Peter Evans

Who is Peter Evans?

Peter Evans was described by journalist Linda Blandford, writing in The Observer, 9 March 1975 as a "harbinger who heralded the youth culture with one of Soho's first coffee bars, The Cat's Whisker, where Tommy Steele strummed... Evans also foresaw the coming of increasing spending on dining out with his chain of Angus Steak Houses and the David Hicks-decorated Peter Evans Eating Houses." In short, he tapped in early to the "post-war creative renaissance."

Evans started the Cat's Whisker coffee bar with Spanish dancing but this soon gave way to skiffle and rock 'n roll; because of lack of dancing space, the bar invented hand-jiving.

Later, Evans teamed up with two other young creatives: David Hicks and architect Patrick Garnett of Garnett, Cloughley and Blakemore. According to Malcolm Newell in his book Mood and Atmosphere in Restaurants they set the decorative style that epitomised London in the Swinging Sixties, giving the affluent vibrant places to dine and dance. The times saw an explosion in fashions - male and female: Twiggy, Biba, Mary Quant, Teddy Boys, Cecil Gee, John Stephen, Carnaby Street. Evans was voted 'Beau Brummell' Best Dressed Man in 1965 by the Clothing Manufacturers' Federation; Hicks even designed red-heeled evening slippers for men!