Daphne’s 50th Birthday celebrations

The iconic London restaurant reopens with a fanfare

Given the fickleness of the London food scene, 50 years in business for a restaurant is akin to two centuries in hospitality years. But Daphne’s has maintained such a feat because of its exemplary Italian food and loyal clientele – luminaries including Joan Collins, Tracy Emin and Julian Fellows.

And as for many a 50-year-old, a nip and tuck has been performed to refresh and revitalise the restaurant. To mark the re-opening, Daphne’s has asked 50 of it’s most loved celebrity customers to design and decorate Venetian masks, to be displayed from June 24. With prices starting at £250, each will to be sold to the highest bidder a month later, in aid of Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital’s art facilities.  

Andrew Lloyd-Webber, Dame Shirley Bassey and Pierce Brosnan have all been hard at work creating their own spin on the theme – with very different results. While Philip Treacy’s mask (second picture) is feline-inspired, he has used delicate black lace over the entirety. Zaha Hadid, meanwhile, has created a bold sculpture (third picture) as distinctive as her architectural designs, whereas Giles Deacon has used gilded-bronze feathers (first picture) to dramatic effect.

Proprietor Richard Caring will be flinging open the doors of Daphne’s by hosting a VIP, invitation-only Venetian Masked Ball on June 24, but after this date all are welcome at this iconic and unique London restaurant, not least to bid on the masks that will undoubtedly become valuable collectors’ items the moment they leave the premises.