30 46 n 0 07 54 w 51.5127 n 0.1318 w 51.5127 ; 0.1318 the french house the french house is a grade ii listed pub and dining room at 49 dean street soho london . it was previously known as the york minster but was informally called the french pub or the french house by its regulars . it sells more ricard than anywhere else in britain and only serves beer in half pints except on april the first when a recent custom has been that suggs serves the first pint of the day . 1 2 3 history edit the pub was opened by a german national named schmitt in 1891 and traded as york minster . schmitt died in 1911 . his wife bertha margaretha schmitt continued to run the pub until 1914 . with the outbreak of world war i mrs. b. m. schmitt sold the pub to belgian victor berlemont who had moved to london in 1900 . the bill of sale is posted on a wall at the french still today . 4 5 he was succeeded by his son gaston berlemont who was born in the pub in 1914 and worked there until his retirement in 1989 . 1 6 7 after the fall of france in world war ii general charles de gaulle escaped to london where he formed the free french forces . his speech rallying the french people tous les fran ais is said to have been written in the pub . 1 the french house was and is popular with artists and writers . brendan behan wrote large portions of the quare fellow there and dylan thomas once left the manuscript of under milk wood under his chair . other regulars over the years include francis bacon daniel farson lucian freud augustus john malcolm lowry calum rosie and john mortimer . 1 7 8 9 10 the name was changed to the french house after the fire at york minster in 1984 . contributions toward the restoration fund started arriving at the pub . upon forwarding them gaston berlemont found that the cathedral had been receiving deliveries of claret intended for him . 1 in recent years landlady lesley lewis has encouraged soho photographers to exhibit in the pub with regular contributions from john claridge william bill corbett carla borel and peter clark . the dining room at the french house was opened by fergus and margot henderson in 1992 . fergus would later leave in 1994 to establish his st. john restaurant in smithfield . margot continued to run the dining room for several years with melanie arnold . 11 references edit a b c d e johnson richard 14 december 2008 . soho s pubs bohemia s last chance saloon . food and drink . london the times . retrieved 2009 10 09 . tames richard 1994 . soho past . historical publications ltd. p. 48 . moggach lottie 17 august 2009 . suggs my favourite bits of london . online edition . thelondonpaper . retrieved 2009 10 17 . glinert ed 2007 . west end chronicles 300 years of glamour and excess in the heart of london . allen lane . isbn 0 7139 9900 4 . fryer jonathan 1993 . dylan the nine lives of dylan thomas . kyle cathie . p. 146 . isbn 978 1 85626 090 9 . boston richard 4 november 1999 . gaston berlemont . obituaries . london the guardian . retrieved 2009 10 09 . a b mortimer john 5 october 1986 . that elusive ideal the perfect pub . magazine . new york times . retrieved 2009 09 24 . jackson michael ; frank smyth 1979 . the english pub 2 ed . . collins . isbn 978 0 00 216210 4 . retrieved 2009 10 12 . mckie andrew 14 july 2001 . last orders s il vous plait . food and drink . london the daily telegraph . retrieved 2009 10 09 . attree michael atters winter 2006 . the bounder in soho . magazine . the chap . pp. 8 9 . access date requires url help rachel cooke 19 august 2012 . margot henderson british food s best kept secret . the guardian . retrieved 25 march 2016 . external links edit official website v t e soho and chinatown streets berwick street brewer street broadwick street carnaby street dean street frith street ganton street great marlborough street great windmill street greek street meard street old compton street st anne s court walker s court wardour street parks and open spaces golden square soho square st anne s churchyard theatres apollo theatre gielgud theatre london palladium palace theatre prince edward theatre queen s theatre soho theatre pubs admiral duncan coach and horses comptons de hems french house pillars of hercules churches french protestant church notre dame de france st anne s church st patrick s church industries media and post production history broad street cholera outbreak parish of st anne parish of st james v t e pubs in london barking and dagenham eastbrook dagenham barnet the alexandra mitre inn the old bull and bush the red lion rising sun spaniards inn bexley black prince brent windermere bromley the daylight inn camden assembly house the black cap black lion bull & gate camden head cittie of yorke the crown devonshire arms the duke of york dublin castle the flask hampstead the flask highgate george and dragon the holly bush the magdala museum tavern old red lion old white bear ye olde mitre the perseverance the pineapple princess louise the punch tavern the queen s rising sun ship tavern sir richard steele the tipperary upper flask viaduct tavern the washington wells tavern the wheatsheaf the winchester the world s end the yorkshire grey former jack straw s castle ealing the drayton court duke of kent the forester the fox inn kings arms former half way house enfield the fox greenwich cutty sark hare and billet kings arms the mitre sun in the sands hackney army and navy george and dragon the joiners arms hammersmith and fulham aragon house black lion blue anchor the cock the cross keys the dove duke of cumberland eight bells the george golden lion hampshire hog the hop poles hope and anchor the king s head laurie arms queen s head rutland arms salutation the swan temperance billiard hall the white horse former coachmakers arms former the favourite former seven stars haringey great northern railway queens the salisbury former fishmongers arms harrow the castle queen s head seven balls hillingdon black horse case is altered crown and treaty the crown queen s head red lion the shovel three tuns former the swan inn hounslow bull s head coach and horses george and devonshire london apprentice mawson arms old packhorse rose and crown the tabard three horseshoes islington the angel the castle flying scotsman the hope and anchor the island queen the old queens head the wenlock arms kensington and chelsea chelsea potter coleherne crocker s folly the cross keys drayton arms elgin fitzroy tavern fox and pheasant gloucester arms the goat goat in boots the grenadier the hansom cab hollywood arms the king s head and eight bells the marquis of clanricarde the marquis of granby newman arms the old shades the phene the punch bowl scarsdale tavern swan & edgar the world s end zetland arms kingston upon thames druid s head lambeth the duke of edinburgh merton crooked billet newham boleyn tavern earl of essex king edward vii spotted dog richmond upon thames britannia bull s head the george twickenham hare and hounds new inn old ship sun inn the victoria richmond white cross white swan former dysart arms southwark anchor bankside the george inn the gladstone arms half moon herne tavern the roebuck the shipwrights arms the tabard the wheatsheaf former boar s head inn former dog and duck tower hamlets the blind beggar charlie brown s george tavern golden heart the grapes the pride of spitalfields prospect of whitby the royal oak ten bells town of ramsgate the widow s son former boar s head inn former the joiners arms waltham forest former bull and crown wandsworth the bedford bricklayer s arms the duke s head the grapes green man the half moon king s head roehampton king s head tooting montague arms spread eagle the white lion former the alchemist city of westminster admiral duncan the albert argyll arms candy bar carlton tavern kilburn coach and horses coal hole the colony room comptons of soho de hems the french house george and vulture the harp nell gwynne tavern the only running footman paxtons head pillars of hercules prince alfred the sherlock holmes the ship the ship and shovell sun and 13 cantons ps tattershall castle the tottenham two chairmen the warrington warwick castle white lion the wilton arms former lord high admiral former mercers arms former the scots hoose former the star former yorkshire stingo city of london the black friar east india arms hand and shears hoop and grapes jamaica wine house ye olde cheshire cheese ye olde cock tavern the olde wine shades swan inn former bell savage inn former boar s head inn former the fortune of war public house former white hart see also list of award winning pubs in london category retrieved from https en.wikipedia.org w index.php title the french house soho & oldid 724935574 categories alfred w. blomfield buildingspubs in sohorestaurants in londonrestaurants established in 1910buildings and structures in the city of westminstergrade ii listed pubs in londongrade ii listed buildings in the city of westminsterhidden categories pages using citations 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