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One of the last bastions of ‘old Soho’ has closed down.
St Moritz club and alpine-themed restaurant on Wardour Street had remained largely unchanged since it opened in 1960. Earlier this month it was announced that the venue would be shutting up shop. ‘The restaurant and club will be closed temporarily until further notice,’ said an Instagram post by the restaurant.
However, the closure is thought to be permanent by some. The long-running ska, punk, reggae and rhythm ’n’ blues night Gaz’s Rockin’ Blues Club – hosted by DJ Gaz Mayall – which has been at the venue since the 1990s after moving from Gossips on Dean Street, also posted: ‘Next Thursday we were due to celebrate the 46th anniversary of Gaz’s Rockin Blues at St Moritz which has sadly had to close due to pending change of ownership’. Check out some excellent photos of the club here.
The news follows the death of St Moritz owner, Armin Lötscher, who passed away in March of this year. ‘Soho has lost an icon, but we are forever grateful to have known him,’ said a post on the St Moritz Instagram account.
‘We will forever remember him as one of the great characters who have graced Soho, and we hope that you will keep him in your heart and memory. He has run the St. Moritz Restaurant and Club since the 60’s, and that is no easy feat, but he has never given up, never backed down, and remained an extraordinary personality until his last day.’
The St Moritz restaurant was known for its hot pots of bubbling fondue, rosti, bratwurst and Swiss dishes alongside a lengthy list of red wine. It was formerly in our list of the 50 best restaurants in Soho.
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