A social anchor for London’s Italian community since 1949, this neon-lit Soho landmark achieved cult status through the music of Pulp and late-night jazz musicians.
 
Bar Italia in Soho opened in 1949 by Lou and Caterina Polledri and quickly became a social hub for London’s Italian community.
 
Over time, Bar Italia drew musicians, artists, and night owls, becoming part of Soho’s wider cultural identity. It later gained extra fame through Pulp’s song “Bar Italia,” and it remains a long-running family business run by the Polledri family.
 
Interesting facts…
 
The site of John Logie Baird’s work, where he developed and demonstrated an early mechanical television system in the attic space above what Bar Italia. The building is marked by a blue plaque commemorating the first public demonstration of television on 26 January 1926.