The Troubadour Coffee House — Bob Dylan's London Folk Scene

The Troubadour at 263-267 Old Brompton Road in Earl's Court has been one of London's most important folk and acoustic music venues since it opened in 1954. Bob Dylan reportedly performed here during his first visit to London in December 1962, and the club has hosted virtually every significant figure in British folk music over its seven decades — including Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix, and Adele, who played one of her earliest London shows in the basement room. The venue was a key node in the network of folk clubs that spread across London in the 1950s and 60s.

The Troubadour operates as a café, restaurant, and basement music venue, and its bohemian atmosphere has remained remarkably consistent since the 1950s. The walls are lined with memorabilia and the space has retained its intimate, slightly ramshackle character. During the folk revival of the early 1960s, it was a gathering place for musicians, poets, and artists, and its Earl's Court location — then a cheap, cosmopolitan neighbourhood popular with travellers and immigrants — gave it a particular character distinct from the Soho clubs further east.

The Troubadour continues to host live music in its basement room, which holds around 80 people. It is one of the few folk venues from the 1950s that has survived continuously, and its longevity gives it a unique claim as a living link to the origins of the British folk revival. The café upstairs serves as both a working restaurant and an informal museum of the venue's history.