Famed Hollywood hotspot closes its doors after 32 years

Published on November 12, 2014 in A & E By Priscilla Ross

Hollywood hotspot restaurant, Cat & Fiddle on Sunset Blvd. decorates its last Hollywood Forever Halloween at this location. Photo Credit: Priscilla Ross/ Sundial Staff

Famed Hollywood hotspot Cat & Fiddle announced in late October that they would shut their doors on its Sunset Boulevard location after 32 years, due to a lease dispute.

The news comes after a recent announcement by the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard, saying the landmark venue would have to relocate by the end of 2015 to make way for a luxury hotel chain.

The famous seven acre, Hollywood hill, where guests of the Yamashiro restaurant could take in panoramic views of the city, also went on the market Wednesday, Curbed L.A. also reported.

Hollywood, we are worried for your fate, wrote Cat & Fiddle co-owners Paula and Ashlee Gardner on the restaurants Facebook page. Overdeveloped & overpriced. Out-of-town landlords who are worried about their pockets and not their souls. Its a sad place to be.

Paula Gardner opened the first Cat & Fiddle on Laurel Canyon Blvd. in 1982 with her late husband Kim, a British musician who was the bassist in the band The Creation.

Due to popularity and space issues, they had to move a few years later to the current location on Sunset Boulevard. The venue, built in 1929 is rich in history and served as a set for several scenes in the classic film Casablanca.

The Cat, as its often referred to by regulars, is known as a token British-style pub that serves traditional English dishes like bangers and mash and fish and chip, that can be washed down with a classic Bass ale or Boddingtons on tap.

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Famed Hollywood hotspot closes its doors after 32 years