160 Years of History & Heritage
The History of Café Royal
In 1863, French wine merchant Daniel Nicholas Thévenon and his wife Celestine arrived in England, seeking a fresh start far from the pressures of Paris. From these uncertain beginnings grew Café Royal – a destination that would become woven into the cultural and social fabric of London.
What followed is a story of reinvention, creativity and enduring legacy. Explore the chapters of this remarkable history through the Café Royal timeline, where over a century of stories come to life.
Timeline
1865 - Founding of Café Royal
French wine merchant Daniel Nicolas Thévenon and his wife Célestine laid the foundations for what would become Hotel Café Royal. On the run and owing money, they fled to Britain in 1863, Thévenon changing his name to Daniel Nicols before opening a small café-restaurant on Glasshouse Street. Inspired by the grand brasseries of his native Paris, within two years its popularity brought rapid expansion into the premises behind: George Bailey the tailor’s at 68 Regent Street, the official address of the hotel today.
1865 - The Café Royal Grill
If the gilt and mirrored walls of the Café Royal Grill could talk, they’d tell of Oscar Wilde falling in love with Lord Alfred Douglas, how future Kings Edward VIII and George VI enjoyed “plain food, no fuss”, and the times Winston Churchill and Princess Diana dined here. Although its ornate Louis XVI interiors date back to 1865, the Café Royal Grill moved to its current location near the historic lobby during the 1920s.
1867 - In the Ring: the Home of Boxing
Modern boxing was established at Café Royal. The Queensberry Rules, widely accepted as the code for boxing, were written here and published in 1867 by the founders of the Amateur Athletic Club. Named after the 9th Marquess of Queensberry (Oscar Wilde’s nemesis), they still apply today. Decades later, under the ownership of Lord Charles Forte, black-tie bouts were a highlight at Café Royal, organised by the National Sporting Club who made boxing a reputable sport.
1892 - Life and Loves of Oscar Wilde
Intoxicated on absinthe, Oscar Wilde hallucinated he saw a waiter picking tulips in the Café Royal Grill. The Irish author and inimitable wit held court at Café Royal during the late 1800s and in many ways embodied the spirit of the place. It was also the spot where Wilde, along with Lord Alfred Douglas, enjoyed a convivial meal with Douglas’s father, the Marquess of Queensberry – before things turned sour and the Scottish laird brought about Wilde’s very public downfall.
1902 - Rodin’s Great Feast
Celebrating the unveiling of Rodin’s “St John the Baptist”, presented to the Victoria & Albert Museum, a dinner for 200 was held in honour of the French sculptor. Carriages were called but instead of horses, a carousel of students from the Slade School and the Royal College of Art wheeled Rodin’s coach to the Arts Club in Dover Street, with John Singer Sargent at the reins.
1903 - The Founding of the Ski Club of Great Britain
In May 1903, 14 young ski enthusiasts sat down to dinner at Café Royal. By the end of the evening, they’d decided to found an organisation to promote the sport within Britain. Thus the Ski Club of Great Britain was born. More than 100 years later, it has upwards of 29,000 members; until the 1960s, it was responsible for Britain’s Alpine racing teams.
1914 - Aleister Crowley Claims to be Invisible
A significant refurbishment in 1923, costing £400,000-£500,000, increased the banqueting areas and extended the height of the Café Royal to 100 feet. The ambitious renovation contributed to the building’s roaring 1920s success, as Virginia Woolf, Noël Coward, Laurence Olivier, Ivor Novello, and J.B. Priestley enjoyed the hospitality.
1930 - The Detection Club
Agatha Christie, P.D. James, Ruth Rendell and John le Carré were among Britain’s finest crime writers who’d gather in a darkened room at Café Royal for The Detection Club. Founded in 1930, with G.K. Chesterton as president, the club’s cloak-and-dagger initiation ceremony saw the president enter in a crimson robe, carrying a skull – called Eric the Skull – as the members’ handheld candlelights eerily illuminated proceedings.
1937 - Café Royal Cocktail Book
Café Royal’s then head bartender, William J. Tarling, published a collection of the most fashionable cocktails of the 1920s and 1930s for King George VI’s coronation. The Adonis, for example, took a squeeze of orange peel, a dash of orange bitters, sweet vermouth and dry sherry, stirred and strained into an elegant cocktail glass. President of the United Kingdom Bartenders’ Guild, Tarling compiled this mixology masterpiece from his own creations with recipes from the best bartenders in Britain and beyond.
1955 - London Scottish Rugby Club
At the London Scottish Rugby Club’s exuberant dinners burly rugby players would perform energetic Highland reels, stomping so enthusiastically that one night they cracked the ceiling below.
1973 - David Bowie Retires Ziggy Stardust
After his legendary farewell concert at Hammersmith Odeon, David Bowie hosted The Last Supper at Café Royal – a glittering party attended by Mick and Bianca Jagger, Paul and Linda McCartney, Lou Reed, Barbra Streisand, Keith Moon, and Cat Stevens, among others. The night marked the end of an era, as Bowie said: “This show will stay the longest in our memories… because it is the last show we’ll ever do.”
1977 - Muhammad Ali Holding the Baby
World Champion boxer Muhammad Ali held a press conference to launch his film “The Greatest” at Café Royal. But it was also a chance for the boxer to show his softer side. His babysitter was unwell so he brought his 13-month-old daughter, Hana, to meet the world’s media.
1990s-2000s - The Chinawhite Years
Before its conversion into Akasha Spa, the basement of the hotel was home to the famous nightclub, Chinawhite, a favoured hangout for the likes of Kate Moss, Jemma Kidd, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mick Hucknall, Jude Law and Sienna Miller. A main-stay of London’s It crowd in the 1990s and early 2000s, it was considered one of the capital’s most exclusive haunts.
2008 - The Set Collection: A New Era
In 2008, Café Royal closed for a complete restoration under the ownership of The Set Collection. Visionaries Alfred and Georgi Akirov enlisted David Chipperfield Architects to transform the legendary institution into a contemporary grand hotel – home to restaurants, bars, private rooms, a members’ club, and the serene Akasha Spa.
2009 - The Bonhams Auction
Ahead of the transformation, everything from the hotel’s illustrious past was put up for auction. Some surprising items were among the lots, including the full-size boxing ring fought on by Barry McGuigan and Frank Bruno.
2012 - The Rebirth of Hotel Café Royal
The grand reopening marked the rebirth of a London legend: Café Royal became Hotel Café Royal – a modern icon with a storied past and a bright future.
2014 - Home to Fashion Royalty
Following the British Fashion Awards, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell hosted an exclusive celebration in the Oscar Wilde Lounge, honouring W Magazine’s Edward Enninful – reaffirming the hotel’s place at the heart of London’s style scene.
2015 - Hotel Café Royal’s 150 Years: Boxing Returns
For the hotel’s 150th anniversary, the Royal Marines Boxing Association revived the noble sport where it all began – with the Queensberry Rules once again echoing through Café Royal.
2016 - Albert Adrià: The Alchemist of Gastronomy
World-renowned chef Albert Adrià brought his visionary cuisine to Café Royal in early 2016 for his first cooking venture outside Spain. For 50 extraordinary days, his residency enchanted diners and reaffirmed the hotel’s place at the forefront of culinary innovation.
2018 - Cakes & Bubbles
In November 2018, Adrià returned to open his first permanent venture beyond Spain: Cakes & Bubbles, a gilded chocolate box cafe dedicated to the celebration of desserts and Champagne, exclusively at Hotel Café Royal.
2018 - The Completion of a Transformation
When acclaimed Italian architect, Piero Lissoni, installed his design for a grand, light-filled lobby, the hotel’s renaissance was complete. Crowned by a bespoke Murano glass chandelier by Vistosi, the glittering 350-kilogram masterpiece welcomes guests as they pass through the double height revolving door and enter Hotel Café Royal.