A beloved late-night underground speakeasy described as a “bastion of the old-school Soho” faces closure after millionaire neighbours complained of patrons turning it into a “haven for drug users”.
The New Evaristo Club, known as Trisha’s after its longtime Italian matriarch, has welcomed generations of musicians from Led Zeppelin to Amy Winehouse through its secret doorway in Greek Street for more than 80 years.
It was once described by Anthony Bourdain as “the Dean Martin of drinking establishments” but that Rock n’Roll approach appears to have riled neighbours with one informing the council of loud music, overcrowding and smoking in the premises despite living three streets away.
The unnamed complainant also hit out at a lack of a fire exit at the basement bar that is open until the “early hours” and had become “a haven for drug users”.
Westminister Council has launched a licence review which could force the venue to close its door at 57 Greek Street for good.
Staff posted to the bar’s Instagram page: “To our enormous upset, Westminster Council have told us they want to “review” our licence. They are asking to close us down and we need your support.
“If you’d be kind enough to email them Trisha and us would appreciate that with all of our heart.”
One supporter wrote: “This is the last unique, special place standing in Soho. We need you open because you are the link between the past and the present and you stood throughout all of the changes.”
In his hit TV series The Layover, Bourdain famously took celebrity chef Marco Pierre White to Trisha’s, telling the cook: “There is no finer establishment.”
When White complained about not having his picture on the wall, Bourdain snapped: “They don’t give a f***. If you want your picture on the wall, you’d have to hang it yourself.”
Bourdain’s portrait now hangs in pride of place on the wall after impressing landlady Patricia “Trisha” Bergonzi, who has been in charge of the bar for four decades.
Bergonzi entered Soho folklore after telling Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page to “f*** off” after he asked her to make him a cheese toastie on a heaving Friday night.
Fans and patrons of the speakeasy raised a whopping £20,000 to save the bar during the pandemic.
The council claim the licence review was brought on the grounds of prevention of crime and disorder and public safety
Councillor Aicha Less, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Protection, said: “Westminster City Council values the vibrant nightlife and unique heritage of Soho, but we also have a responsibility to protect the public and ensure all licensed venues operate legally, safely, and within the conditions of their licence.
“We work closely with owners and managers of licensed premises and provide support to ensure that they are complying with their licence agreements. However, following a council investigation and a series of complaints from residents and patrons, we have applied a review of this premise’s licence.
“A licensing sub-committee will consider the evidence and decide what action, if any, will be taken, and it would not be appropriate to comment further while the review is ongoing.”
One inspector reported: “I asked to see the Premises Members Guest Book which was lying on the counter, the book had random names in the pages with no dates. The book was not a suitable recording of members and did not record any guests of members. Some of the guest entries had no addresses. I told them this was not a member’s guest book to the standard required.”
To leave a comment on the licence review click here.
