A historical site about early London coffee houses and taverns and will also link to my current pub history site and also the London street directory
PIAZZA COFFEE-HOUSE, Covent garden.
This establishment, at the north-eastern angle of Covent Garden Piazza, appears
to have originated with Macklin's ; for we read in an advertisement in the
Public Advertiser, March, 5, 1756: "the Great Piazza Coffee-room, in Covent
Garden."
The Piazza was much frequented by Sheridan ; and here is located the well-known
anecdote told of his coolness during the burning of Drury-lane Theatre, in 1809.
It is said that as he sat at the Piazza, during the fire, taking some
refreshment, a friend of his having remarked on the philosophical calmness with
which he bore his misfortune, Sheridan replied : u A man may surely be allowed
to take a glass of wine by his own fireside"
Sheridan and John Kemble often dined together at the Piazza, to be handy to the
theatre. During Kemble's management, Sheridan had occasion to make a complaint,
which brought a " nervous " letter from Kemble, to which Sheridan's reply is
amusing enough. Thus, he writes : " that the management of a theatre is a
situation capable of becoming troublesome, is information which I do not want,
and a discovery which I thought you had made long ago." Sheridan then treats
Kemble's letter as " a nervous flight," not to be noticed seriously, adding his
anxiety for the interest of the theatre, and alluding to Kemble's touchiness and
reserve ; and thus concludes :
" If there is anything amiss in your mind not arising from the troublesomeness
of your situation, it is childish and unmanly not to disclose it. The frankness
with which I have dealt towards you entitles me to expect that you should have
done so.
"But I have no reason to believe this to be the case ; and attributing your
letter to a disorder which I know ought not to be indulged, I prescribe that
thou shalt keep thine appointment at the Piazza Coffee-house, to-morrow at five,
and, taking four bottles of claret instead of three, to which in souud health
you might stint yourself, forget that you ever wrote the letter, as I shall that
I ever received it.
"R. B. Sheridan."
The Piazza facade, and interior, were of Gothic design. The house has been taken
down, and in its place was built the Floral Hall, after the Crystal Palace
model.
The 1829 Robsons directory places
George Cutriss, at the Piazza coffee house, Great Piazza, Covent garden
References :
Lots of references are made to two sources on the
internet archive
:
Edward Callows, Old London Taverns &
John Timbs, Club life of London Volume 2