West End traders felt the immediate impact of the Tube strike with pub, club and restaurant owners reporting a collapse in evening trade at the height of the summer season.
Despite the influx of tourists and the Wimbledon crowds, many streets were virtually deserted last night with some restaurants facing a drop in trade of up to 60 per cent.
A number of the capital’s most exclusive restaurants – which usually have waiting lists of over three months – were open to walk-in trade.
Mayfair was particularly badly hit and the usually bustling streets of Soho were noticeably clear of revellers as office workers ditched evening entertainment to make the trek home.
Francesco D’ambra, 32, manager of La Polenteria in Old Compton Street, Soho, said: “We did 20 per cent less than usual. Other restaurants have done 60 per cent less.
“Tonight we had just 25 customers, when the night before there were 50 to 60. People cancelled saying it was impossible to get here and get home and in Soho there have been much fewer people than usual.”
Lorenzo Mariotti, 40, manager of Little Italy in Frith Street, said: “It was really, really quiet. The day before we were full inside and outside. It’s made a really big difference. It’s quite sad to be empty just because of the strike - it affects us so much. We did 20 covers and we normally do 60.”
Another manager, who asked not to be named, said: “The tube strikers have their gripes but the impact has been on small businesses. What’s it got to do with me? This is going to be costing small businesses a lot of money and I don’t think that’s fair.”
Staff at Gymkhana, the sought-after Indian restaurant in Albemarle Street, Mayfair, said it had received 30 cancellations of long-standing reservations.
A worker said: “We had many cancellations but lots of people walked in and were able to take their places. But there were roughly 30 people cancelling tonight, which is a huge number.
“The strike has affected everyone but luckily we have been able to fill up quickly.”
It was a similar story at Babbo, the nearby Italian restaurant owned by Tatiana Joorabchian, where sought after late-bookings were unusually easy to come by.
The Standard was told: “We will stay open as long as we want but the kitchen will close early. We have a lot of problems with the tube strike. We are not empty, but we are not busy at all.
“Every street in Mayfair is deserted so there are tables available.”
The Wolseley, in Piccadilly, also reported a “massive” number of cancellations.
The host said: “One of the reasons you can walk in off the street is because of the tube strike where there’s been massive cancellations.
“We had a couple of people due to come but the traffic did not allow them to get here on time and they were stuck.”
