the band had finished playing1 and the bandmaster1 on departing1 had locked the door of the pulpit-like ,moorish bandstand that projects high up into the room4 ,when closing hour came and all the guests were moving out except the party of young ,oxonians ,luigi told them that they also must take their departure4 ,but their leader begged to be allowed to sit on for a few seconds longer1 even though the lights were turned out4 ,out went the lights1 and then here and there a single light was put up again that the waiters might see to pile the chairs on the tables and put the restaurant into its night attire4 ,luigi1 looking at the supper-party1 thought that their numbers had diminished1 and from the bandstand came the sound of someone playing the piano4 ,in the two seconds of darkness the giver of the feast had performed a really wonderful gymnastic feat4 ,jumping off from the back of one of his guests1 he had climbed up into the bandstand and had taken his seat at the piano4 ,the door was locked and the key gone home with the bandmaster2 his fortress was unstormable1 and he was in complete possession4 ,for a quarter of an hour or so he played little selections at the piano1 inquiring of ,luigi1 who stood below1 what were his favourite airs1 and it was only when his musical repertoire ran out that he climbed out of his aerie and dropped to the floor4 ,on occasions1 generally on the evening of first nights at the theatres1 when an extension has been obtained1 suppers at ,romano's sometimes end in little dances4 ,but the great dance of the year at ,romano's is the ,twelfth ,night1 one which is not so much a party given by the restaurant as a party given to themselves by the habitus of the restaurant4 ,all the tables for this night are secured weeks in advance1 each host pays for his own party1 but ,romano's supplies all the toys and the presents1 the masks and tambourines1 and anything new in trifles that is to be bought in any city of the world4 ,the shops of ,paris and ,vienna are ransacked to provide novelties for this evening4 ,the spirit of ,paris always hovers above ,romano's1 but this particular night in its fun without rowdiness is the most ,parisian night of the year4 ,romano's as it now is is very different in its arrangements from the restaurant that the company took over from the ,court of ,chancery4 ,what was the linen room is now a gallery1 which is nicknamed the ,bird ,cage1 looking down on to the restaurant4 ,the kitchen has been taken away from below the restaurant and put behind it1 and where the kitchen was is now a grill-room with lattice-work arbours decked with vines and a vista leading up to a little fountain4 ,the whole scheme of decoration of the restaurant is now of the lightest of light ,moorish design1 the details being copied from the ,alhambra at ,granada4 ,the most important change of all is the disappearance of the old bar1 a bar which in its day made history1 its place being taken by a little waiting-room1 which is a reproduction in most of its details of the ,henri ,,iv4 room in the ,victoria and ,albert ,museum4 ,a good deal of loving care has been bestowed on all the details of the decoration and equipment of the restaurant4 ,look at the brass handles on the doors leading into the hall1 and you will see that they are admirable works of art4 ,in the same way the napery put on the table at dinner-time before coffee is served is well worth a glance4 ,some of the china is quite beautiful in pattern1 and the gilt finger-bowl brought you at dessert is very probably a copy of some of the loot taken by ,attila and now preserved in the ,budapest museum4 ,banquets are sometimes given at ,romano's in the private room looking down on the ,strand1 which has been shut off from the balcony1 and no better indication of the type of these could be given than by setting down the menu of the latest dinner of the ,wine ,connoisseurs' ,club1 at which there were forty guests3 ,cantaloup ,glac4 ,tortue ,claire4 ,velout de ,volaille ,duchesse4 ,truite ,george ,v4 ,ris de ,veau aux ,perles ,noires4 ,selle de ,bhague aux ,primeurs4 ,pommes ,ideal4 ,granite au ,clicquot4 ,poularde ,flanque ,d',ortolans4 ,salade ,romaine4 ,asperges ,vertes1 ,sauce ,divine4 ,pches ,orientales4 ,mignardises4 ,paillettes au ,parmesan4 ,dessert4 ,the ,truite ,george ,v4 which has a place in this menu is one of the specialities of the house4 ,it is a salmon trout1 braized in port1 served cold on ice with sliced oranges and a luscious jelly4 ,little ,romano used to allude to his cellars1 as ,i have written1 as best in ,london1 and the restaurant has always had a celebrity for the great choice of champagnes of the great brands and great years it offers its patrons4 ,most of the profits made during the last few years have been expended on champagnes1 and no restaurant in ,london is better prepared to face that champagne famine which will so soon be upon us4 ,,xviii ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,commons ,one of our legislators had very kindly asked me to dine with him at the ,house of ,commons1 at eight-fifteen ,p4,m41 and had told me that he would meet me at the public entrance4 ,when ,i mentioned his name to the civil young policeman at the outer door he touched his helmet and said that my host had just gone through1 so ,i followed on his tracks4 ,i went past ,westminster ,hall1 which was in splints1 for the ceiling was under repair1 and along that other great hall where statesmen of the past stand looking their very best in marble4 ,there were two lines of the public sitting on the benches in between the marble statues1 no doubt hoping eventually to obtain admission to the ,strangers' ,gallery1 for it was the winding-up night of the ,marconi debate4 ,i mentioned my host's name to every policeman ,i came across1 because ,i found that when ,i did so they touched their helmets and looked pleased1 and ,i am always delighted to give inexpensive pleasure to any policeman4 ,in the public lobby the legislator1 who1 incidentally ,i may mention1 is ,chairman of the ,kitchen ,committee1 found me and took me in the direction of the dining-rooms4 ,we passed the new fireplace that the ,house of ,commons has presented to itself1 quite the most tasty thing in fireplaces ,i have ever seen1 with a sort of glorified ingle-nook seat on either side of it4 ,i peeped through the glass door into the members' dining-room with its handsome panelling1 and the ,ministerial ,room1 where some fine portraits hang on the walls1 and eventually we went down the staircase with the good napkin panelling on either side1 looked at that other staircase which was in course of construction for the convenience of lady guests1 came to the long corridor where the photographs taken by ,sir ,benjamin ,stone hang1 and going down it had glimpses through open doors of dinner-parties in which ladies predominated1 all mighty merry1 and twittering like the birds in an aviary4 ,from the chairman's own room1 which he occasionally lends to his brother members1 sallied forth a ,ministerial ,whip1 who seized my host by the arm1 held an open wine list before him as though they were going to sing hymns out of the same book1 and asked him what champagne he ought to order for his guests4 ,that knotty point being settled ,i gave up my hat and coat to an attendant1 and followed my host1 who threaded his way through the tables in the largest ,strangers' dining-room to his own particular dining spot in a recess which commands a view of the whole of the room4 ,it is an exceedingly pleasant dining-room4 ,the walls are of panels of grey and white1 framed in light wood1 with on them good prints in black frames1 the gifts of ,m4,p4's who love their ,house just as ordinary men love their pet clubs4 ,the four-square pillars which support the roof are painted cream colour2 light is thrown up on to the ceiling from glass electroliers1 shaped like round shields1 and here and there a palm and some green screens give a restful note of cool colour4 ,at one end of the room a clock on the wall reminds ,m4,p4's of the passing time1 and at the other end1 on a roll of paper1 which passes through a wooden frame1 is printed the name of the member who at the moment is addressing the ,house4 ,the windows of this pleasant dining-room look out on to the terrace and across the river to the great hospital1 behind which the sky still held some of the rose of sunset4 ,there were dinner-parties innumerable being held in the room1 and the manager informed us later that he had been obliged to tell many would-be hosts that he could not find room for their parties4 ,a great debate means a gala night in the dining-rooms of the ,house1 and had ,i not known where ,i was1 looking at the pretty and smartly dressed ladies and their smiling hosts1 ,i should have thought that ,i was in one of the smaller dining-rooms of one of our great restaurants4 ,here and there amongst the guests and the dinner-givers were faces ,i recognised1 and the legislator told me during the course of our dinner who were the other hosts at the different tables1 for he probably knows personally more men of all the different parties than does any other member of the ,house4 ,i have ordered a very small dinner1 said my host1 as a waiter brought us a pot of caviare ensconced in a basin of crushed ice1 and this was the menu of the said small dinner3 ,caviare4 ,consomm d',aremberg4 ,homard ,saut ,paillard4 ,noisettes d',agneau aux ,primeurs4 ,pommes ,suzon4 ,cailles de ,vigne sur ,canaps4 ,salad ,cur de ,laitues au ,citron4 ,asperges ,anglo et ,franaise4 ,sauce ,mousseline4 ,pches ,flambes4 ,dessert4 ,the lobster was an admirable dish1 the rice served with it being a corrective to the exceeding richness of the liquid1 and when the chairman and myself had eaten it with great relish ,i suggested to him that part of the pleasure it had given us was the fact that neither of us ought to have touched it at all1 for the chairman had only just recovered from a second bout of influenza1 and my tame doctor would have had a fit if he had known that ,i made a clean plate of such a rich delicacy4 ,the dinner throughout was admirable1 and ,i asked my host who was the chef de cuisine1 and what was his history4 ,the chef to the ,house1 he told me1 is ,m4 ,roux1 who looks to ,m4 ,escoffier as the great master under whom he learned his art4 ,my host had told me to ask him any questions ,i liked concerning the catering and the management of the kitchens and dining-rooms1 and ,i learned that the committee consists of sixteen members drawn from every party in the ,house1 and that it meets once a week2 that the allowance made by the ,house for the upkeep of its dining-rooms is #bfjj a year1 and that the turn-over is usually about #ag1jjj a year1 but that in #aiab1 being an exceptionally busy one1 it rose to #be1jjj4 ,i also learned that there is always first-class specialist advice ready to be called in1 for no matter what subject is under discussion--be it tablecloths1 or cutlery or glass--there is sure to be amongst the members of the ,house someone who is the highest authority on the subject1 and who willingly comes to the assistance of the ,kitchen ,committee4 ,when ,i began to ask questions about the regular ,house dinner and about that celebrated shilling dinner of which the outside public hear so much1 the ,chairman sent for the manager1 a young man who has stepped from the post of assistant into the full-blown dignity of the managerial frock-coat1 and asked him to show me the menus of the day and the wine list4 ,there was a tone of pride in the manager's voice when he said that #cjj dinners had been served that evening in the upstairs rooms1 and he also told me the number of the guests in the downstairs rooms--#ahf1 ,i think he said1 in all4 ,the shilling dinner1 of which about #aej are served each night1 consists of fish or entre1 or joints1 two vegetables1 bread or plain toast1 a pat of butter and ,cheddar or ,cheshire cheese4 ,there is also a vegetarian dinner ready at a quarter of an hour's notice1 from six till nine o'clock1 which on that particular night consisted of crme d'asperges1 ufs a la tripe1 carottes la crme1 or haricots verts au beurre or macaroni ,milanaise1 and cheese and butter4 ,and there is a half-crown dinner of the day of four courses1 vegetables and cheese and butter4 ,sixpence table money is charged for guests4 ,this is the menu of the five-shilling dinner of that day1 and it reads to me a very good one3 ,melon ,glac4 ,consomm ,froide or ,crme d',asperges4 ,filets de ,sole ,dejazet4 ,quartier d',agneau la ,broche4 ,pommes ,fondantes4 ,petits ,pois au ,beurre4 ,cailles de ,vigne ,casserole4 ,salade ,romaine4 ,bombe ,fraisalia4 ,croustades ,maltaises4 ,dessert4 ,there is also a grill menu and a long list of cold joints4 ,to make the list of menus complete1 the manager showed me that of the two-shilling dinner1 which is ready at six o'clock1 served in the dining-room of the ,press ,gallery4 ,later on in the evening ,i was shown the separate kitchen which serves the dining-room of the ,gallery and saw that it was as well organised as is everything else in the kitchen department of the ,house4 ,looking through the wine list1 ,i noticed that some of the sherries have come from ,windsor ,castle1 ,marlborough ,house and ,sandringham2 the most expensive of these being that--bottled #ahge--;from ,windsor1 for which #abs4 #f;d4 a bottle is charged4 ,but a glass of ,amontillado costs no more than #d;d4 ,sixpence a glass is the lowest price charged for any port1 and the most expensive on the list is ,cockburn's #ahdg1 bottled #ahej1 which is a guinea a bottle4 ,there are some #ahih champagnes still on the list1 and some #aijj4 ,the wines of #aijd make the longest list1 ,veuve ,clicquot heading the roll at #acs4 #f;d4 a bottle2 ,heidsieck ,dry ,monopole1 ,pommery and ,greno1 ,pol ,roger1 ,mot and ,chandon1 ,krug and ,monte ,bello varying in price from #acs4 #f;d4 to #ajs4 a bottle4 ,the brand ,deutz and ,gelderman is represented by pints at #fs4 #f;d41 and the magnums of ,monte ,bello cost #ahs4 #f;d4 ,our dinner finished and all the questions that ,i could think of asked and answered1 my host took me out on to the terrace to drink our coffee4 ,all the light of the sunset had died out1 and the long lines of lamps on the ,embankment across the river were shining brilliantly4 ,across ,westminster ,bridge the tramcars1 all blazing with light1 were passing and repassing each other1 an effect ,i commend to ,mr ,arthur ,collins for use in some future ,drury ,lane production4 ,the terrace itself is dimly lighted by gas lamps1 but this half light1 pleasant and in keeping with the solemn mystery of the great1 dark river that flows past1 seems to frame fittingly the brilliance of the wonderful night scene4 ,little groups of ladies were about the tables in that centre space where members may dispense hospitality4 ,the talk of the men who came to speak to my host was all of what was in progress in the chamber of debate upstairs1 of the pity of it that no agreement had been come to and that a division was necessary1 of the admirable speech that ,mr ,balfour had made in the afternoon1 and such-like matters4 ,i felt that ,i had kept my host too long from his place and wished to bid him good-night there and then1 but he said that though he had failed to obtain a ticket for me in the afternoon to hear the debate1 he would try again2 so upstairs we went1 and he left me in charge1 in the ,members' ,lobby1 of a benign old gentleman with a pointed white beard and wearing knee-breeches1 while he went inside to see what he could do4 ,he returned waving a card1 the white-bearded gentleman looked even more benign1 and took my hat and coat1 and ,i was sent with the card up a little flight of stairs4 ,in perfect comfort ,i listened to ,mr ,bonar ,law making his points on the ,unionist side1 rapping with his finger-nails on the big box on the table as he did so1 and then heard ,sir ,edward ,grey1 tucking his right hand under his frock-coat as though that garment pinched him below the arm1 reply for the ,government2 watched the members stream out for the division1 heard the numbers read out1 and saw the end of an historic debate4 ,a most pleasant and interesting evening4 ,,xix ,a ,,regimental ,,dinner ,,at ,,the ,,trocadero ,the ,commissionaire at the centre entrance to the ,trocadero greets me with ,regimental dinner1 sir8 ,first floor1 leave your coat and hat to the right4 ,a very intelligent man this commissionaire1 an old soldier who knows another old soldier when he sees him4 ,i leave my coat and hat as directed1 ascend in the lift1 and am disgorged into a corridor1 the walls of which are covered with an inlay of gold ,venetian glass tesser1 pay the very small sum that subscribers to the ,regimental ,dinner ,club are mulcted1 and go into a screened-off space of the large banqueting-room in which the feast is to be held4 ,here two score gentlemen1 old and young1 most of them with a bar of miniature medals on the lapels of their evening coats1 are talking1 laughing1 moving to and fro1 and shaking hands with great heartiness4 ,it is by no means a mauvais quart d'heure these minutes of assembling before a regimental dinner1 for old friends who see each other only once a year meet then1 and the inquiries as to each other's health and prosperity and happiness are no formal compliments1 but a real desire to know how the world wags with old comrades in arms4 ,the screens that divide the room in two are withdrawn and the company take their places at the table in no set order1 though the veterans all try to sit next to some old friend of their soldiering days and the subalterns cling together in little swarms at the far ends of the table4 ,the room in which we are dining1 the ,alexandra1 is panelled to a man's height with dark marbles1 with central squares of light marble1 and there are at one end pillars of black wood fluted with gold4 ,it is a room with a dignity of its own4 ,through the lace-curtained windows can be seen the electric advertisements on the other side of ,shaftesbury ,avenue1 advertisements which set forth in a blaze of alternating red and green and white light the virtues of somebody's whisky and somebody else's cigarettes1 and through the open windows come the roar of the traffic and the hoots of the motor horns4 ,we are dining on the very hub of ,london4 ,the table for the dinner is of horseshoe shape1 with another length of table running up the centre4 ,there are candles with pink shades1 and pink flowers in vases and strewn on the table in garlands4 ,the ,major-,general1 who is the full ,colonel of the regiment1 who served in it for many long years1 and was at one time the ,adjutant of one of the battalions1 sits at the top of the bend of the horseshoe1 and chance1 not precedence1 has put me on one side of him4 ,the two ,brigadier-,generals who are amongst the diners1 each of whom wears1 as our chairman does1 his ,c4,b4 cross at one end of his long bars of miniature medals and decorations1 are somewhere farther down the curve of the horseshoe1 and brevet colonels and subalterns and captains and lieutenant-colonels and majors all sit where fancy leads them1 some of the seniors to talk to the son of an old friend1 a boy who has just joined1 some to talk polo1 or fishing1 or gardening1 or shooting1 or the iniquities of the ,land ,tax with friends of like tastes4 ,a ,regimental ,dinner ought to be described by some lady novelist who has never been to one and is in no way hampered by any unromantic facts4 ,grizzled men bearing the scars of old wounds should talk to each other of midnight marches and fierce charges and hand-to-hand combats1 and tell the tale over their port of how ,billy ,bright ,eyes1 the curly-headed drummer of ,company ,b1 won the ,victoria ,cross on some day of awful slaughter4 ,unfortunately for picturesqueness' sake the grizzled men talk about nothing of the kind4 ,the man who could narrate as moving stories as ever ,othello dropped into ,desdemona's willing ear tells his next-door neighbour of the fishing in ,norway he has taken this year and of the advantages of travelling to it from the port in a motor car instead of going on the old country conveyances4 ,the man who really earned a ,v4,c4 in ,south ,africa1 though there were no lookers-on to write glowing accounts to headquarters1 is discussing with another man of many battles the advantages of ,waterloo over other late-bearing strawberry plants1 and laments that there are no pears this year on any of his trees4 ,tales of a big night at mess in ,the ,shiny1 when a ,highland regiment1 passing through1 was entertained at a dinner which only ended when the pipes were playing ,hey ,johnnie ,cope in the grey before sunrise1 may stray casually into the conversation1 and a regretful word or two may be said that the regimental polo fund in ,india had not enough ready money to buy a certain pony which would just have won a match for the regiment in an important tournament4 ,cricket1 polo1 grouse moors1 the coming hunting season1 the present play at the ,gaiety1 the merits of the various revues are the things talked about1 and shop is almost as rigidly excluded from the conversation as though the dinner was taking place in the regimental mess4 ,the length of a regimental dinner is as difficult to curtail as is that of a ,city feast or a ,masonic banquet1 for any manager of a restaurant or any matre d'htel considers it to be an important meal1 and believes that the guests will not think they have dined satisfactorily unless they have eaten prodigiously4 ,but the three officers who manage our ,regimental ,dinner ,club are happily men of the world as well as old soldiers1 and they insist that the dinner shall be ordered to please the tastes of those who dine1 and not of those who serve the dinner4 ,this is the menu of the ,trocadero dinner4 ,the little circle of beef offered to each man is the only heavy dish in it1 and the chicken with its tempting stuffing is the only rich dish that it contains3 ,melon ,glac4 ,hors d'uvre de ,choix4 ,tortue ,claire4 ,truite de ,rivire au bleu1 ,beurre fondu4 ,pommes nature4 ,poularde du ,mans ,favorite4 ,mdaillon de ,buf ,rossini4 ,spoom au ,kummel4 ,caille de ,vigne sur ,croustade4 ,salade ,romaine4 ,asperges nouvelles1 ,sauce ,maltaise4 ,fraises la ,zouave4 ,corbeille de ,friandises4 ,pailles au ,parmesan4 ,dessert4 ,caf4 ,,vins4 ,punch4 ,johannisberger1 #aijj4 ,chas4 ,heidsieck1 #aijd4 ,mot et ,chandon1 #aijd4 ,chteau ,branaire ,ducru1 #aijj4 ,dow's #ahij ,port4 ,courvoisier's #ahca ,brandy4 ,the menu1 according to custom immemorial1 is decorated with the crests of the regiment1 with the date of its raising1 #aegb1 and with a little picture of the uniform of the regiment in the year #afhd1 when the full privates wore black boy-scout hats1 bands such as barristers still wear1 and coats with very long skirts4 ,twenty years ago no regimental dinner could have been held without interminable speeches1 which were sometimes listened to with scant patience by the subalterns1 who wanted to get to the ,empire or the ,alhambra before the performance ended4 ,nowadays there are no speeches1 at all events at our dinner1 and the only toast proposed is that of ,the ,king4 ,after this loyal toast has been drunk and the cigars lighted1 all formality vanishes1 every man moves from his place and goes to talk to those of his old friends who have been out of earshot during dinner2 the subalterns make inquiries as to whether the ,cabaret ,club or the ,four ,hundred ,club is the most amusing place in which to keep awake after all the restaurants are shut1 and as eleven o'clock comes some of the guests go off to the ,service clubs1 some have to catch last trains1 and the commissionaire downstairs has a busy time whistling for taxis4 ,there is not much ancient history to delve into with regard to the ,trocadero ,restaurant4 ,part of it stands on the ground which1 when ,great ,windmill ,street was a cul-de-sac1 before ,shaftesbury ,avenue was made1 was occupied by the ,argyle ,dancing ,rooms1 familiarly known as ,the ,duke's4 ,the ,duke's played its part in the night life of ,london in the sixties and seventies1 when ,kate ,hamilton's and the other night houses still existed in the ,haymarket1 and though there were occasional rows there1 some of the officers of one of the ,household cavalry regiments being on one occasion marched off to the police station1 it was on the whole a well-conducted establishment1 with an admirable orchestra to play dance music4 ,but the spasm of morality which passed over ,london towards the end of the last century swept the ,argyle ,rooms out of existence1 and their proprietor1 ,mr ,bob ,bignell1 converted the vacant rooms into the ,trocadero ,music ,hall4 ,mr ,sam ,adams was the next proprietor of the music-hall1 and then ,mr ,joseph ,lyons1 who was not yet a knight1 saw the possibilities of the site for a restaurant1 and gave a very large price for the old hall4 ,the ,trocadero ,restaurant1 when it first was built1 was only half as large as it is now1 for that red-brick portion of it which faces ,shaftesbury ,avenue was a nest of flats and chambers1 and the conversion of this building when ,lyons ,company bought it1 into restaurant premises1 was an architectural feat4 ,where the old building ends and the additions begin can be clearly seen by the difference in the architecture4 ,it is a curious fact that ,sir ,joseph ,lyons1 the head and mainspring of the great organisation which controls the scores of restaurants and hundreds of tea-shops belonging to ,lyons ,company1 wished in his youthful days to be an artist1 and that his amusement now1 whenever he has any leisure1 which he rarely has1 is to paint sunsets4 ,,xx ,,jolly ,,good ,a ,,half-,,guinea ,,dinner ,,at ,,the ,,trocadero ,no account of the ,trocadero would be complete without an allusion to the table d'hte dinners which are served in the great hall of the restaurant1 and ,i do not think that ,i can do better than reprint the account of a half-guinea dinner ,i gave there some ten years ago to a small ,harrow boy4 ,the ,mr ,lyons of the article is now ,sir ,joseph1 and ,i fancy that the ,messrs ,salmon1 who are now ,county ,councillors and members of many other important bodies1 are too busy to show even such an important person as a young ,harrovian all the glories of the restaurant4 ,but in all essentials the half-guinea dinner of to-day at the ,trocadero is much as it was ten years ago4 ,it was excellent then and is excellent now4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i dined one day early last week at the ,trocadero1 a little specially ordered tte--tte dinner over which the chef had taken much trouble--his ,suprmes de sole ,trocadro and ,poulet de printemps ,rodisi are well worth remembering--and while ,i drank the ,mot '#hd1 cuve #agad1 and luxuriated in some brandy dating back to #ahae1 the solution of a problem that had puzzled me mildly came to me4 ,an old friend was sending his son1 a boy at ,harrow1 up to ,london to see a dentist before going back to school1 and asked me if ,i would mind giving him something to eat1 and taking him to a performance of some kind4 ,i said ,yes1 of course2 but ,i felt it was something of an undertaking4 ,when ,i was at ,harrow my ideas of luxury consisted of ices at ,fuller's and sausages and mashed potatoes carried home in a paper bag4 ,i had no idea as to what ,jones minor's tastes might be2 but if he was anything like what ,i was then he would prefer plenty of good food1 combined with music and gorgeousness and excitement1 to the most delicate mousse ever made1 eaten in philosophic calm4 ,the ,trocadero was the place2 if he was not impressed by the dinner1 by the magnificence of the rooms1 by the beautiful staircase1 by the music1 then ,i did not know my ,harrow boy4 ,jones minor arrived at my club at five minutes to the half-past seven1 and ,i saw at once that he was not a young gentleman to be easily impressed4 ,he had on a faultless black short jacket and trousers1 a white waistcoat1 and a tuberose in his buttonhole4 ,i asked him if he knew the ,trocadero1 and he said that he had not dined there2 but plenty of boys in his house had1 and had said that it was jolly good4 ,when we came to the entrance of the ,trocadero1 an entrance that always impresses me by its palatial splendour1 ,i pointed out to him the veined marble of the walls and the magnificent frieze in which ,messrs ,moira and ,jenkins1 two of the cleverest of our young artists1 have struck out a new line of decoration2 and when ,i had paused a while to let him take it in ,i asked him what he thought of it1 and he said he thought it was jolly good4 ,mr ,alfred ,salmon1 in chief command1 and the good-looking matre d'htel1 both saw us to our table1 and a plump waiter whom ,i remember of old at the ,savoy was there with the various menu cards in his hand4 ,the table had been heaped with roses in our honour1 and ,i felt that all this attention must impress ,jones minor2 but he unfolded his napkin with the calm of unconcern1 and ,i regretted that ,i had not arranged to have the band play ,see the ,conquering ,hero ,comes and have a triumphal arch erected in his honour4 ,i had intended to give him the five-shilling table d'hte meal2 but in face of this calm superiority ,i abandoned that1 skipped the seven-and-six table d'hte as well1 and ordered the half-guinea one4 ,i had thought that three-and-sixpennyworth of wine should be ample for a growing boy1 but having rushed into reckless extravagance over the food ,i thought ,i would let him try seven-and-sixpenny worth of wine4 ,i personally ordered a pint of #bgg1 which is an excellent wine4 ,i told ,jones minor that the doctor told me not to mix my wines1 and he said something about having to be careful when one got old that ,i did not think sounded at all nice4 ,while we paused1 waiting for the hors d'uvre1 ,i drew his attention to all the gorgeousness of the grand restaurant1 the cream and gold1 the hand-painted ceiling-panels1 on which the cupids sport1 the brocades and silks of the wall-panels1 the broad band of gold of the gallery running round the room1 the crimson and gold draperies1 the glimpse of the blue and white and gold of the salon seen through the dark framing of the portires2 ,i bade him note the morocco leather chairs with gold initials on the back1 and the same initials on the collars of the servants4 ,it is a blaze of gorgeousness that recalls to me some dream of the ,arabian ,nights2 but ,jones minor said somewhat coldly that he thought it jolly good4 ,we drank our potage vert-pr out of silver plates1 but this had no more effect on ,jones minor than if they had been earthenware4 ,i drew his attention to the excellent band up above1 in their gilded cage4 ,i pointed out to him amidst the crowd of diners two ex-,lord ,mayors1 an ,a4,d4,c4 to ,royalty1 the most popular low comedian of the day1 a member of the last ,cabinet1 our foremost dramatic critic and his wife1 and one of our leading lawyers4 ,jones minor had no objection to their presence1 but nothing more4 ,the only interest he showed was in a table at which an ,irish ,m4,p4 was entertaining his family1 among them two ,eton boys1 and towards them his attitude was haughty but hostile4 ,so ,i tried to thaw him while we ate our whitebait1 which was capitally cooked1 by telling him tales of the criminal existence ,i led when ,i was a boy at ,harrow4 ,i told him how ,i put my foot in the door of ,mr ,bull's classroom when it was being closed at early morning school time4 ,i told him how ,i took up alternate halves of one exercise of rule of three through one whole term to ,old ,teek4 ,i told him how ,i and another bad boy lay for two hours in a bed of nettles on ,kingsbury race-course1 because we thought a man watching the races with his back to us was ,mr ,middlemist4 ,and ,i asked him if ,harrow was likely to be badly beaten by ,eton in the coming match at ,lord's4 ,this for a moment thawed ,jones minor into humanity4 ,harrow1 he said1 was going to jolly well lick ,eton in one innings1 and before the boy froze up again ,i learned that the ,headmaster's had beaten some other house in the final of the ,torpid football matches1 and several other items of interesting news4 ,the filets mignons1 from his face1 ,jones minor seemed to like2 but he restrained all his emotions with ,spartan severity4 ,he did not contradict me when ,i said that the petites bouches la ,st-,hubert were good2 but he ate three sorbets1 and looked as if he could tackle three more1 which showed me that the real spirit of the ,harrow boy was there somewhere under the glacial surface1 if ,i could only get at it4 ,mr ,lyons1 piercing of eye1 his head-covering worn a little through by the worries of the magnitude of his many undertakings1 with little side-whiskers and a little moustache1 passed by1 and ,i introduced the boy to him1 and afterwards explained the number of strings pulled by this ,napoleon of supply1 and at the mention of a grub shop in every other street ,jones minor's eyes brightened4 ,when ,jones minor had made a clean sweep of the plate of petits fours1 and had drained the last drops of his glass of ,chartreuse1 ,i thought ,i might venture to ask him how he liked his dinner1 as a whole4 ,this was what he had conscientiously eaten through3 ,hors d'uvre varis4 ,consomm ,monte ,carlo4 ,potage vert-pr4 ,petites soles la ,florentine4 ,blanchailles au citron4 ,filets mignons la ,rachel4 ,petites bouches la ,st-,hubert4 ,sorbet4 ,poularde de ,surrey la broche4 ,salade saison4 ,asperges nouvelles4 ,sauce mousseux4 ,charlotte russe4 ,souffl glac ,pompadour4 ,petits fours4 ,dessert4 ,he had drunk a glass of ,amontillado1 a glass of '#hi ,liebfraumilch1 two glasses of ,deutz and ,gelderman1 a glass of dessert claret1 and a glass of liqueur1 and when pressed for a critical opinion1 said that he thought that it was jolly good4 ,impressed into using a new adjective ,jones minor should be somehow4 ,so1 with ,mr ,isidore ,salmon as escort1 ,i took him over the big house from top to bottom4 ,he shook the chef's hand with the serenity of a prince in the kitchen at the top of the house1 and showed some interest in the wonderful roasting arrangements worked by electricity and the clever method of registering orders4 ,he gazed at the mighty stores of meat and vegetables1 peeped into the cosy private dining-rooms1 had the beauties of the noble ,empire ballroom explained to him1 and finally1 in the grill-room1 amid the surroundings of ,cippolini marble and old copper1 the excellent string band played a gavotte1 at my request1 as being likely to take his fancy4 ,then ,i asked ,jones minor what he thought of it all1 and he said that he thought it jolly good4 ,i paid my bill3 ,two dinners1 #a1 #as42 table d'hte wine1 #gs4 #f;d42 half #bgg1 #gs42 liqueur1 #bs4 #f;d42 total1 #a1 #ahs42 and asked ,jones minor where he would like to go and be amused4 ,he said he had heard that the ,empire was jolly good4 ,,xxi ,,in ,,the ,,shadow ,,of ,,the ,,palace ,,theatre ,,kettner',s ,,le ,,diner ,,fran,,ais ,i know as a result of my early training in ,miss ,woodman's school for the sons of the nobility and gentry in ,somerset ,street1 off ,orchard ,street1 that a piece of land almost entirely surrounded by water is called a peninsula4 ,but ,i was never instructed in any school as to there being a special name for a theatre almost entirely surrounded by restaurants4 ,if there is such a name it should be applied to the ,palace ,theatre1 for restaurants have sprouted up about it just as grass grows round the foot of a tree4 ,of this group of restaurants two at least that ,i know deserve special mention1 one as having been the pioneer of clean restaurant kitchens and the other1 a very cheap restaurant1 as having made the fortune of one restaurateur and of being in the course of making the fortune of his successor4 ,kettner's1 in ,church ,street1 was the first small restaurant that dared to show its kitchen to all comers at a time when the kitchens of most little foreign restaurants were places of horror4 ,m4 ,auguste ,kettner was a chef who had learned his art in his native country1 and who1 as an investment of his savings1 started a small restaurant1 in #ahfg1 in ,church ,street1 ,soho4 ,those were the days before ,shaftesbury ,avenue was driven through the slums1 before ,cambridge ,circus was made1 before the ,palace ,theatre was built1 and when ,soho was a maze of little streets4 ,so puzzling to a stranger was its geography that the district inspired ,w4 ,s4 ,gilbert to write a ,bab ballad concerning ,peter the ,wag1 the policeman with a taste for practical jokes who always sent the people who asked the way of him in the wrong direction4 ,retribution came to ,peter when he lost his way near ,poland ,street1 ,soho4 ,for weeks he trod his self-made beat1 ,through ,newport--,gerrard--,bear--,greek--,rupe rt--,frith--,dean--,poland ,streets1 ,and into ,golden ,square4 ,kettner's was discovered by a correspondent of ,the ,times1 and the readers of the ,thunderer1 which in those days took very meagre notice of the amusements and enjoyments of life1 were surprised to be told of a little restaurant in the centre of ,soho where the kitchen was as clean as a new pin and where excellent food was to be obtained at surprisingly cheap prices4 ,that article made the fortune of ,kettner's just as other articles in less august papers have made since then the fortunes of other restaurants4 ,journalists1 artists and actors1 the swallows who herald prosperity1 came to the restaurant1 and ,george ,augustus ,sala1 the author1 who was a fin gourmet1 with a knowledge of the practical side of cookery as well1 became the great patron of the restaurant4 ,in the early seventies1 as a young subaltern with a microscopic income and a desire to make it stretch as far as possible1 ,i used often to dine at ,kettner's4 ,it was a real chef's restaurant in those days1 an la carte establishment where one ate one or two dishes quite admirably cooked1 and where a walk through the kitchen and an inspection of the larder always preceded or followed a dinner4 ,i never hurried over a meal to be in time for the rising of the curtain at a neighbouring theatre1 for there were no neighbouring theatres then1 but enjoyed my dinner to the uttermost4 ,m4 ,kettner then was so successful in business that he was gradually absorbing house after house1 and his restaurant1 instead of being in one little house1 occupied the ground floor of several houses1 doors being driven through the party walls4 ,the private rooms on the first floor were favourite dining places of couples who wished to be tte--tte1 and ,i fancy that when the popularity of such little dinners at restaurants was dimmed it was a blow to the restaurant in ,church ,street4 ,i have always thought myself that the almost entire disappearance of the small private dining-room from restaurants coincided with the building of innumerable houses of flats1 and that the dinners which used to be given in the cabinets particuliers are now eaten in flats4 ,in #ahgg two events of great importance to ,m4 ,kettner happened3 he wrote his ,book of the ,table and he died4 ,his table book1 of which a second edition has recently been published1 is a curious mixture of very useful recipes and scraps of information concerning all matters under the sun that can in any way be connected with cookery4 ,achilles1 for instance1 is brought into the book that reference may be made to the ,achilles statue in ,hyde ,park1 and then to the great ,duke of ,wellington1 of whom the story is told that his cook1 ,felix1 left his service in despair because the ,duke could not distinguish between a dinner cooked by an artist and one horribly mauled by a kitchenmaid4 ,when at the height of his fame and prosperity ,m4 ,kettner died and left a widow1 and ,madame ,kettner1 when her days of mourning had passed1 married ,m4 ,giovanni ,sangiorgi1 who also became her partner in the business1 a kindly man who keeps a watchful eye on the restaurant which is now controlled by a company4 ,the restaurant was in comparatively late years rebuilt and an entrance hall given to it1 and the two rooms to the right of the hall were in #aiac very tastefully redecorated1 but it still retains its characteristic of being several small houses joined together4 ,the first sight that greets one's eyes on entering the hall is a view of the kitchen1 generally with a cook in white clothing busy about his work as the centre of the picture1 and those who lunch and dine are1 as of yore1 asked to walk through the white-tiled1 beautifully clean domain of the chef4 ,a grill-room now forms part of the establishment1 and the character of the meals is changed in that table d'hte dinners at various prices are the trump cards of the establishment4 ,i fancy that the propinquity of the ,palace1 of the ,shaftesbury ,theatre1 and now of the ,ambassadors' may have had a great deal to say to this change1 for when ,i dine at ,kettner's before going to the ,palace or the ,shaftesbury ,i can see that most of my fellow-guests are theatre-goers4 ,a three-and-six table d'hte dinner in the grill-room and five-shilling and seven-and-six ones in the restaurant are the early evening meals of the establishment1 and below is quite a fair specimen of the menu of the five-shilling dinner4 ,it is the one ,i ate on the last occasion that ,i made a pilgrimage to see ,madame ,pavlova dance4 ,the quail was fat and tender1 and the crme ,victoria a good soup3 ,,menu ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm ,bortsch4 ,crme ,victoria4 ,turbotin ,bercy ou ,blanchaille4 ,poulet ,pol ,derby4 ,ctelette de ,mouton ,marchale4 ,pommes ,nouvelles4 ,caille ,rtie4 ,salade4 ,glac de ,moka4 ,but ,kettner's now has to encounter many rivals1 for young men such as ,kettner himself was when he made the fame of his restaurant are following his example1 and all the ,soho district bristles with little restaurants which give wonderfully good food for the small prices they charge4 ,kettner's will always1 however1 be famous for showing its clients a spotlessly clean kitchen when such kitchens were the exception1 and this excellent custom and example it maintains to-day4 ,the other noticeable restaurant of this group is one founded by ,m4 ,roche1 which bears in large letters on its front ,le ,dner ,franais1 and which occupies the ground floor of ,no4 #af ,old ,compton ,street4 ,a story ,i have been told of the origin of the restaurant is rather picturesque4 ,m4 ,roche was a baker and ptissier1 and one day two ,frenchmen came into his shop and asked where they could get a good ,french meal4 ,m4 ,roche replied that he and his family were about to eat their midday meal1 and that if the strangers from his native land cared to join them he would be delighted4 ,the two ,frenchmen enjoyed their midday meal so thoroughly that they asked to be allowed1 during their stay in ,london1 to take all their meals at the bakery1 paying their share1 and ,m4 ,roche's establishment gradually changed its character1 becoming a full-blown restaurant4 ,that ,m4 ,roche served his apprenticeship under ,frederic at the ,tour d',argent in ,paris does not militate against the probability of this story4 ,m4 ,roche1 having made a fortune in ,old ,compton ,street1 returned to ,france and bought an hotel near ,granville4 ,le ,dner ,franais1 from which the establishment takes its name1 was always an eighteen-penny meal1 and continued to be so under the present proprietor1 ,m4 ,bguinot1 until the epidemic of lightning strikes came in the spring of #aiac1 when1 to cover the extra expense entailed by giving cooks and waiters their weekly holiday1 the price was raised to one-and-nine4 ,m4 ,roche always had the reputation of buying the best material in the market1 and ,m4 ,bguinot has maintained this reputation4 ,the restaurant at dinner-time is generally filled to its holding capacity1 and as many as four hundred dinners are sometimes served on one evening4 ,the restaurant is narrow1 but it runs far back1 three rooms being thrown into one4 ,the walls are of cream colour1 with a skirting of deep orange2 the floor is covered with oilcloth2 the knives are black-handled1 but cheapness in ,m4 ,bguinot's establishment does not mean dirt1 for everything is as clean as clean can be1 and the waiters1 who all talk excellent ,english1 wear shirts and aprons as clean as the walls4 ,near the door in the first of the rooms are two long tables1 and at these any man who is by himself takes a seat4 ,for one-and-nine one is given a choice of either hors d'uvre or soup1 fish1 an entre and an entremet1 and there is quite a reasonable choice of dishes under each heading4 ,i dined at ,m4 ,bguinot's restaurant one ,sunday night1 and ,sunday is by no means a bad day on which to dine there1 for the rooms are then less crowded than on weekdays1 and1 sitting at one of the long tables1 ,i selected from the carte of the dinner cold consomm1 fried sole1 sweetbread and spinach1 and an ice4 ,the consomm was reasonably strong1 the sole was really a little slip1 but quite fresh and well fried2 the small sweetbread was excellent1 and the diminutive portion of ice was all that it should be4 ,there was a liberal supply of bread on the table1 and the crisp sound of the cutting of the long yards of bread at a side table was almost continuous throughout dinner4 ,when ,i had finished my meal ,i certainly did not feel full to repletion1 but it sufficed4 ,my neighbour on one side of me had ordered a hors d'uvre1 and the globule of butter given him with his two sardines was a tiny one4 ,he followed fish with fish1 and ,i noticed that the slice of cold salmon of a pale pink came from the tail end4 ,he followed my suit in ordering sweetbread1 and finished his meal with a tartlet4 ,i was extravagant in my order for wine1 for1 passing over the elevenpenny ,graves and the next wine on the list1 ,i recklessly commanded a pint of ,sauterne1 which cost me #as4 #aj;d41 so that my bill came to #cs4 #g;d41 and ,i got very good value for my money4 ,my fellow-guests on ,sunday night were a selection from all the respectable classes1 little parties of ladies1 married couples and that contingent from the artistic colony which is always to be found in every ,soho restaurant4 ,,xxii ,,the ,,welcome ,,club ,in the days when ,i was still an enthusiastic amateur actor1 ,i was once cast for the insignificant part of an aged peasant--the organiser of the performance assured me that though there were only a dozen lines in the part1 it nevertheless stood out--and in a smock-frock1 a pair of second-best trousers tied up with hay-bands1 fishing boots1 a bandana handkerchief round my neck1 a long1 straggly white beard1 a red nose and an old tall silk hat1 brushed the wrong way to give it the appearance of beaver1 ,i depicted the rude forefather of the village4 ,i spoke in a trembling1 squeaky voice and ,i was addressed by the lads and lasses1 yes1 and even by the noble old squire and by the black-browed villain1 as ,granfer4 ,the part did not1 apparently1 stand out enough to catch the notice of our audiences1 but to those who played with me that drama of village life ,i have remained ,granfer to the present day1 and every summer ,i ask three of them1 my ,pet ,grandchild1 my ,tiny ,grandchild and ,little ,perce to dine with me one evening at the ,welcome ,club and to go the round of the side-shows afterwards1 that being very much the sort of entertainment that every real grandfather ought1 ,i think1 to give his grandchildren4 ,i made my acquaintance with the ,welcome ,club in the year that it was first built1 at the beginning of all things at ,earl's ,court4 ,mr ,alec ,knowles was the first secretary of the club4 ,the idea of the ,welcome ,club1 of which distinguished foreigners could be made honorary members1 originated at the great ,chicago ,exhibition1 in the grounds of which there was a club of this name4 ,the trees that were planted in front of the lawn of the club have grown to a good size now1 but even more picturesque than the formal lines of planes are the thorns and other old trees which were on the ground before the makers of the exhibition gardens took things in hand1 and which were left there4 ,year after year1 additions and improvements have been made to the ,welcome ,club4 ,what was originally a dining-room and a lawn has become a club-house in a garden4 ,the long shelter1 a pleasant place in which to dine on a summer's evening1 has been enlarged more than once1 and now1 with its alcoves1 each a tiny dining-room1 with vines growing up its supports and flower beds edging its railings1 it pleases the eye of the artist and architect as well as the eye of the diner4 ,on the other side of the club-house is a pretty drawing-room for ladies1 and ,time1 which always works in sympathy with a clever architect1 has done its share in deepening the colour of the tiles1 in bringing the lawn to velvety perfection1 and in drawing up the young trees inch by inch4 ,never before have the garden beds been so gay with flowers as they were in #aiac1 and the interior of the club-house has been brightened up to concert pitch4 ,to organise the staff of a club that is only open for four months in the year is no easy matter1 for the pick of matres d'htel and cooks and waiters do not as a rule care to accept engagements that only last for a third of a year4 ,a club as far from its bases of supply as is the ,welcome cannot arrange its catering so easily as can clubs in the centre of ,london1 which have their fishmonger's and butcher's shops just round the corner1 and a wet or a cold night means almost empty dining-rooms at ,earl's ,court4 ,difficulties1 however1 only exist to be overcome1 and ,mr ,payne1 the chairman of the ,earl's ,court ,company1 determined that it shall no longer be said that it is impossible to get a good dinner in any exhibition1 has brought all his energy to bear on the problem1 and with ,mr ,charles ,bartlett1 as secretary1 with a ,bond ,street firm of caterers responsible for the personnel and material and with ,m4 ,g4 ,thuillez in charge of the club kitchens1 ,i think that ,mr ,payne made good his promise4 ,i certainly have never before at the ,welcome ,club eaten a dinner so satisfactory in every way as the one ,i gave one fine evening last ,july to my three grandchildren4 ,i had written word to the secretary1 an old friend1 saying on what evening ,i was coming to dine and asking him to give the manager a hint whether to reserve for me a table in the dining-room or the shelter1 according to whether the evening was warm or cool4 ,the weather that day was fine1 but the temperature kept about the temperate line4 ,as the manager was unable to guess whether the ladies would find the shelter chilly and as there was that evening no great rush for tables1 he reserved until ,i should appear upon the scene1 a table for four in the dining-room and another for the same number in one of the alcoves of the shelter4 ,when ,i came to the club1 five minutes before the hour of dinner1 ,i opted at once for the table in the alcove1 looked at the menus of the table d'hte dinners1 one a five-shilling one and the other a seven-and-six one1 and chose the latter1 ordered my wine1 a magnum of ,krug1 and then sat in one of the big wicker chairs on the lawn and waited for my guests4 ,the scarlet-coated band of an infantry regiment had taken their places in the band pavilion in the centre of the gravelled space and the bandmaster was rapping on his music stand to command his men's attention4 ,there were already many people sitting on the circle of seats which surrounds the pavilion4 ,away to the left men in dress clothes and ladies in evening frocks were going in little parties into the ,quadrant ,restaurant1 and opposite to the ,welcome ,club1 with the breadth of the open space in between1 there were groups of men about the ,american bar and the tea pavilion4 ,the great tower1 which is part of one of the mountain railways1 loomed big to the right1 but the cars that run on the rails had for a time ceased to rattle and splash through the stream of real water which forms part of the scenery4 ,the flying machines still farther to the right were also still for the moment1 the wire hawsers which support them looking like the rigging of a ship4 ,presently ,i saw my three guests approaching1 having come into the gardens by the most westerly entrance1 and we were soon seated in the alcove1 where an electric lamp hung from the ceiling and another lamp on the table was alight1 though the sun had only just set4 ,this was the menu of the dinner that we ate3 ,melon ,rafrachi4 ,consomm ,tosca4 ,crme ,bonne ,femme4 ,turbot ,bouilli ,sauce ,homard4 ,tournedos ,doria4 ,pommes ,rosette4 ,noix de ,ris de ,veau en ,cocotte ,demidoff4 ,sorbet ,mandarinette4 ,caneton d',aylesbury rti au ,cresson4 ,salade ,cur de ,laitue4 ,glac ,comtesse ,marie4 ,friandises4 ,dessert4 ,our conversation naturally enough drifted on to stories of amateur acting2 but not until my ,tiny ,grandchild had first described a deed of heroism she had done while staying at a country house4 ,in the dead of the night she heard a bell ring continuously1 and assuming that burglars were in the house and had carelessly set an alarm bell ringing1 she woke up her husband in the next room and proposed that they should there and then rouse all the inmates of the house and capture the burglars4 ,but her husband looked at his watch and as an amendment suggested that1 as the ringing was probably an alarum clock1 set by a diligent housemaid1 instead of alarming the household it would be better for my ,t4 ,g4 to sleep out her beauty sleep4 ,we re-christened the daring lady ,the ,little ,heroine as we supped our crme bonne femme and declared it to be good4 ,with the tournedos my imperfections of memory with respect to words were cast into my teeth1 and especially of a sentence4 ,i introduced into ,his ,excellency the ,governor1 when1 as ,sir ,montague1 ,i declared to ,ethel that ,i would dower her with the inestimable guerdon of my love1 words that ,captain ,marshall never wrote4 ,and1 further1 it was recalled that most of us who had played together in this comedy1 and its author1 went one evening to see ,mr ,h4 ,b4 ,irving and ,miss ,irene ,vanbrugh and ,mr ,dion ,boucicault and ,mr ,marsh ,allen and others play the comedy1 and how a shout of delight went up from our row of stalls and puzzled our neighbours sorely when ,mr ,irving1 primed1 no doubt1 by ,captain ,marshall1 declared that he would dower his ,ethel with the inestimable guerdon of his love4 ,to change the subject ,i drew the attention of my three grandchildren to their surroundings1 for there are a few minutes of supreme loveliness at the ,welcome ,club when the light is fading from the western sky and all the electric lamps suddenly spring into brilliancy4 ,the tower of the mountain railway no longer appears to be a thing of wood and canvas1 but stands a great1 dark1 solid mass against the sky1 with the twinkle of some letters of electricity upon its battlements4 ,in the trees on the lawn1 lamps1 red and blue and golden1 shimmer like fireflies2 all about the bandstand are garlands of white light1 and the flying machines1 shadows dotted with coloured light1 go swinging round in the distance4 ,when we had finished our dinner we sat in contentment for a while on the lawn1 listening to the music of the band and drinking our coffee1 and then1 as an aid to digestion1 went in to ,the ,hereafter side-show1 almost next door1 where skeletons dance and a bridge swings and rocks over a torrent of painted fire2 and then on to the booths where the china of happy homes can be broken up at a penny a shot1 where the two ladies did desperate execution against the kitchen service4 ,and next to the revolving cylinders1 where we watched enterprising young gentlemen stand on their heads involuntarily1 and to the variations on hoop-la stalls1 at one of which we all tried unsuccessfully to win watches4 ,and on to the summer ballroom2 and to the bowl-slide2 and finally1 as the supreme digestive1 we all four went down the water chute1 ,i taking the precaution of leaving my tall hat below in charge of the gate man3 for one year going down this chute my ,tiny ,grandchild1 being shot into the air by the bump on the water1 descended on my hat1 which ,i held in my hand1 and turned it into a good imitation of an accordion4 ,,xxiii ,,goldstein',s ,,hors ,d',,uvre4 ,smoked ,salmon4 ,solomon ,gundy4 ,olives4 ,,soups4 ,frimsell4 ,matsoklese4 ,pease and beans4 ,,fish4 ,brown stewed carp4 ,white stewed gurnet4 ,fried soles4 ,fried plaice4 ,,entr,,es4 ,roast veal 7white stew74 ,filleted steak 7brown stew74 ,,poultry4 ,roast capon4 ,roast chicken4 ,smoked beef4 ,tongue4 ,,vegetables4 ,spinach4 ,sauerkraut4 ,potatoes4 ,cucumbers4 ,green salad4 ,,sweets4 ,kugel4 ,stewed prunes4 ,almond pudding4 ,apple staffen4 ,when ,i looked at the above ,i groaned aloud4 ,was it possible1 ,i thought1 that any human being could eat a meal of such a length and yet live8 ,i looked at my two companions1 but they showed no signs of terror1 so ,i took up knife and fork and bade the waiter do his duty4 ,the raison d'tre of the dinner was this3 ,thinking of untried culinary experiences1 ,i told one of the great lights of the ,jewish community that ,i should like some day to eat a kosher dinner at a typical restaurant1 and he said that the matter was easily enough arranged2 and by telegram informed me that dinner was ordered for that evening at ,goldstein's and that ,i was to call for him in the ,city at six4 ,when ,i and a gallant soul1 who had sworn to accompany me through thick and thin1 arrived at the office of the orderer of the dinner1 we found a note of apology from him4 ,the dinner would be ready for us1 and his best friend would do the honours as master of the ceremonies1 but he himself was seedy and had gone home4 ,on1 in the pouring rain1 we three devoted soldiers of the fork went1 in a four-wheeler cab1 to our fate4 ,the cab pulled up at a narrow doorway1 and we were at ,goldstein's4 ,through a short passage we went towards a little staircase1 and our master of the ceremonies pointed out on the post of a door that led into the public room of the restaurant a triangular piece of zinc1 a ,mazuza1 the little case in which is placed a copy of the ,ten ,commandments4 ,upstairs we climbed into a small room with no distinctive features about it4 ,a table was laid for six4 ,there were roses in a tall glass vase in the middle of the table1 and a buttonhole bouquet in each napkin4 ,a piano1 chairs covered with black leather1 low cupboards with painted tea-trays and well-worn books on the top of them1 an old-fashioned bell-rope1 a mantelpiece with painted glass vases on it and a little clock1 framed prints on the walls1 two gas globes--these were the fittings of an everyday kind of apartment4 ,we took our places1 and the waiter1 in dress clothes1 after a surprised inquiry as to whether we were the only guests at the feast1 put the menu before us4 ,it was then that1 encouraged by the bold front shown by my two comrades1 ,i1 after a moment of tremor1 told the waiter to do his duty4 ,i had asked to have everything explained to me1 and before the hors d'uvre were brought in the master of the ceremonies1 taking a book from the top of one of the dwarf cupboards1 showed me the ,grace before meat1 a solemn little prayer which is really beautiful in its simplicity4 ,with the ,grace comes the ceremony of the host breaking bread1 dipping the broken pieces in salt1 and handing them round to his guests1 who sit with covered heads4 ,of the hors d'uvre1 ,solomon ,gundy1 which had a strange sound to me1 was a form of pickled herring1 excellently appetising4 ,before the soup was brought up1 the master of the ceremonies explained that the ,frimsell was made from stock1 and a paste of eggs and flour rolled into tiny threads like vermicelli1 while the ,matsoklese had in it balls of unleavened flour4 ,when the soup was brought the two were combined1 and the tiny threads and the balls of dough both swam in a liquid which had somewhat the taste of vermicelli soup4 ,the master of the ceremonies told me ,i must taste the pease and beans soup which followed1 as it is a very old-fashioned ,jewish dish4 ,it is very like a rich pease-soup1 and is cooked in carefully skimmed fat4 ,in the great earthenware jar which holds the soup is cooked the kugel1 a kind of pease-pudding1 which was to appear much later at the feast4 ,goldstein's is the restaurant patronised by the froom1 the strictest observers of religious observances1 of the ,jewish community1 and we should by right only have drunk unfermented ,muscat wine with our repast1 but some capital hock took its place1 and when the master of the ceremonies and the faithful soul touched glasses1 one said ,lekhaim1 and the other answered the greeting with ,tavim4 ,then1 before the fish was put on the table1 the master of the ceremonies told me of the elaborate care that was taken in the selection of animals to be killed1 of the inspection of the butcher's knives1 of the tests applied to the dead animals to see that the flesh is good1 of the soaking and salting of the meat and the drawing-out of the veins from it4 ,the many restrictions1 originally imposed during the wandering in the desert1 which make shell-fish1 and wild game1 and scaleless fish unlawful food--these and many other interesting items of information were imparted to me4 ,the white-stewed gurnet1 with chopped parsley and a sauce of egg and lemon-juice1 tempered by onion flavouring1 was excellent4 ,in the brown sauce served with the carp were such curious ingredients as treacle1 gingerbread and onions1 but the result1 a strong1 rich sauce1 is very pleasant to the taste4 ,the great cold fried soles standing on their heads and touching tails1 and the two big sections of plaice flanking them1 ,i knew must be good2 but ,i explained to the master of ceremonies that ,i had already nearly eaten a full-sized man's dinner1 and that ,i must be left a little appetite to cope with what was to come4 ,very tender veal1 with a sauce of egg and lemon1 which had a thin1 sharp taste1 and a steak1 tender also1 stewed with walnuts1 an excellent dish to make a dinner of1 were the next items on the menu1 and ,i tasted each2 but ,i protested against the capon and the chicken as being an overplus of good things1 and the master of the ceremonies--who1 ,i think1 had a latent fear that ,i might burst before the feast came to an end--told the waiter not to bring them up4 ,the smoked beef was a delicious firm brisket1 and the tongue1 salted1 was also exceptionally good4 ,i felt that the last feeble rag of an appetite had gone1 but the cucumber1 a noble ,dutch fellow1 pickled in salt and water in ,holland1 came to my aid1 and a slice of this1 better than any sorbet that ,i know of1 gave me the necessary power to attempt1 in a last despairing effort1 the kugel and apple staffen and almond pudding4 ,the staffen is a rich mixture of many fruits and candies with a thin crust4 ,the kugel is a pease-pudding cooked1 as ,i have written above1 in the pease and beans soup4 ,the almond pudding is one of those moist delicacies that ,i thought only the ,french had the secret of making4 ,coffee--no milk1 even if we had wanted it1 for milk and butter are not allowed on the same table as flesh--and a liqueur of brandy1 and then1 going downstairs1 we looked into the two simple rooms1 running into each other1 which form the public restaurant1 rooms empty at nine ,p4,m41 but crowded at the midday meal4 ,mr ,goldstein1 who was there1 told us that his patrons had become so numerous that he would soon have to move to larger premises1 and may by now have done so1 and certainly the cooking at the restaurant is excellent1 and ,i do not wonder at its obtaining much patronage4 ,what this ,gargantuan repast cost ,i do not know1 for the designer of the feast said that the bill was to be sent to him4 ,i think that a kosher dinner1 if this is a fair specimen1 is a succession of admirably cooked dishes4 ,but an ordinary man should be allowed a week in which to eat it4 ,,xxiv ,,the ,,mitre ,,at ,,hampton ,,court ,we all know that in the spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love1 but it is not such common knowledge that in the early summer the thoughts of a man of mature age turn with equal agility to duckling and green peas4 ,and with duckling and green peas ,i always associate the ,mitre at ,hampton ,court4 ,so it came to pass that ,i asked a crony of like tastes to myself to meet me on a spring ,sunday at ,hampton ,court in the late afternoon1 and suggested that we should walk in the gardens of the ,palace and see the rhododendrons1 which were then in great beauty1 and that we should afterwards dine at the ,mitre1 sup green pea soup and eat duckling and green peas4 ,the ,mitre is the most typically late ,georgian1 or early ,victorian1 inn that ,i know of in the neighbourhood of ,london1 and its great attraction is that it has kept the old cookery1 the old furniture1 the old pictures1 the old china1 the old plate1 and last1 but not least1 the old manners4 ,it has been quite unconscious of the changes in the outside world1 it knows nothing of electric light and such newfangled ideas1 there are no ,french rolls to be found in its bread baskets1 and its ducklings are spitted and roasted before an open fire1 being well basted the while4 ,this1 very briefly1 is the history of the ,mitre4 ,it is the direct successor of the ,toy ,inn1 an old house which stood on ,crown property1 and the lease of which expired about the year of the battle of ,waterloo4 ,the ,toy was pulled down1 and ,mr ,goodman1 and ,mr ,sadler with him1 were obliged to look for a new home in which to carry on the old traditions4 ,this they found in three houses standing together near the wooden bridge 7alas and alack that the picturesque old bridge has given place to the dull-red iron horror which was built in #ahfe671 and one of the charms of the ,mitre is the quaint irregularity of its architecture1 the brown bricks and red tiles of its face turned towards the ,palace1 its white face and slate roof on the river side1 the great wistaria and the ivy knitting together all the various features4 ,and parenthetically ,i wish to protest against the hiding away of the ,mitre from the view of the people as they cross the bridge1 or of those who row or go by launch or river4 ,just in front of the ,mitre ,hotel is an eyot1 which ,i believe is ,government property4 ,the willows on this have been allowed to grow so high that they entirely blot out the view from the river of the white face of the ,mitre1 and the long row of windows of its banqueting-room2 and equally1 of course1 the trees obstruct the view of the river from the delightful little bowling-green with ivied arches which is between the hotel and the backwater4 ,if1 whoever he is1 the ,government official who has this eyot in his charge will walk across the ,hampton ,court bridge or sit for ten minutes on the lawn before the ,mitre he will1 ,i am sure1 require no further prompting to order the pollarding of the trees4 ,mr ,goodman came to the three old houses and put up the name of the ,mitre in golden letters1 and gave orders that the pillars that support the great bow-window on the first floor should be painted as though they were of very variegated marble1 and with him from the old inn he brought the little glass bow window which looks out from the bar parlour into the ,mitre hall1 and he also brought with him all the old ,spode china from the ,toy4 ,some of the original china is still preserved at the ,mitre1 and whenever new plates and new dishes are required ,messrs ,copeland1 the successors to ,spode1 make them in the old moulds1 though those moulds are now wearing out2 and the plates from which the guests of to-day eat their lunches and dinners are identical with those that came across the ,green from the ,toy4 ,after a while ,mr ,goodman moved on to the ,whitehall ,hotel1 a big white-faced house which looks out on to the ,green1 and which abuts on ,cardinal ,wolsey's old stables1 and ,mr ,sadler the ,first reigned in his stead4 ,it was ,mr ,sadler the ,first who bought the old ,sheffield plate which makes such a brave show at the banquets at the ,mitre1 tureens in which the soup comes to table1 and the platters on which the fish is served4 ,six o'clock was the hour at which ,i had asked my crony to meet me on the steps of the ,mitre that we might consult together as to the menu of our dinner1 and ,i found him waiting for me chatting to ,mr ,sadler1 the elder of the two sons of ,mr ,sadler the ,first1 and in the background was ,bagwell1 the head waiter1 who is a model to all ,british head waiters4 ,he has the appearance and the comforting manner of a high dignitary of the ,church1 and ,i am quite sure would wear knee-breeches and an apron and rosetted tall hat with as good grace as any bishop in the land4 ,the oldest inhabitants of ,hampton ,court1 when ,i have sung ,bagwell's praises to them1 have said to me3 ,ah1 but you ought to have known ,smith1 the head waiter who flourished some thirty years ago4 ,but to them ,i reply that not having known ,smith it is a comfort to me to be acquainted with ,bagwell4 ,bagwell had on a card a suggested menu for our dinner1 which ran thus3--,green ,pea ,soup1 ,grilled ,trout1 ,stewed ,eels1 ,duckling and ,green ,peas and ,new ,potatoes1 cold ,asparagus and ,gooseberry ,tart4 ,the eels ,i looked upon as a superfluity1 though they are one of the dishes of the house and are kept alive in the hotel in tanks until the moment comes for their sacrifice4 ,i also parried the suggestion that sweetbreads should be included1 for ,i hold that a duckling1 if he be a good duckling1 well roasted and filled with savoury stuffing1 is so good a dish that he requires no supplement of any kind4 ,when at seven we returned from our walk through the gardens of the ,palace a table had been spread for us in the bow-window1 whence the view of the river1 and the house-boats1 and the towing path1 and the walls of the ,palace ,gardens1 and the big trees and the old gates1 is a very splendid thing4 ,a quiet-footed1 quiet-mannered waiter was ready to attend on us1 and on the table were the shining cruets and a little loaf and a slab of beautiful butter1 and to the tick of half-past seven the soup in a plated tureen was put in front of me4 ,the soup was excellently hot and of a strength unusual in a vegetable soup4 ,it had1 ,i fancy1 been laced with all manner of good things4 ,it made an excellent commencement to the dinner4 ,the trout1 a fine salmon trout1 of a beautiful pink1 came straight up from the grill on a plated dish1 and with it the ,tartar sauce in a plated boat4 ,when the cover was taken off from the duckling1 set down before me to carve1 the sweet savour of good roasting and the perfume of the stuffing gratified the sense of smell4 ,and that duckling was as tender as a duckling should be1 and the peas were large and cooked to the requisite degree of softness1 and the apple sauce was excellent4 ,that our plates were the old ,spode plates1 soft blue in their pattern1 and that the knives and forks and spoons were all of an old pattern1 were all tiny points of enjoyment4 ,the asparagus was good green ,english asparagus1 and the crust of the gooseberry pie was of meringue-like lightness4 ,at the table to one side of us in the big bow sat a couple who were also dining on duckling and drinking a bottle of champagne1 for the ,mitre has an excellent cellar of wines at prices far below those of ,london restaurants1 and at the table on the other side were two ladies and three men who had been on the river and had brought river appetites and river good spirits to table with them4 ,farther back in the room were other little parties of diners4 ,i had asked host ,sadler some questions about the ,masonic banquets which are held in the red-walled rooms the windows of which overlook the bowling-green1 and after our dinner was finished he brought me a little sheaf of menus of banquets1 and he also brought a bottle of the old ,cognac of the house1 which he was anxious that we should taste4 ,i looked through the menus1 and the following of a banquet of the ,bard of ,avon ,lodge seemed to me to be that of a distinctly ,english feast4 ,it has in it the matelote of stewed eels and the braised sweetbreads for which ,i did not find room in our little dinner for two3 ,,soup4 ,pure of ,asparagus4 ,spring4 ,,fish4 ,grilled ,trout4 ,sauce ,tartare4 ,stewed ,eels en ,matelote4 ,,entr,e4 ,braised ,sweetbreads4 ,,removes4 ,roast ,fore ,quarter of ,lamb4 ,french ,beans4 ,ducklings4 ,peas4 ,asparagus4 ,,sweets4 ,gooseberry ,foule4 ,cream4 ,madeira ,jellies4 ,iced ,pudding4 ,,dessert4 ,my crony and ,i sat sipping the old brandy1 talking at intervals1 and watching how the daylight gave place to the afterglow1 how the people on the towpath thinned in numbers to single figures1 and the homeward bound boats on the river became fewer and fewer4 ,as the light died out the river became a sheet of dull silver1 and the colour of the old brick walls of the ,palace gardens and its out-buildings grew to deeper and a deeper purple1 and the great trees became warm black silhouettes against the darkening sky and the lights in the house-boats moored by the bank began to throw reflections into the stream4 ,everything1 even a spring evening at ,hampton ,court1 must come to an end1 and at last ,i called for my bill4 ,the dinner was eight shillings a head1 and so moderate had we been in our summer beverages--the old brandy was host ,sadler's contribution--that the total came to a sovereign4 ,we walked along the path up the river in the cool of the evening till we could see the lights in ,garrick's ,villa1 and then my crony and ,i bade each other good-night and went our separate ways4 ,,xxv ,,in ,,the ,,hands ,,of ,,pi7,e7,,rates ,,the ,,connaught ,,rooms ,when it was decided by the contributors to ,printer's ,pie to entertain their editor1 ,the ,pieman1 a little committee of artists and writers1 with the editor of ,the ,tatler as secretary1 considered various plans for giving ,mr ,hugh ,spottiswoode a dinner with unusual surroundings4 ,illustration ,a decision was arrived at that the contributors to the ,pie should become ,pi7e7rates1 for one night only1 and in that guise should entertain the ,pieman in a pirate haunt1 and then the next question was the choice of a dining place and the difficult matter of finding the proprietor or manager of a restaurant who would enter thoroughly into the spirit of the burlesque and would provide a real pirate feast with blood-curdling piratical surroundings4 ,a member of the committee suggested ,mr ,george ,harvey1 who controls the ,connaught ,rooms in ,great ,queen ,street1 as the very man1 and to the next meeting of the committee ,mr ,george ,harvey came1 quiet1 humorous and resourceful1 and when he heard the outlines of our scheme he smiled1 and said that he thought he quite understood what we wanted4 ,it was essential to the success of our little joke that the guest of the evening should know nothing of the reception he would get1 and when the ,pi7e7rates were informed that the dress of a bold buccaneer was to be the wear at dinner at the ,connaught ,rooms1 they were entreated to keep this a secret from the ,pieman4 ,strangely enough1 the secret was kept2 he had no inkling of what was going to happen to him4 ,when1 heralded by a commissionaire1 he came up the grand staircase of the restaurant1 faultlessly attired in his best evening clothes1 he gave a jump when the ,master-at-,arms of the ,pirates1 attired in the levee uniform of a pirate king1 suddenly appeared before him with drawn cutlass and a ferocious look1 and told two stalwart members of the pirate gang to ,arrest that man6 ,if it would interest you to know who the pirates are1 when they are not pirating1 you have only to look at the contents pages of ,printer's ,pie and you can there read the list of the authors and artists who were busy between seven and eight o'clock one ,friday1 in a little room in ,great ,queen ,street1 transforming themselves from fairly respectable members of society into the most shocking criminals that ever went to sea4 ,there were pirates of all kinds1 all centuries and all classes4 ,there were gentlemen pirates with nickel-plated revolvers2 one pirate of particular ferocity from the ,barbary ,coast had given himself an emerald-green complexion2 another pirate1 who feared that his good-natured face might belie his costume1 carried on his breast a large placard with a photo on it for identification purposes1 and the legend ,i am an adjective pirate4 ,some of the pirates wore long false noses2 many of them had the skull and crossbones on their jerseys2 cocked hats with feathers were quite fashionable wear1 and no belt had less than three pistols stuck into it4 ,one writer of humorous short stories came as an old growler cabby1 explaining that cabmen were the only pirates that he had ever met4 ,the chairman of the dinner1 who had been selected for that onerous post because1 as the designer of the covers of all the ,printer's ,pies he had always come first amongst its contributors1 had added an ,afghan sheepskin coat to his other piratical garment--luckily for him the night was very cold--and was attended by a minor pirate1 who carried on a long stick a triangular lantern as a sign of authority4 ,when the pirates' prisoner was arrested he was requested to step into a little boat on wheels1 the doors of the ante-room were flung wide open and the boat was dragged into the presence of the pirate ,captain1 who stood in the centre of the room1 with the pirate band playing ,down ,among the ,dead ,men on silvered papier-mach instruments to his left1 and to his right the pirate crew flourishing pistols and cutlasses4 ,the little boat paused for a moment while the pirates gave a blood-curdling boarding yell1 and then continued its career at hydroplane pace into the dining-room1 with the pirates following after4 ,the ,crown ,room had become a pirates' lair prepared for a feast4 ,the walls had been shut out by scenery representing sea and mountain2 the floor was an inch deep in sawdust2 in the corners of the room were plantations of palm-trees1 with parrots in cages in the midst of them4 ,these parrots missed the opportunity of their lives1 for they were so stunned by the noise the pirates made at their meal that they never uttered a single scream4 ,at one side of the pirates' lair was a great dhow1 such as one sees sailing in and out of ,aden4 ,it was really a stage for the band and the after-dinner performers1 but it had been converted into a dhow4 ,in its tall stern a piano was housed2 it had high bulwarks1 a tall mast and a great lateen sail4 ,from the mast-head flew the ,jolly ,roger1 and in the rigging was a huge red lantern4 ,a dozen round tables had been prepared for the pirates1 with sheets of brown paper laid on them as tablecloths4 ,the room was lighted by candles stuck into bottles and set on the tables4 ,of knives and forks there were none apparent2 the salt was great lumps of the rock variety1 the mustard was in teacups and the pepper in screws of brown paper4 ,the menu1 which is reproduced at the head of this chapter1 was written with an inky stick on torn bits of brown paper1 and each pirate's place was marked for him by a card with blood spots on it4 ,every table had a big card in a split cane set up to mark a pirate locality4 ,there were ,skeleton ,cove and ,murder ,gulch1 ,coffin ,marsh1 ,gallows' ,hill1 ,cannibal's ,creek1 ,dead ,man's ,rock and others1 and the ship's officers1 the roll of which included the ,stale ,mate1 the ,hangman1 the ,powder ,monkey and the ,ship's ,parrot1 presided each at a table4 ,the first mate sat next to the ,captain1 and it was his business to wave a black flag over his great commander's head at intervals1 and to beat constantly a big drum which was concealed under the table4 ,the waiters at the feast looked even greater ruffians than the feasters1 which is saying a great deal4 ,they were the most shocking set of criminals and marine cut-throats that ever carried a dish of salt junk4 ,most of them had black eyes2 their bare arms were wondrously tattooed1 and they all smoked short clay pipes as they went about their work4 ,the pirates1 because of their superior station1 smoked long churchwardens1 of which1 and playing-cards1 there was a plentiful supply scattered about the tables4 ,one waiter entered so thoroughly into his part that he danced a little hornpipe as he took round the dishes4 ,when the feast had commenced with oysters1 the pirate waiters suddenly produced a supply of knives and forks1 and menus of what the real dinner was4 ,below is the menu of the real dinner1 and an excellent dinner it was4 ,pirates who had known better days nodded to each other approvingly across the table when they had eaten the fish dish1 which was exceptionally good4 ,mr ,george ,harvey most certainly has succeeded in regilding the faded glories of the ,freemasons' ,tavern and in putting the ,connaught ,rooms1 which is the title of the rebuilt house1 very firmly on the dining map of ,london4 ,hutres ,royales4 ,consomm ,excelsior4 ,timbale de ,sole ,archiduc4 ,poularde ,hongroise4 ,nouilles au ,parmesan4 ,noisette de ,pr-,sal ,montmorency4 ,pommes ,anna4 ,faisan en ,cocotte la ,truffe4 ,salade ,jolly ,roger4 ,jambon d',york au ,champagne4 ,poires ,st ,george4 ,friandises4 ,barquettes de ,laitances4 ,dessert4 ,caf ,double4 ,the band1 a real string orchestra1 in white jackets1 on the deck of the dhow1 played rag-time melodies and other inspiriting airs1 and occasionally made itself heard above the noise with which the pirates settled down to their feast4 ,the big drum was always in action1 and somewhere outside the hall a waiter shook a sheet of theatre-thunder in a vain attempt to equal the noise of the drum within2 pistols were discharged in all parts of the lair1 and the pirate with an emerald-green complexion1 whenever he thought the ,captain looked dull1 walked over to his table and fired a pistol into his ear to cheer him up4 ,when this failed to attract the ,captain's attention1 a large cracker was set fire to under his chair4 ,one of the groups of pirates1 thinking that the band were having far too peaceable a time1 suddenly drew pistols and cutlasses1 boarded the dhow1 and put the musicians to the sword1 which delighted the fiddlers very much4 ,there was also dancing during the dinner1 for two of the pirates1 wishing to give a real society touch to the function1 rose and performed a wild ,tango in and out of the tables4 ,that was not the only dance1 for a fat carver1 who wore a conical white cap and white garments plentifully besprinkled with gore1 had stood during the early stages of dinner and had looked on at the pirates' antics1 being much amused thereat4 ,one of the pirates1 thinking that a spectator ought to have some share in the active work of the fun1 seized him and forced him to dance1 and dance the carver did1 with such good will that he finally tired the pirate out1 and remained1 perspiring and smiling1 the victor in the dance4 ,when dinner was over the guest of the evening was tried by court-martial4 ,he was accommodated with a chair in the centre of the room and given a cigar and a drink2 a wide circle of candles in bottles was put about him to give light to the proceedings1 and all the pirates sat in groups in the sawdust1 the master-at-arms1 with drawn cutlass1 behind the prisoner1 the accuser1 a picturesque ruffian1 and the prisoner's friend1 an equally forbidding scoundrel1 and the pirate ,captain being the only individuals standing up4 ,this grouping formed a really striking picture1 and ,i have no doubt that many artistic eyes took in its possibilities4 ,the accusation brought against the prisoner was that he had paid income tax 7groans from the pirates71 that he was even suspected of paying super-tax 7yells of fury from the pirates71 that he kept tame animals1 notably ,welsh rarebits1 and that he fed them4 ,the pirate ,captain had already warned the prisoner that his sentence had been determined upon1 and therefore that it was no use for him1 or anybody else on his behalf1 to plead his cause2 but the prisoner's friend had a speech ready1 and loosed it off1 making the case very much blacker against his client than it had been before4 ,sentence was then duly pronounced1 but as the pirate ,captain had mislaid the plank on which the victim was to walk1 and as the goldfish which were to represent sharks had been left downstairs1 the doom of the victim resolved itself into the presentation to him of a pair of silver hand-cuffs with a tiny watch at the end of one of them4 ,after the court-martial1 the pirates gave themselves and their guest an entertainment4 ,one pirate sang admirably2 another pirate1 whose name1 ,i think1 before he went to sea1 was ,walter ,churcher1 told excellent stories1 and a third pirate went through the whole performance that the flashlight photographer inflicts on good-natured diners1 his apparatus being a whisky bottle and a tin mug1 and then handed round photographs he pretended to have taken of our guest4 ,there was more fun to come1 but as midnight was drawing near1 and as ,i belong now to the early-to-bed sect of sea-wolves1 ,i departed quietly4 ,the lift boy at my flat1 when he saw the brick-dust of my marine complexion1 said to me1 as he took me up3 ,good gracious1 sir1 whatever has happened to your face8 ,it was a great night altogether6 ,,xxvi ,,appenrodt',s ,i had been1 like every other ,londoner1 aware of the coming of ,appenrodt's shops into the panorama of the ,london streets2 but ,i had never gone into one of the ,appenrodt establishments until a year ago1 and it was the dread of the armour-plate sandwich of the buffets that sent me there4 ,i often1 when ,i am going to an early first night at the theatre1 cut matters so fine as to dinner that ,i have only time to eat a couple of sandwiches at a buffet1 and as often as not the barmaid1 knowing that ,i am not a regular customer1 does a feat of sleight of hand and gives me the roof1 the two top sandwiches of the pile4 ,if ,i protest ,i am assured that they were fresh-cut not a quarter of an hour ago1 and being a moral coward in such matters1 ,i eat them4 ,if ,i postpone my sandwich meal until after the theatre a second thickness of armour-plate has been added to the bread4 ,one evening1 walking home after the theatre to my flat in the wild north-west1 ,i became aware when ,i reached ,oxford ,circus that ,i was very hungry4 ,through the windows of ,appenrodt's shop at ,oxford ,circus ,i could see men in white jackets very busily slicing bread and making sandwiches for the people who sat at the little tables4 ,i went in1 ate a couple of ham sandwiches which had been made for me before my eyes1 and blessed the name of ,appenrodt1 for they were all that a ham sandwich should be4 ,when ,appenrodt's headquarters at ,no4 #a ,coventry ,street were a-building ,i watched with interest the putting in of the big plate-glass windows1 and after its completion ,i looked whenever ,i passed at the big cartes du jour which are put up outside wherever there is space for them4 ,one evening1 on my way to a club in the ,leicester ,square district to dine1 ,i found1 just as ,i arrived at the ,coventry ,street corner1 that ,i had cut my time very close1 and that if ,i dined at the club ,i should not be in my place at the rising of the curtain4 ,i looked at the big bills of fare outside ,appenrodt's1 and went up into the restaurant on the first floor to see whether ,i could get there a quickly served meal4 ,i had an excellent plate of chicken consomm1 a cut from one of the joints of the day--roast veal and bacon--and a rice pudding4 ,i found this simple food quite excellent1 and ,i got to my theatre in plenty of time4 ,my first experience led me on to other dinners in ,appenrodt's restaurant on the first floor1 and ,i found that the dishes1 without exception1 were admirably cooked1 and that the soup and the souffl omelette with which ,i now always begin and end a repast at ,appenrodt's are noticeably excellent4 ,there is plenty of choice1 for the menu of the day comprises four soups1 ten fish dishes1 at least the same number of entres1 some of these being those that ,germans love1 vegetables and sweets in due proportion1 four joints at lunch-time and the same number at dinner4 ,this is a typical dinner that ,i ate one night at ,appenrodt's1 and these are the prices ,i paid for the dishes3--crme conti1 an excellent white soup1 #f;d42 suprme de brill ,dugler1 #as4 #f;d42 pilaff de foie de volaille la ,grecque1 #as4 #c;d42 and omelette ,mylord1 which is a form of omelette surprise1 #as4 #f;d42 and ,i drank therewith a pint of ,rhenish sparkling muscatel with all the taste and bouquet of the grape in it4 ,the restaurant is all white and gold1 and has a low ceiling1 but as it has a row of windows on two sides ,i have no doubt it will be quite cool in summer4 ,the curtains to the windows are of some pleasant straw-coloured material1 with pink spots on it2 the carpet is dark4 ,a glass screen is in front of the lifts which bring the dishes down from the kitchen at the top of the house4 ,there are two staircases1 one1 the main one1 from ,coventry ,street1 and another one from ,wardour ,street1 leading up to the restaurant4 ,the waiters are mostly ,germans1 who speak good ,english1 and who have the bearing of drilled men4 ,i have no doubt that ,mr ,appenrodt1 who at one time sacrificed a growing business to go back to ,germany to do his military training1 does not engage any of his countrymen who have shirked their years of service4 ,the only drawback to the restaurant that ,i have noticed is an unavoidable one owing to the construction of the house1 that the personnel of the coffee kitchen have to pass through the restaurant coming and going about their work4 ,the people who dine in the restaurant at ,appenrodt's seem to belong to all classes4 ,when ,i have dined there early ,i have seen amongst the customers men and ladies whom ,i recognised as belonging to the ,variety profession1 and who eat an early meal before going to the theatres where they perform4 ,many of ,appenrodt's countrymen and countrywomen dine in the restaurant1 and the black-coated classes of respectable ,londoners and their womenfolk have already found out how good the food is there4 ,having seen all these things1 and feeling sure that ,appenrodt1 with his many shops and his restaurants1 meant a new power come into the centre of ,london1 ,i became curious as to the owner1 or owners1 of the name and asked whether it was just a nom de fantasie or whether there really is such a person in the flesh as a ,mr ,appenrodt4 ,i was assured that there was a ,mr ,appenrodt and that if it would gratify my curiosity to talk to him he would be very pleased to meet me4 ,and so it came that ,i met ,mr ,appenrodt in his own restaurant1 and found him to be a very quiet1 patently sincere ,german gentleman1 with a round face1 pleasant1 steady eyes1 hair a little thin on the top and a large dark moustache4 ,he told me across a luncheon-table the story of his life1 and ,i was able to assure him that other people besides myself would find the history of his early struggles in ,england an interesting one4 ,he was born in ,berlin in #ahfg1 and1 having been a clerk in a ,hamburg shipping agency1 came to this country when he was nineteen years old to learn the ,english language4 ,he soon found a billet in a ,city office1 as correspondence clerk at a pound a week1 and he determined to stay in ,england1 though his father1 who was a spirit distiller1 wished him to return to ,germany and the distillery4 ,when he was twenty years old he thought he knew ,london well enough to engage in business on his own account4 ,his father would not help him1 but he had #bjjj left him by his mother1 and with this he engaged in various speculations1 the thought of which now moves him to hearty laughter4 ,he wanted to induce the ,english to smoke the ,german students' long pipes and to use washable india-rubber playing cards4 ,these and other such brilliant ideas made a very serious inroad on his capital4 ,he held1 amongst other agencies1 one for a manufacturer of preserves1 and this brought him into touch with ,german provision shops4 ,these shops were all tucked away in little side streets in the ,soho district1 and ,mr ,appenrodt thought that there would be a good opening for ,german delicatessen if it was possible to show them in better premises and with more appetising surroundings4 ,he opened in a basement at the corner of ,lombard ,street and ,gracechurch ,street a shop1 in a room about twenty feet square4 ,at that time there were no light refreshment places in the ,city except the ,a4,b4,c4 shops1 and ,mr ,appenrodt soon had a large clientele for his little shop4 ,he saw that there was a fortune to be made in catering for the wants of the middle classes1 but before he experimented on a larger scale he went back to ,germany to serve his one year of military service1 having sold his little business to a man who transferred it to some licensed premises and made a fortune by it4 ,when ,mr ,appenrodt came back1 having completed his term of military service1 he found that his luck in the ,city had petered out1 for not one of the shops he opened in succession proved to be a success4 ,the last straw was a shop in the ,commercial ,road1 which seemed likely to eat up all the funds he had left4 ,but it was during this last attempt that his luck turned4 ,he engaged a young lady as shop assistant1 and she brought him good luck and success2 and his love story1 for it was a love story1 led up to the right ending of all love stories1 a happy marriage4 ,and he backed his luck1 for he and his wife made a last bold bid for fortune by taking a shop in the ,west ,end1 at the corner of ,coventry ,street and ,whitcomb ,street4 ,this venture proved an instantaneous success4 ,mr ,appenrodt and his wife at first did all the work themselves1 and their business hours were from nine ,a4,m4 until one the next morning4 ,they had no afternoons or evenings off1 and worked all and every ,sunday4 ,easier times came1 assistant after assistant was engaged1 and one branch after another was opened4 ,not all of these proved successes1 but in spite of minor set-backs1 the firm of two continued to flourish more and more1 and has now the big shop and restaurant at ,coventry ,street1 eight branches in various parts of ,london and a big depot in ,paris4 ,mr ,appenrodt has refused many offers to turn his undertaking into a company4 ,he looks on his five hundred employees as his family1 and is not willing to put them at the mercy of strangers4 ,that was ,mr ,appenrodt's story to me across the table1 and when ,i asked him questions he amplified his personal history in various ways4 ,he told me how the ,parisian depot came to be established3 that one day he met a former employee1 one of his own countrymen1 who talked ,french like a native of ,france4 ,he knew his man1 and he told him that he was just going over to ,paris1 and that if he could find a suitable shop to let there1 he would take it and put his old friend in as his partner and as the manager4 ,he found the shop1 put his friend into it1 and it has proved a most successful speculation4 ,he told me of the various obstacles he had to overcome in building his premises in ,coventry ,street2 of the large sums he expended to buy out the owners of the three houses he required and of the difficulties he experienced in obtaining a licence to sell beer and other liquors2 how at last he bought two public-houses and surrendered their licences1 and how the ,licensing ,magistrates then gave him permission to serve alcoholic drinks1 but only with food4 ,his prices1 ,mr ,appenrodt told me1 are fixed as being the lowest prices at which he can sell first-class food and make a reasonable profit on it without looking to any profit from the drinks that are sold1 for no pressure whatever is put on the patrons of his restaurant to drink anything stronger than water4 ,i asked ,mr ,appenrodt what his special hobby was1 and he told me that it was to buy public-houses and to turn them into ,appenrodt establishments1 which1 if you come to think of it1 is as true a work of reform as any that is being carried out in ,london4 ,he and his wife1 he went on to say1 love the work they do4 ,they go together frequently to the firm's factory in the country1 where workmen1 many of them imported from ,germany1 make the sausages1 the glassed delicacies and other specialities of the house1 and on fine days to the farm they own at ,hendon1 a picturesque tract of country through which the ,river ,brent flows1 where they breed pigs for the pork sausages--though ,english pork is so firm that ,dutch pork or other foreign porks must be mixed with it to make it bind--and fowls and other farm produce4 ,before ,i said good-bye to ,mr ,appenrodt he asked me if ,i would like to see the kitchen and other parts of the house1 and ,i said ,with pleasure1 for ,i never think that the final word can be said regarding a restaurant until one has seen the kitchen that supplies it4 ,we went upstairs to the top of the house1 passing on the way a room in which half-a-dozen women were peeling potatoes for the potato salads1 potatoes specially imported from ,germany1 for ,english potatoes crumble too easily to be satisfactory material4 ,and eventually we came to a big kitchen at the top of the house1 very airy and very clean1 where a ,french chef de cuisine rules over cooks of all nationalities4 ,descending again1 we went into the basement to look at ,appenrodt's ,keller1 decorated after the ,german style with landscapes and figures1 where two bands play alternately all the afternoon and evening1 and where good ,germans1 and ,englishmen who like good ,german beer1 congregate to eat simple food and drink the produce of ,austrian and ,german hop-fields4 ,and finally ,i walked round the big shop on the ground floor1 where at the marble counter the men in white were busy cutting sandwiches1 and ,mr ,appenrodt explained to me the beauties of the glassed delicacies and the great variety of sausages of all countries1 and as he took up one after another1 sausages of majestic size1 products of ,germany or ,italy1 cut so as to show a section1 and smaller sausages in glass jars1 and bunches and packages of sausages1 and ,swiss sausages in a shape to take up very little room in a knapsack1 ,i felt coming over me exactly the same feeling that ,i experience when a collector of beautiful china1 or priceless lacquer or wonderful metal-work explains to me the beauties of his collection1 a feeling that ,i too want to collect that particular kind of curio4 ,if ,i were much in ,mr ,appenrodt's company ,i feel quite sure that ,i should become an enthusiastic amateur in the matter of sausages4 ,,xxvii ,,the ,,burford ,,bridge ,,hotel ,one of the pleasantest short runs out of ,london by motor car is to ,box ,hill and the little hotel which lies just below it4 ,in summer the most picturesque way of getting to the hotel is either by one of the ,brighton coaches1 which make it their lunching place1 or by the coach which goes to ,box ,hill and back in a day4 ,and by no means an uncomfortable1 and certainly the cheapest1 way of going down to the hotel is to do as ,i did one ,sunday--journey by the ,l4,b4 ,s4,c4 ,railway1 getting glimpses of ,epsom and the great rolling common land of ,ashtead1 of little rivers1 and old mills1 and wooded downs1 on the way4 ,the ,burford ,bridge ,hotel1 which takes its name from the wide brick bridge near by1 over the ,river ,mole1 stands alongside the high road where it curves from the hill-side down to the level4 ,it is a picturesque building1 for when the ,surrey ,trust1 of which more anon1 took the house1 it was a mere wayside inn4 ,it has been gradually built on to1 and is now more a group of houses of white rough-cast and slate roofs than one house4 ,it has rambling tiled-roofed stables and a garage alongside it1 and is surrounded by tall trees4 ,behind it1 just where the hill begins to rise1 are its gardens1 with turf terraces and geraniums in terra-cotta pots on white pedestals4 ,a great cedar stands in the midst of one of the lawns and another lawn is a bowling-green4 ,some of the trees on the hill-side stretch out great branches which give shadow to the garden-seats4 ,creepers climb over the house1 there are rose-bushes by the paths1 and out beyond the bowling-green an orchard of old fruit-trees is on the banks of the ,mole1 a brown stream in which the weeds wave gently as it moves with a pleasant rustle through the down country on its way to join the ,thames4 ,there are two dovecotes in the garden of the hotel1 and the flutter of white wings in the sunlight is pretty to see4 ,behind the gardens is ,box ,hill1 one part of which is steep1 grassy down scored with white footpaths1 the other half stony slopes so steep as to be almost cliffs1 up which the woods and undergrowth climb4 ,on the ,sunday of my visit the dark green of these woods was scarcely touched by the russet and orange of the autumn tints4 ,in the old portion of the house there are small rooms on the ground floor1 and above1 a dozen little bedrooms with flower-boxes in their windows and bell-pulls hanging by the fireplaces2 for though there is electric light all over the house1 the old-fashioned bell-pulls and the long line of bells in the corridor have been left as an old-world touch4 ,out into the garden there juts a newly built part of the house1 with a large dining-room on the ground floor and bedrooms above4 ,the dining-room is panelled with chestnut wood to within a couple of feet from the ceiling4 ,it has on one side recesses1 one of which forms an ingle-nook for the fireplace1 and opposite to them1 in the wall facing the garden1 are many ,french windows which give on to the lawns4 ,at one end of this pleasant room is a great bow-window looking down the length of the lawns and orchard1 and the tables in this bow are the ones most sought after4 ,the strips of red carpet on the polished wooden floor deaden the sound of the feet of the waiters as they go to and fro1 the chairs are handsome ones of red leather1 and as they bear on their backs a scroll with ,the ,gaiety on it1 ,i presume they were bought when the ,gaiety ,restaurant breathed its last4 ,all the classes for which the old inn1 turned hotel1 caters are provided for4 ,there is a refreshment-room for the chauffeurs1 a bar for the rustics4 ,there is also a very pleasant sanctum1 which ,i should have called the bar parlour1 but which is dubbed the lounge1 in which are the heads of some of the foxes killed by the local pack of hounds1 and a photograph of a meet at the hotel1 some coaching prints1 a picture of a racehorse and its jockey1 some little stags' heads which were in the house when it was bought by the ,trust1 a grandfather clock1 some ,japanese bronzes and ,wedgwood vases1 some old-fashioned wooden arm-chairs and some big leather ones4 ,it is in this comfortable room1 with a long stretch of window looking on to the road1 that the worthies of the neighbourhood assemble to talk over local politics and other important matters4 ,there is a little ante-chamber to the dining-room with comfortable seats in it1 a coffee-room and a drawing-room which runs the full width of the old house and is the room in which the ladies staying in the house sit after dinner4 ,the ,surrey ,public ,house ,trust1 which bought the ,burford ,bridge ,inn1 and in whose hands it has become one of the most flourishing small country hotels in ,england1 is an association of noblemen and gentlemen of ,surrey who have bought a dozen inns and hotels in the county1 and who run them on the sanest and soundest possible lines4 ,the sale of alcoholic drinks is not looked to as the principal source of profit1 and as none of the houses owned by the ,trust are tied houses1 the goods1 eatable and drinkable1 are purchased in the best and cheapest markets4 ,the company has as its manager at ,burford ,bridge ,mr ,mike ,hunt1 who comes of the family who were the lessees of the ,star and ,garter at ,richmond in its palmy days4 ,mr ,hunt1 plump1 light-haired1 with a moustache somewhat resembling that of the ,german ,emperor1 knows all there is to know of hotel management1 and the eight and a half years he has been at ,burford ,bridge are the years in which the hotel has risen to its present fame4 ,he knows pretty nearly every motorist who uses the ,brighton road1 and is a keen supporter of local sport4 ,the road to ,dorking at certain times of the day1 especially on ,sundays1 is alive with motor cars and motor cycles1 and the cars at lunch-time and at tea-time cluster in front of the hotel like swarming bees4 ,in the big dining-room the lunch that is served is an excellent one4 ,there is a choice of two soups1 one thick1 one clear2 fish--on this particular ,sunday there were some excellent lobsters--a great choice of cold meats and one hot meat dish1 and a choice of puddings4 ,a cut from the cheese is the ending of lunch1 and then a cup of coffee served under one of the trees on the lawn4 ,half-a-crown is the charge made for this very ample meal4 ,if you are making a day of it1 as ,i did on this ,sunday1 it is pleasant in the afternoon to stroll past the station1 near which a little wooden chapel stands thatched with reeds1 and on through country roads where the little roses of the brambles were turning to blackberries1 and past garden hedges where the box and holly mingle1 out towards ,updown ,woods4 ,once away from the clatter and roar of the main road one is soon in the heart of the most beautiful country in ,surrey1 and one comes back to the hotel1 when the rush of the motors returning to town is lulling1 to find a little blue mist coming up from the valley before the distant wooded hills1 and all the rooks winging their way homeward to their rookery in the great trees1 and in the broad meadow by the ,mole across the road1 scores and scores of rabbits out for a frolic4 ,this is the dinner that ,i ate on that ,sunday evening at ,burford ,bridge3 ,consomm la ,reine4 ,thick ,giblet ,soup4 ,boiled ,turbot1 ,sauce ,hollandaise4 ,roast ,leg of ,mutton4 ,french ,beans4 ,potatoes4 ,roast ,duckling or ,roast ,partridge4 ,salad4 ,beignets ,souffls4 ,tartlets ,confiture4 ,cheese1 etc4 ,the giblet soup was excellent1 the turbot fresh1 and1 though the mutton might have been the more tender for another day of hanging1 the partridge and the salad were capital and the beignet made with a very light hand4 ,the price of the dinner was #ds4 #f;d41 and ,i drank with it a pint of ,rdesheimer1 which cost me #bs4 #i;d4 ,a large party of ladies and men who were staying in the hotel had a table in the centre of the big room and were very merry over their meal4 ,two pretty girls and a young man1 motoring up to ,london1 who stopped at the hotel to eat a dinner on their way1 two pleasant-faced ladies staying at the hotel1 and various couples of men1 were some of the diners that night4 ,after dinner ,i watched the departure of the motorists1 who were completing their journey up to ,london1 sat for a while by the fire in the drawing-room1 for there was sharpness in the ,september night air1 and at ten o'clock1 gently tired by my afternoon's walk on the hills1 went up to bed in a clean little bedroom with some good old prints on its walls4 ,next morning the sound that woke me was the cawing of the rooks on their way to the fields4 ,,xxviii ,,the ,,ritz ,the ,ritz ,hotel and ,restaurant will keep in the remembrance of ,londoners the name of the foremost htelier of our days1 ,m4 ,ritz1 a man whose genius is written across ,europe and ,america1 from ,paris to ,frankfort1 from ,biarritz to ,salsomaggiore1 from ,lucerne to ,madrid1 from ,budapest to ,new ,york4 ,too much quick brain work unfortunately has broken down ,m4 ,ritz's health1 and he is never likely to take any share again in the control of the hotels which bear his name4 ,he was the man who first taught the mass of the rich ,english how to dine in cultured comfort in their own capital2 yet to the great majority of those who benefited by his perfect taste and his genius for giving unostentatious luxury to the gourmets of the world he was an unknown personality4 ,duchesses and actresses1 legislators and actors1 explorers and curates1 all are known to the public by their photographs in shop windows and in the newspapers1 but ,i never saw a photograph of ,ritz in a ,regent ,street shop or in a journal4 ,it was by chance that he first came to ,england4 ,when the ,savoy ,hotel was opened ,m4 ,ritz was manager of the ,hotel ,national at ,lucerne and of the ,grand ,hotel at ,monte ,carlo3 ,mr ,d',oyly ,carte found him at the ,grand ,hotel1 and asked him if he would come to the ,savoy for six months to put the restaurant in order4 ,he came1 bringing with him ,m4 ,escoffier1 who had been chef at the ,grand4 ,ritz at the ,savoy made the supper after the theatre the popular meal it still continues to be1 though it is1 thanks to the ,early ,closing ,act1 a scramble to eat five-shillings' worth of food in half-an-hour1 and he also discovered1 while at the ,savoy1 that if a restaurant wishes a large number of its guests to be of the softer sex a band is a necessity4 ,he saw that an ,austrian band1 engaged at the suggestion of ,mr ,hwfa ,williams1 kept the diners half-an-hour longer at their tables over their cigars and coffee1 and that ladies soon came to consider a dinner unaccompanied by music a tame feast4 ,for the music1 often over-loud1 to the accompaniment of which ,i eat my meals in most restaurants1 ,i am not in the least thankful to ,m4 ,ritz2 but the majority of diners1 especially those in petticoats1 if such things exist nowadays1 think differently4 ,the fight to obtain music at restaurants on ,sundays was one of ,m4 ,ritz's great battles4 ,i remember the days1 not so very long ago1 when a band could not play on ,sunday in a restaurant unless some individual dinner-giver engaged it to play for his guests1 and had no objection to the other diners listening to it4 ,another advance made by ,ritz was the obtaining of newly baked bread for those who lunched and dined at the ,savoy restaurant on a ,sunday4 ,the baker who at first supplied this bread broke some law or some regulation in doing this1 and was summoned2 but ,m4 ,ritz1 not to be beaten1 established a bakery in the hotel to supply the bread4 ,other restaurants followed suit4 ,he had an enormous facility for quick work1 no detail was too small for him1 and when he had made up his mind that a thing should be done he took unlimited trouble to have it carried out4 ,at one time1 when he managed the ,carlton1 he could not understand why the coffee made there should not be quite up to the level of the coffee at his hotels on the ,continent4 ,he tried every experiment possible1 brought water from all parts of ,england1 took every precaution against the dampness of our climate1 and finally asked one of the ,rmpelmayers1 the great pastrycook family of the south of ,france1 to come to ,london to advise him in this matter4 ,i used to see ,m4 ,ritz at this period of his life very often1 and used to chat with him on matters of gourmandise4 ,very slim1 very quiet1 with nervous hands clasped tightly together1 he would move through the big restaurant seeing everything1 saying a word under his breath to a head waiter1 bowing to some of the diners1 staying by a table to speak to others1 possessing a marvellous knowledge of faces and of what the interests were of all the important people of his clientele4 ,there was a maxim1 he said1 which should be carved in golden letters above the door of every matre d'htel1 and that maxim was1 in ,english1 ,a customer is always right1 and he always bore this in mind4 ,whenever at that period ,m4 ,escoffier invented a new dish a little jury of three1 ,m4 ,escoffier1 ,madame ,ritz and ,m4 ,ritz1 used to sit in judgment on it in solemn conclave before it was allowed to appear on a menu in the restaurant4 ,i once asked ,madame ,ritz1 who has been ,m4 ,ritz's real helpmate and counsellor throughout his married life1 to what quality she attributed her husband's success in life1 and she answered1 sensibility1 giving the word its ,french meaning4 ,m4 ,ritz had a talent for doing the right thing at the right time in the right way4 ,i once saw him in the early morning on the platform of the station in ,rome4 ,he looked1 as he always looked1 as though he had come out of a band-box1 well-shaved and well-brushed1 the ends of his moustache pointed upwards1 his whiskers brought down to the level of his mouth1 wearing those dark garments of extreme neatness which one always associates with the manager of hotels4 ,he was the one male person on the platform that morning who was not dishevelled1 nor tired1 nor unshaven2 but he had raced across the ,continent as fast as trains could carry him to be there to receive a duke and duchess who were going to stay at the hotel in which he had an interest4 ,a coup du matre d'htel1 of which he told me afterwards with a smile1 was the method by which he put a large luncheon-party of ladies on easy terms with each other4 ,it was a luncheon given at the ,carlton and attended by the ladies who were sending the hospital-ship out to ,south ,africa during the ,boer ,war4 ,many of the ladies did not know each other well1 and ,m4 ,ritz1 exceedingly anxious that the luncheon should be a success1 feared that they might not be easily conversational1 so at the commencement of the feast he took round a bottle of ,chteau ,yquem and suggested to each lady that a little glass of white wine made a good beginning to lunch4 ,in two minutes every lady was chatting most pleasantly to her neighbours whether she had ever seen them before or not4 ,of the determination of ,m4 ,ritz in his early days to learn everything that was to be learned in the restaurant world1 ,i remember one instance1 told me by his wife4 ,he held a well-paid post in one of the smart ,parisian restaurants1 but left it to go to ,voisin's at a smaller salary1 because he thought there was more to be learned in the good old restaurant in the ,rue ,st ,honor than in the other place of good cheer4 ,illustration3 ,m4 ,,ritz ,but it is of the ,ritz ,restaurant1 not of ,ritz himself1 that ,i am writing in this chapter4 ,i have read that the ,ritz has swallowed up the site of the old ,white ,horse cellars1 from which so many of the coaches used to start1 but the ,white ,horse cellars had crossed the road a century and a half before ,i began to know my ,london4 ,the ,isthmian ,club-house at one time occupied the portion of the site overlooking the ,green ,park1 and when the ,club moved on to other quarters it became the ,walsingham1 part chambers1 part restaurant1 one of the group of houses and hotels which stretched from the ,green ,park to ,arlington ,street4 ,when ,m4 ,gehlardi managed the ,walsingham1 and ,m4 ,dutru was its chef1 there was no better dining place in ,london4 ,the great white stone building of the ,ritz1 with its arcaded front and its entrance to the restaurant and ballrooms right in the middle of the arcade1 is a comparative new-comer to ,london1 in that it was opened in #aijf4 ,it is a building1 inside and out1 of the ,louis ,,xvi4 period1 with every modern luxury added4 ,the ,winter ,garden1 where one awaits one's guests1 is a delightful place of creamy marble pillars and gilt trellis-work1 casemented mirrors1 carved amorini and a fountain with a gilt lead figure of ,la ,source looking up at the golden cupids poised above her4 ,the little orchestra of the hotel plays in this ,winter ,garden1 and its music in no way interferes with the conversation in the restaurant4 ,the restaurant itself may be said to be dedicated to ,marie ,antoinette1 for the gilt bronze garlands which hang from electrolier to electrolier1 forming an oval below the painted sky1 were designed to represent the flower decorations at one of ,marie ,antoinette's feasts1 and though the garlands have been much lightened1 for at first they were too heavy in design1 they are still reminiscent of the poor little queen who lived such a merry life and met so sad an end4 ,it is a restaurant of soft colours1 of marbles1 cream and rose and soft green1 of tapestried recesses and of handsome consoles in the niches4 ,towards the ,green ,park long arched windows look on to one of the pleasantest prospects in ,london1 and below these windows and between them and the ,park is a little forecourt1 in which a green tent is pitched when a great ball is to be held in the suite of rooms below the restaurant1 and where on hot summer evenings dinner is served in the open air4 ,at one end of the restaurant is a gilt group of ,father ,thames contemplating an exceedingly attractive lady who represents the ,ocean4 ,everything in the restaurant is of the ,louis ,,xvi4 period1 and the ,aubusson carpets and the chairs and all the silver and the china and the glass used in the restaurant and the banqueting rooms harmonise with that period4 ,the restaurant is not a very large one1 and sometimes tables for its guests are set in the ,marie ,antoinette room with which it connects1 and in that portion of the corridor which forms an ante-room4 ,but though it is not of a very great size1 the ,ritz has a most aristocratic clientele4 ,royal personages often lunch and dine there1 and diplomacy regards it as its own particular dining place1 for tables are retained by the secretaries and attachs of two of the ,embassies1 the ,german and the ,austrian1 and1 ,i fancy1 by a third one also4 ,lady ,amalthea had very graciously said she would dine with me at the ,ritz1 so ,i went in the afternoon of a hot day to interview ,m4 ,kroell1 the manager1 who stepped across ,piccadilly from the ,berkeley to succeed ,m4 ,elles1 who1 for a time1 managed both the ,ritz in ,paris and the ,ritz in ,london4 ,with ,m4 ,kroell was ,m4 ,charles1 the manager in charge of the restaurant1 and ,i asked that ,i might be given that evening a little dinner for two1 not of necessity an expensive dinner1 but one suitable for a warm evening1 and ,i sent my compliments to ,m4 ,malley1 the chef de cuisine1 and said that ,i hoped that ,i should find some of the specialities of his kitchen amongst the dishes4 ,m4 ,malley came from the ,ritz at ,paris when the ,london ,ritz was first opened1 having acquired his art at the ,grand ,vfour and the ,caf ,anglais4 ,he presides over a very spacious range of white-tiled kitchens1 in which all the rooms which should be hot are divided by a wide corridor from the rooms which should be cold1 and he has a talent for the invention of new dishes1 amongst these being a very splendid dish of salmon with a mousse of crayfish1 which he has named after the ,marquise de ,svign1 a reminiscence of his days at ,vichy1 and his pches ,belle ,dijonnaise1 of which more anon4 ,russian soups are one of the specialities of the ,ritz kitchen1 and there is a ,viennese pastrycook amongst the members of ,m4 ,malley's brigade1 who makes exquisite pastry4 ,the late ,king ,edward had a special fancy for the cakes made at the ,ritz1 and a supply used to be sent to ,buckingham ,palace1 but ,m4 ,elles told me that this was a ,state secret1 for ,m4 ,mnager1 the ,king's chef1 might not have liked it to be known that anything from another kitchen entered ,buckingham ,palace4 ,as ,i had left my dinner in the safe hands of the experts1 so ,i also left the question of the champagne we should drink1 only asking that it should be one recommended by the house4 ,before going on my way ,i reminded ,m4 ,kroell that on the last occasion that ,i had word with him he was presented with a miniature in brilliants of the order bestowed on him by the ,king of ,spain1 and ,i asked him if he had been awarded any other decorations4 ,m4 ,kroell laughed1 and then modestly owned to the ,german military medal1 and as he told me this he involuntarily squared his shoulders as an old soldier4 ,lady ,amalthea arrived with military punctuality 7she is a soldier's wife7 in the best of spirits1 wearing a dream of a dress1 and her diamonds and turquoises4 ,a table had been kept for us at the upper end of the room1 where ,lady ,amalthea could both see all the guests and be seen by them4 ,she ran through a little selection from ,debrett as she took her seat1 having scanned most of the diners as she came in1 and ,i was enabled to add to this by identifying a group at one of the tables as some of the ,peace ,delegates from the ,balkans4 ,then we settled down to the infinitely important matter of seeing what the dinner was that ,m4 ,malley and ,m4 ,charles in counsel had arranged for us4 ,this is the menu1 and though at first sight it seems a long one for two people it is an exceedingly light dinner1 and we neither of us ate the tiny cutlets which were the gros pice of the feast4 ,the wine to go with it was a bottle of ,roederer #aijf3 ,melon4 ,consomm ,glac ,madrilne4 ,filet de ,sole ,romanoff4 ,cailles des ,gourmets4 ,ctes de ,pauillac ,montpensir4 ,petits ,pois4 ,velout ,palestine4 ,poulet en ,chaudfroid4 ,salade la ,ritz4 ,pche ,belle ,dijonnaise4 ,the melon1 delightfully cold1 struck the right note in a dinner for a hot evening2 the ,madrilne soup1 beautiful in colour and flavoured with tomato and capsicum1 carried on the summer symphony2 the ,romanoff sole was quite admirable1 served with small slices of apple and artichokes and with mussels1 the apple giving a suspicion of bitter sweetness as a contrast to the flesh of the fish4 ,m4 ,charles happened to be near our table at this period1 not1 ,i think1 quite by chance4 ,i assured him that if there was such a thing as a gastronomic nerve ,m4 ,malley's creation had found it4 ,the quails formed part of a little pie brought to table in a pie-dish of old blue willow pattern1 and with them were coxcombs and truffles and other good things4 ,the poulet en chaudfroid was a noble bird1 all white1 and in it and with it was a pink mousse delicately perfumed with curry powder1 a quite admirable combination4 ,the ,ritz salad is of curs de romaine1 with almonds and portions of tiny oranges with it4 ,last of the dishes in the dinner came the pche ,belle ,dijonnaise1 which is one of the creations which have made the fame of ,m4 ,malley1 and which will become historical4 ,it is a delightful combination of peaches and black currant ice with some cassis1 a liqueur of black currants1 added to it1 and it is called ,belle ,dijonnaise because of the old ,burgundian proverb3 ,a ,dijon1 il y a du bon vin et des jolies filles4 ,i do not doubt that many people dined well in ,london on that hot ,june evening1 but this ,i will warrant1 that no two people1 however important they might be1 or whatever they paid for their dinner 7my bill came to #b1 #ajs471 dined better than did ,lady ,amalthea and ,i at the ,ritz1 and ,i make all my compliments to ,m4 ,malley4 ,i should not do the ,ritz full justice if ,i did not refer to the banquets which are served in the ,marie ,antoinette room and in the great white suite below the restaurant4 ,as typical of the ,ritz banquets ,i give you the menu of one that ,lord ,haldane gave to the foreign officers visiting ,london in ,june #aiab1 and ,i also give the accompanying wines3 ,caviar d',esturgeon4 ,kroupnick ,polonaise4 ,consomm ,viveur ,glac en ,tasse4 ,timbale de ,homards l',amricaine4 ,suprme de ,truite ,saumone la ,gele de ,chambertin4 ,aiguillette de ,jeune ,caneton l',ambassade4 ,courgettes la ,serbe4 ,selle de ,veau ,braise l',orloff4 ,petits ,pois4 ,carottes la ,crme4 ,pommes ,mignonette ,persilles4 ,souffl de ,jambon ,norvgienne4 ,ortolans ,doubles au ,bacon4 ,curs de ,laitues4 ,asperges ,gantes de ,paris1 ,sauce ,hollandaise4 ,pches des ,gourmets4 ,friandises4 ,mousse ,romaine4 ,tartelettes ,florentine4 ,corbeille de ,fruits4 ,,vins4 ,gonzalez ,coronation ,sherry4 ,berncastler ,doctor1 #ahic4 ,chteau ,duhart ,milon1 #ahge4 ,heidsieck ,dry ,monopole1 #ahih4 ,g4 ,h4 ,mumm1 #ahii4 ,croft's ,port1 #ahij4 ,la ,grande ,marque ,fine1 #ahdh4 ,the dinner looks at first glance to be an exceedingly long one1 but it is also an exceedingly light one1 the saddle of veal being the only substantial dish of the feast4 ,the aiguillettes of duckling from one of the special dishes at the ,ritz1 and the souffls and the mousses that come from the ,ritz kitchens are always ethereal4 ,this banquet is an excellent example of a feast which is important without being heavy4 ,,xxix ,,some ,,outlying ,,restaurants ,in calling the restaurants about which ,i write in this chapter outlying ones1 ,i do not mean that they are in the far suburbs1 but only that they are some little distance from ,nelson's ,column1 which ,i take to be the centre of restaurant land1 and that each of them is in a part of ,london having its own entity--,knightsbridge1 ,belgravia1 ,sloane ,square and ,bloomsbury4 99 99 99 99 99 ,rinaldo1 in the days when he was at the ,savoy1 used to stand at the desk by the door and tell us all as we came in what tables had been reserved for us4 ,of course1 as matre d'htel1 he had other duties1 but as he knew my whims concerning the position of my table1 and as he always sent me just where ,i wanted to be1 ,i have him in grateful remembrance for doing this4 ,when he left the ,savoy he set up on his own account at ,no4 #ae ,wilton ,road1 which is just opposite ,victoria ,station1 and there1 ,i am glad to say1 he still flourishes4 ,he is no longer quite the slim ,spanish don with a peaked black beard that he used to be1 but proprietorship has a waistcoat-filling effect on restaurateurs1 and time softens black hair with streaks of grey4 ,rinaldo's restaurant is quite spacious1 a high and airy room with plenty of light4 ,its walls are of pleasant grey with decorations in high relief in the upper part1 and on the stained glass of the sky-light are paintings of game and fruit4 ,baskets of ferns in the shape of boats hang from the roof1 and there are always bunches of roses on the tables4 ,behind a screen at the far end is the service bar where the wines are served out1 and in the centre of the room is a very appetising table of cold meats and fruit2 the melons and other things that should be kept cold being on a long box of broken ice2 the mushrooms reposing in big wooden baskets2 the crayfish and the egg-fruit and the other delicacies1 according to seasons1 all being set out with exceptional taste and looking very tempting4 ,quite an aristocratic clientele lunches and dines at ,rinaldo's restaurant4 ,many of the great people of ,belgravia like to lunch in a restaurant which is no great distance from their homes2 the ,monsignori from the neighbouring ,roman ,catholic ,cathedral often go there1 and quite a number of gourmets who like the ,italian dishes--for ,rinaldo1 though he looks like a ,spaniard1 is an ,italian--of which there are always some on the bill of fare1 are very constant patrons4 ,the restaurant has an extensive carte du jour1 and most people who lunch there prefer to order that meal from the card1 though there is a two-shilling lunch for those who are in a hurry4 ,on the carte du jour which ,i took away with me on the last occasion ,i lunched in ,wilton ,road ,i found amongst the entres ris de veau financire1 ,vienna schnitzel1 cte de veau ,napolitaine1 bitock la ,russe1 entrecte ,tyrolienne and fritto misto la ,romaine1 which shows that the restaurant caters for many nationalities and many tastes4 ,my lunch on this occasion--it was a warm summer day--consisted of a slice of cantaloup melon1 #i;d42 fritto misto1 #as4 #f;d42 a cut of cheese2 an iced zabajone ,milanaise1 #as41 and a cup of coffee1 which is always excellent at ,rinaldo's1 and which1 disregarding his early bringing-up--for ,italians never allow metals to touch coffee--,rinaldo pours out of a fascinating little metal pot4 ,a three-and-six dinner is the dinner of the house1 and ,rinaldo explained to me that this rarely contains ,italian dishes2 for ,englishmen in the evening find them rather difficult to digest4 ,this is a menu1 taken by chance in the autumn1 of the dinner of the restaurant3 ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm ,tosca4 ,crme ,portugaise4 ,turbot ,bouilli4 ,sce4 ,homard4 ,filet d',hareng ,meunire4 ,mignonette d',agneau ,marigny4 ,grenadine de ,veau ,clamart4 ,grouse rti4 ,salade4 ,choufleur au ,gratin4 ,glac ,napolitaine4 ,mignardises4 99 99 99 99 99 ,gretener1 who is the proprietor of the ,new ,albert ,restaurant1 #gg ,knightsbridge1 also1 in the past1 scored good marks in my memory1 for he was manager of that very difficult proposition1 the restaurant of the ,gare ,maritime at ,boulogne1 and during his reign there it was always possible1 by giving him warning beforehand1 to get an excellent luncheon excellently served4 ,as most of the business of that restaurant is to put the greatest amount of food in the shortest possible time into travellers who keep one anxious eye on the train outside1 or to cater for big parties of excursionists at the cheapest possible rate1 a manager must have a soul for the gastronomic art to keep his restaurant under these conditions a place of delicate cookery4 ,when ,m4 ,gretener and his pretty wife came to ,england they established themselves at a restaurant in ,knightsbridge1 which has a tessellated pavement and walls of ornamented glazed tiles with mirrors at intervals1 and a ceiling on which cupids in high relief gambol on medallions with a blue ground4 ,a stained glass window is at the far end of the restaurant1 a wide staircase leads to the first floor1 and under the staircase is a little glassed-in serving-room4 ,m4 ,gretener has collected a very faithful clientele1 and he also sends out meals to the dwellers in the houses of flats which abound in ,knightsbridge4 ,in the summer-time many people who go out of a morning to ,hyde ,park1 strangers in the land1 ,french1 ,germans1 and ,italians amongst them1 see ,gretener's as they go through the ,albert ,gate and make it their lunching place4 ,a three-shilling dinner is the dinner of the house1 but whenever ,i have been there ,i have ordered my meal la carte from the very moderately priced card of the day1 and this is a typical bill4 ,crme ,lentils1 #h;d4 ,mayonnaise of ,salmon1 #bs4 ,noisette d'agneau ,doria1 #as4 #f;d4 ,haricots verts sauts1 #f;d41 and ,bavarois chocolat1 #d;d4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,queen's ,restaurant1 ,no4 #d ,sloane ,square1 is one to which ,i often go when there is a first night at the ,court ,theatre1 for it is only just across the road from that house4 ,its proprietor1 ,m4 ,coppo1 who learned his business at the ,caf ,royal1 bustles about his restaurant with a napkin under his arm doing the work of matre d'htel4 ,the restaurant1 with cream-coloured walls and mirrors in white frames1 consists of several rooms thrown into one1 the part by the entrance door being narrow and just holding two rows of tables1 while at the back there is plenty of space4 ,the clientele1 on the occasions that ,i have been there1 has been a mixture of all the comfortable classes--,guards' officers from the neighbouring barracks1 fashionable people of both sexes from ,sloane ,street and its neighbourhood1 dramatic critics making a hurried meal before going to the theatre1 business men1 and an artist or two from the ,chelsea studios4 ,m4 ,coppo gives his patrons a set dinner1 the price of which1 ,i fancy1 is #cs4 #f;d42 but ,i have always ordered my dinner from the carte du jour1 and ,i have found the food to be quite reasonably cheap and good4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i wonder how many people of the tens of hundreds who take their books to ,mudie's to be exchanged know that the ,vienna ,caf just across the road is an excellent place at which to lunch4 ,in the upstairs rooms ,i have eaten1 in the middle of the day1 ,austrian and ,german dishes excellently cooked1 and there is a ,viennese cheese cake which is a speciality of the house for which ,i have a liking1 and with a slice of which ,i have always ended my meal4 ,the coffee of the house is the excellent coffee made in the ,austrian manner1 and at tea-time the ,caf down below is always crowded with people1 especially ladies1 who like the ,viennese cakes and pastries that they obtain there4 ,,xxx ,,the ,,king',s ,,guard ,,st ,,james',s ,,palace ,the best dinner in ,london1 sir6 was what our fathers always added when1 with a touch of gratification1 they used to tell of having been asked to dine on the ,guard at ,st ,james's2 and nowadays1 when the art of dinner-giving has come to be very generally understood1 the man who likes good cooking and good company still feels very pleased to be asked to dinner by one of the officers of the guard1 for the old renown is still justified1 and there is a fascination in the surroundings that is not to be obtained by unlimited money spent in any restaurant4 ,past the illuminated clock of the ,palace1 the hands of which mark five minutes to eight1 in through an arched gate1 across one of the courts1 and in a narrow passage where a window gives a glimpse of long rows of burnished pots and pans1 is a black-painted door with1 on the door-jamb1 a legend of black on white telling that this is the officers' guard4 ,up some wooden stairs with leaden edges to them1 stairs built for use and not for ornament3 and1 the guests' coats being taken by a clean-shaved butler in evening clothes1 we are at once in the officers' room4 ,it is a long room1 lighted on one side by a great bow-window1 flanked by two other windows4 ,at the farthest end of the room from the door is a mantelpiece of grey and white marble4 ,the walls are painted a comfortable green colour1 and there are warm crimson curtains to the windows4 ,there are many pictures upon the walls2 and a large sofa1 leather-covered arm-chairs1 and a writing-table in the bow of the window give an air of comfort to the room4 ,a great screen1 which1 in its way1 is a work of art1 being covered with cuttings of all periods1 from ,rowlandson's caricatures to the modern style of military prints1 is drawn out from the wall so as to divide the room into two portions4 ,on the door side of the screen stands in one corner the regimental colour of the battalion finding the guard1 and here1 too1 are the bearskin head-dresses of the officers4 ,on the fireplace side of the screen is a table ready set for dinner1 the clear glass decanters at the corners being filled with champagne1 a silver-gilt vase forming the centre-piece1 and candles in silver candelabra giving the necessary light4 ,by the fireplace the officers of the guard1 in scarlet and gold and black1 are waiting to receive their guests4 ,in addition to the officers of ,st ,james's guard1 the adjutant and colonel of the battalion that finds the guard1 the two officers of the ,household ,cavalry on guard at the ,horse ,guards and some of the military officials of the ,court have a right to dine4 ,but it is rarely that all entitled to this privilege avail themselves of it1 and the captain and officers of the guard generally are able to ask some guests to fill the vacant chairs4 ,as1 on the stroke of eight1 on the evening ,i am writing of1 we sat down to dinner my host told me that he had ordered a typical meal for me4 ,this was the menu3 ,potage crote-au-pot4 ,eperlans l',anglaise4 ,bouches la molle4 ,ctelettes de mouton4 ,pure de marrons4 ,poularde la ,turque4 ,hure truffe4 ,sauce ,cumberland4 ,pluviers dors4 ,pommes de terre ,anna4 ,champignons grills4 ,omelette souffle4 ,hutres la ,diable4 ,the spatchcocked smelts1 the boar's head1 with its sharp-tasting sauce1 and the souffle1 ,i recognised as being favourite dishes on the ,king's ,guard4 ,on this evening the wearers of the black coats1 as well as the red1 had served his ,majesty1 at one time or another1 in various parts of the world1 and our talk drifted to the subject of the various officers' guards all over the ,british world4 ,in hospitality the castle guard at ,dublin probably comes next to the guard at ,st ,james's1 for the officers of the guard fare excellently there at the ,viceregal expense4 ,the ,bank guards1 both in the ,city of ,london and at ,college ,green1 have compensating advantages1 and the officers' guard at ,fort ,william1 ,calcutta1 has helped many an impoverished subaltern to buy a polo pony4 ,the story goes that some rich native falling ill close to the gate of ,fort ,william1 the subaltern on guard took him up to the guardroom and treated him kindly1 and in consequence1 in his will1 the native left provision for a daily sum of rupees to be given to the subaltern on guard4 ,these rupees are paid to the officer minus one1 retained by the babus as a charge for stationery1 and though all the little tin gods both at ,calcutta and ,simla have exerted themselves to recover for the subaltern that rupee1 the power of the babu has been too strong and the imaginary stationery still represents the missing rupee4 ,we chatted of the ,malta guard1 with its collection of pictures on the wall2 of dreary hours at ,gibraltar1 with nothing to do except to construct sugar-covered fougasses to blow up flies2 and of exciting moments at ,peshawar1 when the chance of being shot by one's own sentries made going the rounds a real affair of outposts4 ,then ,i asked questions about the gilt centre-piece1 which is in the shape of an ,egyptian vase with sphinxes on the base1 and was told that the holding capacities of it were beyond the guessing of anyone who had not seen the experiment tried4 ,some of the other plate which is put upon the table at the close of dinner is of great interest4 ,there is a cigar-lighter in the shape of a grenade given by his late ,majesty ,king ,edward1 a silver cigar-cutter1 a memento of an inter-regimental friendship made at manuvres1 and a snuff-box made from one of the hoofs of ,napoleon's charger ,marengo4 ,which hoof it was is not stated on the box1 but the collective wisdom of the table decided that it must have been the near hind one4 ,excepting on days when the ,scots ,guards are on guard1 the ,sovereign's health is not1 ,i believe1 drunk after dinner--though ,i fancy that ,king ,edward1 when ,prince of ,wales1 dining on guard1 broke through this custom4 ,the regiment from across the ,border was at one time suspected of a leaning towards ,jacobitism1 and while the officers were ordered to drink his ,majesty's health they were not allowed to use finger-glasses after dinner1 lest they should drink to the ,king over the water4 ,dinner over1 the big sofa is pulled round in front of the fire and a bridge-table claims its devotees4 ,i asked my host to be allowed to inspect the pictures which pretty well cover the walls4 ,the most important is an excellent portrait of ,queen ,victoria in the early part of her reign4 ,it is the work of ,lieut4-,col4 ,cadogan1 and was begun on the wall of a guardroom--at ,windsor1 ,i fancy4 ,the surface of the wall was cut off1 the picture finished1 and it now hangs1 a fine work of art but a tremendous weight1 in the place of honour4 ,there is an admirable oil-colour of the old ,duke of ,wellington1 showing a kindly old face looking down1 a pleasant difference from the alert aquiline profile which most of his portraits show4 ,there are prints of other celebrated generals1 mostly ,guardsmen1 and an amusing caricature of three kings dining on guard4 ,it is a very unfurnished guardroom1 with a bare floor1 in which their ,majesties are being entertained1 but the enthusiasm with which the officers are drinking their health makes up for the surroundings4 ,a key to the print hangs hard by1 but the names attached to the various figures are said to have been written in joke4 ,many of the pictures are sporting prints and hunting caricatures2 but the original of ,vanity ,fair's sketch of ,dan ,godfrey is in one corner2 and a strange old picture of a battle1 painted on a tea-tray1 hangs over the door4 ,on either side of the looking-glass1 above the mantelpiece1 are the list of officers on duties and the orders for the guard1 the latter with a glass over them1 which is supposed to have been cracked in ,marlborough's time4 ,some very admirably arranged caricatures1 with explanatory notes1 are bound into a series of red volumes and kept in a glazed set of shelves1 and these1 with a number of blue-bound volumes of ,the ,pall ,mall ,magazine1 form the greater portion of the library available for the officers on guard4 ,as the hands of the clock near eleven1 the butler1 who has been handing round pegs in long tumblers1 takes up his position by the door4 ,military discipline is inexorable1 and we 7the guests7 know that we must be out of the precincts of the guard by eleven o'clock4 ,we say good-night to our hosts1 and as we go downstairs we hear the clank of swords being buckled on4 ,outside in the courtyard a sergeant and a drummer and a man with a lantern are waiting for the officer to go the rounds4 ,,xxxi ,,the ,,old ,,bull ,,and ,,bush ,there is no side of ,london life that has died out more completely1 so far as the upper classes are concerned1 than the visits to the old tea-gardens which used to be the resort of the well-to-do classes from the days of ,king ,charles ,,ii4 up to the beginning of the last century4 ,bagginnage ,wells1 to which ,nell ,gwynne first brought the bucks1 is only a name now1 but ,coleman1 in his comedy1 ,bon-ton1 defined good tone as to ,drink tea on summer afternoons ,at ,bagginnage ,wells with china and gilt spoons4 ,sadler's ,wells was a tea-garden with a music-room before ,rosoman pulled down the building to put up a theatre4 ,white ,conduit ,house used to take fifty pounds on a ,sunday afternoon for sixpenny tea tickets1 and its white bread was considered a great luxury4 ,the bowling alleys of ,marylebone ,gardens were famous2 and there were tea-gardens and a bowling-green at the ,yorkshire ,stingo1 opposite ,lisson ,grove4 ,kilburn ,wells advertised that its gardens and great room were adapted to the use of the politest companies1 and at ,jenny's ,whim there was a great garden1 in different parts of which were recesses1 and in a large piece of water facing the tea alcoves big fish and mermaids showed themselves above the surface4 ,the ,apollo ,gardens in the ,westminster ,road1 and ,cuper's ,gardens opposite ,somerset ,house1 were amongst these old places of amusement1 most of which are now only names4 ,there is1 however1 at the present time a tavern with tea-gardens of the old-fashioned kind quite close to ,london1 which1 besides its picturesqueness1 has other recommendations which give it a right to inclusion in a ,gourmet's ,guide4 ,the ,bull and ,bush at ,north ,end1 ,hampstead1 which is the tavern to which ,i refer1 has no very long history behind it4 ,it was a farmhouse when ,jack ,straw's ,castle and the ,spaniards were inns with tea-gardens attached1 the gardens of the latter house being laid out in the formal ,dutch style1 which became fashionable after the ,revolution4 ,tradition has it that the ,bull and ,bush was at one time ,hogarth's house1 and ,mr ,austin ,dobson1 who garnered information from all quarters into his book on ,hogarth1 admits the claim of the house to this distinction1 but thinks that it was a house to which ,hogarth went for a visit4 ,there are long periods in ,hogarth's life1 before his father-in-law1 ,sir ,john ,thornhill1 forgave him for his elopement with his daughter and took the young pair to live with him in the family house in ,covent ,garden1 of which no record has been kept1 and ,i should like to imagine that the blue-eyed1 bold young artist carried away the girl he loved to the farmhouse on the breezy common to spend their honeymoon there1 and that he and she together planted the ring of fir-trees in the garden which are still called ,hogarth's firs4 ,the house ceased to be a farm1 and became a place of refreshment in later days1 and ,w4 ,h4 ,pyne 7,ephraim ,hardcastle71 in his collection of essays1 ,wine and ,walnuts1 tells of an imaginary excursion made to the ,bull and ,bush by a party which included ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 ,gainsborough1 ,sterne and ,garrick1 and puts in ,gainsborough's mouth praise of the creamy milk and the fine ,dutch damask to be found at the little inn4 ,and the great ,victorian painters and writers followed the example of their predecessors in going on jaunts to the ,bull and ,bush1 for when ,harry ,humphries1 a great favourite with all men of the pen and brush1 was the host of the house1 ,dickens used to frequent it1 and ,george ,augustus ,sala1 ,clement ,scott and ,e4 ,l4 ,blanchard1 and those two great ,punch artists1 ,george du ,maurier and ,charles ,keene1 and many more of a like kidney4 ,there is no difficulty in finding the old inn to-day1 for at the flagstaff and the pond which mark the western end of the long1 bare backbone of the common 7from which ,london can be seen below to the south in its veil of smoke1 and on clear days the ,surrey hills beyond1 while to the north are the hills and fields of the great landscape that stretches from ,harrow round to ,hainault7 the ,north ,end road plunges down1 with common land1 furze and undergrowth and big trees and grassy knolls to one side1 and on the other old oaken park palings and big trees4 ,just where the road first dips a blind fiddler stands1 and all day long he plays one air1 and that air is ,kate ,carney's song1 ,down by the old ,bull and ,bush4 ,the inn itself is almost in the shadow of a big mansion1 ,pitt ,house it is called1 to which the great ,lord ,chatham retired when he suffered from his nerve storms1 refused to see any of his fellow-ministers and could not even bear the presence of a servant1 his food being passed in to him through a panel in the door4 ,in the road to one side of the inn a peripatetic photographer generally establishes his studio4 ,the ,bull and ,bush is a white-faced building with a slated roof1 standing a little back from the highway1 and behind it and on both sides of it are many trees4 ,it is an old house with a big window to its large room on the first floor and nice old-fashioned bow-windows with small panes to the two bar-rooms on the ground floor4 ,one of these bar-rooms is a real snuggery adorned with sketches by some of the artists who have made themselves at home in the inn4 ,various large boards set forth that lunches1 dinners and teas are obtainable2 that the name of the host is ,mr ,fred ,vinall2 that there are private dining-rooms1 a coffee-room and billiards2 and that a two-shilling ordinary is ready every ,sunday from two to three o'clock4 ,this ordinary1 which ,i believe is a very noble feast for the money charged1 is held in the big room upstairs4 ,the gardens are at the back of the inn1 and though summer is the real time to enjoy the attractions of the arbours at the ,bull and ,bush1 it is quite pleasant when the new leaves are covering1 in the spring1 the trees with the lightest green1 or on a still1 autumn day when the tints around the lawn are all russet and copper1 to drink tea on the little terrace behind the house in the centre of which is a great stone vase for flowers and at which little tables with red and white and yellow and white covers are set for the tea-drinkers4 ,the tea is excellent1 and though the slices of bread and butter are thick they are of fine bread and the freshest of butter4 ,when spring merges into summer the green bowling lawn1 with turf as thick and level as a carpet1 also has its quota of cane chairs and little tables1 and the rustic arbours all around it1 on the roofs of which are boxes of flowers1 are also all occupied4 ,the waiters are kept busy carrying cakes and bread and butter and tea and stronger beverages all through a summer day to the little family parties who take their ease in the garden of their inn4 ,as a neighbour to the bowling-green is the platform which serves as an out-of-door dancing floor when ,cinderellas are held on summer evenings1 and as the flooring on which the chairs are put when a concert is given on a little stage which is to one side of this planked space4 ,in the middle of this dancing and theatre floor is the circle of firs which bears ,hogarth's name4 ,there are electric lights on the terrace and amidst the trees and round the lawn and dancing floor4 ,tuesdays and ,thursdays and ,saturdays are the days on which the concerts or the dances are generally held in summer4 ,mr ,fred ,vinall1 short in stature1 genial in manner1 with close-clipped grey beard and moustache1 has just as distinguished friends amongst players and artists and men of the pen as any of his predecessors4 ,he has revived the old pleasures of the tea-gardens of a hundred years ago1 and to see the gardens of the ,bull and ,bush on a warm summer evening is to learn that ,londoners can take their evening pleasures out of doors with cheerful mirth and with sobriety as well4 ,and now at last ,i come to the reason why the ,bull and ,bush should be recommended to gourmets not only as a place where ,londoners can be seen amusing themselves sanely1 but as a place of excellent eating4 ,mrs ,vinall1 wife of the host of the old inn1 ,belgian by birth1 has all the talent of a ,cordon ,bleu1 and if warning is telegraphed or written to the inn of the coming of a party of gourmets1 a lunch or a dinner1 admirably cooked under ,mrs ,vinall's supervision1 will be ready for the gastronomers1 the table set in the open air1 and they will1 ,i am sure1 eating in the invigorating air of ,hampstead ,heath food admirably cooked1 thank me for having told them of a lunching and dining place clear of the ,london smoke4 ,,xxxii ,,the ,,berkeley ,the pleasant1 white-faced hotel1 with its restaurant on the ground floor1 which faces the ,ritz across ,piccadilly1 stands on classic ground1 for it was at the corner of ,piccadilly and ,berkeley ,street that ,francatelli1 the great cook and matre d'htel1 pupil of the even greater ,carme1 was in command of the ,st ,james's ,restaurant and the hotel of that name which in the middle of the last century stood first1 with no proxime accessit1 amongst the restaurants of the capital4 ,nowadays we take our great ,french cooks in ,london for granted2 they are part of the life of ,london4 ,but in the fifties ,clubland was still a little astonished and flattered that the great chefs were willing to desert their own country to dwell amidst the fogs and rain of ,england1 and restaurants were comparatively rare1 and few of them were of a very high class4 ,hayward1 who first published his ,art of ,dining in #aheb1 gives in his book little biographies of ,ude and ,francatelli1 and alludes rather slightingly to ,soyer1 who was the third of the trio of very great cooks4 ,disraeli1 who had enough of the artistic temperament in him to assign to gastronomy its proper place amongst the pleasures of life1 recorded the dismissal of ,ude from ,crockford's in the following words3--,there has been a row at ,crockford's1 and ,ude dismissed4 ,he told the committee he was worth #djjj a year4 ,their new man is quite a failure1 so ,i think the great artist may yet return from ,elba4 ,the new man was ,francatelli1 and he was so far from being a failure that when it was thought that ,buckingham ,palace should possess the greatest cook in ,england the position of chief cook and matre d'htel to the ,queen was offered to him4 ,he did not find the position a comfortable one1 and resigned at the end of two years4 ,for a time he lived in retirement1 but in the sixties he once more placed himself on the active list1 and took charge of the ,st ,james's4 ,in doing so he was following the example of ,soyer1 who1 in the fifties1 established a restaurant in ,gore ,house1 which had been the residence of ,lady ,blessington4 ,soyer expected that the ,great ,exhibition would send a crowd of rich people to his restaurant1 and many great people patronised it1 but in the end he lost #gjjj by his venture4 ,hayward says concerning him that he is more likely to earn immortality by his soup kitchen than by his soup1 alluding to the soup kitchens that ,soyer as a ,government ,commissioner established at the ,royal ,barracks in ,dublin during the great famine in ,ireland4 ,in #ahfh1 when ,the ,epicure's ,year ,book1 an attempt to copy ,grimod de la ,reynire's ,almanach des ,gourmands1 was published by ,bradbury and ,evans1 ,francatelli was at the zenith of his fame at the ,st ,james's1 and the anonymous author1 in that book1 who wrote the chapter on ,london ,dinners1 after paying a compliment to ,british fare1 saying that ,wilton and ,rule are not afraid of comparison with any oyster dealers in the world1 and extolling the flounders and steaks of the ,blue ,posts in ,cork ,street1 declares that cookery such as ,ude once served at ,crockford's and his successor ,francatelli is now serving at the ,st ,james's ,hotel1 ,piccadilly1 is not reached by any other hotel or tavern in ,london4 ,as it may interest my readers with a taste for antiquarian lore to know which were the restaurants recommended in the sixties for good plain food1 ,i continue the quotation4 ,at the ,ship and ,turtle in ,leadenhall ,street1 or at ,birch's 7,ring and ,brymer71 on ,cornhill1 the turtle is cooked with perfect art2 and the punch would satisfy the author of ',le veritable art de faire le ,punch4' ,the fish1 at the fish dinner at ,simpson's in ,cheapside1 is admirable4 ,nay1 you may have a chop broiled under your nose1 at ,joe's1 behind the ,royal ,exchange1 that shall defy criticism4 ,at ,simpson's in the ,strand2 at the ,albion1 by ,drury ,lane ,theatre2 at ,blanchard's 7ask for his ,cotherstone cheese71 in ,beak ,street1 ,regent ,street1 the ,earl ,dudley's neck of venison1 duckling with green peas1 or chicken with asparagus--the main elements of his dinner 'fit for an emperor1' are to be bought excellently well cooked4 ,the ,rainbow1 in ,fleet ,street1 is a well-known1 good1 plain house2 and a grill well cooked and served1 where ,messrs ,spiers and ,pond have put up their silver gridiron1 at ,ludgate ,hill1 is a new illustration of ,london plain cookery4 ,the ,london1 in ,fleet ,street1 is an admirable house2 cheap1 and yet where there are--a rare thing in the ,city--well-kept tables4 ,this house publishes its menus in the evening papers4 ,our oyster shops have no rivals in the boastful capital of gastronomy4 ,take ,pim's1 for example1 in the ,poultry1 where there are perfect oysters1 and the luncheon delicacies of our modern day4 ,but when the ambitious diner glances along the line of entres1 even in the best of the houses ,i have cited1 he is in danger4 ,in the ,city1 the ,albion is the best kitchen for elaborate dishes1 and the dinners given here are smaller than the crowds which meet over huddled1 flat1 and chilled dishes at our great public dinners4 ,yet nobody would for one moment think of comparing the most carefully prepared dinner for sixty with such a menu as ,francatelli prepares for half-a-dozen in ,piccadilly4 ,from this general damnation1 however1 the author exempts ,willis's1 in ,king ,street1 ,st ,james's1 where1 he says1 the mutton pies of the ,old ,thatched ,house ,tavern may still be eaten2 ,epitaux'1 in ,pall ,mall2 the ,burlington1 in ,regent ,street2 ,verrey's and ,khn's1 in which places very respectable ,french cookery is to be had4 ,the ,epicure's ,year ,book gives amongst its menus of remarkable dinners of #ahfg one of the ,epicure dinner served at the ,st ,james's4 ,the dner la ,russe was in those days ousting the dinner in the ,french style1 in which the dishes were placed in three services or relays upon the table and carved by host and guests1 and such an epicure as ,captain ,hans ,busk1 who was the gourmet par excellence of the sixties1 gave his guests at the ,united ,university ,club very much such a dinner as men eat to-day1 though his dinners were of too many courses4 ,but at the ,mansion ,house the first and second and third services were still adhered to4 ,francatelli1 though conforming to the new style1 made concessions to the old school1 as this menu shows4 ,his ,french was a little shaky1 for he did not know when la should be used and when it should not be used3 ,les ,hutres4 ,potages4--,la pure de gibier la chasseur2 la ,julienne4 ,poisson4--,les epigrammes de rougets la ,bordelaise2 le saumon la ,tartare4 ,entres4--,les mauviettes la ,troienza2 les ctelettes la ,duchesse2 les medaillons de perdreaux la ,st ,james2 le selle de mouton rtie4 ,legumes 444 ,salade4 ,second ,service4--,le faisan truff la ,prigueux2 la mayonnaise de crevettes2 les chouxfleurs au parmesan2 la charlotte de pommes2 le gteau la ,crito4 ,the ,st ,james's was not by any means the first hostelry at the corner of ,berkeley ,street1 for in the stage-coach days a coffee-house--the ,gloucester1 ,i think--occupied the site1 and some of the coaches for the west used to start from it2 but ,i have already given you a fill of the history of the forerunners of the ,berkeley1 and will come at once to recent years and the modern building4 ,m4 ,diette1 who was one of the men who awakened ,london from its mid-,victorian gluttony and taught ,londoners to dine lightly and dine well1 was for a time at the ,berkeley before he went to the ,continent to make the ,hotel du ,palais at ,biarritz a very splendid place of entertainment4 ,he died recently at ,le ,touquet1 where one of his many sons-in-law1 ,m4 ,recoussine1 is in command of two of the big hotels4 ,in #ahig there were many alterations and additions made to the ,berkeley1 the restaurant was almost doubled in size1 and when ,m4 ,jules was manager of the hotel and ,emile was in charge of the restaurant1 and ,m4 ,herpin was chef de cuisine1 the ,berkeley was1 as it is now1 one of the best places at which to dine in ,london4 ,the restaurant in those days was panelled with light oak1 and the ante-room1 by the entrance1 was all old gold4 ,jules was translated to the ,savoy and now1 as a proprietor1 is comfortably settled at the ,maison ,jules in ,jermyn ,street4 ,m4 ,kroell was another manager who stepped from the ,berkeley to a larger hotel1 having only to cross the road to reach the ,ritz4 ,mr ,raymond ,slanz1 the manager who controls the ,berkeley in this year of grace1 is as eminent as any of his predecessors4 ,he is young1 energetic1 and has brains1 which he has used unsparingly in keeping the ,berkeley abreast of the times4 ,he is the most cosmopolitan of managers1 for he has gained his experience all over the ,continent1 in ,england1 ,america and ,south ,africa4 ,he has been the architect of his own fortunes1 for when he first came to ,london he started his upward career from the position of extra waiter at the ,savoy4 ,the restaurant to-day is all white2 its walls have a deep white frieze1 with on it in relief a wood through the trees of which a medival hunting party thread their way1 half the animals that came out of the ,ark being afoot in this wonderful preserve4 ,there is some gold ornamentation just below the frieze and on the casings of the windows1 and gilt electroliers are in the centre of the panels4 ,shields of semi-opaque glass and lamps hidden by the cornice throw light up on to the ceiling and there are gilt capitols to the fluted columns4 ,the rose and grey of the carpet and the rose of the chair cushions form a pleasant contrast to the white4 ,the ante-room in which a string band of musicians in gorgeous uniforms play has the same decoration as the restaurant4 ,the ,berkeley restaurant flourishes so satisfactorily that more tables are wanted1 though it is comparatively lately that a new room was added1 and the space occupied by the cashiers is to be thrown into the restaurant4 ,m4 ,arturo ,giordano1 who is generally known as ,arthur and who used to oscillate between the ,palais at ,st ,moritz and the ,berkeley1 is now permanently in charge of the restaurant1 and ,m4 ,j4 ,granjon1 who came to ,london from the ,grande ,cercle ,rpublicain1 and who has been created a ,chevalier of the ,order of ,mrite ,agricole1 is the chef de cuisine4 ,one warm ,july evening ,i found myself at eight o'clock dinnerless in ,mayfair4 ,i was to have dined with friends at their house1 but on arriving there found that my hostess had been taken suddenly ill and that dinner was the last thing concerning which the household was troubling itself4 ,my room under these circumstances was more welcome than my company4 ,my favourite table in my favourite club would1 ,i knew1 be occupied by somebody else2 the ,berkeley was the nearest restaurant1 and ,i accordingly walked there and found one of the small tables at the far end of the room unoccupied4 ,at the ,berkeley there is always a carte du jour with an abundant choice of dishes1 those ready being marked with a cross4 ,it is the custom of the house1 and a very good one too1 to allow the diners to choose their own dinner from the carte and to charge them half-a-guinea or twelve and six1 according to whether the dinner is a long one or a short one4 ,i was in the course of ordering a short dinner and had selected rossolnik1 a ,russian soup1 some turbot1 a wing of a chicken en cocotte1 and was hesitating over the various entremets1 when ,arthur espied me1 came to my table and took matters into his own hands4 ,he asked to be allowed to alter my menu slightly in order that some of the specialities of the house might play a part in it4 ,i was nothing loth1 for my dinner under those circumstances became interesting1 and ,i was prepared to consider critically any of ,m4 ,granjon's creations that ,arthur might put before me4 ,this was the menu3 ,melon ,cantaloup4 ,crme ,raymonde4 ,turbotin ,beaumarchais4 ,suprme de ,volaille ,bagatelle4 ,velout ,chtelaine4 ,pches ,glacs ,hortense4 ,the soup was a cream of chicken1 delightfully soft1 a very gentle introduction to what was to follow4 ,the turbotin ,beaumarchais is a noble dish1 a strong white wine sauce with the essence of the fish in it1 and sliced truffles1 and mushrooms and carrots being served therewith1 parsley1 and just a suspicion of onion4 ,the suprme de volaille ,bagatelle ,i recommend to anyone who1 like myself1 is occasionally warned off red meats by sundry twinges1 as being a dish of fowl which is interesting and not in the least vapid4 ,asparagus and mushrooms and truffles go with it1 and the principal ingredients of the sauce are port and cream reduced4 ,the entremet consisted of peaches and grapes1 raspberries1 and a cream ice with1 ,i fancy1 more than one liqueur added1 the whole forming a noble ,coupe-,jacques1 served in a silver bowl4 ,my dinner being a short one1 ,i had plenty of appetite left for this admirable fruit dish4 ,the ,berkeley1 both the hotel and the restaurant1 always seem to be a stronghold of the country gentleman4 ,if ,i heard that an ,m4,f4,h4 of my acquaintance whom ,i wished to see was in town and ,i did not know his address1 the hotel to which ,i should telephone first to ask whether he was staying there would be the ,berkeley1 and no doubt the wonderful frieze of the restaurant is a compliment to the mighty hunters who stay in the hotel4 ,many squarsons and the higher ranks of the clergy are amongst the patrons of the ,berkeley1 and whenever ,i dine at the restaurant it seems to me that it ought to be the week of the ,oxford and ,cambridge or ,eton and ,harrow cricket matches1 for ,i always see amongst the guests at the dinner-parties pretty girls with complexions of cream and rose1 the sisters of ,varsity lads and public schoolboys1 country maidens whom ,i always associate with ,lord's1 light and dark blue ribbons1 and wild enthusiasm4 ,i have never dined at the ,berkeley without coming away a pleased man1 and the dinner that ,m4 ,granjon cooked for me when ,i was dinnerless in the wilderness which borders the ,green ,park sent me away from the ,berkeley rejoicing4 ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,joys ,,of ,,foreign ,,travel ,,the ,,restaurant ,,gustave ,there are one or two tales of wonderful discoveries of excellent little restaurants in unexpected places abroad that1 with variations1 ,i hear over and over again from travelled folk4 ,one of these stories is a motoring one4 ,the scene is usually the south of ,france1 and a long day's journey1 an early djeuner1 a breakdown in some desolate spot and a long delay before the damage could be repaired are the preliminaries1 all told at considerable length4 ,then comes a harrowing description of the oncoming of darkness1 of the discovery that the town at which the travellers intend to spend the night is still many1 many kilometres away1 of a shortage of petrol1 of the faint feeling that comes through lack of food4 ,a shower of cold rain1 or mud up to the axles1 a broken-down bridge or a swollen stream generally come into the story at this period to lead up to the sense of relief1 described with rapture1 which the travellers experience when1 at a turning of the road1 a light is seen at a distance4 ,this is found to be the window of a little inn1 quite unpretentious outside1 with a sanded floor inside1 everything quite clean1 the host a retired matre d'htel who had in his time been a waiter in ,soho1 and talks a little ,english1 the hostess an excellent cook4 ,and then the story ambles along to its happy ending with the description of the soupe l'oignon which is put on table1 over which a clean napkin is spread1 of the delicious savour it emits and how beautifully hot and strong it is1 of the grilled wings of a chicken which follow2 of an omelette au confiture1 which the cook herself brings to table2 of country wine and country butter2 a long stick of bread and some cheese made on a neighbouring farm4 ,and the tag1 in a dozen words1 tells how the chauffeur1 who has also been well fed1 finds a fresh supply of petrol1 and how the contented travellers reach at midnight the town where they intend to sleep4 ,the scene of another story is a minor cathedral town in ,italy or ,spain1 and the tale commences with a vigorous denunciation of the principal hotel in the place3 stuffy rooms1 vile food cooked in rancid oil2 an impudent head waiter and an unhelpful hall-porter4 ,the central division of the story deals with a long day of sight-seeing2 a midday meal of sandwiches1 horrid things made of the ham of the country and coarse bread2 and a terrifying adventure when1 having lost their way in a network of streets1 the ladies of the party are stared at by some horrible unshaven men who say un-understandable things in patois1 and then laugh4 ,the tale concludes thus3--,just as we thought that we should have to pay one of the impudent little boys to show us the way back to that disgusting hotel we turned a corner1 and there we saw a clean little restaurant with little trees in front of the window and a bill of fare1 with lots of nice things on it quite cheap1 hanging on the door-post4 ,there are unlimited variations on the above1 and the tale can take from two minutes to three-quarters of an hour in the telling1 according to the volume of guide-book gush and the amount of lip-smacking over the food that is introduced into it4 ,but why go to ,france1 ,italy or ,spain to obtain these materials for a story8 ,the circumstances can be exactly reproduced in ,london4 ,the preliminaries are to eat nothing between breakfast and dinner-time and to tire yourself out with exercise4 ,then1 if you wish to indulge in the motoring adventure1 engage the most rickety taxi-cab to be found on any stand and drive round and round the inner circle of ,regent's ,park until the inevitable breakdown occurs4 ,when1 after a quarter of an hour's delay1 the chauffeur says that he is ready to go on again1 tell him to drive to ,soho ,square1 then to go down ,greek ,street1 and to stop when he comes to the ,restaurant ,gustave4 ,or if it is the cathedral city incidents you would like to live through once more1 start in a worn-out condition from ,golden ,square1 and make your way in a zigzag through the narrowest streets and alleys you can find to ,st ,anne's1 ,soho1 which is big enough to be a second-class cathedral1 and go on1 still zigzagging1 till you reach ,greek ,street and ,gustave's4 ,and this is what you will find when you get there4 ,a little restaurant with a chocolate face and with a plate-glass window1 on which the fact is announced that it is an la carte establishment4 ,two little trees are in front of the window--little evergreen trees are fashionable just now in ,soho--and the name ,gustave is well in evidence above1 with an electric lamp to throw light upon it4 ,inside the window a long lawn curtain gives privacy to the restaurant4 ,the card of the day1 with half-a-hundred names of dishes written in black ink1 hangs in a brass frame by the door4 ,go inside1 and you find yourself in a little room--a ,french gentleman who went on my recommendation to ,gustave's described it to me afterwards as a bote--with cream-coloured walls and a chocolate skirting4 ,a counter1 to which the waiters go to fetch the dishes1 with a girl behind it very busily engaged1 is at one side of the room4 ,oilcloth is on the floor1 and a little staircase leads to the first floor4 ,eleven tables are in this room1 all of them generally occupied1 mostly by ,french people2 but there is a second smaller room on beyond1 which holds four tables1 and on the two occasions lately that ,i have dined at ,gustave's ,i have found one of these tables vacant4 ,everything is very clean at ,gustave's1 and if the napery is thin and the glass is thick1 that is quite in keeping with the travel story4 ,the people at the other tables are probably ,french4 ,they belong to the respectable classes1 and they behave just as well as though they carried innumerable quarterings on their escutcheons4 ,a young waiter puts the carte du jour1 with an ornamental blue border1 on the table in front of you1 and ,monsieur ,gustave1 who1 napkin on arm1 bustles about his little restaurant1 comes to give advice1 if needed1 as to a choice of dishes4 ,gustave--who must not1 of course1 be confused with that other ,gustave who was manager of the ,savoy1 and who is now at the ,lotus ,club--is a little ,frenchman1 with a moustache1 who is very wide awake4 ,he has a sense of humour1 and he talks excellent ,english4 ,he was for a time at an hotel in ,hatton ,garden1 and at the ,restaurant des ,gourmets before he came to ,greek ,street4 ,the first item on a bill of fare that ,i took away1 with me reads3 doz4 ,escargots1 #h;d41 but long ago1 at ,prunier's in ,paris1 ,i tried to attune my palate to snails1 and failed1 so on this particular night ,i did not even consider their inclusion in my dinner4 ,nor did ,i dally with hors d'uvre1 though ,i might have had sardines1 or filets de hareng1 or anchois1 or salmis for twopence4 ,but ,i ordered soup1 and ,i think ,i went up in ,gustave's opinion when ,i preferred three-pennyworth of soupe l'oignon to pot au feu at the same price4 ,there were three fish dishes on the card1 moules ,marinires1 #f;d42 merlan frit1 #f;d42 sole frit1 #aj;d42 and ,gustave recommended the moules as being a dish of the house1 and having come in that morning4 ,looking down the list of entres to find something sufficiently bizarre in taste to match the commencement of my dinner1 ,i hesitated over a pilaff1 which would have cost me #h;d41 almost plumped for a rble de livre1 which meant an outlay of #as41 and then1 remembering that it was ,christmas-time1 as near as possible ordered a boudin1 which is the sausage that all good ,frenchmen eat once a year at the rveillon suppers on ,christmas ,eve4 ,but ,i remembered the nightmare that followed the last rveillon supper to which ,i went in ,paris1 and1 passing over all the entres1 ordered nothing more exciting than a wing of chicken1 #as41 and a salade chicore4 ,a crme chocolat1 #d;d41 was my entremet4 ,the onion soup proved to be excellent--quite strong and quite oniony1 which1 as ,i was not going into polite society that evening1 could offend no one4 ,the mussels quite justified ,m4 ,gustave's eulogium1 but as ,i did not eat the whole bowlful1 and left some of the savoury liquid1 ,m4 ,gustave1 with an expression of concern on his face1 came to my table to ask whether ,i had found any fault with the dish4 ,i assured him that my appetite1 not the mussels or the cook1 was alone to blame4 ,the wing of the chicken was plump and tender1 and had ,i paid half-a-crown it could not have been better4 ,the crme chocolat certainly tasted of chocolate1 if the cream was not a very pronounced feature in it4 ,it was a very excellent meal--at the price--and had ,i carried out the starvation and strong exercise and vivid imagination preparation that ,i have so strongly recommended to you1 instead of lounging out to tea in the afternoon with a pretty lady and eating tea cake and sugary things at five o'clock1 ,i should have recorded all the beautiful things about the little restaurant that ,i hear in the travel stories4 ,,xxxiv ,a ,,supper ,,train ,one day last year ,i ate two meals under roofs owned by the ,great ,eastern ,railway ,company4 ,i lunched in the dining-room of the ,great ,eastern ,hotel1 ,liverpool ,street1 a splendid1 airy room1 light grey and gold1 with brown ,scagliola marble columns4 ,the tables in this dining-room are set a good distance apart1 rather a rare luxury in the ,city1 where space is very limited2 one is not forced to overhear the conversation of the people dining at other tables1 and waiters do not kick one's chair every time they pass4 ,the people lunching seemed to be a happy blend of visitors staying in the hotel and ,city men who had come in from their offices1 but there was none of that breathless hurry-scurry that ,i always associate with a lunch in the ,city4 ,a curious piece of furniture1 glass above1 wood below1 caught my eye as we went into the room4 ,it looked at a distance like a jeweller's showcase1 and ,i asked my host if it was that4 ,he laughed and told me to inspect the jewels that it contained4 ,it was a sideboard for the cold meats1 showing them1 but at the same time keeping the dust from them4 ,it is cooled by ice4 ,it is such a happy idea that the ,carlton ,club has copied it4 ,this is the menu of the lunch that ,i might have eaten in its entirety had ,i chosen3 ,consomm ,pluche4 ,potage ,solferino4 ,boiled ,salmon1 ,caper ,sauce4 ,fried ,fresh ,haddock4 ,omelette ,alsacienne4 ,grilled ,kidney1 ,vert ,pr4 ,roast ,haunch of ,mutton1 ,red ,currant ,jelly4 ,roast ,veal l',anglaise 7,or choice of cold meats74 ,cabbage4 ,tomatoes4 ,boiled and ,lyonnaise ,potatoes4 ,roast ,partridge and ,chips4 ,damson ,pudding4 ,baked ,custard4 ,stewed ,apricots4 ,cheese4 ,radishes4 ,watercress4 ,i know of old that the cookery at the hotel is excellent1 for ,i have often lunched both there and at the ,abercorn ,rooms1 next door1 so ,i did not feel in honour bound to form myself into a tasting committee of one1 and to go through the menu4 ,i ate salmon and partridge and damson pudding1 and found them excellent4 ,on the menu ,i saw that the price of the lunch was #cs4 #f;d4 ,my host1 being a ,freemason of high degree1 asked me if ,i had ever seen the ,masonic temple in the ,abercorn ,rooms1 and as ,i said that ,i had not we crossed on the first floor from the hotel to the rooms1 and1 meeting ,mr ,amendt1 the manager of all the ,great ,eastern catering enterprises1 on the way1 he showed us the temple1 splendid with panels of onyx and columns of delicately tinted marble1 the lamps of onyx1 dish-shaped and throwing their light up to the ceiling1 seeming to me to be the most beautiful things of their kind ,i have ever seen in a temple4 ,mr ,amendt1 having his master key in his pocket1 took us through many ante-rooms and small banqueting-rooms1 with pictures by ,lely of some of the beauties of ,charles ,,ii4's ,court on the walls1 and we looked in1 on my way to the street1 at the great ,hamilton ,hall1 a replica of the banqueting-room of the ,palais ,soubise1 where the waiters1 lunch being finished1 were putting the chairs upside down on the tables1 and at the grill-room1 named after the county of ,norfolk1 which1 with its violet marble pilasters and its paintings of ,city celebrities--,nell ,gwynne being cheek by jowl with such eminent respectabilities as ,whittington and ,gresham--is at night one of the pleasantest little banqueting-rooms in which ,i have ever feasted4 ,as ,i said good-bye to my host and to ,mr ,amendt1 ,i remarked that ,i should be at ,liverpool ,street again early next morning1 as ,i was going down to ,southend for the week-end1 and that if ,i had not been due at a ,london theatre that night ,i should have enjoyed sleeping in the fresh sea air4 ,whereon ,mr ,amendt pointed out to me that ,i could perfectly well go to the play and catch the supper train down to ,southend at midnight4 ,if this suited me ,i had only to telegraph to the hotel at which ,i was going to stay1 and ,mr ,amendt said that he himself would order my supper for me4 ,it all seemed to fit in so admirably that ,i said1 ,thank you very much1 and sent off my telegram at once4 ,i had abundant time to change my clothes after the theatre1 and taxied down to ,liverpool ,street ,station through the deserted ,city streets4 ,at the station1 however1 there were many people on the platforms1 the refreshment rooms blazed with light1 and scores of little parties in them seemed to be partaking of midnight tea4 ,i found that a table had been reserved for me in the restaurant car of the ,southend train1 and a white-jacketed waiter told me that my supper would be served immediately the train started1 and that a compartment in the carriage next to the restaurant car was at my disposal4 ,mr ,amendt had been even better than his word4 ,waiting on the platform1 ,i watched another train1 a suburban one1 on the next line of rails1 fill up4 ,bare-headed ladies1 clutching in their hands the programmes of the theatres to which they had been1 came sailing along2 little messenger boys1 their evening's work over1 climbed into the carriages1 and one gentleman1 who evidently thought his time for rest had arrived1 took the whole of one side of a third-class compartment to himself1 lay down1 and went at once to sleep4 ,when the suburban train had left1 a few minutes before midnight1 the stream of passengers set towards the ,southend train1 and ,i wondered which of them were going to be my fellow-supperers in the restaurant car4 ,a party consisting of an elderly gentleman--,i am sure he was an uncle1 for he had the good-natured look that all genuine ,dickensy uncles acquire--had evidently brought up two nieces and a little schoolboy nephew to see some play4 ,they were returning in the highest of spirits1 and got into the restaurant car at once1 the uncle asking whether his champagne had been properly iced4 ,a clergyman with a paper bag in his hand1 which ,i think must have contained sponge cakes1 looked regretfully at the car1 and told the guard that had he known that it was running he would not have brought his supper with him4 ,i saw nobody else who was an obvious supperer1 but when the whistle blew and the flag was waved1 and the train started1 ,i found that in the section of the restaurant car where my table was there were two elderly ladies at one of the tables1 a young man in spectacles at another1 the good uncle and his little party at the third and that the fourth was reserved for me4 ,there was on my table a little bunch of chrysanthemums in a glass vase with a heavy foot to prevent it from overturning1 and ,i noticed with appreciation several devices for holding in their places cruets1 water bottles1 salt cellars and glasses should the train at express pace threaten to shake things off the table4 ,this was the menu of the supper that ,mr ,amendt had ordered for me3 ,lobster ,mayonnaise4 ,mutton ,cutlets ,reform4 ,roast ,grouse4 ,straw ,potatoes4 ,salad4 ,omelette au ,confiture4 ,devilled ,sardines4 ,cheese4 ,biscuits4 ,butter4 ,watercress4 ,lettuce4 ,celery4 ,black ,coffee4 ,like my lunch earlier in the day1 the ,great ,eastern offered me more than ,i had sufficient appetite to cope with4 ,i found the mayonnaise excellent1 and did full justice to the grouse1 the omelette and the devilled sardines4 ,the young man in spectacles1 ,i could see1 had ordered for his supper fried cod and a glass of porter2 the elderly ladies were drinking tea and eating cake2 and the uncle and his little party were1 like myself1 eating a sumptuous meal4w,as ,i ate my supper the train rushed through the ,east of ,london1 and ,bethnal ,green and ,stratford were patches of lighted windows in the darkness1 but when we were out of the zone of bricks and mortar and in the country there was a full moon high above1 and fields and trees all grey and shadowy in the mist that was rising4 ,the two elderly ladies had gone back to their compartment1 the young man in spectacles paid his bill1 and ,i judged from this that we must be nearing ,southend1 and asked for mine4 ,the waiter bowed politely and informed me that ,i was the guest of the ,great ,eastern ,company4 ,as ,i could not argue with such an indefinite thing as a railway company1 ,i had to accept the situation1 and therefore ,i cannot set down how much the excellent meal ,i ate should have cost me4 ,when the train ran in to the terminus at ,southend it certainly did not seem to me that ,i had been travelling for an hour4 ,,xxxv ,,the ,,adelaide ,,gallery ,there is no story of the success of a ,london restaurant more interesting than that of the ,adelaide ,gallery1 which is more generally known as ,gatti's4 ,the first ,gatti to come to this country from the ,val ,blegno in the ,ticino ,canton of ,switzerland1 on the ,italian side of the ,alps1 was the pioneer of penny ices in ,england1 and his shop in ,villiers ,street by the steps leading down to the steamboat pier below ,hungerford ,market was for the sale of these ices and gaufres1 the thin batter cakes pressed in a mould and baked1 a delicacy the small children of ,continental countries love1 but which has never ousted the ,british penny bun for its pre-eminence in these islands4 ,when ,hungerford ,market was swept away to give space for the building of ,charing ,cross ,station1 its name1 however1 being perpetuated by the bridge1 the first ,gatti's was re-established under the arches of the station and became in due course the ,charing ,cross ,music ,hall4 ,to the ,gatti of ,villiers ,street and the ,arches came from their native village two of his young nephews1 ,agostino and ,stefano--the wags of the later ,victorian days called them ,angostura and ,stephanotis4 ,they determined1 as soon as they felt their feet1 to launch out on their own account4 ,they leased the derelict ,adelaide ,gallery1 which had its entrance in ,adelaide ,street1 converted it into a caf restaurant after the ,continental pattern1 and opened it on #bast ,may #ahfb4 ,so juvenile were these enterprising young ,swiss that the younger brother could not legally sign the lease1 being under twenty-one4 ,the ,adelaide ,gallery was then right in the centre of the triangle of buildings bounded by ,king ,william ,street1 ,adelaide ,street and the ,strand3 it was parallel to the ,lowther ,arcade1 and the entrance to it was by a narrow corridor from ,adelaide ,street1 a street named1 of course1 after ,king ,william the ,fourth's queen4 ,the gallery had been built in #ahcb as the ,gallery of ,practical ,science1 at a time when object lessons in science were considered essential for the improvement of youthful minds2 and in the long gallery1 which is now a part of the restaurant1 were working models of shaft wheels1 while down its centre ran1 waist-high1 a long tank with a suspension bridge across it and a lighthouse in its midst4 ,in this tank1 working models of steamboats with very long smoke stacks puffed up and down4 ,a gallery ran round this long hall and had pictures on its walls and models on stands of the various forms of architectural pillars4 ,the ,polytechnic1 opened six years later1 which this generation still remembers in its ,diving ,bell and ,pepper's ,ghost days1 was run on similar lines4 ,the gallery became subsequently a ,marionette theatre1 a casino and the home of some negro minstrels1 but it never settled down successfully to any form of moneymaking until the young ,gattis started it on its career as a caf restaurant4 ,an habitu of the ,gallery in its scientific or in its casino days would only recognise the building to-day by its arched ceiling and by the circular openings in the roof for light and air4 ,agostino and ,stefano ,gatti put marble-topped tables in the ,gallery1 couches against the walls and chairs on the other side of the tables1 and in the basement they made billiard-rooms4 ,chops and steaks and chip potatoes1 the last a novelty to ,london1 were the trump cards of their catering4 ,at first the magistrates1 possibly suspecting that the casino might be revived under another name1 refused the ,gallery a music licence1 but that was granted later on in its existence4 ,the ,adelaide ,gallery as a restaurant was a direct challenge to the old chop-houses4 ,it gave very much the same fare under more airy and more cheerful conditions1 and the ,londoners took a wonderful fancy to the chips4 ,my earliest memory of a visit to the ,adelaide ,gallery is a schoolboy one1 for ,i was taken there to sup after seeing ,fechter play in ,the ,duke's ,motto at1 ,i think1 the ,lyceum4 ,i ate on that occasion chops and tomato sauce1 went on to pastry1 and finished with a ,welsh rarebit--a schoolboy has no fear of indigestion4 ,i came to know the restaurant very well in the eighties1 when ,i was quartered at ,canterbury and at ,shorncliffe for a spell of home service4 ,i got at that time as much fun out of life in ,london as a ,captain's pay and a small allowance would permit4 ,i had sufficient knowledge of matters gastronomic to know that ,i received excellent value for my money at ,gatti's1 and the ladies to whom ,i used to give dinners said that they liked ,asti ,spumante and ,sparkling ,hock just as well as champagne--and perhaps they really did1 bless them4 ,early in the eighties most of the improvements made to the ,gallery had been completed1 and the restaurant ran right up to ,adelaide ,street and down to the ,strand4 ,whether the entrance and new rooms on the ,king ,william ,street side had then been made ,i forget1 but if they had not been they soon after came into existence4 ,one special friend of mine in those days was the big man in uniform who stood at the ,strand entrance1 and whose constant companion was a large ,st ,bernard dog4 ,the big man always had a cheerful turn of conversation1 and if by any chance ,i grew impatient because a lady whom ,i expected to dine did not appear1 he would console me by saying that probably nothing worse than a cab accident has happened4 ,the ,st ,bernard in its old age grew snappy1 and eventually1 when it had come back twice from new homes which had been provided for it1 had to be destroyed4 ,both ,messrs ,agostino and ,stefano ,gatti were still alive in those days1 grave-faced1 pleasant gentlemen1 who lunched together and dined together at a table not far from the entrance to the kitchen1 and who when their meals were finished1 sat at a semicircular desk and took the counters from the waiters as they had done ever since the first days of the restaurant4 ,i was somewhat later to make their acquaintance1 and this was how it happened4 ,little ,willie ,goldberg1 who was known to all the ,english-speaking world as ,the ,shifter1 was a man of brilliant ideas1 which he rarely had the patience to carry into effect4 ,i received one morning from him a telegram asking me to meet him at ten minutes past one at the ,strand entrance of ,gatti's1 adding that it concerned a matter of the highest importance1 which would bring much profit to both of us4 ,i arrived at ,gatti's in time1 and was met at the door by ,the ,shifter1 who told me that the ,gattis wanted a military melodrama for the ,adelphi1 that theatre being their property2 that he had thought of a splendid title for a soldier play2 that he and ,i would write it together2 that the ,gattis had asked him to lunch to talk the matter over2 and that he had suggested that ,i should come too4 ,then we hurried into the restaurant4 ,we lunched with ,messrs ,gatti1 and when1 after lunch1 they very gently said that they were ready to hear anything that we might have to tell them1 ,the ,shifter disclosed the title1 which pleased them1 and then sat back in his seat as though the matter was settled4 ,the ,messrs ,gatti asked for some slight outline of the play1 but ,the ,shifter put it to them that an advance of authors' fees should be the next step in the business4 ,this1 the ,gattis said1 was not the way in which they transacted the business of their theatre1 whereon ,the ,shifter closed the discussion by saying farewell4 ,when we were outside in the street again1 ,i suggested that the next thing to do would be to get out a scenario to submit to the ,gattis2 but ,the ,shifter was in high dudgeon2 he wrinkled up his long nose in haughty scorn and then said3 ,these ,gattis don't understand our ,english ways of doing business--and that was the beginning and the end of our great military melodrama4 ,but ,i had made the acquaintance of the ,gattis1 and was always afterwards on very pleasant terms with them4 ,it is not within the scope of this article to deal with the ,gattis' enterprises in theatres1 but the tale of their purchase of the ,vaudeville ,theatre should be told as an instance of their kindness of heart4 ,amongst the many ,gatti enterprises was the establishment of a great electric-light-distributing business4 ,this began with a very small installation in the cellars of the ,adelaide ,gallery1 and increased and increased until it is now one of the greatest electric light companies in ,london4 ,at one time the electric light plant was established in a building just behind the ,vaudeville ,theatre1 and ,mr ,tom ,thorne1 the actor1 whose management had not prospered greatly1 told the ,messrs ,gatti that his ill-success of late was owing to the noise the engines made behind the stage4 ,messrs ,gatti1 to obviate this grievance1 bought the theatre1 or at least as much of it as is freehold4 ,there always has been a strong theatrical element amongst the clientele of ,gatti's1 and the authors who wrote the ,adelphi melodramas--,dion ,boucicault1 ,henry ,pettitt1 ,george ,r4 ,sims1 ,robert ,buchanan and others--used constantly to be amongst the people lunching and dining in the ,gallery4 ,in their theatrical enterprises the ,gattis never forgot the ,adelaide ,gallery1 and the one thing essential in an ,adelphi melodrama was that it should conclude in time to allow the audience to sup at the restaurant4 ,all the black-coated classes patronised the ,gallery1 from the comfortable business man1 who got as good a chop there in the evening as he did in his ,city restaurant in the middle of the day1 to the little clerk who took the girl he was engaged to there because she liked the music and the brightness of the place4 ,the country cousins all knew ,gatti's1 and knew that it was a place where they would get a good meal at a reasonable price1 and that no advantage would be taken of their ignorance of ,london charges4 ,salvini1 the great actor1 used to take his meals at ,gatti's when he was in ,england1 and the great ,lord ,salisbury had a fondness for a chop and chips1 and used to gratify it by going to the ,adelaide ,gallery4 ,an old ,garibaldian1 a fine1 white-haired old gentleman in a slouch hat and a long1 threadbare cloak1 was the most remarkable of the clientele of ,gatti's in the early eighties2 he was evidently very poor and one dish with him constituted a meal1 but because he had fought as a red-shirted hero1 the waiters at ,gatti's treated him with more deference than they would show to any prince1 and took the copper he gave as a tip with as much gratitude as they would have expressed for the gold of the millionaire4 ,the ,gatti's of to-day has adapted itself to modern requirements1 but it caters for much the same class as of yore1 and its food is still excellent material1 well cooked1 though there is a great deal more variety now than there was in the old chops and chips days4 ,it retains1 however1 all its old democratic ways4 ,its clients choose their own tables and their own seats1 hang up their own coats and then catch the attention of the waiter who has charge of the table4 ,the restaurant--cream and gold1 with ,french grey panels in its roof--has now four entrances3 the ,adelaide ,street one1 two in ,king ,william ,street and one in the ,strand4 ,while the main restaurant remains an la carte establishment with a plentiful choice of dishes1 including a list of grills1 there is a table d'hte room at the ,king ,william ,street side1 a handsome hall with a gilded roof and pink-shaded electroliers1 which throw their light up on to the ceiling4 ,the latest addition to the dining-rooms is a banqueting hall1 reached by marble stairs from ,king ,william ,street4 ,it is a handsome and well-proportioned room1 with a musicians' gallery at one side1 and an ante-room half-way up its stairs1 and it holds one hundred and fifty feasters quite comfortably4 ,at the same little table where their father and their uncle sat1 the two ,messrs ,gatti of to-day--,john 7ex-,mayor of ,westminster7 and ,rocco--sit1 young copies of their predecessors1 in that one of them has kept a plentiful head of hair1 whereas the other one has been less conservative4 ,they give the same attention to the business of the restaurant that the original ,gattis did1 but the semicircular desk has vanished and the work of taking the counters is now done by deputies on either side of a great screen which stretches before the wide entrance to the kitchen4 ,mr de ,rossi1 dapper and energetic1 is the manager of the restaurant1 and it is always a comfort to me that when ,i lunch or dine under the musicians' gallery the matre d'htel1 whom ,i have known for thirty years1 comes and gives me fatherly advice as to the choice of dishes for a meal4 ,the kitchen of the ,adelaide ,gallery is one of the few in ,london that possess a large open fire for roasting1 and its ,old ,english cookery is1 therefore1 always good4 ,it caters1 however1 for all nationalities1 and as an indication of what its prices are1 and of the variety of its fare1 ,i cannot do better than give you the list of entres ,i find on the carte du jour1 which ,i took away the last time ,i dined at ,gatti's3 ,carbonnade de buf la ,berlinoise1 #as4 #b;d42 lapin saut ,chasseur1 #as4 #d;d42 vol-au-vent de ris d'agneau ,financire1 #as4 #f;d42 pieds de porc grills ,sainte ,menehould1 #as4 #b;d42 fegatino di pollo alla ,forestiera1 #as4 #d;d42 terrine de livre ,st ,hubert 7cold71 #as4 #i;d42 cte de veau en casserole aux cpes1 #as4 #i;d42 tournedos ,rouennaise1 #bs42 chump chop d'agneau1 pure ,bruxelloise1 #as4 #f;d42 tte de veau en tortue1 #as4 #f;d42 salmis de perdreaux au ,chambertin1 #bs42 langue de buf braise aux nouilles fraches1 #as4 #f;d42 escalopes de veau ,viennoise1 #as4 #f;d42 mironton de buf au gratin1 #as4 #d;d42 ctelettes d'agneau ,provenale1 #bs42 pigeon ,st ,charles1 #bs4 #f;d42 noisettes de pr-sal ,marchal1 #as4 #i;d42 entrecte ,marchand de ,vin1 #bs4 #f;d42 demi faisan en casserole1 #ds4 ,and here is the menu of the five-shilling dinner ,i ate one ,friday in ,october in the table d'hte room1 in company with many people1 who were evidently going later to theatres3-- ,hors d'uvre la ,parisienne4 ,consomm ,julienne4 ,crme d',hutres4 ,turbotin d',ostende ,rjane4 ,anguilles ,frites4 ,sce4 ,tyrolienne4 ,ctelettes de ,volaille ,pojarski4 ,petit ,pois au ,sucre4 ,pommes ,comtesse4 ,faisan ,ecossaise ,rti en ,casserole4 ,salade ,saut4 ,glac ,mokatine4 ,dlicatesses4 ,gatti's1 like every other restaurant of standing1 has its own special dishes1 and some of these were included in a lunch which ,i ate with ,messrs ,john and ,rocco ,gatti when they were good enough in a chat we had to refresh my memory in regard to the early days of the restaurant3 ,hors d'uvre la ,parisienne4 ,zphire de ,sole ,adelaide4 ,suprme de ,volaille ,royal4 ,asperges vertes4 ,sce4 ,chantilly4 ,perdreau ,rti la ,broche4 ,cur-de-,laitue la ,franaise4 ,cerises ,montmorency ,sarah-,bernhardt4 ,corbeille de ,dlices4 ,caf4 ,the zphire de sole ,adelaide is an admirable filet de sole and oysters therewith2 the breast of the chicken was served with an excellent white sauce2 and the entremet was worthy of the distinguished tragedienne after whom it is named4 ,the wine list at ,gatti's is a document to be carefully studied4 ,the ,gattis of the previous generation laid down some very fine wines1 and clarets and ,burgundies of the great years of the end of the last century are to be found in the ,adelaide cellars4 ,the champagnes of great years and of great houses are priced far lower than they are to be found on the lists of fashionable restaurants1 and there is some old cognac in the cellars to which ,i take off my hat whenever ,i am privileged to meet it4 ,it was bought by the ,gattis at the time of the ,franco-,prussian ,war1 when stocks of old brandy were sold at low prices4 ,it is marked so as to show a profit on the purchase-money--not at its worth--and ,i know of no better brandy at any ,london restaurant1 whatever price customers may choose to give4 ,,xxxvi ,,the ,,compleat ,,angler ,i deserted1 shamelessly and openly deserted1 but ,i had an excuse4 ,when we started1 a boatload of men in a launch from above ,boulter's ,lock on a still1 hot summer ,sunday afternoon1 the sky was grey above and the river and ,cliveden ,woods were all in pleasant shadow2 but when we were come to ,odney ,weir and ,cookham ,ferry the sun broke through the clouds and sucked them up1 and at ,bourne ,end the river sparkled and the sails of the sailing-boats tacking up the long stretch below ,winter ,hill gleamed in the sunlight4 ,it was as hot an afternoon as we ever get in ,england1 and as we steered into the eye of the sun the glare hurt my eyes1 and there was no dodging it4 ,when we came to the ,compleat ,angler1 just below ,marlow ,bridge1 and lay alongside its green lawn1 with the flower beds and rose-trees right at the garden edge1 ,i looked at the people sitting on the rustic chairs by the rustic tables in the shadow of the line of trees that acts as a screen against the western sun1 and the villagers who loll the ,sunday through on the railing of the bridge and stare at the hotel1 and ,i thought how pleasant it would be to sit in the shade until dinner-time came1 to eat that meal with the burble of the water falling over the weir in my ears1 and afterwards to go back to town by a late train4 ,so ,i deserted openly and shamelessly4 ,the ,compleat ,angler is a very old inn1 so old that no one knows when it was built4 ,but it was very probably in existence when the bodies of ,warwick1 the ,king-maker1 and his brother ,montacute were carried to ,bisham ,abbey to be buried4 ,an engraving of a hundred years ago shows the old inn with a rope walk by its side1 where the gardens of the hotel now stretch on the bank of the swift stream below the weir4 ,the old wooden bridge which the present suspension bridge has replaced started at the angle of land by the weir1 an angle now covered by the dining-room of the hotel1 and it was under this bridge--not the present one--that a legendary hero of gastronomy1 the ,marlow bargee1 ate the ,puppy ,pie4 ,in the pre-railway days the ,compleat ,angler looked for its patrons amongst the fishermen and the simple folk who gained their living on the river4 ,the hotel to-day is one of the most comfortable old-fashioned riverside inns between ,oxford and ,london1 an inn that stoutly upholds its old ,english characteristics4 ,the brown roofs of the old building and its old brick walls are still there1 and the old fruit-trees of the orchard give shade on its lawn2 but new wings have been built on as the custom of the hotel has increased1 and the great stretch of delightful garden behind the hotel1 from which there is a glorious view of the ,quarry ,woods1 must be a comparatively new addition4 ,mr ,kilby1 the present landlord1 his face tanned by the river air and river sunshine1 his hair and moustache almost white1 has been in possession of the house for twenty-two or twenty-three years2 but before this time it had been in the hands of one family from generation to generation1 right back into the misty past4 ,mr ,kilby has kept the hotel ,old ,english in character in all essential particulars4 ,there is good black old oak panelling in the little hall1 and ,jacobean furniture and an old grandfather clock1 and on its walls1 in glazed cases1 are monster perch and other giants of the ,thames caught at ,marlow1 and engravings of local celebrities and local magnates of past days2 while in the dining-room are caricatures by ,gillray and other wielders of the pencil in ,georgian days4 ,the gardens1 kitchen garden and flower garden and lawns1 behind the house1 are also delightfully ,english1 for the flowers that grow there are the ,old ,english flowers1 roses and lilies1 stocks and pinks1 ladies'-slippers and cherry pie1 and a host of others1 flowers that are old friends and which fill the air with scent on a hot afternoon4 ,there are roses everywhere around the ,compleat ,angler4 ,those who land from their boats pass under a great arch of roses1 and in the garden the roses climb over many bowers--for pergola is a word ,i hesitate to use in writing of this ,old ,english pleasance4 ,honeysuckles grow up the supports of the verandah that gives shade to the windows of the dining-room1 and there are bright flowers in all the window-boxes4 ,above all1 there is the charm of the river1 the indescribable freshness that always comes with tumbling water1 the delight of the long1 trembling reflections thrown by the trees and the spire of the church across the river1 the grace of the white-clad girls who punt upstream and of the swans that sail quite secure by the edge of the weir1 and the pleasant lap1 lap of the water as the launches cut through it4 ,if ,i wished in one hour to give an ,american friend an idea of the charm of the ,thames ,i would take him to the chairs under the great willow that stands by the weir in the grounds of the ,compleat ,angler1 and when he had sat in this shade for half-an-hour watching the calmness of the river and the eddies of the weir stream1 the rushes1 the reeds1 the trees1 the long line of wooded hills1 the swans and the boats1 if he did not understand what the ,thames is to an ,englishman1 ,i should despair of him4 ,if ,i was interested in a young couple who were hesitating on the brink of matrimony1 and ,i wished to push them into it1 ,i would invite them to take tea with me on the lawn of the ,compleat ,angler1 and when the sun dropped low and the shadows of the trees lengthened and the air grew heavy with the scent of the roses1 ,i would leave them together for an hour1 and if in that hour the man had not proposed ,i would consider him a base deceiver1 a heartless wretch incapable of sentiment4 ,in the late afternoon1 when the bells of the church were ringing for evening service1 ,i walked up the ,high ,street1 in which the lads of the village and the lasses all in white were abroad1 and looked at ,marlow's sole antiquarian relic--the stocks1 which stand in an enclosure of turf and trees and flower-beds4 ,i continued my pilgrimage to ,shelley's house in ,west ,street1 and then on over the wooden bridge of old grey wood to the ,lock4 ,the sun had set and the west was all opal with the dying light when ,i came back to the lawn of the ,compleat ,angler4 ,the launch that had lain the afternoon through by the steps was gone1 with its load of merry people1 and the motor cars were all off on their return journey to ,london4 ,only the people staying in the hotel remained4 ,it was dinner-time1 but ,i was loth to leave the open air1 for the hush of the evening had fallen4 ,i could hear faintly the sound of a hymn being sung in the church1 and that sentimentality1 which is not religious feeling1 but which is akin to it1 had fallen upon me4 ,i was at peace with all mankind4 ,i forgave the architect who designed ,marlow ,church tower for the triviality of his ,gothic2 ,i had no rancour against the tailor who took three weeks to make me three white evening waistcoats2 ,i could think kindly of the people who send me insufficiently stamped letters from abroad1 and ,i could remember that even the income-tax collector is a fellow-man4 ,had there been anyone by to whom ,i could recite poetry ,i would have been prepared to quote ,herbert to my purpose1 but the only companionable soul available at the moment was a friendly ,irish terrier1 and terriers have no soul for verse4 ,at last ,i went in to dinner4 ,a corner table in the biggest of the three dining-rooms1 a real summer-house1 its walls being all windows1 had been reserved for me1 and from my seat ,i could look across the river to one side and on to the weir stream on the other4 ,the light of day was not all gone1 and ,i hardly needed the shaded lamp which kept company on the table with a great bunch of sweet-smelling flowers from the garden4 ,i had not ordered any special dinner1 but ate the table d'hte meal of the house1 the charge for which is six shillings4 ,it was a good ,english dinner1 and my only complaint regarding it is that there were some tags of unnecessary ,french upon the menu card4 ,this1 in plain ,english1 was the dinner ,i ate and enjoyed3 ,thick ,mock ,turtle4 ,salmon4 ,clear ,butter ,sauce4 ,braised ,ham4 ,broad ,beans4 ,madeira ,sauce4 ,roast ,chicken4 ,chip ,potatoes4 ,green ,peas4 ,raspberries and ,cream ,ice4 ,i might have added a savoury to this1 but ,i like to end my dinner with a sweet taste to linger on my palate4 ,my bill altogether came to seven-and-six4 ,feeling contented with myself1 and life1 the ,compleat ,angler1 and my fellow-men1 ,i sauntered to the railway station in time to catch the nine-forty train back to ,london4 ,,xxxvii ,,artists' ,,rooms ,,dieudonn',s4 ,,pagani',s ,there used to be two little rooms in ,london restaurants with walls made interesting by the signatures of great artists of song and colour and sculpture and music1 who1 some of them1 had sketched little scenes above their names1 and others had dotted down a few notes of music4 ,one of these little chambers was the sitting-room of ,madame ,dieudonn1 in ,ryder ,street4 ,madame ,dieudonn was an old ,french lady who kept a boarding-house much patronised by the great artists who came over to ,london from ,france4 ,in her kitchen was an admirable chef1 and the fame of the table d'hte--a real table d'hte in its original sense1 for ,madame always sat at the head of her own table--was so great that people who loved good cooking used to ask permission to be allowed to dine at it4 ,but ,madame ,dieudonn did not give this permission to all comers1 and it was necessary that the would-be guest should be presented to ,madame and should obtain from her an invitation to her circle before a place was laid for him4 ,any special favourites amongst the guests were asked by ,madame to come after dinner into her sitting-room1 there to drink coffee and to chat1 and amongst these favourites were the great musicians1 and the great actors and great painters of her own land1 who stayed at the boarding-house4 ,when any man1 or any lady1 was asked for the first time into this holy of holies1 he or she placed a signature upon the wall and any further embellishment that came to mind4 ,gradually the middle portion of the walls became a perfect treasure-house of autographs4 ,madame ,dieudonn died1 and her circle was broken up1 the old lodging-house became a hotel1 and when ,m4 ,guffanti1 its present owner1 brought his great energy to bear upon it1 it soon became prosperous4 ,alterations were made1 the white room on the first floor1 with its panel pictures of gallants and ladies in silks and brocades1 which is now used for banquets1 was constructed1 and when ,madame ,dieudonn's little room was thrown into what is now the entrance hall1 the workmen destroyed the signatures on the walls1 evidently regarding them as mere dirt1 in spite of all the precautions ,m4 ,guffanti had made to preserve them1 and the only remembrances left of the stately old lady who used to sit at the head of her own table is in the name of the hotel and restaurant4 ,dieudonn's has flourished exceedingly1 and ,m4 ,guffanti1 his hair a little thinner on the top of his head than when first ,i made his acquaintance1 but with the same majestic curve to his moustache ends1 and possessing the same invincible energy1 has increased the size of his hotel by taking in several other houses4 ,the ,dieudonn's of the present day is a large building of white stone and red brick1 always very spick and span1 and decked out with flower boxes4 ,the restaurant on the ground floor is a fine room in the ,adams style1 a very light grey in colour1 with some of the ornamentation just touched with gold4 ,at one end are three large bow-windows1 and at the other end there is a musicians' gallery for the orchestra4 ,on the side walls the ornamentation suggests doorways with mirrored panels1 pink shades on the electroliers have subdued the light1 which1 when the room was first built1 ,i found too white and too brilliant1 and the lamps on the tables are also pink-shaded4 ,the carpet is of a deep rose1 and the white chairs are also upholstered in that colour4 ,it is a very pleasant dining-room1 and the people who dine there are all pleasant to look at1 and do good food the compliment of going dressed in becoming garments4 ,i very rarely dine at ,dieudonn's without seeing a ladies' dinner-party in progress1 for ,dieudonn's has always been a favourite dining place of the gentler sex since the early days when ,giovanini1 the old matre d'htel1 with bushy eyebrows and ,piccadilly weepers1 used to consider any ladies without an escort as being put under his special and fatherly protection4 ,dieudonn's chiefly relies on two table d'hte dinners1 one the opera dinner1 at six-and-six1 and the other the ,dieudonn dinner1 at eight shillings4 ,on the last occasion that ,i dined at ,dieudonn's before going on to the ,russian ,opera at ,drury ,lane ,i ate the opera dinner1 the menu of which ,i give below4 ,it was the day of ,president ,poincar's state entry into ,london1 and that event is celebrated by two of the dishes in the dinner3 ,,menu4 ,hors d'uvre ,varis4 ,consomm la ,franaise4 ,crme de ,laitues aux ,perles4 ,saumon d',ecosse ,poch4 ,sauce ,mousseline4 ,pommes ,nature ,concombres4 ,ctes de ,pr-,sal ,poincar4 ,canetons d',aylesbury l',anglaise4 ,petits ,pois ,nouveaux4 ,coupe ,entente ,cordiale4 ,friandises4 ,the ,dieudonn dinner on this day only differed from the shorter one by the inclusion in it of escaloppes de ris de veau ,george ,v4 ,the other restaurant which created and retains an artists' room is ,pagani's1 in ,great ,portland ,street1 in the immediate neighbourhood of the ,queen's ,hall and ,st ,george's ,hall4 ,when1 in #ahga1 ,mario ,pagani opened a little shop1 which became a restaurant1 in a house in ,great ,portland ,street1 the ,german ,reeds were in possession of ,st ,george's ,hall1 with1 ,i think1 ,corney ,grain1 as a newly risen star1 in their company4 ,the ,queen's ,hall had not been built and ,st ,james's ,hall1 the site of which is now occupied by the ,piccadilly ,hotel1 was the musical centre of ,london4 ,m4 ,pagani1 being an ,italian1 gave his customers ,italian cookery1 and very good ,italian cookery too1 and the journalists and the painters and the singers soon heard of the new little restaurant where there were always ,italian dishes on the bill of fare4 ,pellegrini1 the ,vanity ,fair cartoonist1 and ,signor ,tosti were two of the first patrons of the restaurant4 ,mr ,george ,r4 ,sims1 doyen to-day of literary gourmets1 loved the restaurant as it was in its early state1 and wrote of the good ,italian food to be obtained there1 and his portrait1 on a china plaque1 occupies1 rightly enough1 the centre of one of the walls up in the artists' room4 ,in #ahhg ,m4 ,mario ,pagani retired1 and for a time his brother and his cousin carried on the restaurant2 the latter1 ,m4 ,giuseppe ,pagani--left1 in #ahie1 in sole control--taking as partner ,m4 ,meschini1 the latter of whom eventually became the sole proprietor1 bequeathing1 when he died1 the restaurant to his widow and to his son4 ,pagani's in the forty odd years of its existence1 has increased in size to an extraordinary extent1 and the building1 with its elaborately ornamented front of glazed tiles with complicated figures in the pattern and ornaments of ,della ,robbia ware1 its squat pillars of blue and its arches1 luminous at night with electric light1 differs immensely from the little1 stuffy ,italian restaurant that it originally was4 ,it has a second entrance now in a side street1 and a ,masonic banqueting-room1 and a lift1 and its restaurant on the ground floor is a very large one and always reminds me of those great establishments that ,i see in the ,german cities4 ,it is a very comfortable restaurant1 and its brown walls1 its mirrors with trellis-work and creepers painted on them set in brown wooden frames1 and its ceiling painted in quiet colours1 all give a sense of cosiness4 ,there is in this downstairs restaurant a dispense bar1 which looks very picturesque seen through a glazed screen1 and just by this screen is the entrance from which the waiters stream out from the kitchen carrying the dishes ordered by the patrons of the restaurant1 which they show as they pass to a clerk4 ,to dine habitually at ,pagani's at a table facing the kitchen entrance is to obtain a complete knowledge of the idiosyncrasies of the ,italian waiter4 ,he is not run into a mould as a ,french waiter is1 but retains many individualities4 ,he always wears a moustache1 and is pleasantly conversational with his fellows and with the customers4 ,in its early days1 the cookery at ,pagani's was ,italian and nothing but ,italian1 but with ever-increasing prosperity the scope of the kitchen has broadened1 and now most of the dishes on the carte du jour have ,french names4 ,the head cook1 however1 is a good ,italian1 ,m4 ,faustin ,notari1 who has climbed the ladder of promotion to the top during the twenty years he has been in the kitchens of ,pagani's1 and there are always some ,italian dishes on the bill of fare4 ,the following are the dishes that ,i most frequently see on the card3--,minestrone1 minestrone alla ,genovese1 zuppa alla ,pavese1 filetti di sole alla ,livornesse1 spaghetti1 and ,macaroni done in every way possible1 ravioli al sugo or alla ,bolognese1 gnocchi alla ,romana1 fritto misto alla ,tosti1 ossi buchi1 arrostino annegato1 and ,i generally finish my dinner at ,pagani's with a zambaglione4 ,pagani's has its specialities of the house apart from ,italian dishes1 and when ,i have dined1 as ,i often do1 as one of the committee of an amateur dramatic club1 in the ,artists' ,room1 ,i generally find poulet la ,pagani--a very toothsome way of cooking the domestic fowl--on the menu of our little feasts4 ,filet de sole ,pagani is another excellent dish1 an invention of the house4 ,poule au pot and casslet la ,provenale and the bisque1 and the bortsch at ,pagani's are always excellent4 ,the diners whom ,i see at the other tables downstairs at ,pagani's all seem to me to belong to that very pleasant world1 artistic ,bohemia4 ,the great singers of the opera and the great musicians who play at the ,queen's ,hall go there to lunch and dine and sup1 and their artistic perception is not confined entirely to music1 for ,i notice that they generally bring very pretty ladies with them to eat the good dishes of the restaurant4 ,a little touch of ,bohemia that always pleases me at ,pagani's is the boy who comes round with a tray selling cigars and cigarettes4 ,the restaurant-rooms on the first floor used1 in the early days when ,pagani's was quite a small place1 to be the rooms to which the sterner sex used to take ladies to dine1 and there was a particular corner by a window with a tiny conservatory in it which was the favourite spot in the room4 ,the gentler sex now dines everywhere in the restaurant1 but in the first-floor rooms1 with pleasant red walls1 glazed screens put between the tables give a sense of privacy4 ,the ,artists' ,room is on the second floor1 just on the top of the staircase4 ,there is not room for many people in it1 and the dinner-parties held there must of necessity be small ones4 ,but there is no room in any restaurant in ,london which is in itself so interesting as this one4 ,the walls are almost entirely covered with signatures and sketches and caricatures2 there is a large photograph1 framed and autographed1 of ,sir ,henry ,irving as ,becket2 there are drawings by ,dudley ,hardy and three or four caricatures1 including one of himself1 drawn by ,caruso4 ,there is a photo of poor ,phil ,may in riding kit on a horse2 there is the menu of the dinner given by the artists of the ,royal ,opera at ,covent ,garden to ,mr ,thomas ,beecham4 ,on the mantelpiece stand some good bronzes of ,english and ,french ,volunteers1 and the menu of a banquet given by ,plissier1 the head of the ,follies1 to his friends1 and his invitation to this feast1 which commences in royal style3 ,i1 ,gabriel1 etc41 and ends with the earnest request1 ,please arrive sober1 have been honoured with frames4 ,mademoiselle ,felice ,lyne's autograph records one of the latest successes in opera4 ,there are two smoked plates with landscapes drawn on them with a needle1 and there is the medallion in red of ,dagonet ,i have already mentioned4 ,the name of ,julia ,neilson1 written in bold characters1 catches the eye as soon as any other inscription on one of the sections of the wall covered with glass2 but it is well worth while to take the panels one by one1 and to go over these sections of brown plaster inch by inch4 ,mascagni has written the first bars of one of the airs from ,cavalleria ,rusticana1 ,denza has scribbled the opening bars of ,funiculi1 ,funicula1 ,lamoureux has written a tiny hymn of praise to the cook1 ,ysaye has lamented that he is always tied to notes1 which1 with a waiter and a bill at his elbow1 might have a double meaning4 ,phil ,may has dashed some caricatures upon the wall1 a well-meant attempt on the part of a ,german waiter to wash one of these out having resulted in the sacking of the said waiter and the glazing of the wall1 ,mario has drawn a picture of a fashionable lady1 and ,val ,prinsep and a dozen artists of like calibre have1 in pencil1 or sepia or pastel noted brilliant trifles on the wall4 ,paderewski1 ,puccini1 ,chaminade1 ,calv1 ,piatti1 ,planon1 ,de ,lucia1 ,melba1 ,mempes1 ,tosti1 ,kubelik1 ,tschaikovsky1 are some of the signatures4 ,,xxxviii ,,the ,,piccadilly ,,restaurant ,it was a chance remark made by ,the ,princess1 as three of us sat at lunch one ,saturday in the open air at the ,ranelagh ,club1 that nowhere in ,central ,london was there an open-air dining place1 that led me to ask her and ,daddy1 her husband1 both of them my very great friends 7which is the reason that ,i permit myself to call them1 as the ,irish would say1 out of their names71 to dine with me one night in ,july1 weather always permitting1 in the open air within fifty yards of ,piccadilly ,circus4 ,walking down ,piccadilly1 and looking up at the faade of the great ,piccadilly ,hotel1 a building which has something of the nobility of a ,grecian temple1 and something of the heaviness of a county jail1 ,i had noticed that a grey tent had been put up on the terrace1 half-way up to the heavens1 behind the great pillars and the gilded tripods1 and ,i knew that this meant that as soon as the evenings were warm the restaurant would cater on the terrace for those who like to dine in the freshest air obtainable in muggy ,london4 ,some form of covering is a necessity for any roof garden in ,central ,london1 not as a protection from rain or cold1 but to deliver diners from the plague of smuts4 ,some day1 when electricity and gas have between them driven coal far outside the boundaries of the capital1 it will be possible for ,londoners to breakfast under the plane-trees planted on their roofs1 and to look1 while they eat1 at the roses climbing on the trellis-work which hides their little pleasance from the neighbours on the next roof2 but in this present year of grace an open-air meal within the three-mile radius necessitates the blowing of smuts off each plate as soon as it is put on the cloth1 and a great portion of the conversation of the table talk centres round the black smudges to be wiped off the diners' noses4 ,the ,piccadilly1 by pitching its tent on its terrace1 has gone as near to open-air dining as is possible in our ,london atmosphere4 ,it was well that ,i had added the provision weather permitting to my invitation1 for on the evening that my two guests motored up from their old manor-house near ,richmond the sky had clouded over1 a misty rain was falling1 and the temperature had dropped to ,november level4 ,the dinner-table that would have been reserved for me on the terrace was cancelled1 and a table for three laid in the restaurant of the big hotel--that very handsome saloon panelled with light wood1 with gilded carving in high relief on the panels1 with a blue-and-gold frieze1 and elaborately decorated ceiling and casemented mirrors--a saloon which is a noble example of ,louis ,,xiv4 decoration4 ,i had ordered my dinner beforehand1 taking care to include in it some of the specialities of the kitchen of the ,piccadilly1 and had interested in the designing of the little feast ,m4 ,berti1 the restaurant manager1 and the chef de cuisine1 ,m4 ,victor ,schreyeck2 while ,m4 ,pallanti1 one of the matres d'htel1 who is an old acquaintance1 had put me in that portion of the room which is under his special charge4 ,the dishes on which the kitchen of the ,piccadilly especially prides itself are its dlices de sole and its filets de sole1 both named after the establishment1 its poularde l'tuve au ,porto1 its poularde ,reine ,mephisto1 its cailles ,singapore1 and its vasques of peaches1 or of raspberries1 or of strawberries1 all titled ,louis ,,xiv4 in sympathy with the decoration of the room4 ,this was the dinner that ,i ordered1 a summer dinner for a hot evening1 for ,i had hoped that the weather would be kind1 and that we should be able to eat on the terrace3 ,melon de ,cantaloup ,frapp4 ,kroupnick4 ,sole la ,piccadilly4 ,suprme de ,volaille ,jeannette4 ,caille ,royale ,singapore4 ,cur de ,romaine4 ,asperges ,vertes4 ,sauce ,divine4 ,vasque de ,fraises ,louis ,,xiv4 ,corbeille d',excellences4 ,i waited for my guests in the lounge where the orchestra plays1 a lounge panelled1 as the restaurant is1 and with paintings of fruit in the circular wreaths above the doors1 with cane easy-chairs and cane tables with glass tops scattered about1 with palms in great china vases1 with gilt ,ionic capitals to the pilasters on either side of the great supports to the roof1 and with a great painted ceiling4 ,a glazed screen with windows and doors in it separates the lounge from the restaurant4 ,the ,princess1 when my guests arrived1 was wearing a most becoming gown1 and had brought her furs with her1 in case ,i1 as a mad ,englishman1 might insist on dining on the terrace in spite of the rain4 ,daddy1 who is1 like myself1 an old soldier en retraite1 had put on one of his ,paris unstarched shirts with many pleats1 and was wearing his fusilier studs4 ,m4 ,berti1 his beard pointed like that of a ,spaniard1 bowed to us at the entrance of the restaurant1 and directed us to our table1 by which was a second little table with on it all the apparatus for the elaborating of the fish dish before our eyes4 ,near it stood the matre d'htel1 pale and determined1 feeling1 ,i think1 that the reputation of the house was in his hands1 and a waiter and a commis under his immediate orders4 ,the ,princess1 as ,i have written1 wore a most becoming gown1 and it pleased me that she should have so framed her native beauty1 and ,i am sure it also pleased her1 for at the other tables all the other guests were exceedingly well groomed and well frocked--a most good-looking company4 ,the soup1 a white ,russian soup with barley as its dominating ingredient1 is one of those peasant soups the ,french have borrowed from the ,russians1 and have refined in promoting it to the haute cuisine4 ,the sole la ,piccadilly is a fish dish which grows to perfection as it is manipulated before the eyes of the expectant diners4 ,a wide bath of mixed whisky and brandy boils up over the spirit lamp1 and into this the boiled soles make a plunge before they are carried away to be filleted2 then into the almost exhausted mixture of spirits is poured the sauce1 which is a secret of the house1 and as this boils up first cream and then butter is added to it4 ,the filets de sole come hot to table1 and over each portion of the fish is poured the precious sauce1 sharp tasting1 with a suggestion of anchovy amidst its many flavours4 ,while this sole was being prepared1 ,daddy at first talked on of polo matches at ,ranelagh and golf at ,richmond1 and did not notice that both ,the ,princess and myself had become silent1 as gourmets should be when watching a delicate culinary operation1 but he1 too1 after a while felt the solemnity of the moment1 and became dumb until the fish was before him1 and he could pronounce it to be very good indeed1 an emphatic expression of opinion on the part of all three of us which1 ,i trust1 was conveyed to ,m4 ,schreyeck in his domains4 ,the suprme de volaille was a noble chaudfroid of chicken with a rich stuffing or farce1 ,i am not sure which is the correct description1 in which foie gras was the dominating note4 ,the quails were named after the island of ,singapore1 because with them in the china dish came a most savoury accompaniment of pine-apple pulp and juice--and there are thousands of acres of pine-apples in ,singapore--an admirable contrast to the flesh of the plump birds4 ,to this dish also our council of three gave high praise4 ,the bowl of strawberries and ice and fruit flavouring1 another of the dishes of the house1 made an admirable ending to a very good dinner1 and with this dinner we drank a champagne strongly recommended by the house1 ,irroy #aijd4 ,i paid my bill1 the total of which came to #c1 #acs4 #f;d41 the charge being #abs4 #f;d4 a head for the dinner1 which was a small sum for such delicate fare1 and then we went into the lounge1 where the band was still playing1 to drink coffee and liqueurs1 and to allow ,daddy to smoke one of the very long cigars of which he always carries a supply4 ,it was still raining when my two guests started in their motor car back to ,richmond1 but they declared that they were fortified for their journey down into the country by a most satisfactory dinner4 ,the ,piccadilly ,hotel of to-day stands partly on the site of the agglomeration of halls and bar and restaurant which all came under the name of ,st ,james's ,hall1 the bar and restaurant being1 in the mouths of the frequenters thereof1 ,jemmy's4 ,the great hall was in its day the centre of the musical world1 and its ,monday ,pops and its classical concerts were celebrated4 ,in a smaller hall the ,moore and ,burgess ,minstrels flourished for many years until fickle ,london for a while grew tired of burnt-cork minstrelsy4 ,the big bar of the ,st ,james's declined1 as did most other restaurant bars1 when gentlemen no longer cared to be seen taking their liquid refreshment standing1 and the clientele of the restaurant was decidedly ,bohemian4 ,when ,jemmy's was wiped off the map of ,london there were not many tears shed at its disappearance4 ,the ,piccadilly ,hotel and its restaurant1 when they were first opened1 went through their teething troubles1 as do most new establishments4 ,the restaurant opened with a great flourish of trumpets1 most of its personnel coming straight from ,monte ,carlo to ,london1 but though the matres d'htel knew who was who in the principality of ,monaco they were not so well acquainted with the personalities of ,london life4 ,all these matters invariably straighten themselves out4 ,i read in the columns of ,city intelligence that the hotel1 under the management of ,mr ,f4 ,heim1 who is now managing director1 is a financial success1 and is paying good dividends4 ,the restaurant has gathered to itself a clientele that is smart and well-dressed1 and it treats its guests excellently4 ,to the great grill-room1 which lies down in the basement below the restaurant1 and which is one of the largest and one of the busiest places of good cheer in ,london1 ,i allude in my chapter concerning some of the grill-rooms4 ,,xxxix ,,the ,,rendezvous ,behind every successful restaurant there is some personality--a clever proprietor1 a great cook1 a managing director with a talent for organisation1 or a popular matre d'htel4 ,the ,rendezvous1 in ,dean ,street1 has been brought to prosperity and popularity by the work of one man1 its proprietor1 ,m4 ,peter ,gallina4 ,he is a dapper little ,italian1 with a small moustache1 a man of good family who ran away from home as a boy and has made his way by his native cleverness and perseverance1 and by the possession of an exceptionally keen palate4 ,he grounded himself well in all that concerns a restaurant in a small ,parisian establishment not far from the ,avenue d',ina4 ,when he had learned there enough of the trade to qualify him to be a manager of any restaurant he came to ,england with his savings in his pocket and took the position of manager in a small ,strand restaurant1 while he looked about for an opportunity to become a proprietor and to possess a restaurant of his own4 ,he had the name of his restaurant ready before he found a suitable house1 for one day after a meal he sat thinking of various matters and idly scribbled on the tablecloth a series of capital ,r's4 ,then1 with no special intention1 he fitted on names to the ,r's--,rome1 ,renaissance1 ,renomm1 ,rendezvous1 and suddenly found that the title he wanted had come to him4 ,and in the same chance way he found the position he wanted for his restaurant4 ,during the period that he was at the restaurant in the ,strand he used to go to ,dean ,street to buy coffee for his little household1 and he noticed one day that a house there was to let4 ,it had been used by one of those mushroom clubs which spring up almost in a night in ,soho1 and the police had terminated its short existence by making a raid on the premises as a gaming-house4 ,m4 ,gallina saw his opportunity1 took it1 spent some money in brightening it up1 and gave it an old-,english window on its ground floor1 and that was the beginning of the ,rendezvous4 ,the gastronomic scouts soon discovered that ,peter ,gallina in his little restaurant was giving extraordinarily good value at very moderate prices1 and some of them sent me word concerning it4 ,mr ,ernest ,oldmeadow1 the distinguished novelist1 was one of the first of ,gallina's customers1 and brought many others to the newly established restaurant4 ,mr ,g4 ,r4 ,sims1 the genial ,dagonet of ,the ,referee1 was one of the first among the scribes to tell the general public of the existence of the ,rendezvous1 and he wrote a ballad in its honour4 ,i1 in the early days of the existence of the restaurant1 made the acquaintance both of it and its proprietor1 who then1 as now1 affected clothes of an original cut4 ,in his restaurant ,peter ,gallina wears a small double-breasted white jacket1 with skirts and a very wide opening in front4 ,this opening is filled by the most voluminous black cravat that has been seen since the days of the ,dandies4 ,a small white apron is another article of his costume4 ,in those early days ,m4 ,gallina oscillated rapidly and continuously between the kitchen and the restaurant1 first seeing that the dishes were properly prepared1 and then watching his customers appreciatively eat the food4 ,he had no licence then to sell wines1 and a small boy was constantly sent scurrying across the road to a wine-merchant's shop almost opposite1 a shop which should have interest for all readers of books1 for its proprietor is a well-known author4 ,m4 ,gallina in a little book of ,eighteen ,simple ,menus1 with the recipes for all the dishes1 a very useful little book which he used to give away to his customers1 but which he now sells to them for a shilling1 has in a preface set down some ,golden ,rules for ,cooks1 and the first of these is ,buy good materials only4 ,the best cook in the world cannot turn third-class materials into a first-class dish4 ,this rule ,m4 ,gallina has always observed himself4 ,the ,rendezvous has constantly been increased in size4 ,a house next door to it fell vacant1 and ,m4 ,gallina at once took it and converted it into part of his restaurant4 ,then with larger dining-room came the necessity for a larger kitchen1 and this matter was put in hand4 ,a wine licence granted to the restaurant brought with it all the responsibilities of a cellar1 and ,m4 ,gallina has now an admirable kitchen and offices1 with walls of shining white tiles1 and a cellar big enough to hold all the wine that his customers require4 ,a tea and cake shop1 with tea-rooms on the first floor1 the ,maison ,gallina1 next door but one to the restaurant1 was the next achievement of the enterprising little man1 and1 finally1 he rounded off his restaurant by building at the back a new room1 all dark oak and mirrors and ,oriental carpets1 with a handsome oak gallery running round it4 ,the ,rendezvous ,restaurant is now one of the landmarks of ,dean ,street4 ,the wide windows of its ground floor are of little square panes1 each window set in a white wooden frame1 above a facing of glazed red tiles1 and before them stands a line of ,noah's ,ark trees in green tubs4 ,over these ground-floor windows the restaurant's name is written in ,old ,english characters on a white ground4 ,a line of shrubs in winter and flowers in summer is beneath the windows of the first floors of the two old houses1 and at night a row of globes blazes with electric light above the name of the restaurant4 ,the interiors of the two front rooms on the ground floor of the restaurant have been decorated to represent the parlours of an ,old ,english farmhouse4 ,there are heavy black beams supporting the ceiling1 the walls are panelled with green cloth in wooden frames1 the electric lamps give their light in old lanterns1 and there are silver wine coolers with ferns in them on the broad window-sill4 ,upstairs1 and there are three staircases in the restaurant1 one of the rooms on the first floor is kept in its original ,georgian panelled simplicity1 while the other is a ,dutch room with plaques of ,delft ware on the walls4 ,the new room at the back ,i have already described4 ,the clientele of the restaurant comprises every class of ,londoner from princes to art students4 ,the late ,prince ,francis of ,teck often dined there4 ,i have seen ladies in all their glory of tiaras of diamonds and of pearl necklaces eating an early meal at the ,rendezvous before going to the opera2 and the youngster who is one day going to obtain ,sargent's prices for his pictures1 but is still in the chrysalis stage1 and the as yet undiscovered ,melbas and ,clara ,butts receive just as much attention when they eat the one dish which forms their lunch or dinner as do the great people of the land who indulge in many courses4 ,the ,royalty is but a score of steps away from the ,rendezvous1 and many playgoers on their way to that theatre dine at the restaurant or sup there after the performance4 ,messrs ,vedrenne and ,eadie quite appreciate the advantage it is to have a flourishing restaurant just outside their doors1 and gave ,m4 ,gallina every encouragement when he first established himself in ,dean ,street4 ,the ,rendezvous has a carte du jour which gives a great choice of dishes4 ,the long card is covered with items printed in red or written in blue ink1 and special delicacies are set down in scarlet4 ,there are various sole dishes and a score of those of other kinds of fish4 ,the entres take up half the card1 and birds and salads1 vegetables1 savouries and dessert each have a thick little column of written items under their respective headings4 ,the prices1 as ,i have already written1 are quite moderate for good material4 ,the fish dishes average eighteenpence1 the entres a little less4 ,i have eaten at a dinner-party given in the new room a very noble feast1 and ,i have dined by myself on soup1 sole1 a navarin of lamb and an entremet1 my dinner1 without wine1 costing me five-and-threepence4 ,there are two specialities of the house--the sole ,rendezvous and the souffl ,gallina---which should be included in any typical dinner of the establishment1 and the last time that ,i dined at the restaurant and entertained a lady ,i included both of these in the menu1 which ran thus3 ,melon ,cantaloup4 ,crme ,fermeuse4 ,soles ,rendezvous4 ,aile de ,poularde en ,casserole4 ,aubergine l',espagnole4 ,souffl ,gallina4 ,caf4 ,the sole ,rendezvous is an admirable method of cooking the fish with a white wine sauce and most of the other good things that a cook can use in a fish dish1 all of which make it admirable to the taste but exceedingly rich4 ,the souffl ,gallina is a souffl with brandied cherries1 and it is served in a little lagoon of fine champagne cognac which is set alight4 ,it is by no means a teetotal dish4 ,this dinner for two1 with a pint of ,vieux ,pr1 a champagne recommended by the house1 and a bottle of ,mattoni1 came very near a sovereign4 ,,xl ,,the ,,pall ,,mall ,,restaurant ,every ,londoner knows the ,pall ,mall by sight1 the restaurant one door above the ,haymarket ,theatre1 and is familiar with the lace-curtained window of its buffet1 its entrance and the line of five ,french windows with flowers before them on its first floor1 and there are few playgoers who have not1 before spending an evening at the ,haymarket or ,his ,majesty's over the way1 dined at one time or another at the ,pall ,mall ,restaurant4 ,it is a restaurant which has prospered exceedingly1 and has done so because its two proprietors1 ,,mm4 ,pietro ,degiuli and ,arnolfo ,boriani--both ex-head waiters at the ,savoy and the ,carlton--see to every detail concerning their restaurant and their kitchen and their cellar with untiring diligence and with a complete knowledge4 ,they are both--,degiuli1 small and neat and dapper1 ,m4 ,boriani1 broad1 wearing a curled-up moustache and looking like a tenore robusto--always in the restaurant at meal-times doing the work of matres d'htel and giving personal attention to every member of their clientele4 ,in the ten years that have elapsed since they rechristened the restaurant1 which for a short period had been known as ,epitaux's1 they have made many improvements4 ,the restaurant itself1 a high room with a curved roof and two sliding skylights in the roof1 which not only let in the light but fresh air as well1 is now a white restaurant1 with deep rose panels alternating with mirrors between the pilasters4 ,there is a little gilding in the decoration1 but as carpet and chairs and lamp-shades conform to the scheme of rose1 the restaurant may be described as all white and deep pink4 ,there was originally a musicians' gallery at one end of this dining-hall1 a legacy from the ,caf de l',europe1 as it was called in the fifties1 and in the days of the caf the doorway was cased in to prevent draughts reaching the worthies who used to sup there after the performance at the ,haymarket ,theatre4 ,the old wooden screen to the door has been swept away1 and people lunch and dine and sup in the gallery which has replaced the domain of the musicians4 ,a little lounge where hosts can wait for their guests1 made by absorbing part of the premises of the shop next door1 is one of the most recent additions to the ,pall ,mall1 and the ,fly-fishers' ,club having moved to larger premises1 ,,mm4 ,degiuli and ,boriani have been able to construct a banqueting-room on the first floor that1 with a private dining-room which can accommodate twenty diners1 gives them now quite a large establishment4 ,as ,i have written1 the two proprietors give personal attention to every matter connected with the restaurant1 and they have not forgotten that they are ,italians1 for in their table d'hte lunch1 the price of which is half-a-crown1 one of the dishes is usually an ,italian one1 and all the coffee made in the establishment is made after the ,italian fashion1 no metal being allowed to come in contact with the fluid4 ,for their supper menu they always choose simple dishes1 which can be cooked directly an order has been given by those who sup4 ,there is a carte du jour1 but the dinners that nineteen out of twenty diners order are one or other of the table d'hte dinners of the day1 a four-shilling and a five-and-six one4 ,this was the menu of the more expensive of these two dinners on the last occasion that ,i dined at the ,pall ,mall3 ,hors d'uvre ,varis4 ,consomm ,madrilne ,froid and ,chaud or ,germiny4 ,saumon ,hollandaise4 ,cailles ,richelieu la ,gele4 ,selle d',agneau ,soubise4 ,fonds d',artichauts ,barigoule4 ,pommes ,chteau4 ,volaille en ,cocotte4 ,salade4 ,fraises ,melba4 ,the soup was good1 the quail especially attracted my notice1 for its jelly was flavoured with capsicum1 giving it thus a special cachet4 ,the service at the ,pall ,mall is quick and silent1 and1 though there is no unseemly hurry1 the dinner is quickly served1 for most of the people who dine at the ,pall ,mall are going on to a theatre4 ,the ,pall ,mall has an exceedingly comme il faut clientele1 and any man who did not wear evening clothes or a dinner jacket in the restaurant would feel himself rather a fish out of water there at dinner-time1 and would probably take cover in the gallery4 ,i see at the ,pall ,mall very much the same people whom ,i see at the ,savoy and the ,carlton1 and the lady who dines at the smaller restaurant before going to a theatre to-day1 probably to-morrow1 when a dinner constitutes the entertainment for the evening1 is taken to dine at one of the larger restaurants4 ,and perhaps because the ,pall ,mall stands where the stage of one of the theatres in the ,haymarket used to be1 the restaurant numbers amongst its clientele many of the great people of the opera and of the theatre1 as its book of autographs shows4 ,this is a book full of scraps of wisdom and wit1 and the ,stars of ,song and ,politics and the ,stage have not been afraid to cap each other's remarks4 ,thus when ,madame ,patti leads off on the top of a page with a charming platitude1 ,a beautiful voice is the gift of ,god1 ,madame ,yvette ,guilbert inscribes below a reminder that ,an ugly voice is also the gift of ,god2 ,sir ,herbert ,tree1 taking a different view from that of either of the ladies1 asks whether a voice should not be considered ,a visitation of ,providence2 ,miss ,mary ,anderson sides with her sex1 for she opines that ,all things are the gift of ,god2 and ,sir ,rider ,haggard rounds off the discussion with ,but the greatest gift of ,god is ,silence4 ,lord ,gladstone1 about to depart for ,south ,africa1 writes1 ,faith in the ,old ,country as his contribution1 and ,mr ,lloyd ,george puts immediately below it a sentence in ,welsh1 which being translated means ,liberty will conquer2 ,mr ,ben ,davies1 also a man of gallant little ,wales1 writes in his native tongue1 below ,mr ,lloyd ,george's sentence1 ,you are quite right1 ,lloyd ,george1 but your liberality has taken most of my money4 ,mr ,john ,burns1 dining at the restaurant on ,insurance ,day1 #aiaa1 was not stirred up to any poetic flights by the occasion1 ,health the only wealth being his rhymed contribution4 ,amongst the signatures in the book is that of ,signor ,marconi1 who is not inclined to write his name more often than is necessary4 ,his contribution was coaxed from him by a flash of wit on the part of ,m4 ,boriani4 ,on the menu of the dinner eaten by the inventor of wireless telegraphy appeared the item ,haricots verts la ,marconi4 ,the great electrician asked why they were so named4 ,m4 ,boriani trusted that the beans were not stringy1 and the inventor having reassured him on this point1 he said that in this case they might rightly be described as ,sans fil4 ,,mm4 ,degiuli and ,boriani have chosen as the motto of their restaurant1 ,venez et vous reviendrez1 and this confident prediction has been justified4 ,there is much history concerning the site on which the ,pall ,mall now stands4 ,in the latter years of the ,stuart dynasty1 when the lane which led from ,piccadilly down to the ,mall gradually became a street of houses1 ,charles ,,ii4 gave permission to ,john ,harvey and his partner to sell cattle as well as fodder in the ,haymarket4 ,all along this market1 on both sides1 inns sprang up1 and one of them occupied the site where the ,pall ,mall ,restaurant now stands4 ,the inn was pulled down early in the eighteenth century1 and on its site ,mr ,potter1 a carpenter1 built a summer theatre2 this theatre was converted by ,samuel ,foote somewhere about #agfj into a winter theatre4 ,mr ,a4 ,m4 ,broadley has written for the proprietors of the ,pall ,mall an interesting booklet which deals at length with this theatre and its managers1 ,foote and the ,colmans1 and with the great actresses and actors and musicians who appeared on its stage4 ,mozart played on the spinet there as an infant prodigy2 ,margaret ,woffington made her first bow to an ,english audience in the part of ,macheath in ,the ,beggars' ,opera1 after the ,irish manner2 and two actresses who married into the peerage--,lavinia ,fenton1 who died ,duchess of ,bolton1 and ,elizabeth ,farren1 afterwards ,countess of ,derby--played on its stage4 ,but on #adth ,october #ahbj1 the ,little ,theatre1 as it was called1 closed its doors with the tragedy of ,king ,lear and a farce4 ,it was not at once pulled down1 and was still standing in a battered state when the present ,haymarket ,theatre1 built by ,john ,nash1 was opened in #ahba1 just a fortnight before the coronation of ,george ,,iv4 ,when the ,little ,theatre was eventually pulled down shops were erected on its site4 ,two of these were in the year of the first ,great ,exhibition converted into the ,caf de l',europe1 the great hall of which1 somewhat altered1 is the large room of the present restaurant4 ,mr ,william ,john ,wilde1 who was ,buckstone's treasurer at the ,haymarket ,theatre1 became the proprietor of the ,caf de l',europe in the late fifties1 and as there was no early-closing law in those days the caf naturally enough became the favourite supping place for those who had sat through a long evening at the theatre almost next door1 and the sturdy critics who congregated in the first row of the pit ate their devilled bones and tripe and onions1 ,welsh rarebits1 chops and potatoes in their jackets1 at the caf after midnight and passed judgment on the performances of ,buckstone and ,liston1 ,sothern and the other famous comedians of the theatre as they supped4 ,mr ,d4 ,pentecost was the last proprietor of the old caf4 ,he was1 as ,dagonet in ,the ,referee has lately reminded us1 a nephew of ,pierce ,egan1 the author of ,tom and ,jerry1 and he was1 amongst other things1 the refreshment contractor to the ,alhambra4 ,he was also the proprietor of the ,epitaux ,restaurant in the colonnade of the opera house in the ,haymarket4 ,when that building was pulled down1 in order that the ,carlton and ,his ,majesty's ,theatre should be built on its site1 ,mr ,pentecost transferred the name of ,epitaux to the ,caf de l',europe4 ,the building was redecorated and ,,mm4 ,costa and ,rizzi became the lessees4 ,ten years ago1 as ,i have previously written1 ,,mm4 ,degiuli and ,boriani became the proprietors and gave the restaurant its present name and its present appearance4 ,,xli ,,in ,,jermyn ,,street ,,maison ,,jules4 ,,bellomo',s4 ,,les ,,lauriers ,jermyn ,street used to be sacred to small private hotels1 shops and bachelors' chambers1 but the restaurants have now invaded it and there are half-a-dozen places of good cheer which have their front doors in the street1 while some of the ,piccadilly restaurants have a back entrance there4 ,m4 ,jules had the happy idea of taking two houses1 one of them at one time the home of ,mrs ,fitzherbert1 as a medallion of the head of ,king ,george ,,iv41 found under the drawing-room floor proves1 and converting them into a hotel and restaurant4 ,it has proved so successful in ,jules' case that he is now adding on to his hotel and restaurant1 building at the same time a nice little suite of rooms with bow-windows for himself and his wife4 ,as you walk down ,jermyn ,street from ,st ,james's ,street towards ,lower ,regent ,street1 the ,maison ,jules is on the right-hand side4 ,you cannot miss it1 for an illuminated terrestrial globe and the name above the doorway catch your eye4 ,a little ante-room is separated from the restaurant by a glazed screen to keep off draughts4 ,the restaurant itself1 a long room running the whole width of the house1 is all white1 with a little raised ornamentation on its walls1 with gilt capitals to the white pillars1 and on the marble mantelpiece a clock and candelabra of deep blue china and ormolu4 ,at the end of the room a big window1 which is almost a wall of glass1 is cloaked by lace curtains4 ,there is a second room running at right angles at the back1 which either can be used as part of the restaurant or can be partitioned off4 ,jules himself will welcome you as you come into the restaurant4 ,i have known him for many years1 having first made his acquaintance when he was manager at the ,berkeley1 when his hair was of lustrous brown1 and ,i have always been one of his supporters at the hotel in ,piccadilly and at the ,savoy--when he became manager there1 and now in ,jermyn ,street1 where1 with his wife and his daughter1 who has married the chef de cuisine1 and his son1 who is following in his father's footsteps1 he controls the restaurant and the hotel4 ,the girth of his waist may have increased a little1 possibly to match the bow-windows of those new rooms1 since ,i have known him1 and his hair is now powdered with grey1 but his good-natured1 round1 rosy face1 and his eyes1 which almost close when he smiles1 remain the same4 ,he is always so pleased to see me that ,i find that a dinner at the ,maison ,jules does me more good than most tonics do4 ,the people who dine at the ,maison ,jules are all pleasant and well-to-do1 and all the men wear dress clothes4 ,some of the men are grey-haired people like myself who have followed ,jules in all his migrations2 but the restaurant is by no means a home of rest for the elderly1 for on the last occasion that ,i dined there one of the prettiest of the younger generation of actresses was being entertained at the next table to mine2 and young as well as elderly diners appreciate the bonhomie that seems to be in the atmosphere at the ,maison ,jules4 ,the dinner of the house is an eight-shilling one4 ,the dinner ,i ate when ,i last dined chez ,jules is quite a fair specimen of the evening meal3 ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm aux ,quenelles4 ,crme ,amricaine4 ,suprme de ,sole ,volga4 ,riz de ,veau ,souvaroff4 ,mdaillon de ,buf ,algrienne4 ,poularde la ,broche4 ,salade4 ,haricots ,verts au ,beurre4 ,mousse aux ,violettes4 ,friandises4 ,the crme ,amricaine1 a pink thick soup1 was excellent1 and so was the cold dish of sole1 with jelly and a little vegetable salad4 ,the mousse aux violettes was an ice with crystallised violets on the top2 and the riz de veau and the poularde--for which ,jules wished to substitute a partridge--were both excellent of their kind4 ,when ,jules1 before ,i left1 came to me and told me that some gentlemen a little farther down the room had told him that there was absolutely nothing to criticise in the dinner1 ,i was not hard-hearted enough to tell him that the beans were stringy1 which1 to tell the truth1 they were4 ,otherwise ,i agreed with the gentlemen farther down the room4 ,the wine list is a well-chosen one1 and there is in the cellar some #ahbj ,martell brandy1 landed in ,england in #ahgj1 which used to be the pride of the old ,st ,james's ,restaurant1 and the whole of which ,jules bought at the sale4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a little farther down the street on the same side is a restaurant and hotel controlled by another old acquaintance of mine in the restaurant world4 ,the restaurant is ,bellomo's1 and the hotel of which it forms a part is ,morle's ,hotel4 ,in the days when ,i thought it my duty to do my share of drinking1 at the ,caf ,royal1 a particularly excellent cuve of ,cliquot ,vin ,ros1 the waiter who was in charge of the table at which ,i usually sat1 and who attended to all my wants with admirable intuition1 was not at all one of the lean kind1 and to identify him from his fellows ,i always called him1 and wrote of him as1 the fat waiter4 ,he prospered and ran up the tree of promotion1 as good waiters do at the ,caf ,royal1 so that in his later development he became matre d'htel in charge of the grill-room1 and wore a frock-coat and a black tie4 ,but the anxieties of his new position in no way caused him to grow thin4 ,a year or two ago a friend wrote to me saying that he and some others had found the money to set up ,bellomo1 whom1 of course1 ,i remembered at the ,caf ,royal1 in a restaurant of his own in ,jermyn ,street1 and hoped that ,i would go and see how he prospered there4 ,i went1 not feeling quite sure who ,bellomo was1 and found my fat waiter of old1 now a plump proprietor4 ,his restaurant1 which consists of two rooms thrown into one1 has walls with a light shade of pink on them1 and at night is lit by electroliers with pink shades4 ,a few steps lead from the front to the back4 ,the restaurant is a cosy little establishment1 and the two dinners which are served there--one a three-and-six one and the other a five-shilling one--are invariably well cooked1 for ,m4 ,bellomo has brought the good ,caf ,royal traditions with him to his new home4 ,this is a typical menu1 a winter one1 of ,bellomo's three-and-six dinner3 ,hors d'uvre4 ,consomm ,rothschild or ,thick ,mock ,turtle4 ,filet de ,sole ,chauchat4 ,carr de ,mouton ,nioise4 ,oie rti4 ,salade4 ,glac ,mont ,blanc4 ,gaufrettes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,farther along the street and on the opposite side is ,les ,lauriers1 which takes its name from the two little evergreen trees which stand in tubs at its door1 and which is higher and more airy than most of the restaurants of its size1 for at some time or another the entresol has been thrown into the rooms on the ground floor4 ,les ,lauriers consists1 like most of the ,jermyn ,street restaurants1 of two rooms joined together with a space screened off by the door to form a tiny ante-room4 ,its walls are panelled and painted cream colour1 and lamps with pink shades hang from the ceiling4 ,the green carpet and the dark wooden chairs at the three rows of tables give a comfortable look to the place4 ,the proprietor is ,m4 ,giolitto1 who was a head waiter at the ,savoy before he came to ,jermyn ,street to make his fortune4 ,a very comfortable clientele patronises ,les ,lauriers1 and there are two dinners provided for them1 one a short dinner which is served until a quarter to eight1 and the other a more elaborate one1 priced #cs4 #i;d4 and #es4 #f;d4 respectively4 ,the last time ,i dined at ,les ,lauriers ,i1 feeling rich1 indulged in the longer dinner4 ,this was the menu3 ,melon ,cantaloup or ,driver's ,royal ,natives4 ,consomm ,viveur or ,crme ,doria4 ,homard froid1 ,sce4 ,mayonnaise or ,aiguillettes de ,turbot en ,goujons4 ,tournedos la ,florentine4 ,perdreau rti sur ,canap4 ,petits ,pois la ,franaise4 ,salade4 ,ananas ,master ,joe4 ,mignardises4 ,it was a well-cooked dinner1 and ,i do not wonder that ,m4 ,giolitto was able to tell me that his restaurant flourishes exceedingly4 ,,xlii ,,the ,,men ,,who ,,made ,,the ,,savoy ,if ,i were to attempt to give you all the early history of the ground on which the ,savoy stands ,i should have to delve back to ,tudor times1 and the ,savoy ,palace and the politics of that very turbulent period4 ,for me1 however1 the past history of the ,savoy begins with the time when the ,savoy ,theatre was built on reclaimed ground and opened in #ahha4 ,the offices of the theatre were in ,beaufort ,house1 which stood on the hill1 and beside the theatre was a space of rough waste land1 much like the ,county ,council's wilderness in ,aldwych4 ,on this unoccupied land ,mr ,d',oyly ,carte put up a shed to house the electric light plant for the theatre1 for the ,savoy was the first theatre in ,london that used electric light4 ,the ,savoy ,hotel and ,restaurant eventually rose where the electric light shed first stood1 and they were opened in #ahhi4 ,the hotel and restaurant then faced the ,embankment1 and had no ,strand frontage4 ,to get to the restaurant one had either to do a glissade in a hansom down the steep ,savoy hill to the side entrance which led into a courtyard1 in the centre of which stood a majolica fountain1 or to go to the front entrance opposite to the ,embankment ,gardens4 ,the restaurant was smaller than it is now2 it was panelled with mahogany2 it had a red and gold frieze and a ceiling of dead gold4 ,it was a very comfortable restaurant1 and the mahogany walls gave it a homelike feeling1 though1 of course1 they absorbed a great deal of the light4 ,the private rooms1 named after the various ,gilbert and ,sullivan operas1 were1 as they are now1 next to the restaurant4 ,the grill-room was tucked away in the middle of a block of buildings4 ,there was below the restaurant a table d'hte dining-room1 and on the garden level was a ballroom and its ante-rooms4 ,the balcony was but half its present width4 ,no block of buildings has been more greatly improved from time to time than the ,savoy has been4 ,there has hardly been a year without some adornment being added1 and in #aijd the largest additions during the history of the hotel were completed1 and the hotel and restaurant gained their ,strand outlet4 ,it would be possible to write a history of the ,savoy by taking note of the successive improvements and additions made to it4 ,it would also be possible to tell the history of the great restaurant by an account of some of the eras of great dinners1 the period1 for instance1 when the ,south ,african millionaires were spending money like water during the great boom1 and the period of freak dinners1 when ,caruso sang from a gondola to diners sitting by a canal in ,venice1 which was really the flooded courtyard2 and when1 on another occasion1 the same space was turned into a ,japanese garden for a ,japanese dinner4 ,i was a guest at some of these great dinners1 at the ,rouge et ,noire one which two magnates of the financial world gave to celebrate a great coup at ,monte ,carlo1 when all the decorations of the table1 all the flowers1 as much of the napery as was possible1 reproduced the two colours1 when the waiters wore red shirts and red gloves1 and the number on which the money was won was to be found everywhere in various forms on the table4 ,and ,i was bidden to the return banquet1 a white and green one1 which strove to outdo the luxury of the former one1 whereat fruit-trees bearing fruit grew apparently through the table1 and each chair was a little bower of foliage4 ,but ,i prefer to chat concerning the men who made the history of the house4 ,not the men who pulled the strings behind the scenes1 the ,board of ,directors and their admirable managing director1 ,mr ,reeves ,smith1 but the men whom the public saw or heard of in the restaurant1 the general managers1 the managers of the restaurant1 and the chefs4 ,the managers whom ,i knew were ,ritz1 ,mengay1 ,pruger1 ,gustave1 and now ,blond4 ,in the restaurant were ,echenard1 ,joseph1 ,jules1 ,renault1 and now ,soi4 ,the chefs have been ,escoffier1 ,thouraud1 whom ,joseph brought over with him from ,paris1 ,tripod1 and now ,rouget2 and most of these ,i knew well4 ,when ,mr ,d',oyly ,carte was putting in order the organisation of the newly opened ,savoy ,hotel1 he1 at ,monte ,carlo1 asked ,m4 ,ritz1 who was then at the ,grand ,hotel there1 to come to ,london and take charge of the ,savoy ,restaurant4 ,m4 ,ritz came and brought ,m4 ,escoffier with him to make history in the kitchens4 ,when ,m4 ,ritz permanently took over the management of the hotel and the restaurant he asked ,m4 ,echenard1 the proprietor of the ,hotel du ,louvre at ,marseilles1 to come to ,london and assist him in the restaurant4 ,this triumvirate worked admirably together4 ,m4 ,ritz1 thin1 nervous1 splendidly neat1 knowing all his patrons and their tastes1 was a great matre d'htel as well as a great manager4 ,the saying which he constantly quoted1 ,the customer is always right1 he acted up to4 ,if some ignorant diner found fault with one of ,m4 ,escoffier's most exquisite creations it would be swept away without a word and something suited to a lower intelligence and an uncultivated palate substituted for it4 ,if an old and valued customer had come into the restaurant and had ordered for dinner1 tripe and onions and sausages and mashed potatoes1 ,m4 ,ritz would have greeted such an order as though it were a flash of genius1 and would probably have sent out to the nearest cab shelter for the dishes4 ,during the early days of the ,savoy ,m4 ,ritz was quietly teaching the ,english with money to spend that a good dinner is not of necessity a long dinner1 and that a few dishes exquisitely cooked are better than a long catalogue of rich dishes4 ,m4 ,echenard1 looking like a ,spanish hidalgo1 quite understood the ways of his two great colleagues--for ,,mm4 ,ritz and ,escoffier are two of the greatest men in gastronomic history--and backed them up nobly4 ,the cholera year in ,marseilles took ,m4 ,echenard back to his hotel in the south1 and he has prospered exceedingly there1 being now the proprietor of the ,reserve and the hotel just below it on the ,corniche1 as well as the ,louvre4 ,,mm4 ,ritz and ,escoffier have since made the fortunes of other ,london restaurants4 ,when the ,ritz-,escoffier regime at the ,savoy came to an end the directors bought the ,restaurant ,marivaux in the street by the side of the ,opra ,comique in ,paris1 and brought over ,m4 ,joseph1 the presiding genius of that restaurant1 to take charge of the ,savoy ,restaurant4 ,the ,marivaux had a unique reputation in the ,paris of that day for its cookery4 ,joseph came1 bringing with him his chef1 ,m4 ,thouraud4 ,joseph was1 ,i think1 the most inspired matre d'htel1 with the exception1 perhaps1 of ,frederic of the ,tour d',argent1 ,i have ever met4 ,the ,savoy ,restaurant was rather too large for his system of management1 for he liked to take a personal interest in each dinner that was progressing in his restaurant and to give it his constant supervision4 ,he was born of ,french parents in ,birmingham1 and his one great amusement was that northern sport1 pigeon flying4 ,he had pleasant brown eyes and bushy eyebrows1 he wore all that remained of his hair rather long1 and had a tiny moustache4 ,he was quite wrapped up in his profession1 and1 as he told me once1 looked at his boots the whole time that he took his afternoon constitutional walk1 that he might think of new dishes4 ,whenever any novel idea occurred to him he tried it at home in his own little kitchen before asking ,m4 ,thouraud to make experiment on a larger scale4 ,to see ,joseph carve a duck was to see a very splendid exhibition of ornate swordsmanship1 and his preparation of a canard la presse was quite sacrificial in its solemnity4 ,there was in his day a dinner given at the ,savoy at which ,madame ,sarah ,bernhardt was the chief guest1 and most of the other people present were stars of our ,british stage4 ,joseph cooked before them at a side table most of the dishes of the dinner1 and told me that he did so because he wished to show actresses and actors1 who constantly appeal to the imagination of their audiences1 that there was something also in his art to please the eye and stimulate the imagination4 ,when ,i asked why he never went to the theatre1 he told me that he would sooner see six gourmets eating a well-cooked dinner than watch the finest performance that ,madame ,bernhardt and ,coquelin could give4 ,joseph had quite a pretty wit and facile pen4 ,this was the jeu d'esprit that he once wrote in a young lady's album3--,c'tait la premire ctelette qui cota le plus cher l'homme--,dieu en ayant fait une femme4 ,and he wrote for me a little essay on the duties of a matre d'htel that was very sprightly in style4 ,he was even a greater believer than ,m4 ,ritz in the short dinner1 and declared that we in ,england only tasted our dinners and did not eat them4 ,three dishes he considered quite enough for a good dinner1 and this was a tiny feast which he ordered for me on one occasion when ,i took a lady to dine at the ,savoy3 ,petite marmite4 ,sole ,reichenberg4 ,caneton la presse4 ,salade de saison4 ,fonds d'artichauts la ,reine4 ,bombe praline4 ,petits fours4 ,panier fleuri4 ,the panier fleuri he carved himself at table from an orange4 ,joseph became homesick1 for he was a thorough ,parisian1 and went back eventually to the ,marivaux1 but he soon after died4 ,illustration3 ,,joseph ,,carving ,a ,,duck ,after a drawing by ,paul ,renouard ,the directors of the ,savoy ,company1 which owns the ,berkeley and ,claridge's as well as the ,savoy ,hotel1 brought jolly1 genial1 rosy-faced ,m4 ,jules1 under whose rule the ,berkeley had prospered exceedingly1 from that white-faced hotel to the ,savoy1 and his rule on the ,thames ,embankment was as successful as it had been in ,piccadilly4 ,it was during his managership that the additions that were to give the entrance on to the ,strand were planned1 and1 ,i fancy1 were begun1 and when ,m4 ,jules left the ,savoy to make for himself a restaurant and hotel in ,jermyn ,street1 ,m4 ,renault1 from the ,casino at ,biarritz1 came to the ,savoy ,restaurant1 and the quick-witted ,m4 ,pruger became general manager4 ,this was a period of great activity and of many alterations in the building4 ,no ,savoy manager has ever had more brilliant inspirations for great feasts than ,m4 ,pruger had4 ,the gondola dinner was one of his ideas and he always thought of something novel and amusing for the ,christmas and ,new ,year's ,eve parties4 ,m4 ,renault is now in ,rome at the hotel there owned by the ,savoy ,company2 ,m4 ,pruger was tempted away to ,america to manage a mammoth restaurant on modern lines1 but came back from ,new ,york to take over the management of the ,royal ,automobile ,club when its great club-house in ,pall ,mall was opened4 ,m4 ,gustave1 of the russet beard1 who had steered the newly built ,caf ,parisien of the ,savoy to great success1 next became manager of the hotel1 and that brings us down to the history of to-day1 for when he resigned his appointment ,m4 ,blond1 the present manager1 succeeded him4 ,,xliii ,,the ,,duties ,,of ,a ,,ma,,tre ,d',h,,tel ,i have mentioned in the previous chapter that ,joseph wrote me a sprightly letter on the duties of a matre d'htel4 ,this is it3 ,,mon ,,cher ,,colonel1--,vous me demandez pour votre nouveau livre des recettes4 ,mfiez-vous des recettes4 ,depuis la cuisinire bourgeoise et le ,baron ,brisse on a chant la chanson sur tous les airs et sur tous les tons4 ,et qu'en reste-t-il2 qui s'en souvient8 ,je veux dire dans le public aristocratique pour qui vous crivez1 et que vous comptez intresser avec votre nouvelle publication1 cherchez le nouveau dans les propos de table1 donnez des conseils aux matresses de maison1 qui dpensent beaucoup d'argent pour donner des dners fatiguants1 trop longs1 trop compliqus2 dtes leur qu'un bon dner doit tre court1 que les convives doivent manger et non goter1 qu'elles exigent de leur cuisinier ou cuisinire de n'tre pas trop savants1 qu'ils respectent avant tout le got que le bon ,dieu a donn toutes choses de ne pas les dnaturer par des combinaisons1 qui force d'tre raffines deviennent barbares4 ,on a beaucoup parl du cuisinier4 ,si nous exposions un peu ce que doit tre le ,matre d',htel4 ,,le ,,ma,,tre ,d',h,,tel ,,fran,,ais ,la plus grande force du ,matre d'htel ,franais1 je dis ,matre d'htel ,franais dessein1 car si le cuisinier ,franais a su tirer parti des produits de la nature avec un art infini1 pour en faire des aliments aimables1 agrables1 et bienfaisants1 le ,matre d'htel ,franais seul est susceptible de les faire accepter et dsirer4 ,or voil pour le ,matre d'htel le champ qu'il a explorer4 ,champ vaste s'il en ft1 car deviner avec tact ce qui peut plaire celui-ci et ne pas plaire celui-l1 est un problme rsoudre selon la nature1 le temprament et la nationalit de celui qu'il doit faire manger4 ,il doit donc tre le conseil1 le tentateur1 et le metteur en scne4 ,il faut pour tre un matre d'htel accompli1 mettre de ct1 ou de moins ne pas laisser percer le but commercial1 tout en tant un commerant hors ligne 7je parle ici du matre d'htel public de restaurant1 attendu que dans la maison particulire1 le commerce n'a rien voir1 ce qui simplifie normement le rle du matre d'htel4 ,pour cela il faut tre un peu diplomate1 et un peu artiste dans l'art de dire1 afin de colorer le projet de repas que l'on doit soumettre son dneur74 ,il faut donc agir sur l'imagination pour fair oublier la machine que l'on va alimenter1 en un mot masquer le ct matriel de manger4 ,j'ai acquis la certitude qu'un plat savamment prpar par un cuisinier hors ligne peut passer inaperu1 ou inapprci si le matre d'htel1 qui devient alors metteur en scne1 ne sait pas prsenter l'uvre1 de faon le faire dsirer1 de sorte que si ce mets est servi par un matre d'htel qui n'en comprend pas le caractre1 il lui sera impossible de lui donner tout son relief1 et alors l'uvre de cuisinier sera ananti et passera inaperu4 ,ce matre d'htel doit tre aussi un observateur et un juge et doit transmettre son apprciation au chef de cuisine1 mais pour apprcier il faut savoir1 pour savoir il faut aimer son art1 le matre d'htel doit tre un aptre4 ,il doit transmettre les observations qu'il a pu entendre pendant le cours d'un dner de la part des convives1 observations favorables ou dfavorables1 il doit les transmettre au chef et aviser avec lui4 ,il doit aussi tre en observation1 car il arrive le plus souvent que les convives ne disent rien cause de leur amphitryon mais ne mangent pas avec plaisir et entrain le mets prsent3 l encore le matre d'htel doit chercher le pourquoi4 ,il y a aussi dans un djeuner ou un dner un rle trs important rserv au matre d'htel4 ,la varit agrable des hors-d'uvre1 la salade qui accompagne le rti1 le faon de dcouper ce rti avec lgance1 de bien disposer ce rti sur son plat une fois dcoup1 dcouper bien et vite1 afin d'viter le rchaud qui sche4 ,savoir mettre point une selle de mouton1 avec juste ce qu'il faut de sel sur la partie grasse1 qui lui donnera un got agrable4 ,pour dcouper le matre d'htel doit se placer ni trop prs ni trop loin des convives1 afin que ceux-ci soient intresss1 et voient que tous les dtails sont observs avec got et lgance1 de faon tenter encore les apptits qui n'en peuvent presque plus mais qui renaissent encore un peu aiguillonns par le dsir qu'a su faire natre l'artiste prpos au repas1 et qui a su donner encore envie l'imagination1 quand l'estomac commenait capituler4 ,le matre d'htel a de plus cette partie de la fin du dner1 le choix d'un bon fromage1 les fruits1 les soins de temprature donner aux vins1 la faon de dcanter ceux-ci pour leur donner le maximum de bouquet2 le matre d'htel ne peut-il encore tre un tentateur avec la fraise frappe la ,marivaux8 ou avec la pche la cardinal1 qu'accompagne si bien le doux parfum de la framboise1 lgrement acidul d'une cuillere de jus de groseille4 ,notre grand ,carme qualifiait certains plats le manger des ,dieux4 ,combien l'expression est heureuse6 ,depuis que je suis ,londres j'ai trouv un nombre incalculable d'inventeurs de ma pche la ,cardinal4 ,il me faudra leur donner la recette un jour que j'en aurai l'occasion4 ,n'est-ce pas de l'art chez le matre d'htel qui tente et charme les convives par ces raffinements1 et qui comme un cavalier sur une moture essouffle sait encore relever son courage et lui faire faire la dernire foule qui dcide de la victoire8 ,aprs un bon repas le matre d'htel a la grande satisfaction d'avoir donn un peu de bonheur de pauvres gens riches1 qui ne sont pas toujours des heureux4 ,et comme l'a dit ,brillat ,savarin ,le plaisir de la table ne nuit pas aux autres plaisirs4 ,au contraire1 qui sait si indirectement je ne suis pas le papa de bien des ,bbs rieurs1 ou la cause au moins de certaines aventures que mes jolies clientes n'voquent qu'en souriant derrire leur ventail8 ,,joseph ,directeur du ,savoy ,restaurant1 ,londres1 et du ,restaurant de ,marivaux1 ,paris4 ,,xliv ,,the ,,savoy ,,to-,,day ,after the ,houses of ,parliament1 the ,law ,courts1 the ,national ,gallery1 ,st ,paul's and ,westminster ,abbey1 the ,savoy ,hotel is probably the building that the well-to-do ,londoner knows best4 ,he cannot walk or drive down the ,strand without his eye being caught by its milk-white frontage on that tumultuous street1 and by the stern-faced gilded warrior above the courtyard entrance who leans on a shield that bears an heraldic bird1 which ,i have no doubt is a very noble eagle1 but which looks as though it had been plucked4 ,when he comes home from abroad he1 if he is looking to the right as he crosses the railway bridge to ,charing ,cross1 sees the garden front of the hotel1 with its balconies and many windows1 and its flag aflutter1 and recalling many good dinners in the past1 looks forward to many others in the immediate future4 ,all the preliminaries to a dinner at the ,savoy are pleasantly dignified4 ,the drive into the courtyard1 the cessation of noise as the wheels of car or carriage come upon the india-rubber paving under the glazed roof1 the cream and dark green marbles of the entrance front1 the trellis and flowers outside the ,caf1 all contribute to pleasant anticipation2 and once inside the doors1 the hall panelled with dark woods1 the glimpse through a long window of the light-coloured reading-room1 and the progress down a flight of crimson-carpeted stairs1 with walls of buff and brown marble on either side1 form the first stage of the diner's progress to the restaurant4 ,servants in the handsome state livery they wear in the evening--,french grey and dark blue--take one's coat and hat1 and it always gives me a moment of gratification that ,i am such an old habitu that it is not considered necessary to give me a ticket4 ,then if one is a host there is nothing to do except to sit in one of the comfortable chairs in this ante-chamber and to look alternately up the crimson stairs to see whether one's guests are arriving and down another flight of stairs across the great lounge to the crystal screen of great panes framed in gilt metal which is the transparent barrier between the restaurant and its approaches4 ,the lounge--crimson under foot1 with walls light cream in colour1 good copies of portraits by ,british old masters in panels alternating with looking-glass doorways2 with pillars of buff marble1 veined with brown and having gilt capitals1 and bronze amorini and sculptured groups of the ,graces as supports for electroliers--is a delightful room1 as one realises after dinner when the hour of coffee has come4 ,the band1 wearing in the evening their uniform of dark blue1 the leader distinguished by a silver sash--in the daytime they are in crimson--are in a corner of the lounge close against the crystal screen that their music may be heard in the restaurant4 ,arched entrances in the eastern wall lead into the ,winter ,garden1 another great hall with a glazed ceiling1 with roses climbing up trellis-work1 and with a great recess1 up a broad flight of stairs1 with pillars of green marble and a gilded fountain against its wall4 ,the salon de verdure1 as it is grandiloquently called1 is above the new ballroom1 the two great apartments occupying the space where the courtyard used to be4 ,my guests of the particular night ,i am describing were my friend and old comrade1 ,pitcher1 the editor of ,town ,topics1 and his wife and his pretty daughter4 ,i had determined that they should eat a typical ,savoy dinner1 and had been at some pains to obtain a really representative feast4 ,before ,i went away on my travels in the summer ,i had interviewed ,m4 ,blond1 the general manager 7who was brought back when he was half-way to ,rome two years ago to take up the management of the ,savoy71 in his sanctum1 telling him that when in the autumn ,i intended to write a couple of chapters concerning the ,savoy1 ,i should like to give a dinner including some of the specialities of the cuisine1 and that ,i should like to have something descriptive to say as to such of the dishes of which the ,savoy is proud that were not included in my little feast4 ,we took into our conference ,m4 ,rouget1 the ,matre-,chef of the ,savoy1 who looks the genial1 burly1 contented person that the head of a great kitchen should be1 and we chatted over new dishes and dishes with new names 7which are not the same thing71 and he gave me some particulars of his kitchens and of the great army of cooks employed in the ,savoy1 there being as many as two hundred and ten in the brigade4 ,when1 being back again in ,london1 ,i carried out my intention of asking my editor to dinner1 ,m4 ,soi1 the manager of the restaurant1 came into counsel4 ,when ,i had made up my mind on the important matter whether my dinner should cost twelve-and-six or fifteen-and-six a head1 and had stated that ,i should like the more expensive feast1 ,i added that ,i hoped that no beef would be included in the menu1 for ,pitcher had been complaining of preliminary symptoms of gout4 ,m4 ,soi on the day we were to dine--a ,sunday--submitted to me a menu which ,i duly initialled as approved4 ,my guest and his wife1 looking as young as her pretty daughter1 duly arrived to the moment4 ,m4 ,soi1 young and good-looking1 with a light moustache--he was under ,ritz in various restaurants1 and has been at the ,grand ,hotel in ,rome as restaurant manager1 going in the summer to the ,palace ,hotel at ,st ,moritz1 before three years ago he came to the ,savoy--received us at the entrance1 and we were piloted to a table a comfortable distance away from the band1 from which the ladies had a full view of the room1 full1 as it always is1 with good-looking people1 the softer sex all being in frocks that gave my lady guests plenty to talk about4 ,i gave my guests the menu1 which1 of course1 ,i had previously seen1 to look at1 as soon as they had settled down1 and ,i used my eyes to take in my surroundings4 ,though ,i regret the disappearance of the mahogany panelling1 which is stowed away somewhere in the hotel1 as one regrets the loss of an old friend1 the pleasant buff colouring of the present restaurant1 with its frieze of raised decoration and the electric light thrown up on to the ceiling and reflected down1 which is most comfortable to the eye1 make for lightness2 and light as distinguished from glare is an aid to good spirits in a restaurant4 ,the balcony of to-day1 twice the width of the old balcony1 and fitted with a long awning for use on sunshiny days--an awning which cost an almost incredible sum of money--is in request both at lunch and dinner and supper-time2 and at lunch it has the supreme advantage of commanding the one great view in ,central ,london1 the river and the gardens and the ,houses of ,parliament grouping into a splendid picture1 only spoiled by the blot of the unlovely railway bridge4 ,this was the menu of the ,savoy dinner that ,m4 ,soi considered typical3 ,dlices de ,sterlet4 ,blinis de ,sarrasin4 ,consomm de ,terrapine en ,tasse4 ,kapusniack4 ,suprme de ,sole ,divine4 ,diablotin ,cancalaise4 ,filet de ,perdreau ,bonne ,bouche4 ,croquettes de ,marrons4 ,noisette d',agneau de ,galles ,eldorado4 ,fond d',artichaut ,clamart4 ,poularde souffle ,savoy4 ,salade ,cornelia4 ,poire de ,paris ,tosca4 ,frivolits4 ,canap ,esperanza4 --and as the accompanying wine ,i had ordered some sherry with the caviar1 a magnum of ,pommery and some ,mattoni water4 ,a most admirable dinner it was1 rather long1 perhaps1 to my taste1 but it would have been difficult to get enough distinctive dishes into a shorter menu4 ,the sterlet caviar on the little ,russian pancakes made an admirable hors d'uvre2 the consomm was of turtle1 but much lighter than the usual turtle soup2 the kapusniack is a ,russian soup1 in which leeks1 celery1 turnips1 onions1 mushrooms1 pig's ear1 crushed tomatoes and cabbage seasoned with vinegar play a part1 and it is served with cream stirred into it1 and with those little pts of which the ,russians are so fond when broken into the soup4 ,the sole was garnished with fried oysters covered with bread-crumbs1 and the filet de perdreau1 which was the supreme triumph of the dinner1 consisted of grilled suprmes of partridges and grilled rashers of bacon dipped in poivrade sauce4 ,the noisettes were the one plain dish of the dinner1 but the asparagus ends tucked away in the hearts of artichokes gave it its cachet4 ,the cold chicken filled with a mousse of foie gras was a very noble dish1 and tiny mushrooms1 formed from some kind of mousse1 which apparently grew amidst the truffles1 and slices of chicken breast which surrounded the white bird adorned with ,pompeiian drawings1 were a very happy idea4 ,the nuts soaked in ,kummel which we found in the interior of the pears1 which were served with a red currant ice1 was another happy idea much appreciated by the ladies1 and the canap esperanza proved to be soft roes on toast4 ,this dinner takes a very high place amongst the many good dinners ,i have eaten in my time in the ,savoy ,restaurant4 ,my bill came to #e1 #bs4 ,some of the ,savoy specialities for which there were not room in one dinner menu are hutres ,baltimore1 which are oysters grilled with bacon2 bortsch ,polonaise1 homard ,miramar1 sylphide ,savoy1 which is a very attractive way of serving lamb sweetbreads2 mignonettes d'agneau la ,delhi1 souffls belle de nuit1 which is a variant of the souffl surprise1 peaches and strawberry and vanilla ice being used in it2 and the noble bcasse la ,soi1 an invention of ,m4 ,soi1 which is the breast of a woodcock served with a most delightful sauce on toast covered with foie gras4 ,i have mentioned the ballroom which has taken the place of the old courtyard and its fountain1 and in which many of the great banquets given at the ,savoy are held4 ,it is a fine room1 light grey in colour1 splendidly spacious1 and when lighted up its colour shows off the ladies' dresses to perfection4 ,my only objection to it as a banqueting-room was that the white light1 which is admirable for a ballroom1 was rather too glary for a dining-room4 ,this has now been obviated by lessening the light when dinners are given in the room4 ,if the ,savoy could find some means of shading the lamps with pink or putting on pink glasses to the lamps on the occasion of banquets1 it would1 ,i think1 please those like myself who think that the best light for a dining-room is a pink one4 ,i asked ,m4 ,blond to give me the menu of any recent ,savoy banquet of which the management was especially proud1 not that ,i have not preserved many menus of many great dinners1 but that ,i wished to shift the responsibility of selection on to his shoulders4 ,this is the menu of the banquet and wines he has sent me as being typical of great ,savoy feasts3 ,caviar de ,blouga4 ,blinis la ,gouriew4 ,queue de ,buf la ,franaise4 ,crme ,germiny4 ,filets de ,sole l',aiglon4 ,suprme de ,volaille l',aurore4 ,cte d',agneau de ,lait au ,beurre ,noisette4 ,pommes ,lorette4 ,velout ,forestire4 ,dlice de ,strasbourg la ,gele de ,vin du ,rhin4 ,bcassine ,double ,flambe l',armagnac4 ,perles du ,perigord4 ,curs de ,laitues ,suzette4 ,asperges ,vertes de ,paris4 ,comices ,toscane4 ,souffl ,pont l'vque4 ,corbeilles de ,fruits4 ,,wines4 ,schloss ,johannisberg ,cabinet1 #ahic4 ,veuve ,clicquot1 #aijd4 ,magnums ,pommery and ,greno 7,nature71 #aijd4 ,cht4 ,haut ,brion ,cachet du ,chteau1 #ahhh4 ,cockburn's #ahij 7,bottled #ahic74 ,croft's #ahha 7,bottled #ahhd74 ,hennessey's #gj year old ,cognac4 ,many of the dishes included in this great dinner ,i hope ,i may meet at a future time at ,savoy banquets4 ,,xlv ,,the ,,restaurant ,,des ,,gourmets ,dining one wet night in ,september at the ,restaurant des ,gourmets in ,lisle ,street ,i told the young manager1 with whom ,i chatted1 that it must be ten years since ,i dined there1 and that at that time ,m4 ,brice was the proprietor4 ,the manager's reply was that fourteen years ago ,m4 ,brice sold the restaurant to its present proprietors4 ,i looked up the date of my last visit to the ,gourmets when ,i got home1 and found that it was in #ahih4 ,it was a queer little place of very eatable food at extraordinarily cheap prices when first ,i made its acquaintance4 ,it then occupied the ground floor of one of the little houses in ,lisle ,street1 the street in which is the stage door of the ,empire ,theatre1 and ,mr ,george ,edwardes' offices at the back of ,daly's ,theatre4 ,the outside of the restaurant in those days did not look inviting4 ,the woodwork was painted leaden grey1 and a yellow curtain hung inside the window to screen the interior from the view of the public4 ,the glass of the door was whitened and ,entre written across it in black paint4 ,there were as many little tables1 to hold two or four1 as could be crammed into the little room2 the benches by the wall were covered with black leather1 the walls were grey1 with wooden pegs all round on which to hang hats and coats1 and1 here and there1 notices on boards ,la ,pipe est interdite4 ,by the window was a long counter1 on which were bowls of salad and stacks of ,french loaves1 and a metal coffee-making machine4 ,by this counter stood a plump ,frenchwoman in black with an apron1 who shouted orders down a lift1 and up the lift came presently in response the dish called for4 ,m4 ,brice1 a little ,frenchman with a slight beard and wearing a grey cap1 came and sat on a chair by the table and told me who the star guests were amongst the people of all nationalities who filled all the space on the chairs and benches4 ,the chef d'orchestre of the ,moore and ,burgess ,minstrels at ,st ,james's ,hall was one of the celebrities2 another1 a gentleman wearing a red tie1 was a journalist who contributed articles on ,anarchists to the newspapers2 there were some ,frenchmen who were big men in the greengrocery line1 and came over occasionally to ,covent ,garden2 and the greatest celebrity of all was a clean-shaven1 prosperous-looking person1 the coachman of the ,baron ,alfred de ,rothschild4 ,my bill that evening totalled #bs4 #g;d41 and for this ,i obtained hors d'uvre1 #b;d42 pain1 #a;d42 potage1 pt d',italie1 #b;d42 poisson1 #h;d4 7the expensive dish of my dinner1 turbot and caper sauce72 gigot haricot1 #f;d42 an omelette1 #d;d42 cheese1 #b;d42 and a pint of claret1 of which ,m4 ,brice had purchased a supply at the sale of the surplus wines of the ,caf ,royal1 which cost me no more than #f;d4 ,the front of the ,restaurant des ,gourmets to-day stretches across three of the houses in ,lisle ,street1 and it has1 besides the ground-floor rooms1 quite a spacious restaurant on the first floor1 made by throwing the three rooms of the houses into one4 ,its ground-floor front is painted chocolate colour1 and its principal entrance1 between two of the houses1 is quite imposing1 has little ,noah's ,ark trees and a chasseur in buttons1 stationed there to direct visitors to the different rooms and to call taxis4 ,the staircase1 with brass edges to the steps and a brass rail1 and with walls of white panelling1 leads to the restaurant upstairs1 and a little pay-desk1 with an opening like those in a railway ticket office1 faces one at the entrance1 and it is here that every visitor pays his bill as he goes out4 ,i looked in at all three downstairs rooms1 which are bright with coloured papers on their walls1 and found all the tables occupied1 before ,i went upstairs into the larger restaurant4 ,there ,i found a little table vacant1 and sat down at it with grim apprehension that ,i might have what scanty hair ,i possess on the top of my head blown off1 for just above it was a large electric fan4 ,it was1 however1 not necessary1 the night being cool1 to set this going1 and ,i ate my dinner in a calm atmosphere4 ,the ,gourmets has become quite smart since ,madame ,h4 ,cosson and her son succeeded ,m4 ,brice in the proprietorship4 ,the upstairs restaurant is panelled with white woodwork above a green skirting1 there are mirrors in the panelling1 and the range of windows looking out on to ,lisle ,street have white lace curtains4 ,there is a table in the middle of the room1 and upon it fruits and big-leaved plants and a basket with bunches of grapes hung invitingly along the handle4 ,two big stands of ,austrian bent-wood for hats and coats are placed as sentinels on either side of this table4 ,there is a round-faced clock on the wall to tell the time1 and at intervals notices to say that all drinks must be paid for in advance1 which means1 ,i suppose1 that the ,gourmets has not yet obtained a wine and spirit licence4 ,no notice forbidding pipes is now necessary4 ,the waiters in dress clothes and black ties bustle about1 and when ,i had given my order for crme de laitue1 cabillaud frit1 poulet au riz1 sauce suprme1 and pudding ,gourmets1 ,i looked round at my fellow-guests to see if ,i could pick out any celebrities4 ,there was no ,m4 ,brice this time to act as a ,who's ,who in ,lisle ,street1 and most of the people who were dining seemed to me to be young couples4 ,indeed from the tables in my vicinity a painter could have limned a series of pictures of the various stages of matrimony4 ,at the table next to mine sat a young couple who were still in the holding hands state of love1 who were thinking a great deal about each other and very little about their dinner1 and who ordered anything that the waiter suggested to them2 further on was a couple1 each of whom was reading a newspaper1 and next to them again a young husband and wife1 who had brought out to dinner a pig-tailed little girl of six or seven1 whose manners were most admirable1 for she bade the waiter ,good-night when she went away with all the grace of a duchess4 ,beyond these again was an elderly couple1 who sat together at one side of a table1 an affectionate ,darby and ,joan4 ,my soup when it came tasted rather too strongly of pepper1 but the fried cod was excellent4 ,the poulet au riz was all that it should be1 and the pudding ,gourmets was a simple version of the well-known pudding ,diplomate4 ,prices have gone up a little at the ,gourmets since my first visit there1 owing1 of course1 to the general rise in the price of material4 ,i was charged #c;d4 for the soup1 #f;d4 for the cod2 ,i had rushed into wild extravagance in ordering chicken1 for that cost me #as4 #c;d41 and the price of the pudding ,gourmets was #d;d4 ,,xlvi ,,the ,,maxim ,,restaurant ,there may not appear at first blush to be any close connection between ,wardour ,street1 that length of it which lies between ,shaftesbury ,avenue and ,coventry ,street1 and the pleasant ,austrian watering-place of ,marienbad2 but whenever ,i traverse the thoroughfare where the wax figures simper in ,clarkson's1 the wig-maker's1 windows1 and where the ,french library at one of the corners always keeps some passers-by in front of it looking at the illustrated papers and post cards1 the china figures and the covers of the novels1 there rises before me when ,i come to the ,maxim ,restaurant a vision of hills covered with pine-woods and of the ,caf ,rubezahl1 a castellated building of great red roofs and turrets and spires1 high up on the green hill-side1 the caf at which the late ,king ,edward often drank the good ,austrian coffee of an afternoon during his annual ,august trip to the town of healing waters4 ,the ,rubezahl was1 in an indirect manner1 the parent of the ,restaurant ,maxim in ,wardour ,street1 for when the organisers of the ,austro-,hungarian ,exhibition at ,earl's ,court cast about for attractions which would be in keeping with the spirit of the exhibition it occurred very naturally to them that an ,austrian restaurant where the admirable plain ,austrian dishes could be eaten and where the ,hungarian wines and the cool beer of ,pilsen could be drunk would be a pleasant novelty2 and such a restaurant was established opposite to the ,welcome ,club1 and was eminently successful4 ,and to manage this restaurant the son-in-law of the proprietor of the ,rubezahl came from the ,austrian ,highlands1 and when ,king ,edward lunched at the restaurant and was given a typical ,austrian meal of cure food he recognised ,m4 ,maximilian ,lurion1 the manager1 and chatted with him concerning ,marienbad and the ,rubezahl4 ,when ,earl's ,court had closed its doors for the winter ,m4 ,maxim ,lurion was not unwilling to stay in ,london1 and he1 in conjunction with a ,british syndicate1 thought that a site at the corners of ,wardour and ,gerrard ,streets1 which was then in the market1 would be a suitable position for a restaurant4 ,a small public-house carrying a licence was included in the purchase1 and when everything else on the site was pulled down the business part of the old house of refreshment stood1 looking like a saloon of the ,wild ,west1 amidst the ruins4 ,when a name had to be found for the new restaurant1 the shortened form of ,m4 ,lurion's ,christian name was chosen1 and the building became the ,restaurant ,maxim4 ,no doubt ,maxim's1 in ,paris1 came by its name in a like manner1 for ,maximilian is a very usual name in central and eastern ,europe4 ,maxim's has always kept a clean face in a street not remarkable for smartness1 and its white exterior1 the touches of gilding on the wreaths that embellish its outer walls1 its rows of mauresque white-curtained narrow windows on the first floor1 its turret domed with silver1 the flowers in its green and gold balconies1 and the commissionaire in a well-fitting coat who stands by the front door1 near the two large menus which set forth what is the dinner of the day1 make it a pleasant feature of the street4 ,when the ,maxim was first opened ,m4 ,lurion took me over the establishment from garret to basement1 and showed me how the coffee is made in ,austria1 though ,austrian coffee never tastes so well in ,london surroundings as it does under the little trees of the hill-side cafs in ,carlsbad or ,marienbad1 or in one of the open-air restaurants in the ,prater of ,vienna4 ,the ,maxim1 however1 did not at first fulfil the hopes of its promoters4 ,whether its name frightened people or whether it was too ambitious in its aims ,i do not know1 but it soon changed hands4 ,when one evening last summer ,i went to the ,maxim to dine before going to one of the theatres in ,shaftesbury ,avenue1 ,i found ,m4 ,ducker1 the present manager1 in the entrance hall near the cloak-room where hats and coats are left1 and he told me all about the varying fortunes of the restaurant1 who are its present proprietors1 and of the struggle that was necessary to bring it to its present state of prosperity1 for prosperous it now is1 there being not a vacant table either on the ground floor or the first floor when ,i came in4 ,while ,i talked to ,m4 ,ducker a couple1 who had finished their dinner1 rose from a table by the brass ornamental rail surrounding the oval opening which makes the restaurant on the first floor a balcony to the room below1 a waiter slipped a clean cloth on to the table1 and in a few seconds it was ready for my occupation4 ,m4 ,ducker hoped ,i would have a good dinner1 and left me to the care of the matre d'htel1 and as the waiter covered the table with little dishes containing hors d'uvres ,i looked at the menu1 at my surroundings1 and at the company4 ,this was the menu of the half-crown dinner of the house1 the arms of the establishment1 three stags' heads on a shield1 with a boar's head as a crest1 and two stags as supporters1 being at the top of the menu card3 ,hors d'uvre la ,russe4 ,consomm ,chiffonnette4 ,crme ,gentilhomme4 ,suprme de ,barbue ,nioise4 ,carr de ,pr-,sal ,bourguignonne4 ,pommes fondantes4 ,poulet en ,casserole4 ,salade4 ,glac ,chantilly4 ,dessert4 ,in the upper restaurant of the ,maxim1 where ,i sat1 the walls are papered deep red1 with white woodwork and white classic ornamentation4 ,there are mirrors on the walls1 and on a large panel the arms of the house are displayed in proper heraldic colours4 ,the cut glass electroliers1 some hanging1 some fixed to the ceiling1 give light both to the upper and lower restaurants4 ,the lower restaurant is panelled and is all white1 red-shaded lamps on the tables and some palms making a contrast of colour4 ,down in the basement is a grill-room4 ,the chairs are of white wood upholstered in green leather1 and the carpets are a deep rose in colour4 ,the little string band of the establishment plays in the upper restaurant1 its leader1 who is a talented violinist1 standing close by the brazen railing so that his music shall be as well heard below as it is above4 ,every table1 as ,i have written1 was occupied this evening in both the stages of the restaurant4 ,there are two circular lines of tables above1 one close to the railings1 one against the walls1 and the people who sat at them belonged to all the various grades of respectable ,london4 ,at the table by the wall level with mine were a young man and a pretty girl4 ,he was smoking a cigarette1 she was drinking a cup of coffee1 and they were evidently obtaining their evening's entertainment in listening to the music4 ,at the table beyond them were a little lady whom ,i include amongst my pleasant acquaintances1 her husband and a friend4 ,four men1 in dinner jackets and black ties1 were at the table beyond them1 and then other couples1 young and old1 and other little parties of three and four4 ,here and there were people1 like myself1 dressed to go to a theatre2 but the ,maxim is in the land of ,bohemia1 where there are no customs as to wearing clothes of ceremony4 ,what chiefly struck me as to the diners at the ,maxim was that they were all enjoying to the uttermost their half-crown's worth of dinner and music4 ,there were smiling faces at all the tables1 and the applause at the conclusion of each item of the band programme was very enthusiastic4 ,the eating of satisfactory food and the drinking of sound wine are not the only dining pleasures that make glad the heart of an epicure1 and to be amongst people who are enjoying themselves thoroughly is a delight that cannot be written down on a menu or contained between the covers of a wine list4 ,to come to the important matter of the dinner ,i ate at the ,maxim1 the crme gentilhomme1 a thick green soup1 flavoured1 ,i fancy1 with spinach1 was excellent1 and there was no fault to find with the fish and its pink accompaniment of tomatoes and shrimps4 ,when ,i came to the next course a strange thing happened4 ,i had noticed1 and appreciated as a special personal compliment1 the presence of a jar of caviare amongst the hors d'uvres2 but when1 instead of pr-sal mutton1 a tender tournedos of beef was put before me1 a great fear came upon me that ,i was eating somebody else's specially ordered dinner1 perhaps that of the manager himself4 ,on consideration1 when a plump roast chicken was brought me instead of a portion of the bird en casserole1 ,i came to the conclusion that the manager had conspired with the cook to give me more than my half-crown's worth of food1 and when a noble bowl of fraises ,melba was placed before me instead of the small glac ,chantilly ,i felt sure that ,i had been put on the most-favoured nation basis4 ,but this overkindness was not needed1 for1 watching my neighbours1 ,i saw that the mutton they ate looked toothsome2 ,i would just as soon have been served my wing of a chicken from a white-metal casserole as from a plate1 and ,i am quite sure that the temptation to eat too many strawberries and ice brought me near the deadly sin of greediness4 ,to anyone making a dining tour of the restaurants of ,london1 ,i commend the ,maxim ,restaurant as a bright and cheerful place1 in a neighbourhood where brightness is not the rule1 where good-tempered1 pleasant diners appreciate the food and the music they get for their half-crowns4 ,,xlvii ,,birch',s ,no4 #ae ,cornhill1 which dates back to about #agjj1 is a little slip of a building1 old-fashioned in appearance and tall in comparison to its breadth1 its ground area being just fifteen feet by thirty4 ,this is ,birch's1 the famous little pastry-cook's shop1 which for years almost unnumbered has supplied the ,lord ,mayor's ,mansion ,house banquets and the great feasts at the ,guildhall4 ,its ground floor has an old-fashioned carved front with three windows with little panes1 one of ground glass in the centre of each window setting forth that soups1 ices and wine are to be obtained within4 ,the woodwork of the front is curiously carved1 the carving having reappeared in recent years1 when coat after coat of paint was taken off1 a section of the various layers being of as many colours as a ,neapolitan ice4 ,the double door of the little shop1 unusual in shape1 also has glass panels4 ,there used to be on the woodwork of the door an old brass plate on which1 in letters almost worn out by constant rubbing1 the name of the proprietor was given as ,birch1 late ,hornton4 ,but some young bloods one night screwed this off and it has disappeared4 ,through the glass windows can be seen many wedding cakes1 biscuits in tall glass cylinders and a royal crown which was probably part of the table decorations at some great feast4 ,the little shop has an atmosphere of its own4 ,directly one goes into it one smells the good scent of turtle soup and ,old ,madeira1 with an added aroma of puff pastry4 ,the shop is divided into two parts by an open screen1 and a counter runs its full length4 ,there are old black bottles in glass cupboards1 and decanters on shelves1 and an old clock4 ,the floor is saw-dusted1 and men in white aprons bustle about attending to the wants of the customers4 ,tray after tray of pastry of all kinds is put on the counter and cleared within a few minutes of their appearance4 ,dignified ,city men1 plate in hand1 jostle each other to get a first chance at the macaroons1 to obtain a still smoking bun1 or a three-cornered puff fresh from the oven4 ,plates of sandwiches are put before customers to disappear with great rapidity4 ,whiskies and sodas1 glasses of ,old ,madeira or ,port or ,east ,indian ,sherry seem to be the favourite drinks4 ,when a customer has eaten all he wants and drunk all he wants1 he tells an amiable lady in black what he has taken1 and she1 being a lightning calculator1 tells him in reply what he has to pay4 ,the soup-room on the first floor1 to which a flight of narrow little steps ascends1 has a calmer atmosphere4 ,here1 in a room with walls the paper of which has been turned to a deep amber tint by the ,london atmosphere1 gentlemen sup1 sitting down1 their plates of turtle soup or oxtail1 and drink their wine with dignified composure4 ,there are tall white wedding cakes under glasses in this room also4 ,the servitors in white aprons are busy in the soup-room1 though not quite as busy as downstairs amongst the jam puffs4 ,up yet another ,jacob's ladder of stairs is the ladies' room1 which ,i fancy is used as a chapel of ease for the soup-room1 though it is said that rich old widow ladies going quarterly to draw their income from the ,bank of ,england always go into ,birch's for a plate of turtle soup and a glass of sherry4 ,yet one flight of stairs higher is the office of the firm of ,messrs ,ring and ,brymer1 who have owned ,birch's since #ahcf4 ,in this room1 in old leather-covered books1 are wonderful records of hecatombs of baked meats and roasted fowl served at ,city banquets without end4 ,the two oldest members of the firm have died of late years4 ,these two old gentlemen1 ,mr ,ring and ,mr ,brymer1 who looked like archdeacons in mufti1 and had exactly the right dignity for men who provide and control the ,lord ,mayor's feasts1 had both a wonderful memory for banquets that the firm had provided4 ,i happened to mention one day in their presence that a forbear of mine1 a banker and brewer1 ,alderman ,newnham1 had been ,lord ,mayor of ,london1 and at once they said that in their books were the details of a feast given by the worthy old gentleman when he was sheriff1 and taking down an old volume they showed me how many gallons of turtle soup1 the number of sirloins of beef1 and the quantity of fair white chickens1 orange jellies and plum puddings that the old alderman paid for4 ,it is a very cosy little room in which to lunch1 this office of the firm1 and the turtle soup1 with its great squares of turtle flesh in it1 a sole ,colbert1 a grouse pie1 angels on horseback1 and a big helping of that wonderful orange jelly1 a clouded delicacy that has the flavour of the orange stronger than any other jelly made by any other pastry-cook1 and which is a speciality of the house1 taste all the better for being eaten in the little room on the walls of which are old ,guildhall menus and old pictures of ,city feasts and portraits of city celebrities1 and many letters from the great panjandrums of ,city companies1 giving praise to ,messrs ,ring and ,brymer for the excellence of the banquets supplied by them4 ,all the preparations for a ,guildhall or a ,company banquet1 except the cooking that goes on in the kitchens of the halls1 used to be made in the kitchens below ,no4 #ae ,cornhill1 and the houses on either side of it1 and it used to be one of the free afternoon sights of the ,city to see the kitchen-men carrying out through the little entrance door the soup and the pastry1 the jellies and the cakes for a ,city banquet4 ,when two great insurance offices squeezed in on either side of the pastry-cook's shop1 ,messrs ,ring and ,brymer had to look for other kitchens1 and they now have a house in ,bunhill ,row1 where on the top storey there is a great kitchen for the cooking of the soup and other delicacies1 and where in the basement the turtles spend their last sad days before being butchered to make a ,lord ,mayor's holiday4 ,at ,bunhill ,row there is also a cosy little office with the arms of many of the ,city companies as its wall ornaments4 ,old ,tom ,birch1 who was the second of his line1 the son of ,lucas ,birch who succeeded the ,hornton dynasty1 was a man of many interests and a great celebrity of the ,city4 ,his ,christian name was ,samuel1 but he was ,tom in the mouths of all ,city men4 ,he was ,lord ,mayor of ,london in #ahad1 the only pastry-cook who has ever attained to that high dignity4 ,he was a great orator1 and an enthusiastic supporter of ,pitt2 he was ,lieut4-,colonel of the first regiment of ,loyal ,london ,volunteers raised at the time of the ,french ,revolution1 and he wrote several comedies which were performed at ,covent ,garden and ,drury ,lane4 ,there is still extant a song of the day1 which no doubt in its time had a great success in ,city circles1 in which a ,frenchman coming to ,london1 and being taken round the sights1 is surprised to learn that the colonel of a regiment he sees on parade is old ,tom ,birch1 the pastry-cook2 that a governor holding forth to the boys at ,st ,paul's ,school2 that an orator in the ,guildhall2 and that the author of a comedy at ,covent ,garden1 are all one and the same estimable old ,tom4 ,a ,lord ,mayor's ,guildhall banquet to-day has all the same outward pomp and gorgeousness that it had eighty or a hundred years ago4 ,but a ,lord ,mayor's banquet1 so far as good things to eat and to drink are concerned1 is absolutely different to-day from what it was half-a-century ago4 ,this is the menu of the feast that ,messrs ,ring and ,brymer provided on ,lord ,mayor's day #aiac for the ,guildhall banquet4 ,the baron of beef is1 of course1 just as much a civic dish as is the turtle soup1 but the dinner is1 on the whole1 quite a light one3 ,turtle4 ,clear ,turtle4 ,fillets of ,turbot ,duglre4 ,lobster ,mousse4 ,turban of ,sweetbread and ,truffles4 ,baron of ,beef4 ,salad4 ,casserole of ,partridge4 ,cutlets ,royale4 ,tongues4 ,orange ,jelly4 ,italian ,creams4 ,strawberry ,creams4 ,maids of ,honour4 ,princess ,pastry4 ,ices4 ,dessert4 ,the wines for this occasion were3 ,punch4 ,sherry--,gonzalez4 ,hock--,rdesheim4 ,champagne--,clicquot1 #aijd2 ,bollinger1 #aijd4 ,moselle--,scharzberger4 ,claret--,la ,rose1 #ahii4 ,port--,dow's1 #ahif4 ,bndictine4 ,grande ,chartreuse4 ,perrier4 ,the cost of the dinner1 including wine1 came to about two guineas a head4 ,and now as a contrast ,i give you the menu of the banquet given in the ,guildhall on ,lord ,mayor's ,day1 #ahcg4 ,this was a ,royal entertainment4 ,the menu is a yard in length1 and it comprises the dishes at the ,royal table and the general bill of fare as well4 ,i only give you the dishes served at the ,royal table1 which form an extraordinary mass of flesh1 of fish1 fruit1 fowl1 in season and out of season4 ,the buffet1 no doubt1 held the dishes for which there was not room on the table4 ,the wines served at this banquet are put down simply as ,champagne1 ,hock1 ,claret1 ,burgundy1 ,madeira1 ,port1 ,sherry3 ,,three ,,potages4 ,potage de ,tortue l',anglaise4 ,consomm de ,volaille4 ,potage la ,brunoise4 ,,three ,,plats ,,de ,,poisson4 ,turbot bouilli garni aux ,merlans frits4 ,rougets farcis la ,villeroi4 ,saumon bouilli garni aux ,eperlans4 ,,three ,,relev,s4 ,poulets bouillis1 aux ,langues de ,veau ,glacs1 garnis de ,croustade la ,macdoine4 ,noix de ,veau en ,daube dcore la ,bohmienne4 ,filet de ,buf la ,sanglier en ,chasse4 ,,eight ,,entremets4 ,ris d',agneau piqus la ,turque aux petits ,pois4 ,saut de filets de ,faisans aux ,truffes4 ,pt chaud aux ,bcassines l',italienne4 ,casserole de pieds d',agneau aux ,champignons4 ,sultanne de filets de ,soles la ,hollandaise1 garnis aux ,ecrevisses4 ,timbale de ,volaille la ,dauphine4 ,filets de ,livre confis aux ,tomates4 ,ctelettes de ,perdreaux au ,suprme4 ,,buffet4 ,potage la ,turque4 ,hochepot de ,faisan4 ,tranches de ,cabillaud4 ,eperlans frits4 ,langue de ,buf4 ,jambon la ,jardinire4 ,buf rti4 ,mouton rti4 ,agneau rti4 ,agneau bouilli4 ,hanche de ,venaison4 ,pierre grill au ,vin de ,champagne1 ,petit ,pts aux ,hutres4 ,croquettes4 ,ctelettes d',agneau aux ,concombres4 ,dindon rti aux ,truffes l',espagnole4 ,,second ,,service4 ,,three ,,plats ,,de ,r,,ti4 ,faisans4 ,bcasses4 ,cercelles4 ,,three ,,relev,s4 ,souflet de ,vanille4 ,pommes la ,portugaise4 ,gaufres la ,flamande4 ,,four ,p,,tisseries ,,mont,,es4 ,vase en ,croquante garni de ,ptisserie aux ,confitures4 ,fontaine ,grecque1 garnie aux petit-choux4 ,vase de ,beurre frais aux ,crevettes4 ,fontaine ,royale garnie de ,ptisserie la ,genvoise4 ,,twelve ,,entremets4 ,crme d',ananas garnie4 ,gele au ,vin de ,champagne garnie aux fruits4 ,homards la ,rmoulade4 ,mayonnaise de ,poulet l',aspic4 ,fanchonettes d',orange1 garnies aux ,pistaches4 ,compte des ,pches1 en petits ,panniers4 ,tartelettes aux ,cerises1 en ,nougat4 ,petites ,coupes d',amarids la ,chantilly4 ,culs d',artichauts en ,mayonnaise4 ,anguille au ,beurre de ,montpellier4 ,gele au ,marasquin1 dcore4 ,gteaux de ,pommes en ,mosaque1 la ,crme d',abricot4 ,,buffet4 ,poulets rtis4 ,bcassines rties4 ,canards ,sauvages rtis4 ,tourte aux ,pommes4 ,tourte aux ,cerises4 ,beignets de ,pommes4 ,fondu de ,parmesan4 ,trifle la ,crme4 ,plum ,pudding4 ,mince ,pies4 ,no wonder our grandfathers mostly died of apoplexy6 ,,xlviii ,a ,,city ,,banquet ,,the ,,mercers' ,,hall ,i do not think that of all the dinners ,i have eaten with various hospitable ,city ,companies in their halls ,i could select a more representative one than one ,i ate with the ,mercers4 ,that we drank #ahhd ,pommery at the banquet shows that it did not take place yesterday4 99 99 99 99 99 ,if there was one ,city ,company that ,i was anxious to dine with it was the ,mercers1 for most of my forebears had been of the guild4 ,my great-great-uncle1 who was ,lord ,mayor and an ,m4,p41 and who fell into unpopularity because he advocated paying the debts of ,george ,,iv41 was a ,mercer2 my great-uncle was in his turn ,master of the ,company1 and my grandfather1 who was a very peppery and litigious old gentleman1 has left many pamphlets in which he tried to make it warm for everybody all round because he was not raised to the ,court of ,assistants when he thought he should have been4 ,i had looked out ,mercers' ,hall in the ,directory1 and found its position put down as #d ,ironmonger ,lane1 ,cheapside2 so a few minutes before seven o'clock1 the hour at which we were bidden to the feast1 ,i found my way from ,moorgate ,street ,station to ,ironmonger ,lane1 and there asked a policeman which was the ,mercers' ,company ,hall4 ,he looked at me a little curiously and pointed to some great gates1 with a lamp above them1 enshrined in a rather dingy portal4 ,i passed a fountain1 of which two cherubs held the jet and three stone cranes contemplated the water in the basin1 and found myself in a great pillared space4 ,a servant in a brown livery1 of whom ,i asked my way1 pointed to some steps and said something about hurrying up4 ,at the top of the steps a door led me into a passage1 on either side of which were sitting gentlemen in dress clothes4 ,i looked at them and they looked at me1 and ,i thought for a second that the ,mercers' guests were rather a queer lot2 and then the true inwardness of the situation burst on me4 ,i had come in by the waiters' door4 ,i was soon put right1 my hat and coat taken from me1 and my card of invitation placed in the hands of a ,master of the ,ceremonies1 who in due time presented me to the ,master1 to the ,senior ,warden1 and to the ,house ,warden1 who stood in a line1 arrayed in garments of purple velvet and fur1 and received their guests4 ,the ceremony of introduction over1 ,i was able to look around me and found myself in a drawing-room that took one away from the roar of ,cheapside to some old ,venetian ,palace4 ,the painted ceilings1 the many-coloured marbles1 the carved wood1 the gilding and inlaying make the ,mercers' drawing-room as princely a chamber as ,i have ever seen4 ,while the guests assembled my host's sons took me away into another room1 which1 with its long table1 might have been a council chamber of some ,doge1 and here were hung portraits of the most distinguished of the ,mercers4 ,dick ,whittington looked down from a gilt frame1 and so did ,sir ,thomas ,gresham1 and there was ,roundell ,palmer in his judge's robes4 ,but1 preceded by someone in robes carrying a staff of office1 the ,master was going into the hall1 and the guests streamed after him4 ,it only dates from after the ,fire1 said my host1 as ,i gazed in admiration at the magnificent proportions of this banqueting-house1 the oak almost black with age1 relieved by the colours of the banners that hang from the walls1 by the portraits of worthies1 by some noble painted windows1 by the line of escutcheons which run round the room1 bearing the arms of the ,past-,masters of the ,company1 and by the carved panels1 into all but two of which ,grinling ,gibbons threw his genius1 while the two new ones compare not unfavourably with the old4 ,at the far end of the hall is a musicians' gallery of carved oak4 ,a bronze ,laocoon wrestles with his snakes at one side of the hall1 and on the other1 on a mantel of red marble1 a great clock is flanked by two bronzes4 ,three long tables run up the room to the high table1 at the centre of which is the ,master's chair1 and behind this chair is piled on the sideboard the ,company's plate4 ,and some of the plate is magnificent4 ,there are the old silver salt-cellars1 there are great silver tankards1 gold salvers1 and the gold cup given to the ,mercers by the ,bank of ,england and the ,lee cup and an ornamental tun and waggon1 the first of which is valued at #gjjj and the second at #aj1jjj4 ,pray1 silence for grace1 came in the deep bass tones of the toast-master from behind the ,master's chair1 and then all of us settled down to a contemplation of the menu and to a view of our fellow-guests4 ,this was the dinner that ,messrs ,ring and ,brymer1 who cater for the ,mercers1 put upon the table3 ,tortue4 ,tortue claire4 ,consomm printanire4 ,salade de filets de soles la russe4 ,saumon4 ,sauce homard4 ,blanchaille4 ,ortolans en caisse4 ,mousse de foie gras aux truffes4 ,ponche la ,romaine4 ,hanches de venaison4 ,selles de mouton4 ,canetons4 ,poulets de grain4 ,langues de buf4 ,jambons de ,cumberland4 ,crevettes en serviette4 ,macdoines de fruits4 ,geles aux liqueurs4 ,meringues la crme4 ,bombe glac4 ,quenelles au parmesan4 ,,wines4 ,madeira4 ,hock4 ,steinberg1 #ahhc4 ,sauterne4 ,chteau ,yquem1 #ahhg4 ,champagne4 ,pommery1 #ahhd4 ,burgundy4 ,chambertin1 #ahha4 ,claret4 ,chteau ,latour1 #ahge4 ,port4 #ahfc4 ,i always rather dread the length of a ,city dinner1 but in the case of the ,mercers a happy compromise seems to have been arrived at1 the dinner being important enough to be styled a banquet1 and not so long as to be wearying4 ,messrs ,ring and ,brymer's cook is to be congratulated1 too1 for his mousse de foie gras was admirable4 ,there were some distinguished guests at the high table4 ,at the far end1 where the ,senior ,warden sat1 there were little splashes of colour from the ribbons of orders worn round the neck1 and the sparkle of stars under the lapels of dress-coats4 ,the ,master had on his right a well-known baronet1 and on his left a special correspondent who had just returned from the ,far ,east1 where for a time he was a prisoner of war4 ,next to him was an ex-,m4,p4 and next to him again one of the ,house of ,commons--an ,irish ,q4,c41 with clean-shaven1 powerful face4 ,at the long tables sat as proper a set of gentlemen as ever gathered to a feast2 but with no special characteristics to distinguish them from any other great assemblage4 ,the snow-white hair of a clergyman told out vividly against the background of old oak1 and a miniature volunteer officer's decoration caught my eye as ,i looked down the table4 ,the dinner ended1 the toast-master's work began again1 and first from the gold loving-cup and from two copies of it1 the stems of which are said to have been candlesticks used when ,queen ,elizabeth visited the ,company1 we drank to each other across and across the table4 ,the taste of the liquor in the cup was not familiar to me1 and when my host told me how it was compounded ,i was not surprised4 ,it is a mixture of many wines1 with a dash of strong beer4 ,grace was sung by a quartet in the musicians' gallery1 and then the company settled down to listen to speeches interspersed with song4 ,by each guest was placed a little cigar-case1 within it two cigars2 but these were not to be smoked yet awhile4 ,while we sipped the '#fc ,port1 we listened to an ,m4,p4 as he responded for ,the ,houses of ,parliament4 ,later the ,irish ,q4,c41 who spoke for ,the ,visitors1 caught up the ball of fun1 and tossed it to and fro1 and charming ladies and mere men sang songs and quartets1 and my host told me1 in the intervals1 of the great store of the old ,clarets and ,ports that the ,mercers had in their cellars1 which was enough to make a lover of good wine covet his neighbour's goods4 ,and still later1 after the cigars had filled the drawing-room with a light grey mist1 ,i went forth1 this time down the grand oaken staircase1 with its lions clasping escutcheons4 ,i passed into ,cheapside with a very lively sense of gratitude to the ,mercers in general1 and my hospitable host in particular4 ,,xlix ,,the ,,cavendish ,,hotel ,a ,,great ,,british ,,woman ,,cook ,often enough during the past quarter of a century ,i have heard some hostess say reassuringly to someone whom she had asked to a dinner-party to meet someone else of the first importance3 ,mrs ,lewis is coming to cook the dinner4 ,that short sentence has meant a great deal1 for ,mrs ,lewis is the most celebrated woman cook that this or probably any other age has produced4 ,i do not even except the great ,mrs ,glasse4 ,if in ,england there was a cordon-bleu for women cooks ,mrs ,lewis would be a ,grand ,officer of the ,order4 ,she is the proprietress of the ,cavendish ,hotel1 which occupies three houses1 #ha to #hc ,jermyn ,street1 and it was to ,jermyn ,street that ,i went to make her acquaintance4 ,i waited in the tea-room of the hotel1 a room1 round the walls of which hangs a line of photographs of some of the great ones of the world1 and ,i wondered what kind of a lady it might be that ,i was presently going to meet1 for though ,i had tasted ,mrs ,rosa ,lewis's handiwork often enough ,i had never set eyes on her in the flesh4 ,somehow my ideas of a successful petticoated ruler of the kitchen have always been associated with portliness1 majesty1 black silk1 a heavy gold chain and cameo jewellery4 ,i think that a boyish remembrance of my mother's cook in her church-going attire must have left this impression on my mind4 ,but these vague ideas were shattered and sent spinning into space when into the tea-room came a slim1 graceful lady with a pretty oval face and charming eyes1 and hair just touched with grey4 ,she was wearing a knitted pink silk coat1 and one of those long light chains that mere men believe were intended to support muffs4 ,she was arm in arm with one of the prettiest of the young comediennes of to-day1 and when she told me that amongst the people she had asked to lunch was an ex-,great ,officer of the ,household1 a young officer of cavalry1 and an ,american editor1 ,i began to feel that at last ,i was moving in ,court circles1 and instead of formulating the questions that ,i intended to ask about cookery began to babble of great houses and coroneted personages just as though ,i was a newsman getting together my column of society gossip4 ,illustration3 ,,mrs4 ,,lewis ,but ,mrs ,lewis brought me back to ,jermyn ,street and my object in going there by telling me at the lunch-table in the grey dining-room that all the members of her kitchen brigade are girls1 that she was going presently to take me down to show me them at work1 and that ,margaret1 who is twenty-six years old1 was responsible for the lunch we were going to eat1 even to the pommes souffls1 and she further declared her entire belief that it was more satisfactory to have an accomplished woman cook than an accomplished chef in a kitchen2 for the women are more resourceful1 are less apt to make difficulties1 and grumble less at their work1 but that1 on the other hand1 they are as a rule more extravagant than the men cooks1 for they do not understand the economic side of kitchen finance4 ,and very excellent indeed ,margaret's handiwork proved to be4 ,our first dish was of grilled oysters and celery root on thin silver skewers1 and then came one of those delicious quail puddings which are one of ,mrs ,lewis's inventions and for which ,king ,edward had a special liking4 ,there was a whole quail under the paste cover for everyone at table1 with a wonderful gravy1 to the making of which go all sorts of good things and which when it has soaked into the bottom layer of paste makes that not the least delicate part of the dish4 ,had not a turn of the conversation taken ,mrs ,lewis off to a description of how beautiful the twins just born to a member of the aristocracy are1 ,i should have liked to have heard more concerning ,king ,edward's tastes in cookery1 for no one1 except1 perhaps1 ,m4 ,mnager1 who was his ,majesty's chef1 knew them better than did ,mrs ,lewis1 to whom many an anxious hostess entertaining ,royalty for the first time has looked as her sheet-anchor4 ,a turn of the conversation brought up the name of the ,duke of ,connaught1 who1 ,i know1 has the same admiration for ,mrs ,lewis's handiwork that the late ,king so often expressed4 ,another appreciative monarch for whose appetite ,mrs ,lewis has catered is the ,kaiser1 for she ruled the kitchen at ,highcliffe ,castle during the ,emperor's stay there of three weeks4 ,a personal gift of jewellery marked ,h4,i4,m4's approval4 ,mrs ,lewis lays it down that three dishes are the right number at any lunch1 for she1 like all other really great authorities on gastronomy1 is opposed to a long menu2 but she1 as great authorities sometimes do1 broke her own rule in giving us1 after the quail pie1 a dish of chicken wings in bread-crumbs and kidneys before the pears and pancakes1 an admirable combination1 with which our lunch ended4 ,after lunch ,mrs ,lewis took the little gathering that had congregated about the lunch-table for coffee down in the lift to her kitchen1 a splendidly airy and spacious one1 running the full length of the three houses1 and with its windows opening out on a courtyard at the back4 ,it is as cheerful and light and as well ventilated a kitchen as ,i have seen anywhere4 ,the rooms which should be cold for the keeping of provisions are just at the right temperature1 the lines of pots and pans shine brilliantly1 and bustling about were half-a-dozen girls of all ages1 from the light-haired ,margaret1 head of the kitchen1 to a little girl of fourteen1 the youngest recruit1 all wearing the white caps that men cooks wear1 which form a very becoming head-dress4 ,and ,mrs ,lewis1 talking of my girls1 as she calls them1 told me that she was a year younger than the youngest of them when she first1 with a pig-tail of hair down her back1 began to learn the art of cookery in the kitchen of the ,comtesse de ,paris1 and she added that she could show me the character she received from her first place when1 as a beginner1 she was earning the large sum of a shilling a week4 ,her second place was with the ,duc d',aumale at ,chantilly1 and the first kitchen over which she had complete rule was that of the ,duc d',orlans1 when he was at ,sandhurst4 ,she at one time controlled the kitchen of ,white's ,club1 and ,mr ,astor1 both at ,hever and in ,london1 puts his kitchens in ,mrs ,lewis's charge when he gives his great parties4 ,no cook with her training completed leaves ,mrs ,lewis's kitchen for another place at less than #ajj a year1 but her girls are never anxious to go elsewhere1 which ,i can quite understand1 for they seemed a very happy family down in that cheerful1 airy kitchen4 ,and presently in the tea-room ,i gained ,mrs ,lewis's undivided attention for a minute or two and drew from her some opinions as to the changes in dinners that she had noticed since she first began to rule the roast4 ,one difference is a matter of finance1 that people in ,victorian days were quite content to pay three guineas a head for a dinner1 but that now hostesses bargain that their dinners shall not cost them more than a guinea a head4 ,dinners have become much shorter1 but people in society have a greater knowledge of gastronomy than they used to possess4 ,in past days a small jar of compressed caviare was all that was needed for a dinner-party2 nowadays a large bowl or jar of the fresh unpressed caviare is required4 ,people were satisfied at one time with half a stuffed quail1 but now a whole roasted quail is the least that can be set before any one person4 ,again1 in times now past1 a sliced truffle went a long way1 whereas now each individual guest likes to have a whole truffle as big as your fist offered her or him4 ,and1 making the most of my opportunity1 ,i asked ,mrs ,lewis what was the time-table of her day when she went out to cook one of those dinners that have made her so famous4 ,it is a very long day's work4 ,she is at the market at five ,a4,m4 to buy her material2 at seven her staff is ready to help her in her own kitchen1 and she begins with the last dishes of the dinner1 preparing the sweets and ices2 next she turns to the cleaning and preparation of the vegetables1 and then to the materials for the soup and the making of the cold dishes4 ,by one o'clock the meats and birds are all prepared for the cooking1 and at six all the things to be cooked at the house where the dinner is to be given are put in hampers and taken over there4 ,to step for an evening into command of a kitchen1 very often over the heads of one or two men cooks1 is not always an unmixed pleasure1 and ,mrs ,lewis1 who has a very keen sense of humour1 told me some of her experiences in some kitchens which will make very amusing reading if ever she writes her reminiscences1 as she should do4 ,sometimes she is asked to build up a tent for some great dinner1 which she is ready to do1 and she often furnishes it1 and ornaments its walls with china and pictures4 ,sometimes when a host or hostess wishes to entertain many guests to dinner and a ball ,mrs ,lewis takes a big vacant house and furnishes it for one night1 in all the rooms that are seen1 as completely as though its owners were still occupying it4 ,i have made almost as much in the past year out of my gold chairs and my china as ,i have out of my pots and pans1 she told me4 ,she has a little army of devoted waiters who have been at her call for twenty years and who are always ready to serve under her banner4 ,a menu of one of ,mrs ,lewis's ball suppers1 at ,surrey ,house1 may well find a place here4 ,she1 ,i believe1 first made the great discovery that young men who have danced an evening through prefer eggs and bacon and ,lager beer in the small hours of the morning to pt de foie gras and champagne3 ,chaud4 ,consomm de ,volaille4 ,cailles ,schnitten4 ,poussin la ,richelieu4 ,poulet grill1 ,pommes souffles4 ,froid4 ,petites ,crabes4 ,homard4 ,truite au ,bleu4 ,poularde en ,gele4 ,dindonneaux ,hezedia4 ,canard press en ,parfait4 ,buf et ,agneau la ,mode4 ,mousse de ,jambon en ,belle-,veu4 ,asperges4 ,fraises du ,bois ,monte ,carlo4 ,mlange de ,fruits4 ,ptisserie4 ,caf ,noir 7 deux heures74 ,grenouilles la ,lyonnaise4 ufs pochs au ,lard4 ,rognons grills4 ,pilsener ,lager ,beer4 ,she has cooked dinners for the regiments of the ,household ,cavalry when they entertained a sovereign2 when a good fellow1 now dead1 kept open-house for all his friends in the club-room during ,warwick ,races1 ,mrs ,lewis undertook the difficult task of providing the best of lunches for an unknown number1 and she has contracted for many of the feasts of the great ,government ,departments4 ,mrs ,lewis has the artist's appreciation of a critical judgment of her handiwork1 but to cook a dinner for people who cannot understand its excellences is1 in her opinion1 like feeding pigs on mushrooms4 ,there is not one iota of jealousy in ,mrs ,lewis1 for when ,i told her that in my opinion she held1 as a woman ruler of the kitchen1 a parallel position to that which ,m4 ,escoffier holds as a man1 she told me how much she admires the great ,french ,matre-,chef1 not only as a great cook1 but as a great gentleman4 ,before ,i left the ,cavendish ,hotel ,mrs ,lewis showed me some of the rooms1 and when ,i was loud in praise of the perfect taste and the happy combination she has achieved of keeping all the charm of the fine old chambers and yet adding to them all the modern conveniences1 she laughed1 told me that she had been her own architect1 added that it was not an expensive education that had enabled her to do all this1 and likened herself in her apprentice years to the little girl of fourteen whom we had seen down in the kitchen4 ,l ,,the ,r,,union ,,des ,,gastronomes ,of clubs formed for the noble purpose of eating good dinners--clubs that have no club-houses--there are very many4 ,sometimes there is a literary tinge as an excuse for the dinners1 sometimes a ,bohemian1 sometimes a ,masonic4 ,but there are two dining clubs that deserve especial recognition in a ,gourmet's ,guide1 for they are clubs of professional gourmets whose business concerns the organisation of good feeding4 ,one of these clubs1 which held its annual dinner this year in the new banqueting-room of the ,piccadilly ,hotel1 is the ,runion des ,gastronomes4 ,this association consists of proprietors1 managing directors and managers of hotels1 restaurants and clubs4 ,it holds meetings to discuss and take action in all matters which concern the prosperity and welfare of the gastronomic art1 and once a year its members and their guests banquet at one of the hotels or restaurants which are represented by members of the ,runion4 ,i have been fortunate enough to be a guest of late years at many of these banquets1 and look back with pleasure to the feasts held at the ,hyde ,park ,hotel1 at the ,caf ,royal1 at ,prince's ,restaurant1 and other temples of gastronomy4 ,two lifts take banqueters down from the entrance hall of the ,piccadilly ,hotel to the ante-chamber of the new banqueting-room somewhere down in the bowels of the earth4 ,the new rooms are below the grill-room1 and the ,piccadilly must have almost as much depth below the street level as it has height above it4 ,the ante-room is classic in its ornamentation1 is white1 or a very light grey1 in colour1 and its decoration is elaborate4 ,here1 between eight o'clock and half-past eight1 some three hundred ,gastronomes and their guests assembled1 and ,i received a warm welcome from ,mr ,louis ,mantell1 of the ,national ,liberal ,club1 the hon4 secretary of the society1 and from ,mr ,j4 ,l4 ,kerpen1 of the ,hyde ,park ,hotel1 the president of the society1 who was wearing his jewel of office1 hung by a gold chain round his neck4 ,colonel ,sir ,william ,carington1 the hon4 president of the society1 was to have taken the chair at the dinner1 but a bereavement prevented him from being present1 and the president of the year presided in his place4 ,i found pleasant familiar faces all about me4 ,there were1 amongst many others1 ,mr ,judah of the ,caf ,royal1 ,m4 ,soi of the ,savoy1 ,m4 ,kramer of the ,carlton1 ,m4 ,jules from ,jermyn ,street1 ,m4 ,gustave from the ,lotus ,club1 ,mr ,george ,harvey from the ,connaught ,rooms1 ,m4 ,luigi of ,romano's1 ,mr ,edwardes1 ,m4 ,pruger from the ,automobile ,club1 ,m4 ,boriani from the ,pall ,mall1 ,messrs ,harry and ,dick ,preston up from ,brighton1 and scores of other pleasant acquaintances4 ,at the half-hour punctually1 a young toast-master with a most majestic voice announced that dinner was served1 and the three hundred of us made our way next door into the new great banqueting-room that was receiving its gastronomic baptism4 ,it is a fine spacious room1 though its construction is rather curious1 for1 no doubt owing to exigency of space1 the roof of a portion of it is comparatively low1 though the major part is quite lofty4 ,it must1 however1 have admirable ventilation1 for at no period during the evening did the room become uncomfortably warm or the atmosphere uncomfortably smoky4 ,the colouring of the walls is of stone with a slight tinge of chrome4 ,round a portion of the hall runs a gallery with a handsome railing of black and gold1 and a double staircase at the end of the room leads up to this gallery4 ,the ceiling is ornamented with fine paintings of gods and goddesses in the clouds2 there are large mirrors on one side of the room and1 in spite of the different heights of portions of the ceiling1 the acoustic properties of the great hall are excellent4 ,an admirable band1 the leader of which ,i think ,i remember as a solo violinist on the stage1 played us in to dinner and made music during dinner1 there being loud calls for ,m4 ,boriani1 the ,caruso of the gastronomic world1 when a selection from ,la ,bohme was played4 ,a long table ran the whole length of the room1 and smaller ones branched off from it like the prongs of a rake4 ,the tables were decorated with flowers of all shades of crimson and flame colour1 and the effect was quite beautiful4 ,this was the menu of the dinner1 and the manager of the ,piccadilly and the chef were both warmly congratulated on a most admirable feast4 ,following the menu are the wines which accompanied it3 ,caviar ,frais d',astrakan4 ,blinis4 ,tortue ,claire4 ,dlices de ,sole au ,coulis d',ecrevisses4 ,selle de ,chevreuil ,grand ,veneur4 ,pure de ,marrons4 ,suprme de ,volaille ,princesse4 ,neige au ,champagne4 ,reine des ,prs en ,cocotte4 ,salade ,trianon4 ,rocher de ,foie ,gras la ,gele au ,porto4 ,vasque de ,pches aux ,perles de ,lorraine4 ,corbeille d',excellence4 ,crote ,piccadilly4 ,fruits4 ,moka4 99 99 99 99 99 ,zeltinger ,auslese1 #aijf4 ,niersteiner ,rollaender1 #aiaa4 ,volnay1 #aijc4 ,ernest ,irroy and ,co41 #aijf4 ,giessler and ,co41 #aijf4 ,bouget ,fils1 #aijf4 ,chteau ,pontet ,clanet1 #ahie4 ,la ,grande ,marque 7#fj years old7 ,specially selected for the ,gastronomes' ,dinner4 ,liqueurs4 ,the crawfish sauce with the filleted sole was of a most delicate taste2 the venison admirable2 the volaille princesse a most dainty dish of fowl1 and the quail1 the ,queen of the ,fields1 admirably plump little fellows4 ,the foie gras1 served in the shape of a circular fort1 ,i did not taste1 for ,i had already dined very well4 ,the vasque de pches was one of those combinations of fruit and confitures and ice that are now so popular4 ,with the coffee came the ,royal toasts1 and then the cigars1 and as the smoke curled up and the liqueurs were brought round the musical programme which had been arranged commenced4 ,a gentleman in ,highland costume assured us that the joys of lying in bed were greater than the joys of getting up in the morning1 and a young lady with a fascinating dimple sang ,you ,made ,me ,love ,you1 to the three hundred of us4 ,the ,guests was the next toast1 to which ,dr ,o',neill responded1 thanking the professors of gastronomy for the patients who so often came by means of gourmandise into the hands of his profession4 ,then after ,snooky ,ookums1 by another fascinating lady1 who wore a large red feather in her hair1 there was a little ceremony which delighted the ,gastronomes and their guests very much4 ,it was a presentation of a handsome silver-gilt cup on behalf of the ,runion des ,gastronomes to their hon4 secretary1 ,mr ,louis ,mantell1 to whose cheery management of the feasts so much of their success is due4 ,the whole company united in singing ,for ,he's a ,jolly ,good ,fellow1 so as to give ,mr ,mantell time to collect his thoughts before acknowledging his ,christmas box in the shape of a cup4 ,some good stories from ,mr ,cooper ,mitchell1 a little more oratory1 though speeches at the ,gastronomes' banquet are always kept within the shortest space1 and with more songs1 a very merry evening ended4 ,if future banquets in the ,piccadilly banqueting-hall are all nearly as successful as the first one held there it will become a hall of good will and good fellowship as well as a hall of good cheer4 ,,li ,,the ,,ligue ,,des ,,gourmands ,saint ,fortunat has deposed ,saint ,laurent from his position as ,patron ,saint of ,cooks4 ,saint ,laurent was an impostor in the matter of gourmandise for he owed the proud position he occupied for so many centuries as the ,patron of the ,chefs to the exceedingly uncomfortable position in which he met his martyrdom4 ,he was broiled on a gridiron4 ,saint ,fortunat not only thoroughly enjoyed good things to eat and drink1 but wrote excellent ,latin verses in praise of gastronomy1 some of which ,m4 ,th4 ,gringoire1 the secretary of the ,ligue des ,gourmands and the editor of the ,carnet d',epicure1 a clever ,parisian journalist who has settled in ,london1 has translated into flowing ,french verses4 ,saint ,fortunat was the father-confessor to the ,queen-,saint ,radegonde and to ,saint ,agnes1 and these two ladies1 the first of the cordons-bleus1 prepared ragots and friandises for the holy man1 who thanked them in poetry4 ,he died in the odour of sanctity as ,bishop of ,poitiers4 ,the ,ligue des ,gourmands1 which is the association of the great ,french chefs in ,london1 and whose president is ,matre ,escoffier1 the eminent chef of the ,carlton1 celebrates the feast day of the ,saint1 in ,december1 by a banquet in his honour4 ,the dinner in #aiac was the second of the ,st ,fortunat banquets and the fourteenth feast held by the ,ligue4 ,the ,ligue has branches pretty well all over the world wherever there are ,french cooks4 ,if ,london1 under the presidency of ,m4 ,escoffier1 takes the lead with sixty members1 ,paris comes a good second with forty-three members1 and ,marseilles1 ,new ,york and ,montreal tie for third place1 with twelve members each4 ,brussels has a group of six members1 and there is a forlorn hope of five devoted ,french chefs in the heart of the enemy at ,berlin4 ,delhi and ,dakar1 ,constantinople and ,ajaccio1 ,bombay and ,gumpoldskirschen1 ,lowestoft and ,lahore1 ,shanghai and ,syracuse1 ,yokohama and ,zurich1 and a hundred other towns are advance posts of the ,ligue1 and wherever there is a group of the leaguers they and their guests eat the ,st ,fortunat dinner1 the menu of which is composed by ,m4 ,escoffier1 and the recettes of the especial dishes in which are sent in advance to the members before the ,saint's day4 ,in #aiac the most important dinner of the ,ligue next to that held at ,gatti's was the one at ,paris1 where the leaguers dined together at ,paillard's and sent congratulations to their brethren in ,london4 ,m4 ,jean ,richepin1 the great ,french poet1 is bracketed with ,m4 ,escoffier in the presidency of the ,ligue1 and many of the dishes that ,m4 ,escoffier has invented for the feasts of the ,gourmands are named after celebrities in art and letters4 ,the fraises ,sarah ,bernhardt1 which was the surprise dish of the first dinner of the ,ligue1 has become a household word in all the restaurants of all the nations4 ,m4 ,escoffier is no believer in keeping his inventions as secrets de la maison1 and his recettes for the dinners of the ,ligue are always published both in ,french and ,english1 in the ,carnet d',epicure1 which is the mouthpiece of the ,ligue4 ,in this open-handedness and open-mindedness1 ,m4 ,escoffier is very wise4 ,i always assure ladies who ask me to obtain for them recipes of various dishes1 and remind great chefs when ,i beg recettes from them1 that it is not so much the ingredients of a dish as the hand of the cook that makes a masterpiece4 ,no painstaking amateur1 following exactly the directions given by a master of the art1 ever reproduces a chef-d'uvre1 any more than an amateur painter1 copying the work of some great master of the brush is able to obtain that master's effects4 ,the dish that ,m4 ,escoffier had invented for the ,dner ,st ,fortunat in #aiac was the cochon de lait ,st ,fortunat1 with pommes ,aigrelettes and sauce groseille au ,raifort4 ,we1 the hosts and the guests1 began to assemble at eight o'clock in the ante-room half-way up the great staircase on the ,king ,william ,street side of the ,adelaide ,gallery4 ,the great cooks are not so selfish as many other banqueters are1 for they welcome ladies to their feasts1 and very pretty indeed are most of the chefs' wives and daughters1 and cousins and aunts1 who grace these feasts4 ,no one1 unless he knew who the members of the ,ligue are1 would tell by seeing them as they gathered for their banquet what their profession is4 ,m4 ,escoffier1 the president1 with thoughtful eyes and gentle expression1 looks1 as ,i have1 ,i know1 before said1 like an ambassador or some great painter or sculptor4 ,m4 ,cedard1 the ,king's chef1 who is usually at these feasts1 but who was absent from this one1 looks like an attach of an embassy2 ,m4 ,malley1 of the ,ritz1 has the appearance and the aplomb of an officer of ,chasseurs cheval1 and so on through the whole list4 ,some of them1 of course1 are the plump and rosy gentlemen that artists love to draw presiding over pots and pans1 but great cooks are not all run into one mould1 either in figure or in intellect4 ,and the guests of the ,liguers vary in type1 as the ,liguers themselves do4 ,i shook hands on ,saturday night with distinguished soldiers and their wives1 with bon-vivants1 with proprietors of restaurants1 with representatives of the great champagne firms of ,rheims1 with journalists and authors who are epicures1 with doctors who do not practise themselves in the matter of diet all that they preach to their patients4 ,the banqueting-room at the ,adelaide ,gallery holds comfortably one hundred and fifty diners1 and we must have been quite that number1 for more gourmets wished to make trial of the sucking-pig of the ,saint than it was possible to find room for1 and though as many tables as possible had been put into the space ,m4 ,gringoire had to refuse tickets to would-be diners who had postponed the request until the eleventh hour4 ,soon after half-past eight1 which is the dinner-hour of the ,ligue--for the great chefs like to see the dinners from their kitchens well under way before they change from their professional white clothing into dress clothes--we streamed up the stairs from the ante-room into the banqueting hall--a fine room1 with a musicians' gallery occupied for the occasion by an ,hungarian orchestra in hussar uniform1 and with1 for this especial occasion1 the ,french and the ,english flags draped together at each end of the room4 ,a long table ran the full length of the room1 and from it jutted out smaller tables1 each presided over by an officer of the ,ligue4 ,when we were seated ,i could see some faces of well-known chefs whom ,i had missed in the press downstairs4 ,there were there1 besides the names ,i have already mentioned1 ,m4 ,aubin1 of the ,russell ,hotel2 ,m4 ,espezel1 of the ,union ,club2 ,m4 ,briais1 of the ,midland ,hotel2 ,m4 ,grunenfelder1 of the ,grand ,hotel2 ,m4 ,vicario1 of the ,carlton2 ,m4 ,mller1 of the ,hyde ,park ,hotel2 ,m4 ,grog1 who was one of the four founders of the ,ligue2 ,m4 ,gnie1 of ,prince's ,restaurant2 ,m4 ,ferrario1 of ,romano's2 ,m4 ,vinet1 who was for many years chef at ,the ,rag2 ,mr ,coumeig1 chef to the ,duchess of ,marlborough2 and ,m4 ,saulnier1 sous-chef of the ,piccadilly1 a rising star4 ,if all these names are not ,french names1 those amongst the chefs of the ,ligue who were not born in ,france have1 by adopting the cult of the ,haute ,cuisine ,franaise1 become naturalised ,frenchmen in gastronomy4 ,there are various little ceremonies observed at the dinners of the ,gourmands1 one of them being that at the commencement of dinner a member of the ,ligue rises and reminds his fellow-members that only ,french wine should be drunk at these banquets4 ,another little ceremony is that each dish in turn is announced by the toast-master--of course1 for this occasion a ,frenchman--who rolls his r's with fine resonance as in a thunderous voice he tells us what we are going to eat4 ,this was the menu with ,escoffier's signature appended to it3 ,crpes au ,caviar frais4 ,hutres pimentes4 ,crote au ,pot l',ancienne4 ,turban de ,filets de ,sole au gratin4 ,chapon fin la ,toulousaine4 ,cochon de ,lait ,saint-,fortunat4 ,pommes ,aigrelettes4 ,sauce ,groseille au ,raifort4 ,bcassines ,roses4 ,salade ,lorette4 ,pt de foie gras4 ,biscuit glac ,caprice4 ,mignardises4 ,the caviar and the little pancakes are always delightful1 and the crote au pot l',ancienne1 in its delicate plainness1 always makes an excellent beginning to a dinner4 ,the gratin with the sole made it a rather drier dish than fish dishes usually are1 and ,i know that this was the criticism passed on it by the president of the ,ligue1 but it was very excellent to the taste4 ,the chapon1 with its rich sauce1 was admirably cooked1 and served in dishes with at either end heads of fowls admirably reproduced by the sculptors in the kitchen1 and then to a triumphal march from the band a little sucking-pig1 its crackling golden from the fire1 was brought in processionally and shown to the chairman of the feast and the guests in general before it was carried out to be carved4 ,and very admirable the flesh of this piglet and his companions was when brought to table1 with round each dish apples in their skins1 the top of each apple being cut off to serve as a little lid4 ,a sharp-tasting sauce1 in which the flavours of red currant and horse radish mingled1 formed an agreeable bitter-sweet4 ,what the various ingredients were that formed the admirable stuffing of the little pigs ,i do not exactly know1 but there were barley and chestnuts amongst them1 but1 like all good stuffing1 one flavour after another chased each other over the palate4 ,m4 ,escoffier's own criticism on his own creation was that a sucking-pig is more suited for a petit comit than for a large gathering2 but1 though ,i quite agreed with him that the right party in numbers to eat a sucking-pig is just that number that one sucking-pig will satisfy1 ,i think it very hard luck if greater numbers were to be prevented by this very fine distinction between a dish for a dinner-table and a dish for a banqueting-table from eating a very great delicacy4 ,the snipe and salad1 the pt de foie gras1 served on a great bed of crust1 and an admirable ice1 finished the banquet4 ,then came the after-dinner ceremonies and songs1 which at these feasts are varied and lively4 ,the toast of ,the ,king and ,the ,president1 with the two ,national ,anthems1 was followed by a little discourse in honour of the ,patron ,saint by the chairman1 who coupled the name of the saintly patron of gastronomy with those of his two continuateurs1 the great poet and the great chef1 and to this speech ,m4 ,escoffier replied with great modesty4 ,the toast of ,the ,ladies next brought all the male guests to their feet1 and then followed the hymn to ,st ,fortunat1 sung by a gentleman from the musicians' gallery1 with orchestral accompaniment1 the guests taking up the refrain3 ,saint ,fortunat1 honneur toi1 ,o notre chef6 ,o notre roi6 ,saint ,fortunat6 ,if the leaguers were a little slow in picking up the air and paid very little attention to the time1 the heartiness with which they chorused the ,saint's name made amends for any other shortcomings4 ,the ,ligue1 ,the ,visitors1 ,the ,press--for whom ,mr ,john ,lane1 of ,the ,standard1 returned thanks--and ,the ,cuisine and ,wines of ,france were toasted by various orators1 some of whom spoke in ,english1 some in ,french4 ,and then ,m4 ,t4 ,fourie1 the chef of the ,adelaide ,gallery1 bearded1 and blushing in his white uniform of the kitchen1 was called up to the high table that the president of the ,ligue and the chairman of the dinner might shake him by the hand and congratulate him on the admirable feast which he had prepared4 ,this is a very pretty little ceremony always observed at these feasts1 and a very right one1 for at most banquets the chef who has been the cause of so much pleasure to the guests is not asked to come in person to receive the thanks which are so legitimately due to him4 ,after this ceremony the concert1 an ,anglo-,french one1 commenced4 ,mademoiselle ,suzanne ,ollier1 ,miss ,marianne ,green and ,miss ,winifred ,green1 of the ,gaiety1 ,mademoiselle ,bianca ,briana1 and ,miss ,mabel ,martin all sang charmingly1 and were presented with bouquets on behalf of the ,ligue1 and ,m4 ,siffre1 the president of the ,club ,gaulois1 sang ,margot quite excellently1 without an accompaniment4 ,he was presented with a cabbage stuck on a fork1 for the leaguers dearly love their little jokes at their banquets4 ,at last the band played the ,pre la ,victoire march and the ,national ,anthem1 and the dinner came to an end4 ,in gratitude to ,m4 ,escoffier1 the president1 to ,m4 ,th4 ,gringoire1 the secretary1 and to all the members of the ,ligue for being permitted in their company to taste for the first time the sucking-pig of ,st ,fortunat--a dish that will go the round of the globe--let me quote a few words appropriate to the occasion from ,charles ,lamb's prose ,hymn of ,praise in honour of roast pig3 ,pig--let me speak his praise--is no less provocative of the appetite than he is satisfactory to the criticalness of the censorious palate4 ,the strong man may batten on him1 and the weakling refuseth not his mild juices4 ,,lii ,,the ,,cavour ,,restaurant ,,for ,,auld ,,lang ,,syne ,i head this chapter ,for ,auld ,lang ,syne1 for the future of the ,cavour ,restaurant has been1 since the death of ,philippe1 who brought the restaurant into celebrity1 uncertain4 ,the ,cavour has been put up of late years once to public auction and bought in1 and there have been rumours without number that this1 that and the other actor-manager was going to purchase the building4 ,in spite of all these rumours1 the ,cavour still continues in the hands of ,mrs ,dale1 who was manageress under ,philippe in old days1 and to whom he left the property1 just as it used to be in ,philippe's time1 which is to say that it is one of the best bourgeois ,french restaurants to be found in ,london4 ,every ,londoner knows the white-faced restaurant almost next door to the ,alhambra in ,leicester ,square4 ,it is one of the few restaurants that still retains a bar1 though it is nowadays called a buffet1 and the three-and-six dinner which is served in the restaurant is still as it used to be1 a most excellent meal1 unstinted1 well cooked1 and all its material of excellent quality4 ,the bar of the buffet has always been a favourite resort of actors1 and it was there that ,i first heard ,arthur ,roberts tell the story of ,the ,old ,iron ,pot1 a tale the success of which led to the invention of the game of ,spoof1 that masterly feat of bamboozling the guileless which gave amusement in the eighties to all ,bohemia and added a new word to the ,english language4 ,the ,old ,iron ,pot figured largely in a tale which ,arthur ,roberts never wearied of telling to ,long ,jack ,jarvis1 another actor4 ,no one ever heard the beginning of the tale1 for it was always well in progress when the victim of the harmless pleasantry came on the scene4 ,arthur was so intent on the story1 the other conspirator so immensely interested1 that the new-comer was at once interested also1 dispensed with all greetings1 and tried vainly to understand all the ramifications of the story into which new characters seemed constantly to come1 and which all revolved round an old iron pot4 ,jack ,jarvis apparently thoroughly understood the story1 occasionally asked questions1 and now and then corrected ,arthur ,roberts as to the relationship of the various characters1 and the other listener very soon found himself pretending that he too comprehended all the twists and turns4 ,somehow or another1 in those days the spirit of harmless practical joking seemed to be in the atmosphere of the ,cavour bar4 ,perhaps it was1 because in the days when ,leicester ,square was a waste ground with the damaged equestrian statue of ,george the ,third in its midst some practical jokers sallied out one night from the little restaurant which occupied the site of the bar1 to play the best practical joke of the last century4 ,they painted the statue's horse with red spots1 put a fool's cap on the statue's head1 and a long birch broom in the hand which should have held a field-marshal's baton4 ,philippe was the one and only waiter in those days at the little restaurant which was kept by a ,frenchman and his wife4 ,next door1 and extending behind the restaurant1 was a tin shanty1 where judge and jury entertainment was held and poses plastiques were exhibited4 ,it was a disreputable place1 for ,brookes1 who was its proprietor1 and who had been associated with ,baron ,nicholson at the ,coal ,hole1 had not the ,baron's wit1 though he had the same flow of doubtful oratory4 ,when the old couple died1 and ,philippe succeeded to the business1 he soon bought up the tin shanty and the ground belonging to it1 built the ,cavour as it now is1 the bar occupying the site of the original restaurant1 and made a little garden on the space now occupied by a cinema show4 ,of this little garden ,philippe was very proud4 ,he liked to be able to go out of his restaurant and pick a bunch of mignonette to give to any lady1 and he grew some vegetables and oranges there as well as flowers4 ,he had an eye also to the main chance1 for when anyone pointed out to him that he was wasting a valuable site by making a garden of it1 he nodded his head1 and replied3 ,the earth he grow more valuable every day4 ,philippe1 short1 grey-haired1 with a little close-clipped moustache1 always wearing a turned-down collar and a black tie1 had a very distinct personality of his own4 ,he was a first-class man of business1 was up every morning at five o'clock to go the rounds of the market1 riding in one four-wheeled cab1 with another one following behind1 into which he put his purchases and brought them home with him4 ,he had no love for teetotalers1 and he budgeted for the very liberal dinner of the house on the understanding that his customers should drink wine therewith4 ,when he found that some of the guests were drinking only water1 he used at once to send a waiter to them or to talk to them himself1 and to tell them that he would charge them sixpence extra4 ,after a time he found it entailed less loss of temper to notify this on the bill of fare1 and the ,cavour menu still bears the legend3 ,no beers served with this dinner4 ,dinner without wine1 sixpence extra4 ,the restaurant of the ,cavour is a large white room1 with a smaller room1 also white1 running back from it4 ,access to the big room is obtained from ,leicester ,square by a narrow corridor decorated with allegorical figures of the various months of the year--awful daubs1 whoever it was who painted them4 ,the big room is lighted from above by a sky-light1 and there are large globes of electric light in the ceiling4 ,there are many large mirrors let into the walls1 and down each side of the room run brass rails for hats and coats4 ,there is oilcloth on the floor1 with strips of carpet over it in the gangways4 ,the waiters go to a bar near the entrance door for the wine and other drinkables1 which are served out there by ,mrs ,dale1 or by her deputy4 ,some of the waiters1 mostly ,french1 were in the restaurant for many years under ,philippe1 but there is a new manager now with a curled-up black moustache4 ,if any of the habitus wish to entertain guests to an elaborate dinner at the ,cavour1 the custom is to pay five shillings instead of three-and-six1 and certain extra dishes are put into the dinner of the day for this price4 ,the ordinary dinner1 however1 is so good that these additions are hardly needed4 ,this is the menu of a three-and-six dinner ,i ate at the ,cavour this winter4 ,it is served from five to nine1 so as to meet the convenience of all the patrons of the restaurant1 from the actor who makes a hurried meal before going to the theatre1 to the ,city man who comes in very late after a day of hard work and goes home after his dinner3 ,hors d'uvre varis4 ,soup4 ,consomm de ,volaille la ,royal4 ,crme l',indienne4 ,fish4 ,boiled ,turbot au ,sauterne4 ,fried ,fillet of ,plaice4 ,grilled ,herring4 ,entre4 ,filet ,mignon aux ,haricots panachs4 ,calf's ,head la ,reine4 ,roast4 ,chicken4 ,quails on ,toast ,salad4 ,cheese4 ,dessert4 ,there was a fine selection of hors d'uvre to choose from1 and plenty of each1 not the one sardine looking lonely in a little dish1 the two radishes and the potato salad that so often are the sole representatives of the first course at cheap dining-places4 ,i was given a big plateful of good thick mulligatawny soup1 and when ,i had eaten the very liberal helping of boiled turbot1 excellently firm1 ,i felt that ,i had finished quite a good dinner4 ,however1 ,i summoned up enough appetite to dispose of the little vol au vent put before me1 the pastry of which was noticeably excellent1 and then attacked a quail1 which was quite a good bird1 even if it had not those layers of fat which distinguish a special quail on a club dinner list from the ordinary one4 ,a scoop from an excellent ,stilton cheese ended my repast4 ,it may be selfish to hope that ,mrs ,dale may not sell her property to be converted into a theatre1 but the ,cavour dinner is such a good meal of its kind that ,i should be sorry if it disappeared from the map of ,london ,that ,dines4 ,,liii ,,verrey',s ,if ,i compare ,verrey's in ,regent ,street to ,borchardt's in the ,franzsischerstrasse of ,berlin1 ,i am paying ,verrey's a high compliment1 for ,borchardt's is the classic restaurant of the ,german capital1 run on good ,french lines by a ,german proprietor4 ,mr ,george ,krehl the ,first1 founder of ,verrey's as a restaurant1 was born near ,stuttgart1 and came over from ,germany in #ahej2 and the recent manager of the restaurant1 ,mr ,stadelmaier1 is also ,german born1 for he1 like ,mr ,krehl1 came from near ,stuttgart1 and he1 before he went to ,egypt1 to ,paris1 to ,dsseldorf and elsewhere1 to become a cosmopolitan1 served his apprenticeship in gastronomy under old ,mr ,george ,krehl at ,verrey's4 ,but ,french--,french of the second empire--,verrey's is1 particularly at dinner-time4 ,at lunch-time the restaurant is always quite full of ladies who shop in ,regent ,street1 and of their escorts1 and the rooms on the first floor are also given over to lunchers--and even then1 sometimes1 would-be customers have to wait a little while to obtain tables4 ,therefore the luncheon menu is adapted to the wants of ladies who are probably in a hurry1 for though there is a very full list at lunch-time of delicacies that can be ordered1 there are also several entres and several joints always ready4 ,it is1 however1 at dinner-time that ,verrey's enjoys the peaceful1 unhurrying atmosphere that always should surround a classic restaurant1 and which is so thoroughly in keeping with the old bow-windows with small panes of the caf1 which look out on to ,regent ,street4 ,a little corridor leads from the street to a tiny waiting-room--a comparatively recent addition1 for it used to be the old still-room1 a room which is so small that the round table of ormolu with a china plaque in its centre1 on which is a portrait of ,louis ,,xv41 and smaller oval plaques all about it1 almost fills all the available space4 ,the restaurant1 lighted from above1 used in old ,mr ,krehl's days to be known as the ,cameo ,room1 for on the centre of each of its panels was a medallion in the style of ,wedgwood4 ,i rather wish that this old decoration had been retained1 but ,i remember the pride with which ,mr ,george ,krehl the ,second showed me the new ,oriental decorations--decorations which still remain--the silvered roof with mirrors reflecting it1 the electric lights on the cornice with great shells to act as reflectors1 an electric clock shaped like a star1 and the panels of old gold ,oriental silk4 ,time has mellowed the gorgeousness of this ,eastern setting1 which in its first bloom ,i thought a little too voyant1 and the dark carpet and the dark wood and upholstery of the chairs1 all keep the scheme of colouring a restful one4 ,the napery at ,verrey's is the good thick napery of the classic restaurant4 ,its glass is thin2 its silver is heavy--all trifles which are important as adding to the delight of a good dinner4 ,the lights at the tables are wax candles1 with pink shades1 in old silver candlesticks1 and there is a ,japanese simplicity in the two great bunches of flowers in glass vases1 one of which is on a dark wooden stand in the centre of the room1 and the other on the sideboard4 ,there are flowers also1 in glasses1 on all the tables4 ,it adds to the pleasure of dining at ,verrey's to be known and to be recognised by the old servants who have been in the restaurant as long as ,i can remember it4 ,there is an old head waiter1 a fine specimen of a ,briton--portly1 with little side whiskers1 dignified and unhurrying1 who might have stood as a model for that ,robert whose wit and wisdom used to enliven the pages of ,punch1 who always remembers my name and all my gastronomic history4 ,and the head waiter in the caf1 who now has a full head of grey hair1 ,i remember when he first came to ,verrey's a youth with the blackest of black hair4 ,mr ,stadelmaier1 though he looks on the right side of forty1 remembers how young ,mr ,george ,krehl1 in the days of his father's rule1 one day took me out into the yard at the back of the house to show me his dogs and the kitchen which looks out on to this open space1 and the last time ,i dined at ,verrey's brought me in from the yard1 to look at a delightful little ,samoyede puppy1 looking like one of the woolly toy dogs in the shops1 for he too1 like ,mr ,george ,krehl the younger1 is a breeder of prize dogs1 and has established a club for the owners of sleigh dogs4 ,mr ,stadelmaier has now left ,verrey's and is manager of ,kettner's4 ,the patrons of ,verrey's at dinner-time are some of them grey-headed1 for ,i am sure that all its old patrons always return to their first love2 but there are young couples as well1 and the restaurant1 though it is quiet1 is by no means dull4 ,it has this distinction1 rare amongst modern restaurants1 that it has never surrendered to the modern craze for music during meals1 and it is possible to talk to a neighbour at the dinner-table without raising one's voice to a shout4 ,i fancy that ,mr ,albert ,krehl1 the survivor of the two sons of old ,mr ,george ,krehl1 would as soon think of introducing gipsy music into the restaurant as they would of engaging ,tango dancers to do the ,scissors in and out of the tables4 ,verrey's has so far acknowledged the tendencies of to-day towards a table d'hte dinner that it offers its patrons1 if they wish it1 a dinner at seven-and-six4 ,but it is true to its old traditions in that although it offers this dinner1 no dish of the dinner is cooked until the order has been given1 and it is practically a dinner la carte selected for the diner at a settled price4 ,this is the menu of one of these dinners3 ,hors d'uvre ,varis4 ,consomm ,duchesse4 ,crme de ,volaille4 ,suprme de ,sole ,regina4 ,filet de ,buf ,jussieuse4 ,pommes ,chteau4 ,faisan rti4 ,salade d',endive4 ,celeri brais au jus4 ,parfait de ,vanille4 ,friandises4 ,crote ,baron4 ,but to eat a dinner ordered by somebody else1 because ,i am too lazy to order it myself1 is to me just as unsporting as it is to land a fish that somebody else has hooked1 so that when ,i dine at ,verrey's ,i pay ,m4 ,schellenberg1 the chef de cuisine1 who is an ,alsatian1 the compliment of giving careful consideration as to which of his plats ,i shall order1 and ,i generally like to include in my dinner some of ,verrey's specialities1 of which there are quite a number4 ,the last time ,i dined there ,i was given an excellent bortsch soup1 one-and-three--it is the custom at ,verrey's to charge for a half-portion1 which is ample for one person1 a little more than half what is charged for a whole portion1 which suffices for two2 sole la ,verrey1 a filleted sole with an admirable sauce1 which is one of the secrets of the house1 but in which the taste of ketchup is discernible1 two shillings2 and a souffl ,palmyre1 two shillings4 ,this with a pint of good claret was a dinner not to be despised4 ,i asked ,mr ,stadelmaier whether the ,queen's ,hall and the ,palladium1 two neighbouring places of music and entertainment1 had brought the restaurant many customers4 ,the concerts at the ,queen's ,hall1 he told me1 had done so1 and he said that people going to the ,palladium1 when it gave a one-house variety entertainment1 used often to dine at ,verrey's1 but that its present two houses a night policy did not send diners to the restaurant4 ,there is an abundance of history behind ,verrey's1 and if a careful record had been kept of the great dinners given in the rooms on the first floor1 such a record as the ,caf ,anglais in ,paris kept1 it would make very interesting reading4 ,one of the merriest dinners probably ever given in those upper rooms was the one at the time of the late ,victorian revival of road coaching1 at which most of the guests were well-known whips4 ,every man at this dinner was presented with a pink waistcoat1 and as after dinner most of the men went on either to music halls or theatres1 the appearance in the boxes of the young bloods wearing pink waistcoats astonished the audiences1 who thought that a new fashion was being set4 ,a quieter dinner1 but an even more distinguished one1 was that at which ,king ,edward1 when he was ,prince of ,wales1 was present4 ,this was its menu3 ufs la ,ravigote4 7,vodkhi47 ,bisque d'crevisses4 ,consomm ,okra4 ,rougets la ,muscovite4 ,selle de mouton de ,galles4 ,haricots panachs4 ,tomates au gratin4 ,pommes souffles4 ,timbale ,lucullus4 ,fonds d'artichauts4 ,crme pistache4 ,grouse4 ,salad ,rachel4 ,biscuit glac la ,verrey4 ,souffl de laitances4 ,dessert4 ,many distinguished men have dined in the ,cameo ,room--,tennyson1 the ,poet ,laureate1 was a great crony of ,mr ,george ,krehl the elder1 and he kept all kinds of mementoes of the poet4 ,mr ,gladstone was another frequenter of the ,cameo ,room1 and he liked to talk to ,mr ,krehl of the revolutionary days of '#dh in ,germany4 ,the tragedy which is associated with the name of the house was the fate of the beautiful ,miss ,fanny ,verrey4 ,verrey1 from whom the restaurant takes its name1 was a ,swiss confectioner1 who came over from ,lausanne in the second decade of the last century and established his shop in ,regent ,street4 ,to add to the attractions of his establishment he brought over from ,lausanne his pretty young daughter1 who was engaged to a ,swiss pastor4 ,she was young and lively and beautiful2 she chatted with her father's customers1 and learnt ,english by talking with them2 the bucks of those days made her a toast2 and ,lord ,petersham wrote some verses in honour of ,the ,pretty ,confectioner1 in which he dubbed her ,wild ,switzerland's ,queen1 and ended one of the verses with these lines3 ,thy mind--brightest gem--is the ,temple of ,love2 ,but bright as thou'rt fair--thou'rt pure as a dove2 which shows that his lordship1 though his sentiments were praiseworthy1 was not a great poet4 ,the fame of ,miss ,verrey's beauty drew crowds not only into the shop1 but outside it1 and spiteful and jealous rivals spread rumours concerning ,miss ,verrey's lightness of behaviour1 which were entirely untrue4 ,the crowds outside the shop became such a nuisance that the authorities interfered in the matter4 ,mr ,verrey removed his daughter from the shop1 and she kept to her room to avoid public notice4 ,the turmoil1 the unmerited scandal1 and the lampoons in the papers so affected the girl's health that she pined away and died4 ,but even then her memory was not respected1 and as a good example of the want of taste of the time--the year was #ahbh--this riddle was published in one of the papers3 ,why was ,miss ,verrey's death like a window front8 ,answer3 ,because it is a paneful case4 ,at one period ,verrey's was known as the ,caf ,franois2 but ,i can find no particulars concerning it under this title4 ,i also think that ,verrey must at some time or another have occupied another shop in ,regent ,street1 for some of his advertisements1 notably one of ,howqua's teas1 as patronised by their ,majesties1 were issued from #bah ,regent ,street1 whereas ,verrey's to-day occupies #bbi ,regent ,street4 ,,liv ,,the ,,cathay ,,restaurant ,illustration ,in full view of all who pass to and fro through ,piccadilly ,circus1 there shines on one of the tall houses which encircle it the announcement that the upper part of the building is occupied by the ,cathay ,restaurant1 which modestly on its menu describes itself as a pioneer1 first-class1 ,chinese restaurant4 ,as ,i take into my descriptive net every manner of eating-house1 so long as the food and drink to be obtained there is good of its kind1 ,i experimented in the first days of this year of grace1 at lunch-time1 on the ,cathay ,restaurant1 and found that it has selected in its very long carte du jour those ,chinese dishes which are palatable to the ,european1 as well as to the ,chinese taste4 ,chinese food is no novelty to me1 for during the five years that ,i was quartered in the ,far ,east--at ,penang1 ,singapore and ,hong-,kong--,i was frequently one of the guests at feasts given by ,chinese merchants1 and learned by experience which were the dishes that one could safely eat and which were the ,chinese delicacies that it was wise to drop under the table4 ,a ,chinaman1 when he wishes to be very polite at table1 takes up with his chop-sticks some especially dainty morsel from his own plate and pops it into the mouth of his ,european neighbour at table4 ,a kindly young ,chinaman once thus put into my mouth a slip of cold pig's liver wrapped round a prune1 and ,i do not think that ,i ever tasted any nastier combination4 ,two ,chinese banquets at which ,i was a guest remain very clearly marked in my memory4 ,one was given by a rich ,chinaman at ,penang1 on the occasion of the marriage of his son1 to all the ,european officials and the officers of the garrison and the leading ,british merchants4 ,it was a feast at which the dishes were alternately ,chinese and ,european ones1 and by each man's and by each lady's dish1 for the ladies were also invited1 were chop-sticks1 and knives and forks and spoons4 ,one ,chinese dish ,i remember at this feast as being quite excellent--a salad of vegetables and of small fish of all kinds4 ,all the guests ate quite heartily both of the ,european dishes and the ,chinese dishes1 but that night nearly all the ,europeans who had been to the banquet believed that they had suddenly been stricken with ,asiatic cholera4 ,i was one of the happy exceptions1 and ,i suppose that ,i must have skipped whatever was the dish that worked such havoc amongst my fellow-guests4 ,messengers from half the bungalows in the leafy lanes of ,penang were sent off post-haste to the civil surgeon1 begging him to come at once to the bedside of unhappy sufferers1 and each messenger as he arrived at the civil surgeon's house received the news that the doctor believed himself to be in the throes of the same dread ,asiatic disease1 and did not think that he would survive the dawn4 ,nobody1 however1 did die1 and two or three days later all the aristocracy of ,penang1 looking even paler than ,europeans always are in that land of lily-white complexions1 and very shaky about the knees1 gathered together at a cricket match and discussed the matter4 ,somebody had already gone to the ,chinese merchant and had told him of the havoc that his banquet had made4 ,he was profoundly grieved1 pointed out that none of his ,chinese guests had suffered the slightest inconvenience1 and laid the blame on the ,european dishes1 which he had procured as a compliment to his white guests1 saying that he always mistrusted the cookery of the barbarians4 ,the other unforgettable feast was given by the head ,shroff1 the native cashier1 of one of the banks in ,hong-,kong4 ,i had been talking at the house of one of the bankers as to my experiences of ,chinese dishes1 and had rather decried the cookery of the ,flowery ,land4 ,i had 7,i was afterwards told7 been especially sarcastic as to the ,chinaman's partiality for puppy-dog1 and more or less ranked all ,chinese dishes with the detestable rat soup which a ,chinaman sold in the early mornings just outside the barrack gates to the coolies on their way to their work4 ,the orderly officer going to inspect rations always had to pass the unsavoury cauldron from which the soup was ladled out1 and1 in the hot weather1 the only thing to do was to put a handkerchief to one's nose and run past it4 ,some little time after these conversational flourishes of mine the banker asked me if ,i would like to eat a real1 well-cooked ,chinese dinner1 for the head ,shroff of his bank had asked him to honour him with his company at his villa in ,kowlun--which is where the ,mr ,wu's come from--and had told him that he would be delighted if he would bring some of his ,european friends4 ,the dinner1 which consisted chiefly of fish1 was an excellent one1 the all-pervading taste of soy not being too persistent1 and ,i was especially delighted with a white stew of what my host said was ,cantonese rabbit1 which ,i thought quite the most tender and the fattest rabbit ,i had ever tasted4 ,when the dinner was over1 the banker told me that the ,cantonese rabbit to which ,i had given such unlimited praise was really a ,cantonese edible puppy1 fattened on milk and rice4 ,after that incident ,i found that whenever ,i dined out in ,hong-,kong1 conversation always seemed to turn on to ,cantonese puppies1 and ,i was gently chaffed for at least six months as to my sudden conversion to the delights of baby chow as a pice de rsistance4 ,i found1 however1 neither puppy-dog nor rat on the carte du jour of the ,cathay ,restaurant4 ,the restaurant is on the first floor above a bank4 ,a commissionaire stands at the outer portals1 and there is a lift for the benefit of anyone who is too lazy to walk up a single flight of stairs4 ,the restaurant itself is hardly sufficiently ,oriental in appearance to be a ,cockney's beau ideal of a ,chinese restaurant4 ,it is just what a progressive restaurant for ,chinamen in ,peking would be1 for though the food is ,chinese food1 cooked by a ,chinese cook1 the appearance of the restaurant is almost ,european1 an exaggerated copy of a ,french restaurant1 with here and there ,chinese touches which redeem the place from tawdriness4 ,there is on the wall a paper with a pattern of gold fleurs-de-lis1 the carpet is crimson1 the chairs and tables are of ,european make1 the waiters are of ,european nationalities and wear dress clothes4 ,but a strip of good ,chinese embroidery is hung along that side of the restaurant where the serving-room is behind a glassed screen2 there are porcelain vases on the two mantelshelves2 a great ,chinese ornament of carved wood1 gold and crimson and black1 hangs by a ribbon just inside one of the windows2 the big curtains to the windows are of old gold ,chinese silk1 and the little curtains1 also of ,oriental silk1 are lilac in tint4 ,the manager of the restaurant is a ,chinaman with short-cut hair1 and he wears the same neat1 dark garments that all ,european managers assume4 ,i sat down at one of the tables1 asked the young ,italian who came to wait on me to show me a carte du jour and the menu of the set lunch1 if there was one1 and then looked round at the people who were taking their meal there4 ,the ,chinese in ,london certainly patronise their own restaurant1 for quite half the people who were eating luncheon were ,celestials4 ,there were two young ,chinese boys in the charge of a grey-haired ,english lady4 ,there were several young ,chinamen whom ,i mentally put down as students4 ,an older ,chinese gentleman had brought his wife out to lunch2 and before ,i left1 a party of ,chinese gentlemen came in1 whom1 from the respect shown to them by the manager1 ,i judged to be secretaries of the ,chinese ,embassy--the ,chinese ,ambassador1 whom ,i know by sight1 was not amongst them4 ,nowadays when ,chinese gentlemen and ladies wear ,european clothes1 and the men have their hair short1 one has to look at their faces to detect the difference between them and ,europeans4 ,there were some ,londoners lunching in the restaurant4 ,a party of ladies in furs were enjoying the novelty of the ,chinese dishes2 two youngsters1 whom ,i took to be medical students1 were ordering various dishes from the carte du jour1 and were cross-examining the waiter keenly as to the cooking arrangements and how the delicacies were imported from ,china2 and two schoolgirls1 one of the flapper age and one younger1 came into the restaurant giggling and looking round as though they expected a pantomime ,chinaman to spring up before them or to jump round a corner4 ,the menu of the day at the ,cathay is on a large folding mauve card1 and the dishes are both in ,chinese characters and in ,english letters with an explanation in ,english below each name4 ,the first division is for chop sueys and noodles4 ,a chop suey is to the ,chinese what ,irish stew is to the ,english and a ragot is to the ,french4 ,pork is its foundation1 and chicken livers and chicken gizzards1 celery1 mushrooms1 peas1 onion1 garlic1 peppers1 oil and salt all go into it4 ,noodle is any paste dish1 and macaroni or vermicelli would be described on a ,chinese menu as a noodle4 ,of the dishes on the card1 ,loo min is noodle in ,pekinese style4 ,lat chew chop suey is chop suey with green chutney4 ,chop suey min is chop suey with noodle1 and so on4 ,there is a little list of dishes which are ready1 and a longer list of dishes which will take some minutes to prepare1 such as fried crab and ,chinese omelet2 fried rice1 with meat1 mushroom1 egg and vegetables2 sliced jelly-fish with pickle2 and soyed pork4 ,some especial dishes are on the menu for which a day's notice must be given1 one of these being birds'-nests with minced chicken and another shark's fin with sliced chicken1 ham1 bamboo shoots1 etc4 ,at the end of the list comes the catalogue of teas1 pastries and sweets1 pickled onions being included in this category4 ,after looking down the carte du jour1 ,i turned my attention to the set luncheon1 and first of all took up the card on which it was written in ,chinese4 ,in case you may be able to read ,chinese fluently ,i reproduce this card on the next page4 ,the first word on this only means menu4 ,the first dish is a soup of chicken1 ham1 bamboo shoots and mushrooms4 ,the second dish is fried chicken liver and vegetables1 and the last dish is simply roast pork4 ,i opted for this half-crown meal1 and as a preliminary1 the waiter put a tiny cup of soy and a ,chinese porcelain spoon by the side of the ,european knives and forks and spoons which were already on the table4 ,a wine list was offered me1 but ,i preferred1 as ,i was going to eat ,chinese meats1 to drink ,chinese tea with them1 and ordered a cup of ,loong ,cheng4 ,the plates used at the ,chinese restaurant are1 like the cutlery1 of ,european pattern1 but the dishes in which the soups and the meats are brought to table are ,chinese ones of all kinds of shapes and ornamented with ,chinese paintings4 ,my soup1 with tiny strips of bamboo in it and morsels of chicken flesh1 tasted very much like the chicken broth that one is given when one is ill and on a low diet4 ,the fried chicken and vegetables were quite good eating1 and the taste of the bamboo shoots in it was particularly pleasant to the palate4 ,the roast pork ,i shied at1 and asked instead to be given a plate of chow chow1 an admirable sweet which ,i have known ever since boyhood1 for one of my uncles1 who was ,consul at ,foo ,chow1 used to send home to all his small nephews presents of this delicacy4 ,the tea was excellent1 and doing as the ,chinese do1 ,i did not spoil its taste by adding either sugar or milk to it4 ,illustration ,altogether my luncheon at the ,chinese ,restaurant was quite a pleasant experiment1 and ,i can advise any gourmets who would like to test the cookery of the ,far ,east in comfortable surroundings to follow my lead4 ,,lv ,,the ,,white ,,horse ,,cellars ,a little glass canopy with a clock above it juts out into ,piccadilly1 and a tall commissionaire stands at an entrance where some stairs dive down1 apparently into the bowels of the earth4 ,where the stairs make their first plunge there is above them on the wall the device of a white horse--a fine prancing animal1 somewhat resembling the ,white ,horse of ,kent4 ,the stairs1 with oak panelling on either side of them1 give a twist before they reach the bottom1 where is the modern restaurant that occupies the site of what were originally known as the ,new ,white ,horse ,cellars1 but which are now called the ,old ,white ,horse ,cellars1 probably on the lucus a non lucendo principle1 for they have been modernised out of all recognition since the days when ,charles ,dickens recorded the departure of ,mr ,pickwick from these ,cellars on his coach journey down to ,bath4 ,the ,old ,white ,horse ,cellars were originally on the ,green ,park side of ,piccadilly1 and their number was #aef1 as some way-bills to be seen at the present ,white ,horse ,cellars testify4 ,this ground is now occupied by the ,ritz ,hotel4 ,strype mentions the original cellar as being in existence in #agbj4 ,on the staircase walls of the ,new ,white ,horse ,cellars is a little collection of prints and way-bills1 caricatures1 etchings1 old bills of ,hatchett's ,hotel1 posters and advertisements from ,the ,times and other papers of the hours at which the coaches for the west started4 ,in this curious little gallery of odds and ends are some documents relating to the old cellar on the other side of the road4 ,but the ,white ,horse ,cellars were under ,hatchett's in the great coaching days1 from the year of the battle of ,waterloo to #ahdj4 ,it was from ,hatchett's that ,jerry1 in ,pierce ,egan's book1 took his departure when going back to ,hawthorn ,hall1 and said farewell to ,tom and ,logic1 and it was in the travellers' room of the ,white ,horse ,cellars1 a title that was used alternatively with ,hatchett's1 that ,mr ,pickwick and his friends sheltered from the rain1 waiting for the ,bath coach4 ,hatchett's in ,dickens's time was not the comfortable house that ,i knew in the eighties1 when the revival of stage-coaching was at its height4 ,indeed1 there could not be a picture of greater discomfort than ,dickens sketched in a few words when he wrote3 ,the travellers' room at ',the ,white ,horse ,cellar' is1 of course1 uncomfortable2 it would be no travellers' room if it were not4 ,it is the right-hand parlour1 into which an aspiring kitchen fireplace appears to have walked1 accompanied by a rebellious poker1 tongs1 and shovel4 ,it is divided into boxes for the solitary confinement of travellers1 and is furnished with a clock1 a looking-glass1 and a live waiter1 which latter article is kept in a small kennel for washing glasses1 in a corner of the apartment4 ,dickens's word picture of the scene at the start of the coach at half-past seven on a damp1 muggy and drizzly day is a fine pen-and-ink sketch1 and ,cruikshank1 in one of his caricatures1 ,the ,piccadilly ,nuisance1 shows very much the scene as ,dickens described it1 with the orange-women and the sellers of all kinds of useless trifles on the kerb2 the coaches jostling each other1 passengers falling off from them1 and the pavement an absolute hustle of humanity4 ,cruikshank's various drawings and caricatures preserve the appearance of ,hatchett's of the old days in the memory better than any word pictures could do4 ,the bow-windows of the old hotel with many panes of glass in them2 the stiff pillared portico1 with on it the name ,hatchett's1 and a little lamp before it1 and above it the board with the inscription1 ,the ,new ,white ,horse ,cellar4 ,coaches and waggons to all parts of the kingdom4 ,above this board again was a painting of an old white horse4 ,i fancy that the title of the ,cellars1 when they were on the other side of the way1 must have been taken from some celebrated old horse--though ,williams1 who was the first landlord of the original cellars1 is said to have given them their name as a compliment to the ,house of ,hanover1 and that it was the white horse1 not the cellar1 that was old4 ,there are various other legends with respect to the horse that gave ,hatchett's its title1 one of them being that ,abraham ,hatchett1 a proprietor of the tavern1 had an old white horse with a turn of speed which had won him many a wager against more showy animals4 ,the entrance to the ,cellars below ,hatchett's1 in the old days1 was down some very steep stairs just in front of one of the bow-windows1 and an oval notice1 hanging from a little arch of iron1 directed people down into the depths to the booking-office4 ,my reminiscences of ,hatchett's are of the later revivals of road coaches2 the days of old ,jim ,selby1 the famous coachman who1 though everybody called him old1 died a comparatively young man4 ,his grey hair and his jolly1 fat1 rosy face gave him an appearance of being older than he really was4 ,those were the days when the late ,lord ,londesborough and ,captain ,hargreaves1 ,mr ,walter ,shoolbred1 ,captain ,beckett1 ,baron ,oppenheim and ,mr ,edwin ,fownes were well-known whips1 and when ,hughie ,drummond1 and the host of other good fellows and lively customers in whose veins the red blood flowed in a lively current1 who drank old port and despised early hours1 were the men about town4 ,hughie ,drummond taking old ,jim ,selby out to dinner after the arrival of the ,old ,times from ,brighton and changing hats with him1 which generally took place early in the evening1 is one of my remembrances of ,hatchett's4 ,and many a time have ,i split a pint with ,dickie-the-,driver1 the oldest in standing amongst my friends1 then not the least lively of the young fellows1 before climbing up on to the coach at ,hatchett's to go down to the ,derby4 ,for many years eight of us1 always the same men1 went down by coach from ,hatchett's on ,derby ,day1 always with ,dickie driving out of ,london and the last stage on to the downs1 and our gallop down and up the hill on the course was a really breakneck performance4 ,it was from ,hatchett's that ,jim ,selby started on his celebrated drive with the ,brighton coach1 ,old ,times1 to ,brighton and back1 for a wager of a thousand pounds to five hundred against his accomplishing the journey in eight hours4 ,on the coach were3 ,selby himself1 driving2 ,captain ,beckett1 whom we all called ,partner2 ,mr ,carleton ,blyth1 who still sends yearly from ,bude his greeting of ,cheero to his old friends2 ,mr ,swish ,broadwood1 ,mr ,bob ,cosier1 ,mr ,a4 ,f4 ,m',adam1 and the guard4 ,harrington ,bird's picture of the coach during the galloping stage1 with the horses going at racing pace1 gives an idea of how ,selby drove on that day when he had a clear road4 ,the coach reached the ,old ,sip at ,brighton1 having done the first half of the journey in just under four hours2 stayed there only long enough to turn the coach round and to read a telegram from the old ,duke of ,beaufort1 who was most keenly interested in the revival of coaching1 and who was a very good man himself on the box seat--and then started again for ,london1 reaching the ,white ,horse ,cellars ten minutes under the stipulated time and forty minutes within the record4 ,i was one of the men amongst the crowd that gathered to see the return of the coach and to cheer old ,jim ,selby1 who brought his last team in no more distressed than they would have been doing their journey under ordinary circumstances4 ,how highly respected ,selby was by all coaching men was shown by the long string of stage-coaches1 every coach on the road having suspended its usual journey1 which followed his body to the grave4 ,in those days the bill of fare at ,hatchett's was roast beef or boiled mutton and trimmings2 duck and green peas1 or fowl and bath-chap4 ,there was an inner sanctuary then called ,uncle ,tom's ,cabin1 which was the bar parlour1 into which only the most favoured patrons of the house were admitted1 and ,miss ,wills1 the manageress1 used to keep any unruly spirits very much in order4 ,when ,hatchett's was rebuilt and changed its name it changed hands very frequently1 though the ,white ,horse ,cellars always remained a restaurant4 ,the ,cercle de ,luxe1 a dining club1 at one time occupied the upper floors of the building1 and then it became the ,avondale ,hotel1 with ,m4 ,garin as manager and ,m4 ,dutruz as chef4 ,since then the rooms have been put to many uses1 and are now1 ,i see1 once again in the market4 ,it is the memory of what ,hatchett's and the ,white ,horse ,cellars have been in their old days--memories that haunt me like the sound of a horn afar off on one of the great roads--that makes me disinclined nowadays to eat a ,french dinner in what was a home of good ,english fare2 and whenever ,i lunch or dine in the ,white ,horse ,cellars to-day ,i always1 for the sake of old times1 order a plate of soup1 a mixed grill and a scoop from the cheese4 ,the three-and-sixpenny dinner of to-day is1 ,i have no doubt1 a good one1 and ,mr ,stump1 the present manager1 is most courteous and anxious to oblige4 ,i look at the menu when ,i am in the restaurant1 but for the old sake's sake ,i keep as close to the meals of old days as the resources of the establishment allow me to do4 ,the ,white ,horse ,cellars of to-day is a modern1 up-to-date restaurant1 below the level of the ground1 though the ventilation is so excellent and the lighting arrangements so good that one never has the sensation of being in a cellar4 ,half-way down the staircase1 just where the little picture gallery commences1 a door leads into a buffet4 ,one's great-coat and hat are taken at the bottom of the stairs1 and then one enters quite a lofty room with a groined roof1 and with cosy nooks and various extensions of the bigger room1 which1 ,i fancy1 have been thrown out under the side-walk above4 ,the walls of the restaurant are of cream colour2 the ornamentation is in the style of ,adams1 and there is deep rose colour in the arches of the roof4 ,many mirrors reflect the vistas and give the rooms the appearance of being more extensive than they really are3 a string band is perched up in a little gallery2 there are palms here and there1 and a bronze galloping horse in a recess does something to recall the old horsy days of ,hatchett's4 ,there are many little tables1 each with its pink-shaded lamp1 in this restaurant1 and it has a chic clientele1 the ,nuts of to-day appearing to patronise it just as much as the bucks and the bloods1 the swells1 and the whips of the last two generations used to4 ,i see pretty actresses sometimes dining at ,hatchett's1 and it is a very cheerful restaurant in which to take a meal4 ,it is1 ,i believe1 always crowded at supper-time1 and the ,glorias1 the two excellent dancers who appear earlier in the evening on the ,empire stage1 dance the ,tango1 at midnight1 in and out of the little tables4 ,but to me the charm of the ,white ,horse ,cellars is that ,i can live again in memory1 when lunching or dining there1 those joyous days of youth and fresh air1 when a jolly coach-load used to start from before its door for a day of delight in sitting behind good horses driven by a good whip1 listening to the music of the shod hooves and the guard's horn1 receiving a greeting from everyone along the road1 and feeling that no king on a throne is happier than a man riding behind a picked team on a good coach4 ,motor cars have their uses and their pleasures1 but they seem to have killed the fuller-blooded joys that came with coaching4 ,,lvi ,,the ,,monico ,the ,monico1 in ,piccadilly ,circus1 which is both caf and restaurant1 is an establishment which has been brought to its present prosperity by ,swiss industry and ,swiss thrift4 ,the original ,m4 ,monico1 the father of the present proprietors of the restaurant1 came from the same village in the ,val ,blegno1 in the ,italian provinces of ,switzerland1 as did the ,gattis4 ,m4 ,monico was with that ,gatti1 the great-uncle of the present ,messrs ,gatti1 who sold gaufres and penny ices in ,villiers ,street1 and who when ,hungerford ,market was swept away and ,charing ,cross ,station built established the ,gatti's restaurant under the arches4 ,about fifty years ago1 just at the time that ,,mm4 ,a4 and ,s4 ,gatti were establishing themselves in the ,adelaide ,gallery1 young ,m4 ,monico1 who died only three years ago1 was also making an independent start on the road to fortune4 ,looking about for a site on which to build a caf he had found1 off ,tichborne ,street1 a large yard where coaches and waggons stood1 and round which was stabling for horses4 ,this yard he leased1 and built on its site the ,grand ,caf with the present ,international ,hall above it4 ,m4 ,monico had intended to put up a tall building1 but the neighbours objected to this2 he was obliged to alter his plans1 and in consequence1 whereas the caf is a very high room1 the ,international ,hall above it is rather squat in its proportions4 ,those were the days in which billiards was a game much in favour1 and in the ,international ,hall above the caf ,m4 ,monico established a number of billiard-tables4 ,when the craze for billiards died away the long upper room1 with its arched ceiling1 became a banqueting hall4 ,fifty years ago the licensing magistrates looked with just as much suspicion on any new enterprises in restaurants as they do at the present day1 and the ,monico could not at first obtain a licence to sell wines and spirits4 ,this1 however1 was later on granted to ,m4 ,monico4 ,i fancy that there must have been a good deal of the ,italian combative spirit in old ,m4 ,monico1 for he seems to have been at loggerheads with more than one of his neighbours4 ,to-day1 when you have gone in under the glass canopy with two gables which protects the ,piccadilly ,circus entrance1 when you have passed the little stall for the sale of foreign newspapers and have come into the caf which acts as an ante-room to the great gilded saloon1 you will notice that part of this caf has a solid ceiling and that the other half is glazed over4 ,the glazed-over portion was1 in old ,m4 ,monico's time1 an open space1 and into this open space a neighbour1 a perfumer1 had the right to bring carts and horses in the course of his business4 ,this right the perfumer exercised on occasion1 to the great annoyance of ,m4 ,monico1 and the present ,messrs ,monico recall with a smile how the perfumer would often bring in a great van with two horses to deliver a couple of small packages that any messenger boy could have carried4 ,the clearing away of a block of houses when ,piccadilly ,circus was given its present proportions gave the ,monico its entrance on to that centre1 and when ,shaftesbury ,avenue was driven through the network of small streets in ,soho1 ,m4 ,monico and his sons obtained a second frontage for their restaurant and built the block which contains the grill-room1 the buffet and banqueting-rooms1 now topped by the new masonic temple1 the latest addition to the ,monico4 ,the ,monico of to-day is one of those great bee-hives of dining-rooms that cater for every class of diner4 ,it has its little caf and its big la carte dining-saloon1 its grill-room1 its banqueting-rooms and its ,german beer cellar down in the basement4 ,it has two marble staircases1 one leading down to ,piccadilly ,circus and one to ,shaftesbury ,avenue1 and its big saloon1 the original caf1 is as gorgeous a hall as gilding can make it4 ,its walls are of gold and mirrors and raised ornamentation1 with the windows high up1 and with a golden balcony for the musicians4 ,it has a gilded ceiling and its pilasters are also golden4 ,an orchestra plays in this room1 whereas in the grill-room those who like their meals without orchestral accompaniment can eat them in peace4 ,up and down the great gilded room walk four matres d'htel in frock-coats and black ties1 and a battalion of waiters are busy running from tables to kitchen4 ,the bill of fare in the gilded chamber is a most comprehensive one1 and any man of any nationality can find some of the dishes of his country on it4 ,it is a beer restaurant as well as a wine restaurant1 and the simplest possible meal1 very well cooked1 can be eaten there as well as elaborate feasts4 ,the grill-room is less gorgeous in its decorations1 though its buff marble pillars and walls are handsome enough4 ,it is in this room that the table d'hte dinners at half-a-crown and three-and-six are served1 and it is here that many men of business feed1 and feed excellently well4 ,not many days ago ,i lunched in the grill-room1 my host being a gourmet who knew all the resources of the establishment1 and ,i enjoyed the sole ,monico1 a sole with an excellent white sauce2 a woodcock flamb and a salad of tender lettuce which1 like the beautiful peaches with which we finished our repast1 must have been grown in some ,southern1 sunshiny clime4 ,i also enjoyed the cheese fondue1 made1 ,i think1 from the recette that ,brillat ,savarin set down in his ,physiologie du ,got4 ,the ,monico has gained special celebrity for its banquets1 and the requests for dates for such feasts made to the ,messrs ,monico have been so overwhelming that they have turned the ,renaissance ,saloon1 which used to be devoted to a table d'hte dinner1 into a banqueting-room1 and have redecorated it for its new uses4 ,it remains in my memory that men who were present at the banquet given to ,lord ,milner in the ,international ,hall of the ,monico before he left ,england to take up his duties as ,pro-,consul in ,south ,africa1 and who talked to me afterwards of the feast1 told me that it was the best public dinner1 best served and best cooked1 that they had ever eaten1 and last year1 when ,i dined at the ,poincar dinner of the ,ligue des ,gourmands1 which was held in the ,renaissance ,room 7the occasion on which ,m4 ,escoffier's creation of the poulet ,poincar was first disclosed to a discriminating gathering71 ,i thought then that ,m4 ,sieffert's 7the chef7 handiwork was worthy of all the praise lavished on it1 and that ,m4 ,g4 ,ramoni1 the manager1 had arranged most admirably all the details of the banquet4 ,the ,renaissance ,room now quite justifies its title1 for its decoration of peacock blue panels and frames of gilded briar1 with strange birds perched on the sprays1 somewhat suggests ,burne-,jones and the colouring of his school4 ,as a specimen of a ,monico banquet ,i cannot do better than give you one eaten by that famous ,kentish cricketing club1 the ,band of ,brothers1 the menu of whose dinner bears their badge in dark and light blue1 and has also a bow of their ribbon3 ,hutres de ,whitstable ,fantaisie ,epicurienne4 ,tortue verte en ,tasse4 ,turbotin poch1 ,sauce ,mousseline4 ,julienne de ,sole ,parisienne4 ,mousse de ,volaille ,rgence4 ,ctelettes d',agneau ,rothschild4 ,pommes ,anna4 ,punch ,romaine4 ,bcassine sur ,canap4 ,salade de ,laitue4 ,escalope de ,homard ,pompadour4 ,pche ,flamb au ,kirsch4 ,paillettes au ,parmesan4 ,fruits4 ,corbeille de ,friandises ,caf4 ,,vins4 ,amontillado4 ,marcobrunner1 #aijd4 ,bollinger and ,co41 #aijd4 ,lanson1 #aijf4 ,martinez ,port1 #ahif4 ,grand ,fine ,champagne1 #ahge4 ,many of the banquets given at the ,monico are masonic ones1 and the new temple at the top of the house on the ,shaftesbury ,avenue side is a very splendid shrine1 with walls of marble and a dome round which the signs of the zodiac circle1 and with doors and furniture of great beauty4 ,,lvii ,,the ,,italian ,,invasion ,the plains of ,lombardy1 the pleasant mountain land of ,emilia and the champaign that surrounds ,turin1 are studded with comfortable villas1 the property of successful ,italian restaurateurs who have made a comfortable little fortune in ,london and who go to their own much-loved country to spend the autumn of their days4 ,every young ,north ,italian waiter who comes to ,england believes that in the folds of his napkin he holds one of these pleasant villas1 just as every ,french conscript in ,napoleonic days thought that he1 amongst all his fellows1 alone felt the extra weight of the field-marshal's baton in his knapsack4 ,no race in the world is more thrifty and more industrious than are these ,north ,italians1 and they rival the ,swiss in their aptitude for making considerable sums of money by charging very small prices4 ,spain and ,great ,britain are usually classed together as the two countries in which the natives know least of economy in housekeeping and cookery1 and the ,italians1 spying the wastefulness of the land1 have descended on ,england as a friendly invading force1 whereas the ,swiss have taken ,spain in hand4 ,there is no ,spanish town in which there is not a caf ,suizio1 and there are very few ,english towns in which an ,italian name is not found over a restaurant1 which is often a pastry-cook's shop as well4 ,i have in preceding chapters written of some of the restaurants owned by ,italians in ,london1 but were ,i to deal at length with all the well-managed restaurants1 large and small1 controlled by ,italians in ,london1 ,i should have to extend the size of my book to very swollen proportions1 so ,i propose to mention briefly those ,italian restaurants at which at one time or another ,i have lunched or dined with satisfaction4 ,one of the largest ,italian restaurants is the ,florence1 in ,rupert ,street1 which the late ,m4 ,azario1 a gentleman of much importance in the ,london ,italian colony1 made one of the most successful moderate-priced restaurants in ,london4 ,he was decorated with an ,italian order1 and when he died1 not long ago1 he was much mourned by his countrymen4 ,madame ,azario 7who is now ,madame ,mainardi and who has appointed her husband1 whom ,i remember at the ,savoy1 to the supreme command of the establishment71 to whom he left the restaurant1 has made some changes in it1 bringing it up to date4 ,it now has a lounge where hosts can wait for their guests1 and it has fallen a victim to the prevailing craze for ,tango dancing at supper-time4 ,its three-shilling dinner is a most satisfying one at the price4 ,the ,florence is not too whole-heartedly ,italian to please diners of other nationalities1 but when an ,italian gives a lunch or a dinner to his fellow-countrymen or to those who love the cookery of ,italy1 it can be as patriotic in the matter of dishes as any restaurant in ,italy4 ,this is the menu of a lunch given to one of the most ,italian of ,englishmen4 ,it is a capital example of an ,italian meal1 and there is a little joke tucked away in it1 for the ,neapolitan ,vanilla is another way of writing garlic3 ,antipasto ,assortito4 ,ravioli alla ,fiorentina4 ,trotta l',italiana4 ,scalloppine di ,vitello alla ,milanese4 ,asparagi alla ,sant',ambrogio4 ,pollo alla ,spiedo4 ,insalata ,rosa alla ,vaniglia di ,napoli4 ,zabaglione al ,marsala4 ,formaggio4 ,frutta4 99 99 99 99 99 ,chianti4 ,barolo vecchio4 ,asti naturale4 ,caffe4 ,liquori4 ,one of the first established and one of the best of the ,italian restaurants is ,previtali's1 in ,arundel ,street1 that little thoroughfare that runs up into a cul-de-sac square1 off ,coventry ,street4 ,it was said a while ago that this little square and its approach were to be eaten up by a new great variety theatre1 but ,i see that the ground is now advertised as being for sale4 ,below the great board which announces this is a smaller one1 which tells that ,previtali's is to remain where it is till ,september #aiae1 when it will find other quarters4 ,its table d'hte luncheon costs half-a-crown1 and its table d'hte dinners are priced at three-and-six and five shillings1 the latter giving such a choice of food that not even a starving man would ask for more when he had gone through the menu4 ,previtali's has an excellent cellar of ,italian wines4 ,many of the restaurants owned by ,italians in ,london have a clientele that suits the size of the house1 and they do not cry aloud by bold advertisements for fresh guests4 ,such a quiet1 unassuming restaurant is the ,quadrant1 in ,regent ,street1 the windows of which keep their eyes half closed by pink blinds which shut off the view of the interior from passers-by4 ,messrs ,formaggia and ,galiardi cater there for very faithful customers1 and ,i always look with interest as ,i pass at the menu of the half-crown dinner which is written in a bold hand and shown in a small frame by the window4 ,it is always a well-chosen meal1 and on the occasions that ,i have eaten at the ,quadrant1 ,i have been well satisfied with its fare4 ,it was at the ,quadrant that a gourmet with a taste for strange foods gave me a lunch of land-crabs which had been imported with much difficulty from either ,barbadoes or the ,west ,indies1 and which ,mr ,formaggia's chef had cooked strictly in accordance with the recipe that came with them4 ,they had1 ,i remember1 rather a bitter taste1 but perhaps land-crabs1 like snails1 are not to everybody's taste4 ,in ,soho1 the ,italian restaurants jostle the ,french restaurants in every street4 ,perhaps the best known of the ,soho restaurants owned by ,italians is the ,ristorante d',italia1 whereof ,signor ,baglioni is the proprietor1 which thrusts out an illuminated arum amidst the electric globes and glittering signs of ,old ,compton ,street4 ,my memories of the half-crown table d'hte dinner there is of food excellently cooked under the superintendence of an erstwhile chef de cuisine of the ,prince of ,monaco1 of the noise of much talking in vehement ,italian1 of rather close quarters at little tables laid for four1 and of a menu of rather portentous provender4 ,the most ,italian of any restaurant that ,i have discovered in my explorations in ,soho is the ,treviglio in ,church ,street1 a little restaurant that might have been lifted bodily from a canal-side in ,venice or a small street in ,florence4 ,it is whole-heartedly ,italian1 and puts to the forefront of its window a list of the specialities of ,italian cookery on which it prides itself4 ,it is a favoured haunt of the ,italian journalists in ,london1 and that1 ,i think1 can be taken as a certificate that its cookery is not only thoroughly ,italian but is also good ,italian4 ,signori ,pozzi and ,valdoni are its proprietors4 ,pinoli's is a restaurant in ,lower ,wardour ,street that offers almost as much at its two-shilling table d'hte dinner as some other restaurants do at twice or more that price4 ,a quiet1 flourishing restaurant owned by an ,italian1 ,signor ,antonio ,audagna1 who began life as a waiter at ,romano's1 is the ,comedy ,restaurant1 in ,panton ,street1 ,haymarket4 ,it is a comfortable restaurant1 with cream walls and oval mirrors and pink-shaded lamps1 and its back rooms are on a higher level than those of its ,panton ,street front4 ,its customers are very faithful to it1 and1 as its proprietor once told me1 when the fathers die the sons take their places as customers4 ,there was some time ago a proposal to extend it so as to give it a front to the ,haymarket1 but that plan came to naught1 and the ,comedy goes on just as before in its old premises4 ,this is a menu of the ,comedy table d'hte dinner1 and its proprietor apparently took a hint from ,philippe of the ,cavour for the menu bears the legend1 ,no beer served with this dinner3 ,hors d'uvre ,varis4 ,queue de ,buf ,printanire ,crme ,chasseur4 ,sole la ,bourguignonne4 ,noisette de ,pr-,sal ,volnay4 ,spaghetti al ,sugo4 ,poulet en ,casserole4 ,salade4 ,glac ,comedy4 ,dessert4 ,another quiet restaurant with a faithful clientele is ,signor ,pratti's1 the ,ship1 in ,whitehall4 ,his table d'hte dinners are half-a-crown and three-and-six1 and his eighteenpenny lunch1 ,i fancy1 brings to the restaurant many of the hard-worked gentlemen from ,cox's ,bank1 just across the way1 and from the ,admiralty1 which is suitably just behind the ,ship4 ,signor ,pratti1 if ,i remember rightly1 fines teetotalers by charging them sixpence extra4 ,from ,hampstead to ,surbiton1 from ,richmond to ,epping1 the little ,italian restaurants flourish4 ,one gourmet whom ,i know1 with a delicate taste in ,italian wines1 makes pilgrimages regularly to ,reggiori's1 opposite ,king's ,cross ,station1 because he gets there a particular wine which this restaurateur imports2 while ,i take an almost paternal interest in ,canuto's ,restaurant in ,baker ,street4 ,the rise of that restaurant from a very humble place1 that put out two boards with great sheets of paper on them1 giving the dishes ready and the dinner of the day1 to a rather haughty little restaurant with a very beautiful window and the carte du jour and the menus of table d'hte dinners behind the glass in frames of restrained gorgeousness1 typifies the gradual advance in social splendour of the long street that leads to ,regent's ,park4 ,,lviii ,,the ,,hyde ,,park ,,hotel ,newly engaged couples are rather kittle cattle to entertain at any meal4 ,there was once a pretty young widow who was about to marry a charming young man1 and ,i asked the pair to lunch with me one day at the ,savoy and was very particular to secure a table in the balcony1 for ,i thought that the view over the ,gardens and up the ,thames to the ,house of ,lords and ,westminster ,abbey would harmonise very well with love's young dream4 ,and it did harmonise only too well with it1 for the pretty widow sat with her face in her two hands gazing up the river with far-away eyes while the grilled lamb cutlets grew cold and the bomb pralin grew warm1 and the charming young man1 sat opposite to her with hands tightly clasped1 gazing into her face and thinking poetry hard the while4 ,conversation there was none on that occasion4 ,i do not believe that the couple knew in the least whether they were eating sole or cream cheese1 and ,i still have such remnants of good manners that were instilled into me in the days of the nursery that ,i felt that ,i was doing an impolite thing to eat heartily while my guests were neglecting their food4 ,i often subsequently wondered whether in the days when ,i fell desperately in love at least once in every six months1 ,i behaved in public as much like a patient suffering from softening of the brain as did that nice young man on the day he lunched with me at the ,savoy4 ,one of my nephews1 a young soldier doctor1 is going to do a very sensible thing in marrying an exceedingly nice girl early in his career1 and as he is on leave in ,london it seemed to me that it would be a pleasant thing to ask him and the young lady to lunch or dine with me4 ,though ,i did not for a moment believe that the presence of his intended would cause him to neglect his food1 ,i was not prepared1 after my previous experience1 to put the young lady to the tremendous trial of the view of the ,thames from the ,savoy balcony1 and ,i decided that dinner1 not lunch1 should be the meal4 ,as ,i was curious to see whether a little dinner at the ,hyde ,park ,hotel was as well cooked as the great banquets are in that flourishing establishment1 ,i asked them to dine there with me one ,sunday evening1 and gave ,mr ,kerpen1 the manager of the hotel1 warning of our coming1 asking him to suggest to ,m4 ,mller1 the chef de cuisine1 that ,i should like one or two specialities of his kitchen included in a very short menu4 ,if lunch had been the meal to which ,i invited the young couple the ,hyde ,park ,hotel dining-room would have been a spot as inducive to day dreams as are the balconies at the ,savoy and the ,cecil1 for the view the ,hyde ,park ,hotel commands over the ,park is one of the most beautiful and most varied in ,london4 ,a strip of garden lies between the ,hotel and the ,ladies' ,mile1 and beyond that is the branch of ,rotten ,row that runs up past the ,knightsbridge ,barracks4 ,beyond that again are green lawns and clumps of rhododendrons and other flowering shrubs1 and the grassy rise up to the banks of the ,serpentine1 the glitter of the water of which and the big trees about it closing in the landscape4 ,the carriages go rumbling past2 there are generally some riders in the ,row and there is always movement on the footpath1 and it seems to be one of the duties of the regiment of ,household ,cavalry at ,knightsbridge to supply as a figure in the immediate foreground either a young orderly officer in his blue frock-coat setting out or returning from his rounds on a big black charger1 or a rough-riding corporal in scarlet jacket teaching a young horse manners4 ,the view up the river to ,westminster may have a dreamy beauty on a sunshiny day1 the vista of the long walk in the ,green ,park1 down which the windows of the ,ritz dining-room look1 may have more sylvan beauty1 but the outlook of the ,hyde ,park ,hotel has more colour and more variety than those of the other big hotels ,i have mentioned4 ,the ,hyde ,park ,hotel was one of ,jabez ,balfour's speculations1 and for a time it was a great pile of flats before it became technically an hotel4 ,it had a fire1 and ,i fancy that it was after the fire that ,m4 ,ritz was consulted as to its redecoration--for he had a great talent and indisputable taste in suggesting the ornamentation of large rooms--and that the ,hyde ,park ,hotel became the exceedingly comfortable1 quiet1 luxurious house it is to-day4 ,in the big hall1 with its dark-coloured marbles and handsome fireplace1 ,i found the young couple waiting for me4 ,they were before their time and were in holiday spirits1 which reassured me1 for no laughing girl is likely to slip suddenly into day dreams4 ,after ,i had given my hat and coat to the dark-complexioned servitor in blue and gold ,oriental dress1 who looks like a very good-natured ,othello1 we waited for a while in the big cream and green drawing-room--a room so fresh in colour that it does not suggest an environment of ,london atmosphere1 though it looks out on to ,knightsbridge4 ,at the quarter past eight we went into the big dining-room1 and ,m4 ,binder1 the matre d'htel1 showed us to the table in a corner by a window which had been set for us4 ,the ,hyde ,park ,hotel dining-room is an exceedingly handsome hall of mahogany1 with panels of gold and deep crimson brocade2 its pillars are of deep red wood with gilt ,corinthian capitals2 a band plays in a gallery above the crystal service doors and the colours of the panels are echoed in carpet and curtains and upholstery4 ,in its comfortable colouring the ,hyde ,park ,hotel dining-room reminds me very much of what the ,savoy dining-room used to be before its beautiful mahogany panelling was taken down and the colour of the walls and ceiling changed to cream4 ,i soon found that ,i was not either to be silent or to have the conversation all to myself1 for the young people laughed and chatted away1 and ,i found myself comparing descriptions of the ,curragh as it was in the seventies1 when we used to lie in bed in the huts and watch the marking at the butts through the cracks in the walls1 with the ,curragh of to-day when the last of the ,crimean wooden huts are about to disappear4 ,the reading of the menu1 however1 was gone through with due solemnity1 and the young lady knew that an important moment in her life was about to approach1 for she was going to taste caviare for the first time4 ,this was the menu of our dinner3 ,caviar ,blinis4 ,crme d',asperges4 ,sole la ,h4,p4,h4 ,selle d',agneau de lait pole4 ,haricots verts aux fines herbes4 ,bcassines ,chasseur4 ,salade4 ,pches ,petit ,duc4 ,comtesse ,marie4 ,friandises4 ,dessert4 ,the young soldier doctor watched his bride-that-is-to-be eat her first mouthful of caviare and little angle of the ,russian pancake with interest and some curiosity4 ,if she did not like the delicacy there would be no caviare for him in the days of their honeymoon1 while if she took a violent fancy to them it might strain the resources of a very young establishment to provide caviare at two meals a day4 ,she took her first mouthful1 considered1 and said that she liked it2 but did not express any overwhelming attachment to it1 so ,i think that so far as caviare is concerned it will be eaten with appreciation in the household-that-is-to-be but will not appear every day at table4 ,the soup was an excellent thick cream2 the sole was one of the specialities of the kitchen put by the chef de cuisine into the menu1 and a most admirable sole it is4 ,it is a mousse of chicken sandwiched between fillets of sole1 and lobster and oysters and1 ,i fancy1 mushrooms also1 have their part in this very noble dish4 ,the tiny saddle of lamb was the plain dish of the dinner2 the snipe were given a baptism of fire before they were brought to table4 ,the peaches were another dish that is a speciality of the house4 ,with the ,bar-le-,duc currant jelly about the peaches there was mingled some old ,fine ,champagne1 while the ice and the vanilla cream that went with it were served separately1 as is the modern fashion1 which is a great improvement on sending up the ice in a messy state with the fruit4 ,the wine we drank was ,clicquot #aijd4 ,i was charged half-a-guinea a head for our dinner1 which was excellent value for the money3 altogether an admirable dinner1 admirably cooked1 and ,i sent my compliments to the chef4 ,the other people who had dined had gradually melted away2 the band had left its gallery and we could hear its strains coming from some distant room4 ,the young people chattered away about theatres and dances and we might have sat at table until midnight had not the matre d'htel suggested that we might like to look at the other rooms on the ground floor before going into the smoking lounge1 where the band was playing and where a lady was presently to sing4 ,we walked through a charming little ante-room with golden furniture1 into the great pink banqueting-room which is used for dances and balls as well as for great feasts4 ,it is the part of the ,hyde ,park ,hotel with which ,i am most familiar1 and ,i told the young people1 who were more anxious to know which way the boards ran and whether it was a good floor for dancing than they were for descriptions of banquets1 how at one of the dinners of the ,gastronomes in this fine room the table decorations were so arranged as to be high above the diners' heads and that the air seemed full of flowers and how ,m4 ,mller had invented for that feast the beau-ideal of a vegetable sorbet--tomates givres4 ,i had thoughts of giving them details of a wonderful banquet given at the hotel by the ,society of ,merchants1 but ,i am sure they would not have had patience to listen1 so what ,i abstained from telling them then1 lest they might think me a gluttonous old bore1 ,i here set down for your consideration1 for you can skip it if you will1 whereas the two young people would1 ,i am sure1 have been kind enough to listen and to pretend to appreciate its beauties3 ,cantaloup ,grande ,fine ,champagne4 ,caviar4 ,consomm ,florentine4 ,crme de ,pois frais4 ,filets de ,truite ,saumone au ,coulis d',ecrevisses4 ,volaille de la ,bresse ,chtelaine4 ,selle de ,bhague la ,provenale4 ,aubergines au ,beurre ,noisette4 ,cailles ,royales l',ananas4 ,pommes ,colerette4 ,dodines de ,canard la ,gele4 ,curs de ,laitues aux ufs4 ,pches ,framboises4 ,friandises4 ,dessert4 ,,vins4 ,sandringham ,sherry4 ,schloss ,volkrads1 #aijd4 ,pommery and ,greno1 #aijj4 ,chteau ,brane ,cantenac1 #ahii4 ,sandeman's1 #ahhd4 ,marett ,gautier1 #ahcj4 ,liqueurs4 ,then we went into the big room1 a room of mahogany1 and views of lake and river and sea painted on the panels1 which is the room most used by the people who live in the hotel1 where the papers and great arm-chairs are and where a man can smoke comfortably1 and we listened to the little orchestra and to a young lady who sang us songs sentimental and songs cheerful until it was time for my nephew to do escort duty in taking the young lady back to the northern heights where she lives4 ,,lix ,,ye ,,olde ,,gambrinus ,the one thing in the world that the friends of ,germany do not tell us poor ,englishmen is to be obtained better in the ,fatherland than on this side of the ,channel is things to eat1 though of course ,munich beer has been held up to our brewers for generations as an example of what they should brew4 ,perhaps it is for this reason that there are fewer ,german restaurants in ,london in comparison with the size of the ,german colony than there are ,french and ,italian restaurants in comparison with the colonies of those countries4 ,yet good1 simple ,german cookery is quite excellent of its kind4 ,a ,german housewife knows how to make a goose into many delectable dishes which an ,english housewife knows nothing of1 and the ,german tarts are excellent things amongst dishes of pastry4 ,there are one or two ,german restaurants in ,soho1 and ,mr ,appenrodt in his restaurants considers the tastes of his fellow-countrymen1 but the best known ,london restaurant devoted entirely to ,german and ,austrian cookery is the ,olde ,gambrinus1 in ,regent ,street1 and it was an ,italian1 little ,oddenino1 who appreciated the long-felt want of the ,germans in ,london and who gave them a restaurant in which they can imagine that they are once again back in their own country1 eating ,german foods and drinking ,german drinks4 ,the ,gambrinus has entrances both in ,glasshouse ,street and in ,regent ,street4 ,the ,regent ,street entrance echoes the decoration of that of its big brother1 the ,imperial ,restaurant1 a few paces farther along the street1 and its marble pillars and revolving door do not suggest the entirely ,german surroundings we are in as soon as we have crossed the threshold4 ,a comparatively narrow room1 panelled half-way up its height with dark wood and with two rows of tables1 is the first portion of the restaurant we see on entering from ,regent ,street1 and it is here that those good ,germans sit who do not want to eat a meal but wish to drink their steins of beer4 ,above the panelling on the walls are the heads of many deer and wild beasts from all parts of the world1 and the first impression that this gives to anyone who does not know the ,gambrinus is that it is a ,valhalla for the denizens of some ,wonder ,zoo4 ,in the midst of these heads of the wild things of the woods and the plains is that of a fine dog4 ,no doubt he was the chosen companion of some mighty hunter1 and one hopes that he was not like the rest1 a spoil of the chase4 ,after this first narrow room there comes a wider one with an arched roof1 glazed with bottle-glass1 and then the main restaurant itself1 which has the appearance of a baronial hall4 ,its floor is of wooden blocks2 there are many little tables in it1 and chairs with backs of dark leather1 and it is panelled like the entrance1 with dark wood4 ,any chair not occupied is at our disposal1 and we have found seats1 and a waiter has put in front of us the big sheet with the menu of the day on it and a picture in blue of a crowned gentleman with a long white beard astride on a beer cask and drinking from a foaming tankard4 ,we will order our dinner first and then look at our surroundings4 ,for every day in the week there are special dishes3 four soups1 one of which is generally bouillon mit ei2 three meat dishes and a fruit dish4 ,there is a list of hors d'uvre1 amongst them ,berliner rollmops and ,brabant sardellen1 ,nrnberger ochsenmaul salat and ,bismarck herring4 ,there is a column in print of cold dishes in which various ,german sausages are given the place of honour1 and then1 written in violet ink1 many ready dishes beyond those sacred to the day1 and another list of dishes which can be had to order4 ,as the most typical ,german dishes amongst those of the day let us order goose soup with dumplings1 roast veal and peas1 and pear tart1 and we cannot do better than wash this down with two large glasses of light-coloured ,munich beer4 ,the waiter takes our orders1 and from a pile of rounds of wadding put down by us two with some blue printing on them1 which shows that we are going to drink ,munich beer1 whereas had we elected for the beer of ,pilsen we should have been given rounds of wadding with red on them4 ,on all the seats at all the tables are ,germans of all types4 ,dark-haired ,germans from the south1 looking almost like ,italians1 and the typical fair-haired ,teutons of the north with fat necks and hair cropped to a stubble4 ,anyone who thinks that the ,german fraus and frauleins resemble at all the unkind caricatures the ,french make of them should see the pretty ladies who accompany the worthy ,germans who eat their dinners at the ,gambrinus4 ,they are as fresh and charming1 as well dressed and as daintily mannered as the ladies who go to any restaurant of any other nationality4 ,the windows that give on to ,glasshouse ,street are of the glass that looks as though the bottoms of wine bottles had been used1 and in the centre of each window is an escutcheon with armorial bearings4 ,at one side of the room is a gallery of dark wood1 and on the front of this is also a wealth of heraldry4 ,the heads of animals of all kinds1 which seemed a little strange in the brasserie by the entrance1 seem quite in place in the big hall which has all the appearance of the dining-room of some old baronial castle converted into a ,german inn4 ,on the side opposite to the gallery is a long counter under two arches of dark wood4 ,on this counter are many beer mugs1 and fruit in baskets1 and on a series of shelves all the delicatessen which are recorded on the spiese karte4 ,on the wall at the back of the two arches hang the beer mugs which belong to the customers1 rows upon rows of them forming a background of coloured earthenware and glass4 ,by the side of this long counter is another1 where a pretty girl sits and hands out to the waiters the liqueur bottles and keeps the necessary accounts4 ,if the trophies of the chase in the brasserie are various they are infinitely more various in the big hall1 for the ,herr ,baron must have hunted on all the continents and did not disdain to add monsters of the deep to his trophies1 for a spiky fish1 looking like a marine hedgehog1 dangles from the ceiling1 and below it is one of those curious things which sailors call mermaids and the right name of which is1 ,i believe1 manati4 ,he was a collector of curios also1 this imaginary baron1 for a curious lamp in the shape of an eight-pointed star hangs above the gallery1 there is a carved owl immediately below it and various other wood carvings in different parts of the restaurant1 and on the broad shelf above the panelling are a wonderful variety of earthenware and china and pewter mugs and dishes and jugs and candlesticks in quantities that would set up half-a-dozen antique shops4 ,the heads of animals on the wall would supply material for an exhaustive lesson in zoology4 ,there is the skull of an elephant1 the head of a rhino1 a bear grins sardonically on one side1 and opposite to him a zebra appears to have thrust his head and neck through the wall4 ,there are several boars' heads1 an eagle with his wings spread dangles from the balcony1 and a black cock appears to be rising from a forest of liqueur bottles4 ,there are horns or heads of half-a-hundred varieties of deer1 from the wapiti and elk to those tiny little fellows with horns a couple of inches long who run about like rabbits in the ,german forests4 ,there are antlers of red deer and fallow deer1 and heads of wildebesste and hartebesste1 and black buck and buffalo1 and of many more that are beyond my knowledge of horned beasts4 ,there are in the room glass screens to keep off all draughts2 there are bent-wood stands on which to hang coats and hats1 and a staircase with a luxurious carpet on it and a brass rail leads down into the grill-room of the ,imperial ,restaurant next door4 ,but the waiter1 who had already put down by our places two long sloping glasses of the clear cold beer1 now brings us the plates of smoking goose soup1 and excellent soup it is1 with the suet dumplings1 as light as possible1 in it1 and pieces of the breast of the goose4 ,why we ,english neglect the goose as a soup-maker ,i do not know1 as indeed ,i do not know why we neglect the goose at all and consign him to the kitchen as a meal for the servants while the turkey is being eaten upstairs4 ,the veal1 which1 ,i should imagine1 is imported from ,germany1 is excellent1 and the huge chop of it that is given to each of us must1 ,i think1 be an extra attention on the part of the management1 for ,m4 ,oddenino has just come in and has taken a seat at a table in a recess1 where he dines frugally every night so as to be within call of his restaurant next door1 and he has called the attention of the little manager to our presence4 ,so perhaps we are being given what in ,club life is known as the ,committee-man's chop4 ,our third venture is just as satisfactory as the two previous ones1 for the great angle of open pear tart is in every way excellent4 ,the bill presented at the close of our meal is as moderate as the food was good4 ,we have each in our meal consumed three shillings and three pence worth of well-cooked food and cold beer4 ,so again ,i ask1 ,why should the ,german cuisine in ,london be the ,cinderella of the daughters of ,gastronomy8 ,,lx ,,my ,,sins ,,of ,,omission ,no one can be more aware than ,i am of the things ,i have left undone in writing of the restaurants of ,london1 of the many interesting dining-places of which ,i have made no mention1 of the eating-houses with historical associations that ,i have overlooked4 ,i have done no more than touch the hem of the garment of the ,city4 ,as ,i write ,i recall that the ,ship and ,turtle1 the ,palmerston and other notable restaurants ,i have passed by without even a word1 and that ,i have given only a line to ,pim's and ,simpson's1 and the ,george and ,vulture1 each of which is worthy of a chapter4 ,the ,liverpool ,street ,hotel1 which ,i have singled out1 is not by any means the only great railway hotel in ,london where the catering is excellent4 ,i used at one time to dine every ,derby night with the late ,mr ,george ,dobell at the ,st ,pancras ,hotel1 and a better cooked dinner no one could have given me4 ,the ,euston ,hotel had1 and ,i have no doubt has1 an admirable cellar of wines4 ,there is a chapter waiting to be written concerning the changes that have taken place in railway refreshment-room catering1 with1 as examples1 the dining-rooms at the two ,victoria stations and the table d'hte dinner that is provided for playgoers at ,waterloo4 ,the luncheons provided for golfers in the club-houses of the golf courses near ,london was another subject to which ,i intended to devote a chapter1 and yet another to the excellent luncheons that the racing clubs1 following ,sandown's example1 provide for their members4 ,there are roadside and riverside inns that deserve mention besides those of which ,i have written4 ,many of the large hotels that ,i have not mentioned deserve attention1 but there is a certain similarity in the table d'hte meals at all big hotels nowadays and the difference between the rank and file of them lies more in their situation and decoration than in their cuisine4 ,my excuse for paying a vague compliment to the big hotels in bulk will not hold good with respect to the many small hotels that ,i have not mentioned where the cookery is excellent4 ,they at least have1 each one1 its distinct individuality4 ,i can only plead that ,i have been frightened by their number4 ,almond's in ,clifford ,street1 ,brown's in ,albemarle ,street1 where ,m4 ,pers is the chef1 are two which occur to me as ,i write in which ,i have dined admirably1 and ,i have no doubt that ,sunny ,jim will make the restaurant of the ,st ,james's ,palace ,hotel a favourite dining-place4 ,i feel that ,i have slighted ,oxford ,street and ,holborn in having merely nodded as ,i passed by to some of the many restaurants1 some of them important ones1 that are to be found on the road from ,prince ,albert's ,statue to the ,marble ,arch4 ,my hope of making amends to them for this neglect lies in a hope that my book may run into more than one edition4 ,in the streets that branch off from ,shaftesbury ,avenue there are several restaurants for which ,i should have found room in this book4 ,the ,coventry is one1 and the by-ways of ,soho teem with little eating-houses waiting to be discovered and to become prosperous and to possess globes of electric light and rows of ,noah's ark trees in green tubs4 ,i am not such a hardy explorer as ,i used to be1 but ,i have gone through some terrible times in experimenting on some of the little restaurants in ,soho--the ones that had better remain undiscovered4 ,some of my correspondents have asked me why ,i only write of places that ,i can conscientiously praise1 and why ,i do not describe my failures4 ,my answer to this is that it is not fair to condemn any restaurant1 however humble it may be1 on one trial1 and that1 when ,i have been given an indifferent meal anywhere1 ,i never go back again to see whether ,i shall be as badly treated on a second occasion4 ,i prefer to consign to oblivion the stories ,i could tell of bad eggs and rank butter and cold potatoes1 stringy meat and skeleton fowls4 ,it is so much better for one's digestion to think of pleasant things than to brood over horrors4 ,adieu1 or rather1 ,i trust1 au revoir4 99 99 99 99 99 ,p4 ,s4--,that changes have taken place in the personnel of the restaurants even in the space of time that it takes to pass the proofs of this book shows how difficult it is to keep such a publication right up to date4 ,most of the changes ,i have been able to note in their proper position1 but the sale of ,rule's by ,mr and ,mrs ,o',brien to one of their old servants and the appointment of ,m4 ,mambrino to the managership of the ,berkeley ,hotel ,i must record here4