Monday, 18 April 2011

Revolutionary spirits: three London wartime hostelries

1. The French House
Frequented by the French Resistance in London, Free French leader Charles de Gaulle is said to have come up with his call to arms after lunch upstairs. Ironic, perhaps, that the pub was set up by a German, who sold up at the outbreak of World War I to a Belgian family who named it the York Minster before it settled on its current title.
49 Dean St, W1D 5BG

2. De Hems
A meeting place for the Dutch Resistance in World War II, the pub owes its name to a Dutch seaman who bought the premises in the 1890s and set it up as an oyster bar. It retains a Dutch theme, serving Low Country food and beers.
11 Macclesfield St, W1D 5BW

3. Ognisko Polish Club and Restaurant
Donated by Prince George of Kent to the Polish Resistance in the Second World War, a recent review in the Telegraph is singularly uncomplimentary.
55 Exhibition Rd, SW7 2PN

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