Fitzroy Tavern
Encyclopedia
The Fitzroy Tavern is a public house
situated at 16 Charlotte Street
in the Fitzrovia
district of central London
, England
, to which it gives its name.
It is currently owned by the Samuel Smith Brewery
. It became famous (or arguably, infamous) during a period spanning the 1920s to the mid 1950s as a meeting place for many of London's artist
s, intellectual
s and bohemian
s such as Dylan Thomas
, Augustus John
, and George Orwell
.
It is named either directly or indirectly after the Fitzroy family, Dukes of Grafton
, who owned much of the land on which Fitzrovia was built.
The building was originally constructed as the Fitzroy Coffee House, in 1883, and converted to a pub (called “The Hundred Marks”) in 1887, by William Mortimer Brutton.
In the early years of the 20th century, Judah Morris Kleinfeld purchased it. He rebranded it "the Fitzroy Tavern" in March 1919. His daughter Sally Fiber who worked behind the bar from a very young age eventually wrote a history of the pub "The Fitzroy: The Autobiography of a London Tavern" with the help of Clive Powell-Williams. There are photographs on the walls of both Micheal Bentine and Dylan Thomas drinking in the pub. There is also a photograph of George Orwell (but not actually sitting in the pub). One of the reasons for the pub reputedly being so popular with Orwell and Thomas is its proximity to Broadcasting House and Langham Place - both worked for the BBC in the 1940s and 50s and the pub continues to be popular with media types. The book also tells of other famous patrons but these stories may, obviously, lack some veracity.
Given the pub's low prices and proximity to University College London
, it is very popular with UCL students. English and History students in particular are known to be frequent visitors. The Cheese Grater
, the alternative UCL student magazine, also holds weekly gatherings in the pub.
The Fitzroy Tavern has been a regular gathering place for fans of Doctor Who
since the 1980s. Fans meet there, informally, on the first Thursday evening of each month.
Since 2000 it has been the home of the Pear Shaped Comedy Club which runs every Wednesday in the downstairs bar.
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
situated at 16 Charlotte Street
Charlotte Street
Charlotte Street is a well-known street in Fitzrovia, central London, England. The southern half of the street has many restaurants and cafes, and a lively nightlife during the evening; while the northern part of the street is more mixed in character and includes the large office building of the...
in the Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia
Fitzrovia is a neighbourhood in central London, near London's West End lying partly in the London Borough of Camden and partly in the City of Westminster ; and situated between Marylebone and Bloomsbury and north of Soho. It is characterised by its mixed-use of residential, business, retail,...
district of central London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, to which it gives its name.
It is currently owned by the Samuel Smith Brewery
Samuel Smith Brewery
Samuel Smith's Old Brewery, popularly known as Samuel Smith's or Sam Smith's, is an independent brewery in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. It is Yorkshire's oldest brewery, founded in 1758.-History:...
. It became famous (or arguably, infamous) during a period spanning the 1920s to the mid 1950s as a meeting place for many of London's artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s, intellectual
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
s and bohemian
Bohemianism
Bohemianism is the practice of an unconventional lifestyle, often in the company of like-minded people, with few permanent ties, involving musical, artistic or literary pursuits...
s such as Dylan Thomas
Dylan Thomas
Dylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
, Augustus John
Augustus John
Augustus Edwin John OM, RA, was a Welsh painter, draughtsman, and etcher. For a short time around 1910, he was an important exponent of Post-Impressionism in the United Kingdom....
, and George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
.
It is named either directly or indirectly after the Fitzroy family, Dukes of Grafton
Duke of Grafton
Duke of Grafton is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1675 by Charles II of England for his 2nd illegitimate son by the Duchess of Cleveland, Henry FitzRoy...
, who owned much of the land on which Fitzrovia was built.
The building was originally constructed as the Fitzroy Coffee House, in 1883, and converted to a pub (called “The Hundred Marks”) in 1887, by William Mortimer Brutton.
In the early years of the 20th century, Judah Morris Kleinfeld purchased it. He rebranded it "the Fitzroy Tavern" in March 1919. His daughter Sally Fiber who worked behind the bar from a very young age eventually wrote a history of the pub "The Fitzroy: The Autobiography of a London Tavern" with the help of Clive Powell-Williams. There are photographs on the walls of both Micheal Bentine and Dylan Thomas drinking in the pub. There is also a photograph of George Orwell (but not actually sitting in the pub). One of the reasons for the pub reputedly being so popular with Orwell and Thomas is its proximity to Broadcasting House and Langham Place - both worked for the BBC in the 1940s and 50s and the pub continues to be popular with media types. The book also tells of other famous patrons but these stories may, obviously, lack some veracity.
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, it is very popular with UCL students. English and History students in particular are known to be frequent visitors. The Cheese Grater
The Cheese Grater
The Cheese Grater is an award-winning magazine produced at the University College London by a society of UCL Union, a students' union. It was first published in March 2004....
, the alternative UCL student magazine, also holds weekly gatherings in the pub.
The Fitzroy Tavern has been a regular gathering place for fans of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
since the 1980s. Fans meet there, informally, on the first Thursday evening of each month.
Since 2000 it has been the home of the Pear Shaped Comedy Club which runs every Wednesday in the downstairs bar.