Iconic places to visit in London - Bar Italia- Soho

Bar Italia, Britain's most famous coffee Bar celebrates its 60th birthday this year. 

History tells that Britain's first espresso coffee bar was Moka, in Frith Street, which opened in 1953, however, Bar Italia, few doors down in the same street, had that time, already operating for four years, and survived as a landmark venue, and made its name in history as a character of Soho's Italian community.

It has a "cool" star clientele, from Rocky Marciano in 1960's (who wanted somewhere he could eat proper Italian food) to David Bowie and Kylie Minogue. Even before The Polledri family opened the business, the building had a place in history- it was there where John Logie Baird first demonstrated television.
The current boss is Tony Polledri, he is the son of the founder.
Fundamental to it all is that Bar Italia has always been an Italian social centre, Italians go there to watch the news and football on television.
Being there at some times is just like being in Italy!

Tasty bugs and other delicacies...

This trend started few years ago, I guess, with celebrities eating strange things and  bugs in an Australian Jungle for a TV show, but today, visiting Selfridges (the biggest department store in Oxford Street, London) something called my attention, a shelf full of edible insects, bugs and odd things.

You can find there,many delicacies like this photo below : Thai Green curry Crickets.

Civet coffee, also know as Kopi Luwak, is the most expensive and coveted gourmet coffee in the world. But it comes from a very unusual source, the droppings of Asian Palm Civets, a cat like animal native to Indonesia.

Yes, that's right, Indonesian cat poo, £25 for 150 gr.

Monkey Picked Tea is a wonderfully refreshing brew that has been hand - or rather paw - picked by monkeys!

and Scorpion Vodka.

Isn't it delicious!

 photos by Fabio