citylikeyou — Bar Italia — London by Melvin Galapon

London / Cafe / Bar

I found out an amazing fact recently about this place which weirdly enough relates back to my interest of analogue TV distortions in my work. The building where the restaurant stands is where John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of Television. If that doesn’t want to make you go there, the band Pulp also wrote a song of the same name on their Different Class album. Apart from these two great facts their food is pretty darn good too!

Address
Bar Italia, 22 Frith Street Soho West End, London, United Kingdom

Designer Illustrator

Current city: London

mynameismelvin.co.uk

Illustrator and designer Melvin Galapon was born in the South of England in 1981, yet hails from Burnley a small town in the Northwest of England. A graduate from Central St. Martin’s he has worked with the likes of Wallpaper*, The New York Times, Nike and Nokia to name but a few. He has been featured in various magazines worldwide and has exhibited in Tokyo, London and Singapore. Galapon is currently based in London where he works on a prolific mix of Illustrations, Installations and Design work.

More Places in London 471

London / Shop

Donlon Books is an atmospheric little bookstore on Broadway Market (in East London.) They sell rare art books, style publications, and homemade photography zines.

London / Restaurant

Rochelle Canteen, established in 2004 by Melanie Arnold and Margot Henderson, is housed in the converted bike shed of the old Rochelle School. Rochelle Canteen is one of my favourite restaurants in London for breakfast, lunch and/ or dinner.

London / Place

No matter where I am in the world, which city I’m living in, my bedroom will always be my favourite place and there’s nothing more I enjoy than to just sit down in front of my computer, scan negatives in, smoke a ridiculous amount of cigarettes and drink excessive amounts of tea.

London / Place

The Lambeth Walk is not as billed in the song. Quite a bleak but somehow beautiful mishmash of architectural accident–or–design; a legacy of stray WWII bombs intended for more auspicious near-at-hand targets, such as the Houses of Parliament. I study sculpture here each Monday; a lovely workshop inside. The exterior features one of only a few examples of an outside pulpit, apparently for the minister to take his message direct to the shoppers, in the Walk's heyday.

London / Museum

I spent a lot of time in the British Museum whilst studying for my Degree. My work has changed considerably since then but it is still a place I return to again and again. Inspiration doesn't always come from objects in the collection but also from the space and its visitors.