History

Ciro’s Pizza Pomodoro Bishopsgate is housed within the Old Broad Street Turkish Baths. It was built in 1894 by architect Harold Elphick for James Forder Neville. Neville owned eight other Baths in London. The design of the baths was clearly intended to create a luxurious and comfortable atmosphere that would attract the wealthy City gents working at the nearby Stock Exchange and Lloyds.

The small ground level kiosk was modelled on a 19th century shrine at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and built using Moorish blue faience, brick and terracotta. It was also topped with an Onion dome that housed the original water tanks.

A side door provides access to winding stairs that lead into a lavishly decorated room tiled with interlocking tiles produced by the Craven Dunhill company to Elphick’s patented designs. The original saloon was decorated in Alhambra fashion with couches, mirrors, faience, columns, velvet carpets and a Doulton fountain of filtered cold water.

There were three hot rooms with Mosaic marbled mosaic floors, tiled walls and ceilings, marbled seats and stained glass windows. The shampooing room, shower bath and plunge bath were similarly decorated.