Les Enfants Terribles

I must apologise firstly to Paul who gave me this stuff 3½ years ago! I really thought I'd put it on the site until Charles posted a menu on Facebook and I said it was on this site - but it wasn't, it really wasn't. Now it is!

Adrian Stern Now I've posted some Le Macabre pictures

2017-04-05-22:48:44

gianpaul My first tea in London at Le Macabre, March 1964.

2017-04-06-12:21:50

Paul No worries, Adrian. Many thanks for the credit. :-)

2017-04-06-12:45:24

This seems to be the original menu

The prices are in real money, LSD!
Steak and Kidney Pie for 1/6d! Think of it!

Jon F although the salads seemed pricy.

2017-04-06-13:37:00

Adrian Stern I've no idea. Don't think I've ever ordered a salad anywhere in England. Certainly wouldn't have in the early 60s

2017-04-06-16:49:06

Steve Knight The potato salad in Le Kilt bar wasn't too popular either, especially when re-cycled many times; but anything to get a drink after 11:00 pm!

2017-04-06-17:22:52

Jon F Adrian:Your salad remark is hilarious: The advent of Cranks at the corner of Old Compton St & Wardour St in the late 70's must have heralded the health food revolution & Steve's potato salad make me shiver to think the health implications, no wonder it did not sell.

2017-04-07-14:16:16

Adrian Stern We never expected anyone to actually eat the hotdogs and potato salad. However when I worked there we were meticulous about never re-cycling the untouched food - into the bin and fresh for the next customer!

2017-04-07-15:15:37

Steve Knight Very few people actually ate the food but once it was touched it was naturally dumped. Untouched food was not on the table for more than a few minutes and then it was a case of "waste not, want not" - different times as these days, especially as here in the USA, you can't even handle food (cutting bread etc.) without gloves on

2017-04-07-15:59:15

Adrian Stern That's typically american Steve as the gloves are more easily contaminated than hands are - and don't wash as well. A good standard of hygiene in the kitchen including hand washing with soap is more than good enough

2017-04-07-16:31:49

Not changed a lot but the last menu

The prices are in decimal money.

Not at all sure where this photo came from. A film?

I know this is a flier from another coffee bar but is has a nice map showing the locations

Paolo Onofri Il Latino had excellent food thanks to Maria the chef..

2019-02-05-01:14:06

Le Macabre
23 Meard Street

OK - picture stolen from Pathe

defunct

Just around the corner from the 2i's on Meard Street was Le Macabre, which used coffins as tables and bakelite skulls for ashtrays.

There were skull-shaped milk jugs, murals of skeletons and graveyards, and the jukebox featured the Funeral March.

Barry Miles, in London Calling: A Countercultural History Of London Since 1945: Le Macabre's beatnik goth interior went into more detail than Heaven & Hell round the corner, only Le Macabre didn't have a resident skiffle group called The Ghouls in all-black-painted hell basement, and both were only two of many themed coffee houses crammed into just a few streets.

Jon F Next door was a one could but "cabbage" fashion ends etc items with no labels.

2017-04-06-13:39:19

Picture postcards of the time correcting the fallacious assertion that it was anywhere else than in Meard Street!

Le Macabre located in Meard Street certainly lived up to its name trading on a distinctly Gothic sensibility. It substituted coffins for tables and was decorated with skeletons, bones and cobwebs, which hung from the walls and ceilings. Ghostly illumination was provided by the glow of candles placed within artificial skulls.