Royal Cafe

5 Bench Street

Dover

Above photo, date unknown, kindly sent by Graham Butterworth.

I believe this was a licensed restaurant and not a public house, so you'd probably find you would have to buy a meal here to get a drink.

By 1962 it was operating as a fashion specialists called Willands and run by Mrs. K Walker and Mrs. M B Catt.

The building was demolished, date unknown and the new build is now known as Atina House.

A recent email from someone going under the name of "Luckyswine" says the following:- "Just as an interesting side note, Ian Fleming has James Bond dine at the Royal Café in Dover in the novel "Moonraker." He comments "a modest little restaurant with a modest kitchen, but capable as [Bond] knew of old of turning out good fish and egg dishes. The Italian and Swiss mother and son who ran it welcomed him as an old friend, and he asked for a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon and plenty of coffee to be ready in half an hour. Fleming must surely have known the cafe from his own visits."

Above Google image, June 2015.

LICENSEE LIST

TIFFIN T H B 1920+

NODIROLI R 1933-50+