British Pathe

C/U of a Roman bust of a man with gold hair, beard and toga; C/U panning right of a carved Roman stone panel or wall frieze showing Roman figures and a bull; commentator says "This particular example is not authentic - it's a brilliant copy made by the British Museum. However, it wasn't made for historical...

C/U of a Roman bust of a man with gold hair, beard and toga; C/U panning right of a carved Roman stone panel or wall frieze showing Roman figures and a bull; commentator says "This particular example is not authentic - it's a brilliant copy made by the British Museum. However, it wasn't made for historical research or for posterity, but to supplement the decor at a present-day old-style Roman restaurant in Knightsbridge, London". C/U of another wall panel showing two figures on horses rearing up.

M/S of a dining table in the restaurant where three couples (in modern dress) are sitting; there are lots of candles and candelabra about, Roman decor, and tables piled with fruit and vegetables, including some rather green looking pumpkins; waiters are seen dressed in black and gold Roman tabards. Commentator says it's "a meeting place of not only gourmets but of professors and students of history".

M/S as a waiter hands out menus on large scrolls to the couples. C/U tilt down of a menu as we see they're "written in Latin with a little English thrown in for the ignoramuses, or ignorami, who just go there for the food"; a woman's painted fingernail points to a wine on the list. M/Ss and C/Us of the couples talking; the waiter bringing the wine and pouring it into glasses - one of which looks like a very large brandy glass; he hands glasses to the couples, one pair clink glasses (natural sound for 'clink'!) and drink. Commentator: "Many of the statues and items of interest are actually 2000 years old and remarkably well preserved, while the food is also the same as the Romans ate".

M/S of the chef (in modern uniform) behind a Roman serving table with fruit and vegetables; he stands at a rotisserie or roasting contraption where meat is turning on three spits, and bastes a suckling pig on the middle one; a waiter enters shot and stands at the table. C/U of the chef turning steaks on a brazier, then putting them on plates; good C/U of a huge steak with a whole tomato and lettuce leaf on a tin plate being handed to the waiter; M/Ss as he takes them out of shot and the chef carries on basting; C/U of chickens and suckling pig on the rotisserie.

M/Ss of a couple sitting at a table in an alcove; waiter enters and puts the two steaks before them as they put their napkins in place ready to eat. M/S of wrought iron gates in the restaurant; a waiter walks towards us and opens them so we can see a group of diners at a table and a man in Roman tabard who is strumming a guitar and singing.

C/U of his fingers strumming; tilt down to show guitarist's hairy leg and leather flip-flop, then the intricate mosaic floor; commentator says it is "a genuinely rare Istrian stone shipped in from Italy but only two hundred years old". C/U of the guitarist playing and singing; pan left to show the diners: two men and three girls drinking from silver goblets and chatting.

Note: some good food shots; the candlelit restaurant is quite dark in some scenes. I wonder how long it lasted?