London's Trocadero to become a giant Wetherspoons pub

Google Street view of London Trocadero. — (Image credit: Google)

Readers of a certain age may have vivid memories of London's Trocadero, which was once home to Segaworld and Funland. Well, get ready to drown those memories, as a good chunk of it is now set to become a massive Wetherspoons pub.

It will be a roughly 3600 square foot venue. And while that may pale in comparison to the 16,500 square foot Royal Victoria Pavilion in Ramsgate — the largest Wetherspoons in the UK to the best of our knowledge — it is a bit of a whopper for Central London.

There will be room for 280 diners, and it will be called Piccadilly Hall. Controversial ‘Spoons boss Tim Martin is pitching this one as Theatreland’s first Wetherspoons, although the Montagu Pyke would like a word given how close it is to several of the key West End theatres.

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“We believe this site is exceptionally well-suited to the Wetherspoon model of offering good-quality food and drink at reasonable prices in well-managed and historically interesting buildings,” says Martin.

“We have always believed that pubs and hospitality venues play an important role in local economies by creating jobs, supporting tourism and providing accessible social spaces for a wide range of customers and we look forward to becoming part of this vibrant area of the West End.”

We don’t yet have an opening date for Piccadilly Hall. But for a guide on what it will serve and how much a pint will cost, just take a look at the Montagu Pyke’s menu in the Wetherspoons mobile app.

Trocadero triage

If you’re among those who see this news and bemoan what an iconic spot the Trocadero once was, that ship sailed a long time ago.

Piccadilly Hall will take over the site that was, from 2023 to mid-2025, inhabited by the Coyote Ugly Saloon.

We first heard of these plans back in February, when £2.5 million was earmarked as the figure to turn the site into a Wetherspoons, complete with one of those iconic JD Wetherspoon carpets.

Also found at London Trocadero is the Zedwell Hotel Piccadilly, which offers windowless “capsule” hotel rooms. If they are a bit too rich for your budget, Zedwell has the even more affordable Zedwell Capsule Hotel Piccadilly down the road, at which you can stay for a night for under £50.

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Andrew Williams has written about all sorts of stuff for more than a decade — from tech and fitness to entertainment and fashion. He has written for a stack of magazines and websites including Wired, TrustedReviews, TechRadar and Stuff, enjoys going to gigs and painting in his spare time. He's also suspiciously good at poker.