90's London

[Sweetasstevia]

I've lived in London for nearly 25 years now but rarely get into the centre these days (I last worked in town in 2008.) I'm always stunned how much things have changed and have been feeling very nostalgic lately for the London of my uni years and youth: 1990 - 2000.
For starters I miss how Covent Garden used to be with the mechanical toy museum and Neal street East around the corner. I miss burgers at Ed's Diner and Jonny Rockets. I miss seeing arty films at the ICA, the montepulicano lounge club and whirligig, the mad market in South Kensington and how Camden used to be before it got all posh!
What things do you miss?

Oh yes - nr Fenwicks, Hanover Square way.

i used to go to a club near angel on a sat night called slimelight, i have just googled it and it's still there i may have to go for old times sake. Not sure what i'd wear tho!

I loved the Polish restaurant in Shepherd's bush with the blonde bombshell diva lady who ran it. She got us drunk on vodka. Is it still there?

Patio Restaurant! We got free pudding after my friend played Chopin on their out-of-tune old piano. It was still there the last I looked.

Shepherd's Bush Market is still there but in serious peril from some oafish 'redevelopment' scheme.

The telephone club was Madame jojo's.

Can't remember when the licensing laws changed, but in the 90s it was still quite difficult to get a drink late at night unless you went to a club or a dodgy drinking den. So me and my mate joined a casino - it was a tatty little place in Soho just off Rupert Street - think it was called Charlie Chesters? It was great - free to join, you didn't have to gamble, drinks about half the usual price, served all night long. We were not in a position to join the Groucho, so this was the best we could do...

Am Scottish but I have to ask, did anybody get their hair cut by Allan Soh? He was never out of the pages of Just 17.

Cafe des Artistes That was what I was thinking of earlier re cafe de paris, of course!

I loved Foyles too, even if I don't think I ever successfully managed to work out how to buy anything.

Nigella Quackers at Roxannes?!
I was a REGULAR there!

Ha! Me too. Nigella I would not be remotely surprised. We all knew each other if we were in and out of all these places. Huge groups of us back then and I'm still in touch with a hefty percentage even now.

Rocket and Flip(oh wait, that was the 80s)Dh spent an hour in Rocket trying to decide whether to buy an electric blue silk suit. It was £90, so he didn't. But spent about £60 on loads of original 40s and 50s clothes.

morris everyone who grew up in London had lives straight out of the pages of J17, obviously

Familymember, me too. Both. Maybe we know each other? 87 onwards?
Wonder if the POW still plays was it Land of Hope and Glory at closing time!

Thanks Abbie! Nice to know

Nah not the Madame jojos one, was Hanover square, I'm thinking Oscar's for some reason but don't think it was that? A male name anyway! Anyone remember the name of a dodgy club opposite Angel station, it was in that building that had/has an amusement arcade at the bottom? Good times

Oh wow... Has it really changed that much?
I moved there, from Dublin in 1995 & came home in 2002. All I ever dreamed of in school was going to London. Camden, Britpop... It was all happening! I went to see Damien Hirst's sheep in formaldehyde at the Tate when I first started art school. Then I started working & was in Covent Garden, Chelsea & Regent's Park. I lived in Noho (North Soho). I loved milling about the King's Road, Soho, St Christopher's. The second hand shops around Marylebone. Little cafes tucked away, that I thought were my little secret... St Gabriel's Wharf. The giant Topshop on Oxford Street was at the bottom of my street. I also loved floating around Selfridges & Liberty. At night we went to the Roadhouse, Aussie bars, Denim. I loved getting pie & chips in The Argyle. I used to go all around London. Kensington Market. This brunch place half way up to Hampstead. Down to the river, Chiswick. Hammersmith & Shepherd's Bush for gigs. Chinatown. That big Irish bar near Leicester Square. Regent's Street & Piccadilly at Christmas time. It was so rich with life!
Funny, the last time we went over - a few years ago - my Dad said "everything's packed for the consumer now, isn't it?". Homogenised... I've always thought of London as a young person's city. I was 26 when I left. I'm glad I had the best of it. My mother always said that London is a rich person's city. Maybe she's right? Perhaps the youth have been priced out & creativity has gone as a result. I sometimes wonder if I'd stayed there... But I think I got the best years of Dublin when I returned. It's become very "high street" here too though...

Ah ha, phone bar was Casper' s not Oscar's, shudder...

Did anyone go to Sundance club, usually under the arches at Vauxhall? Or Wiggle?

Anyone remember the Midnight Shop on the Brompton Road? It was open all hours long before the days of extended opening. A scruffy little shop but so useful.

I lived in London; Dalston, Stoke Newington, '88 to '92.

I am so impressed with everyone remembering where they went and what they did. For me it's a blur of sweaty goth clubs in Camden, exotic food in little places in Islington and second hand bookshops and music pubs in Stokie.

Dalston was rough as fuck though, I've been all over the place and never been anywhere as rough as Dalston in '88. I can't believe its some hipster haven now.

Oh yeah, all my mates were Irish too. Seemed like the whole of Ireland had moved to North London.

Aw I am so glad others have mentioned the Dive Bar, I used to LOVE that place! Does anyone know if the India club is still going on the strand? Cheapo amazing curries above a weird old hotel

The Cross on a Friday night. I think it was called Friction and DH took me there on our first date, I remember driving there in someone's Mercedes convertible, I felt very young and hip. I think it was 1999. We didn't have to queue or anything as DH had friends who ran the night.

And Benjis on a Monday morning for a massive bucket of tea and a toast to get me through the comedown.

I miss it, but we're in our 40's now and 9pm is a late one with two toddlers. Oh how I miss it, sometimes

I moved to London in 93, remember the Wag, limelight, astoria, LA2, the dive bar, and was trying to remember the little indie downstairs one that someone mentioned.

Also Forum in K town for gigs.

we used to go out for works dos to Break for the Border - not at all cool, one of the few things I remember from those years. The russian vodka bar on Lincoln's inn fields too.

Someone reminded me the other night of the place you could go with telephones on the tables and then you called people on the other tables. or waited for them to call you.

trying to remember other things I did - camden alot, I went to Ed's diner in Hamsptead I think, also went to the Landsdowne Pub and the Engineer in primrose hill alot (my first flat was near there, but not in primrose hill).

no it's a blank really.

I'm still in London and still love it.

Tshirtsuntan just saw you mentioned the telephone bar place. it wasn't madame Jojos (we used to go there too). can't remember anything about it really apart from how embarrassing it was until you got v pissed.

Yes yes to PP who said the Stockpot is still around, it absolutely is although somewhat more expensive! Still relatively cheap though and food still great!!

Fiction not Friction although that sounds kind of better. From Cheeky People through to Fiction it was the best venue in the 90's by miles.

Oh and my husband used to DJ at Roxannes, he works in finance now and I doubt he's mentioned that on his CV.