The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-01 00:00:00

The New Restaurant at Ludgate.

On Saturday evening Messrs. Spiers and Pond,
the contractors for the refreshment departments on
the Metropolitan and the London, Chatham, and
Dover Railways, invited a select party of gentle-
men to inspect and inaugurate the opening of their
new restaurant at the Ludgate Station. Amongst
the gentlemen present were Sir Cusack Roney,
Professor Pepper, A. Nimmo, Esq., E. P. Hingston,
Esq., H. R. Foster, Esq., respresenting the Messrs.
Allsopp ; Mayhew, Esq., H. Friswell, and the
leading members of the London press. The com-
pany first assembled at the Victoria Station, and
there examined the new refreshment saloon about
to be opened to the public, which certainly is one
of the grandest apartments ever devoted to the
comfort of railway passengers. The furniture is all
of polished walnut wood highly ornamented, and the
settees luxuriantly covered with Genoa velvet. A
splendid Turkey carpet adds to the comfort of the
apartment, and the facilities for rapidly supplying
the orders of travellers are remarkable. From this
elegant room, Messrs. Spiers and Pond, by a special
train, conveyed their company to the new restau-
rant at Ludgate, and whatever the surprise and
admiration excited by " the Victoria," " the
Ludgate " fairly and completely astonished every
gentleman who had the good fortune to be present.
But a few weeks ago " the Ludgate" restaurant
was au ordinary railway arch, but by the energy
of the enterprising contractors it has become a
perfect model of elegance, convenience, and luxury.
The splendid decorations are in the best taste, the
furniture is of the same costly description as at Vic-
toria, and the parquet flooring is one of those sur-
prising specimens of English skill and ingenuity
which have rendered the firm of Jackson and
Graham, of Oxford-street, so eminent. The great
curiosity, however, of the restaurant is the large
silver grill, by which from 40 to 50 chops can be con-
veniently cooked at once. The cooking apparatus
for this singular and peculiar article has been fur-
nished by the Messrs. Jeakes, of Great Russell-
street, but the ornamentation of the whole has been
carried out under the direction of Mr. Crace. The
cost of the grill apparatus has been over £l,OOO, and
the length of time consumed in completing the ar-
rangements something extraordinary. However, the
idea has been fully accomplished, and now all who
patronise the Messrs. Spiers and Pond will have an
opportunity of seeing whav energy, skill, and money
can effect. With a view of showing the capabilities
of the establishment, and testing the silver grill, the
contractors invited the company to a diner-Chemin-
de-Fer, the first ever given in England, and a more
elegant and recherche entertainment has never been
given in the metropolis. Sir Cusack Roney pro-
posed the health of Messrs. Spiers and Pond, and
Mr. 11. It. Foster that of Mr. Jeakes. Both of the
toasts were drunk with the greatest enthusiasm.
The company separated, expressing their best wishes
for the success and prosperity of the spirited con-
tractors.

The Dramatic and Musical Almanacfor 1866.

This excellent almanac, for which we are in-
debted to Mr. J. W. Anson, the Secretary of the
Royal Dramatic College and Treasurer of the Royal
Adelphi Theatre, has just made its appearance ;
and, on the present occasion, it will be found to
contain a more than ordinary quantity of useful and
highly entertaining information. To the theatrical
profession it must be of the greatest utility, as it
contains the names of the proprietors of every
theatre in England, and other matters of peculiar
value to all those seeking engagements. The profits
arising from the sale of this attractive little volume
are devoted to the Royal Dramatic College, there-
fore it ought to be in the pocket of every lady and
gentleman belonging to the dramatic profession.

Mrs. Longworth-Yelverton has commenced an
action for libel against the proprietors of the Glasgow
North British Daily Mail, on account of an article which
appeared in their paper commenting favourably on the
verdict in Longworth v. Saturday Review. A similar action
will be brought on the same grounds against the Pall Mall
Gazdk.