For more than 50 years it was the West End’s high temple of decadence, a venue that only welcomed the “exceptional, glamorous and famous”, where Rolling Stones and royalty, Beatles and Bonds dined, drank and danced together. Then suddenly last November, just days after Idris Elba launched his rosé Champagne Porte Noire there, Tramp was gone.
Since then, the Jermyn Street club where Keith Moon swung from the chandelier (getting himself barred for a fairly token 48 hours in the process) has been swathed in scaffolding and hoardings as it undergoes its biggest makeover since it first opened in 1969. But in mid-September the wraps will come off and Tramp will be back — under new ownership and management. But will it ever be able to recreate the magic formula that made it the retreat where celebrities felt most comfortable letting their hair down?
