Diary, bookings diary

The Italian restaurant Bianchi's in Frith Street, Soho, used this restaurant bookings diary for 1978. Bookings have been written in mainly by Elena Salvoni, who worked as maître d'hôtel (head waiter) at Bianchi's for 30 years. Beside the names are the size of the group and the time of the sitting.

Bianchi's opened in 1928. The restaurant attracted many media, television and celebrity diners as well as members of parliament, journalists and lawyers. Regular diners during 1978 included the author Martin Amis, the actor Jeremy Irons and his wife Sinead Cusack and the journalist Melvyn Bragg. On Sunday 20 August Elena has also written 'Mr Bianchi died at one o'clock in the morning, [he] opened the restaurant in 1928'.

This is one of a series of bookings diaries. The restaurant's early diaries show that most diners booked for the lunch sitting; later the restaurant became more popular as an evening venue.