Recent from talks
Quaglino's
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Quaglino's
Quaglino's (/kwæɡˈliːnoʊz/ kwag-LEE-nohz) is a restaurant in central London which was founded in 1929, closed in 1977, and revived in 1993.
From the 1930s through the 1950s, the original Quaglino's was popular among the British aristocracy, including the royal family, many of whom were regulars, and was a haunt of London's café society. It offered dinner, music and dancing. In the 1960s, it was sold to a succession of hotel companies, and its reputation faded; it closed in 1977.
The name was revived for a new restaurant at the same location in 1993, "aiming to revive the spirit of the original".
Giovanni "John" and his brother Ernesto "Ernest" Quaglino (Italian pronunciation: [kwaʎˈʎiːno]) were immigrants from Piedmont, Italy, probably from Riva presso Chieri or Refrancore, Asti.[citation needed]
John was the maître d'hôtel at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, and later worked at The Savoy in London with Giovanni "John" Sovrani. Sovrani left The Savoy to start Sovrani's Restaurant in Jermyn Street in 1927, taking Quaglino with him; however, according to rumour, Sovrani took too much interest in Quaglino's wife, causing him to resign as head waiter in 1929.
John started Quaglino's in the basement of the St. James's Palace Hotel (later the Meurice) on nearby Bury Street, under the patronage of Lady Furness, and with his brother Ernest as headwaiter.
Sovrani's lost much of its business to Quaglino's and closed in 1931. The Tatler reported a rumour on 6 January 1932 in which a restaurant owner was quoted as saying "my boss, he pinch my brother's wife, so now I pinch his business", causing Sovrani to sue the publishers and printers of Tatler for libel. The defence argued that the words could not apply to Sovrani as his restaurant had already closed by the time they appeared and Quaglino's only brother was not married. The jury, however, found in favour of Sovrani and awarded him £2500 damages with costs. Giovanni Sovrani died when the SS Arandora Star carrying around 1500 Italian, Austrian and German internees and enemy aliens to Canada was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Scotland in July 1940.
Both applied their charm to maximum effect, but it was John who became known as the perfect greeter. It was said that no female visitor could fail to be impressed by the gracious way in which he would present her with a flower as if she was the only person ever to have been so favoured. The epitome of the suave host, he flattered his regulars by name but was neither overly familiar nor obsequious, contriving that fine line – between due deference and professional courtesy that proved irresistible.
Hub AI
Quaglino's AI simulator
(@Quaglino's_simulator)
Quaglino's
Quaglino's (/kwæɡˈliːnoʊz/ kwag-LEE-nohz) is a restaurant in central London which was founded in 1929, closed in 1977, and revived in 1993.
From the 1930s through the 1950s, the original Quaglino's was popular among the British aristocracy, including the royal family, many of whom were regulars, and was a haunt of London's café society. It offered dinner, music and dancing. In the 1960s, it was sold to a succession of hotel companies, and its reputation faded; it closed in 1977.
The name was revived for a new restaurant at the same location in 1993, "aiming to revive the spirit of the original".
Giovanni "John" and his brother Ernesto "Ernest" Quaglino (Italian pronunciation: [kwaʎˈʎiːno]) were immigrants from Piedmont, Italy, probably from Riva presso Chieri or Refrancore, Asti.[citation needed]
John was the maître d'hôtel at the Hôtel Martinez in Cannes, and later worked at The Savoy in London with Giovanni "John" Sovrani. Sovrani left The Savoy to start Sovrani's Restaurant in Jermyn Street in 1927, taking Quaglino with him; however, according to rumour, Sovrani took too much interest in Quaglino's wife, causing him to resign as head waiter in 1929.
John started Quaglino's in the basement of the St. James's Palace Hotel (later the Meurice) on nearby Bury Street, under the patronage of Lady Furness, and with his brother Ernest as headwaiter.
Sovrani's lost much of its business to Quaglino's and closed in 1931. The Tatler reported a rumour on 6 January 1932 in which a restaurant owner was quoted as saying "my boss, he pinch my brother's wife, so now I pinch his business", causing Sovrani to sue the publishers and printers of Tatler for libel. The defence argued that the words could not apply to Sovrani as his restaurant had already closed by the time they appeared and Quaglino's only brother was not married. The jury, however, found in favour of Sovrani and awarded him £2500 damages with costs. Giovanni Sovrani died when the SS Arandora Star carrying around 1500 Italian, Austrian and German internees and enemy aliens to Canada was torpedoed by a German U-boat off the coast of Scotland in July 1940.
Both applied their charm to maximum effect, but it was John who became known as the perfect greeter. It was said that no female visitor could fail to be impressed by the gracious way in which he would present her with a flower as if she was the only person ever to have been so favoured. The epitome of the suave host, he flattered his regulars by name but was neither overly familiar nor obsequious, contriving that fine line – between due deference and professional courtesy that proved irresistible.