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The messy reality of the 10pm curfew: my disappointing Saturday night out in Soho

10pm curfew London - Dominic Lipinski/PA
10pm curfew London - Dominic Lipinski/PA

One of the great joys of an evening in Soho is that you’re never quite sure where the night will take you. Drinks at the pub turns into a meal at a delightful little restaurant followed by visiting a few of the area’s bars. Can’t get into your favourite venue? No problem, there are three more on the same street.

This weekend though, the 10pm curfew killed all of that.

For me, the evening started at a pub near Waterloo with some friends. We arrived as the venue was opening  and already every single table was booked up for the rest of the evening. We were offered a seat as long as we could promise to be gone within the next hour, before the party who’d booked it arrived.

I watched half a dozen other groups without a booking turned away at the door as the staff apologised and explained that the combination of social distancing rules and the new 10pm curfew were forcing them to turn away all walk-ins. Many tables remained empty as they awaited their bookings.

By 7pm, Soho was bedlam. Every pub, bar, and restaurant had queues out onto the street, while groups of people wandered around trying to find anywhere with space, with most ignoring the two – or even one – metre rule.

Doors were blocked by customers being reminded that they had to wear a mask, even if they were just stepping inside to ask if there were any tables. Waiting staff looked visibly harassed and exhausted as they were forced to turn customers away.

“It reminded me of London in the early 2000s, before late-night licensing and drinking was relaxed,” says Jayke Mangion, co-founder of Clapham Leisure which owns bars and restaurants across London. “Everyone is being pushed out from a controlled and safe environment at the same time. The curfew is doing exactly the opposite of its objective, and killing hospitality at the same time.”

My friends and I tried to grab a seat at Blacklock Soho, an underground restaurant which is fairly off the beaten track and can usually be relied upon to find space for walk-ins. But it was the same story. “I’m really sorry,” the woman on the door told me, “we’re trying to cram in all of our usual dining slots before 10pm, so we can’t take walk-ins.” Next, we tried the Queen's Head around the corner, but they too had no space whatsoever.

Down the street, The Lyric pub could seat us if, they said, we came back in an hour and a half, but we’d have to give up the table within an hour. The man ahead of in the queue clearly wasn't happy, complaining that he shouldn't have to book a table for a pub. Perhaps he hadn't been watching the news recently, but he certainly wasn't the only peeved punter I saw that night, especially as the evening wore on.

It was all very frustrating and yet, for the most part, the hospitality staff I spoke to claimed to be reasonably happy with how guests were dealing with the changes. “We really do rely on those late bookings and people staying and having a good time at the bar,” says Gregory Marchand, chef owner of Frenchie Covent Garden. “Our customers have been very supportive and understanding which is fantastic and we’re super grateful for it, however, we did have to tweak and even cancel a few bookings.

None of the restaurateurs or bar owner I spoke to criticised customers' behaviour, but as my evening in Soho wore on it was clear tensions were running high. I saw a few customers snapping at staff who couldn’t let them in, and when 10pm arrived there were a few people who evidently didn't want to finish their drinks and leave.

Soon afterwards, the streets were packed with people and the Tube stations around Leicester Square and Piccadilly Circus were busier than I've seen them in six months.

It’s not just London either. Other towns and cities will have experienced similar scenes. Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham spoke out on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme this morning to criticise the curfew: "My gut feeling is that it is doing more harm than good,” he said. “It creates an incentive for people to gather in the streets or more probably, to gather in the home.”

10pm curfew - Peter Summers/Getty Images Europe 
10pm curfew - Peter Summers/Getty Images Europe

Angus Cameron Pride, managing director of Peru Perdu, one of Manchester’s top steakhouses, agrees with Burnham’s assessment and is furious with the new rules. “Each day since the curfew kicked in we’ve seen a dramatic downturn in our cover numbers,” he says, explaining that ever since the curfew was announced reservations have been cancelled and fewer people are booking at all.

Even in the countryside, the curfew is causing chaos and annoyance. “If customers are late by even 20-30 minutes it’s near impossible to be able to offer them three courses,” says Steven Bennett, chef patron at Healing Manor hotel in Grimsby. “Our customers are craving that sense of pre-Covid normality and it’s becoming increasingly hard for our team to manage expectations.”

For those of us in the capital, it’s hard to imagine enjoying a relaxed evening with friends in Soho with the curfew in effect. Even if I did book everywhere in advance (and having just had a look, it seems like next Saturday night is already filling up fast) clock-watching and curfews don't add up to a fun night.

Perhaps the situation is best summed up by Dean Mac, owner of 186 Cocktail Bar in Manchester. “To close our doors and say goodbye at 10pm was genuinely heartbreaking, especially when you could see how chaotic the streets were at that time. Just as it had started to look like some form of normality was returning, it now feels like we’re being punished for our determination to survive.”