London restaurants 2

London restaurants: missing Manzis

Actress Sophie Thompson - Stella Crawford in EastEnders - mourns one of London's great fish restaurants

Manzi's nestled between Leicester Square and Chinatown, and it was the most wonderful old fish restaurant with gingham tablecloths and mermaids painted on mirrors and huge pretend plaits of bread hanging above the counter. The waiters wore proper unfussy waiter outfits and were invariably Italian and a bit eccentric, the house wine was perfect and the chips fresh and fat.

Manzi's RIP: Mamma Mia

My first meal there was a huge, plate-sized steak that I ate all of. I was six and very happy and the waiter said "mamma mia" when he saw that I had polished the whole thing off.

Still mourning

My last meal there was when I was 40-something and me and my husband were enjoying a birthday treat that involved lobster thermidore and skate in black butter with capers. I was very happy and then very sad, as that very night we learnt that Manzi's was to close. The sons did not wish to carry the business on. Our wonderful waiter gave me a cup with "Manzi's" on that is a treasure on our kitchen dresser, and I cried as we left. It was 2006. We are still in mourning for Manzi's.

As is London-RIP reader, Nell, who writes:

Whenever something special needed to be marked Manzi's was the place, with its checked table cloths, buzzy atmosphere, and waiters who had been there for as long as I had - 40 years. My first meal, when I was seventeen, up at the counter with a much older man.

Manzi's RIP: Curried halibut and stewed eels

First course curried halibut 2s/11d. Dover sole firm charred skin, and the famous strawberry and cream flan oh my god. They stopped the curried halibut in the eighties, but never mind, there were stewed eels and mash (flavoured with nutmeg) as a starter or main. It became a solitary vice, lunching on stewed eels and mash, sitting at the counter watching the waiters fill the sauce boats to the brim with spoonfuls of unctuous tartare sauce, me feeling so anonymous and independent and self indulgent.

Then they stopped serving food at the counter, but I was getting more sedate anyway. Last solitary meal was at the table next to Sir Peter Hall who was filling the room with his personality, and I was a bit annoyed, because Manzi's was MINE not his. Last month I was peering through the windows, the tables all laid, but the lights not on. Tears streaming down my cheeks. RIP

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Message:	20/20
Date and time:	05/03/2011 at 09:22:34
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Stephen Spicer

I really liked the Orange Julius in the Kings Road and went there often. Burgers and chips came in a basket and there was the Orange Julius itself - although I never knew it had egg in it until today. Keep in mind that orange juice it self for us plebs a rare treat. No cartons piled high in the supermarkets, Boots, where I worked sold it in jars for an astronomical price at the time. ...and I remember Albert Plum...

Message:	19/20
Date and time:	26/02/2011 at 01:17:46
Sender:	The Girls

An absolute travesty to lose such an iconic restaurant & shame on the sons for not preserving something so special. For 30 years we ate at Manzi's & experienced the kindness and service of the staff. When we moved from London & ate there whilst visiting it was like coming home. What a great loss!

Message:	18/20
Date and time:	26/02/2011 at 01:16:59
Sender:	The Girls

An absolute travesty to lose such an iconic restaurant & shame on the sons for not preserving something so special. For 30 years we ate at Manzi's & experienced the kindness and service of the staff. When we moved from London & ate there whilst visiting it was like coming home. What a great loss!

Message:	17/20
Date and time:	23/02/2011 at 13:39:14
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Jules

I used to work in a stationery shop in the World's End, KIngs Road Chelsea next to Malcolm Mclaren shop Seditionaries which later was named Sex. There was an Orange Julius just nearby. I recall that the juice was absolutely vile. Does anyone remember a Seventies hamburger restaurant called Alberts Plum in South Kensington Station? Best burgers around at the time

Message:	16/20
Date and time:	27/09/2010 at 19:45:12
Sender:	Shirley Gorman

Manzies closing - the end of an era. My father Bernard was a waiter there early 1950's, his brother my Uncle Cormac was a chef and my mother Ethel worked there as a cashier,when Lou Manzi was proprietor, his wife was Rose. My mother now aged 84 was reminicing about it today she remembers Joan Collins as a skinny young girl. It was the best birthday treat as a child to dine at Manzis there was no-where like it, my mouth waters at the thought of the scampi and tartare sauce followed by the strawberry flan.

Message:	15/20
Date and time:	12/02/2010 at 18:41:23
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Federica

Tamesa had opened a couple of years ago, on the first floor of the otherwise pricey and exclusive Oxo Tower. We came across it via Top Table, and after the first time, we became regulars. The decor was plain but quite nice, with 60's style tables. At the end was the bar, with comfy seats. The main thing was the amazing view to the river, the sunset, St Paul's. The restaurant was often empty but the food was delicious, always delivered. Sadly, it seems to have closed down a few months ago. Sadly missed.

Message:	14/20
Date and time:	12/02/2010 at 18:39:19
Sender:	Ron D. Hoult

As with everyone we were bitterly upset when Manzi's closed. We visited London five or six times a year and always stayed at Manzi's,yes they had an hotel on the upper floors, very comfortable.Of course we always eat at least once when we were there.My wife loved the grilled scampi,in the days when they were allowed to serve it.We loved the waiters, but they liked to play games,when newcomers asked for grilled scampi they were given Knives and forks instead of pickers and clamps. This highly amused them but in the end they always gave the correct implements particularly if Mr. Lucas, the retaurant manager, was around. The last time we were there the waiters all lined up and shook our hands, my wife even had a kiss from Mr. Lucas. Good memories but a sad ending!

Message:	13/20
Date and time:	22/11/2009 at 23:06:34
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: David

short black aka espresso‏ was going to be my R.I.P. but never found a decent one anywhere, now where I live you can't walk 100 metres w/o tripping over a cafe with great coffee. (wgtn. NZ)

Message:	12/20
Date and time:	22/11/2009 at 23:04:40
Sender:	London restaurants 3 :: Pam

The Nosh Bar in Soho Where we used to all meet in our work lunch hours. Jackie Collins of Hollywood fame - who went to the London Polytechnic in those days - used to come and join us.

Message:	11/20
Date and time:	28/08/2009 at 00:32:19
Sender:	Tom Munzer

Let me join the doleful chorus about Manzi's. Over the years, my wife Patti and I have made more than 15 trips across the pond to visit London--not counting the times we hopped across the Channel when living in Paris. Manzi's was a must for all the reasons others have mentioned. Let me just add one more: the espresso was the best we ever had, including in Italy. We have a business card and postcard which shall be cherished.

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