French House

Story

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.HistoryThe 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. He was succeeded by his son Gaston Berlemont, who was born in the pub in 1914, and worked there until his retirement in 1989.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, "À tous les Français", is said to have been written in the pub.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, Tom Baker, Daniel Farson, Lucian Freud, Augustus John, Malcolm Lowry, Calum, Rosie and John Mortimer.