Isn’t the end of the year supposed to be an appropriate time for obituaries? Perhaps not, but I’ll serve one up anyway.
Recently, on my way to a house party I walked past Cafe Cairo on Landor Road, a mere stone's throw from the Clapham North tube. To my great distress it was all boarded up, and on the door was a note explaining that in early November Cafe
The loss of Cafe Cairo is a sad one. Egyptian sheesha-bars don't grow on trees around here, and it was such a wonderfully refreshing alternative to the polished squeaky-clean facade that is Clapham (for the most part at least). The main room could only be reached through a narrow passage, and was small and tent-like, draped with oriental cloth all around (there was a fire, you say?). The seating consisted mainly of small wooden three-legged stools and soft cushions and of various shapes and sizes strewn all over the floor. Here people would sit and contentedly puff on their sheesha pipes. Downstairs was another somewhat larger and more conventional room, with a dance floor and/or stage, hosting various music events, djs or bands, such as free jazz sessions every Thursday.
A sad loss indeed. We can only hope the owners find the funds to reopen!
2 comments:
Cafe Cairo was my favorite place in london. It was a ten minute walk from my house and i sadly only discovered it a few years ago, even though i have lived near by for 20 years. I have never found any where else like it, the venue, the atmosphere or the people.
I had planned for a long time to have my 21st birthday party there, so when i found out about the fire i was, if possible, even more disappointed. My 21st is this december and i am now in the process of trying to find somewhere in london as similar as possible to cafe cairo. I have been looking for three months and have come nowhere close. If there was any way we could get it to reopen, im sure all its loyal customers would do it.
London needs places like Cafe Cairo, a place that actually removes part of the roof in their lounge, just so we can still smoke! A downstairs room that has curtained off booths 3 foot of the ground that you can crawl in to anytime you like! A public place where you can go in on your own, sit down next to people you've never met, and start a conversation with them, without being judged.
Trust me Cafe Cairo, you are missed more than you know.
Seems it re-opened in April 2012, yay!
https://www.facebook.com/CafeCairoLondon
http://www.cafecairo.co.uk
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