The Times - Cafe Society
Coffee houses have become the new place to work, rest and play

It is a fitting revival for a meeting place that has shaped history, commerce, literature and revolution. Lloyd’s began life as a coffee house in London offering insurance for the British empire’s merchant fleet. So did London’s Stock Exchange; and The Tatler and The Spectator. The auctioneers Sotheby’s and Christie’s grew from salerooms attached to coffee houses. They were havens where people of all classes met to discuss business and art, politics and philosophy; and to gossip. Johnson, Dryden and Swift were regulars.

Charles II was not a fan, seeing London’s coffee houses as “places where the disaffected met, and spread scandalous reports concerning the conduct of His Majesty and his Ministers”. Little has changed. Today that job is being done by the chap with the latte posting on his political blog.

I like that.

Date: Feb 23rd, 2008 · Comments RSS · Tags: Food