“In the murky saloon bars of the East End of London…where the scum of the earth got drunk and the chief topic of conversation was crime, they called the Hon Richard Rollison ‘The Toff’.”
So in case you’re wondering, that’s where this new bar’s name came from. In fact, John Creasey wrote hundreds of books on The Toff (The Toff and the Curate, The Toff and the Terrified Taxman to name a few) but The Toff in Town was published in 1948. They say he used the Toff to show how well the Mayfair man-about-town could get on with the rough diamonds of the East End.
So anyway, back to drinking. Though it’s third in a large bar trilogy for the owners of Revolver and Cookie, The Toff in Town does not suffer from the sequel syndrome. Just like an old train carriage, the bar has heaps of private booths, each with a silver button for summoning wait staff. The European style menu operates on a timetable system (aperitifs 4pm-7pm, mains 7pm-11pm, supper from 11pm-late). There’s a proper performance space with a mezzanine bar and a real David Lynch style stage with curtains. Watch out for comedy, live music, cabaret, and no doubt some rough diamonds of the East End here in future.
By Penny Modra @ threethousand.com
http://www.thetoffintown.com
