BARITALIA | Thursday, May 21, 2020

6:38 AM

#BARITALIA: A camera was a fairly rare sight back in 1993, let alone in the hands of two 19-year-olds wandering around Soho late at night. Bar Italia was a old favourite of mine, to the extent of a 19-year-old’s life experience, but I had been walking through Central London hunting down comics and records for most of my teens and Bar Italia was as famous then as it is now. We were shooting on Frith Street when Tony, the owner, spotted us and asked us if we were from a magazine - cameras were rare, as I said - and my pal, who was never one to let an opportunity pass, said, “Yeah, we’re from the Evening Standard!”. I mean, really? Two cappuccinos headed our way and Tony gave us the free run of the place with the cameras, also never one to let a promotional opportunity pass. It worked out, since this picture has been all over the place for 27 years and here we are again promoting Bar Italia! I say free run, but it was packed, again, much like now. I remember multiple afternoons sitting outside Bar Italia reading comics and drinking about eight cappuccinos, piled with sugar. I think the caffeine from my teens is still running around my system. #soho #frithstreet #coffee