Claire's review of Kettner's

Kettners used to be a key Soho landmark. A great place to meet friends for a glass of champagne or several, with a joyous, friendly atmosphere and jazz pianist tinkling in the background. The comfy chairs and cross-section of Londoners and visiters passing through made you feel at home. The menu was great value for money, the service was characterful and efficient and it really felt as if it had been there for ever and would continue to be there for ever. I knew trouble was on the way when the ‘refurbishers’ moved in to help it ‘regain its Soho identity’. Clearly to them this meant stripping out all the character of the place, even the piano, and giving it a big, empty minimalist feel, just like all those London drinking barns with clever names like Slug and Lettuce and All Bar One. Just like them there are silly stools to perch on and big bare floors to ensure that all the noise bounces and echoes from wall to ceiling. This is not the Soho I recognise. What makes me weep is that the Kettners many of us knew and loved, which was sensitively restored only a few years ago, has now gone forever and has become just another casuality of the current fad for bland, neutral, impersonal design. As for the food, why bother when there are other places exactly the same round the corner at half the price!