New West End club on iconic Café de Paris site met with late-night alcohol objections

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democray Reporter

An iconic cabaret club that hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra is set to open under new management, but the Met has objected to it serving alcohol late at night.

Lio London is set to replace Café de Paris, which was forced to shut during the pandemic after nearly 100 years of business.

The West End nightclub was bombed during the Blitz, when at least 34 people were killed, including swing musician “Snakehips” Johnson.

The Café de Paris also became a longstanding celebrity hotspot upon its reopening in 1948.

According to TimeOut, Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner were fans of the haunt and  Noel Coward would often hop up on stage for a turn.

By the 1960s it was the go-to spot for movie stars and musicians of the time, and was said to even be a hangout for underworld criminals, according to the publication.

Lio London will open its doors for the first time under new management on Friday, and has permission to sell alcohol until 3am and stay open until 6am,  council documents show.

The bar describes itself on its website as “Ibiza-themed.” It says it will host a “spectacular, sassy and sexy modern show featuring a troupe of singers, dancers, acrobats and international artists bringing pulsating performances and high-volume energy to our audience”.

The West End club also wants to serve alcohol and play films until 4am, but the Met has objected.

The force said Lio London was located in a high crime zone and fear granting an extension could lead to more public nuisance.

According to a Westminster city council report, the Met said: “It is our belief that if granted the application would undermine the licensing objectives. The premises are situated within the West End cumulative impact area.”

Those concerns are shared by Westminster’s environmental health team. They wrote: “The granting of the variation premises licence as presented would have the likely effect of causing an increase in public nuisance in the cumulative impact zone.”

The council’s licensing team was concerned about the impact on crime and disorder and public safety as well the impact on kids.

ve on crime and disorder, nuisance and demand on local services, according to Westminster City.

Lio London and its parent company were approached but did not respond before publication.

Westminster City council is expected to make a decision tomorrow.

Pictured top: Cafe de Paris, the former club site Lio London will take over (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Andy Mabbett)