Old Slaughter's Coffee House

The famous coffee shop from which the Royal Academy is linked.

Location: 77 St Martins Lane, London, WC2N 4AA

Description: This is the original Old Slaughters coffee house was which was established in 1692. It was demolished in 1843 to make way for Cranbourn Street - rather appropriately it would be situated between the Pret A Manger and the Spaghetti House).

Slaughters attracted many artists including William Hogarth and Louis-Franois Roubiliac; it was a lively house for discussion - Goldsmith wrote in 1765 'If a man be passionate he may vent his rage among the old orators at Slaughters Chop Shop and damn the nation because it keeps him from starving'. Fellow artists Hudson and Gainsborough also supped here.

The St. Martin's Lane Academy was the precursor of the Royal Academy, was organized in 1735 by William Hogarth, from the circle of artists and designers who gathered here at Slaughters.

Slaughters also played host to the inaugural meeting of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in 1824.

Other frequenters included Jonathon Swift and Alexander Pope.

Themes: Food Food Theme