The Partisan was initially intended to raise funds for the ULR, and it was partly conceived as an alternative to the Italian-style coffee bars which had mushroomed in London in the 1950s.
[2] Major investors included:[3] The primary coffee house, which also served food, occupied the ground floor of the building.
The venture's financial downfall was largely due to its strict policy of permitting customers to occupy tables for extended periods without making any purchases.
[2] The early Aldermaston Marches (1958–60) were partly planned in the basement of the Partisan, and the membership of the Committee of 100 was also drawn up at the coffee house.
[2] The coffee house was the subject of an edition of the BBC television current affairs series Panorama, presented by Christopher Chataway.