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Legendary Queen of Soho, restaurant maitre d’ and friend to the stars Elena Salvoni, died on Sunday aged 95.

Elena, of Noel Road, Angel, had a career spanning eight decades, starting as a waitress at the age of 14 at Café Bleu in Soho before following restaurant manager Joseph Paccino to Bianchi’s, where she worked for 30 years.

Born in Clerkenwell to Italian parents, Elena left school to work in the rag trade and was a neighbour of playwright Joe Orton. The family moved away from the impoverished streets running south of Clerkenwell Road, known as Little Italy, to Noel Road in 1933.

Elena lived in the house until suffering a fall and breaking her hip near the home last year, and was a regular shopper at Chapel Market and the nearby Sainsbury’s. She had temporarily moved into an apartment off City Road, and died just weeks after suffering a stroke on March 5, her son Louie, 53, said.

The renowned maitre d’ had retired only five years ago, when, days after celebrating her 90th birthday, she was asked to leave the L’Etoile in Fitzrovia – renamed Elena’s L’Etoile when she became manager – by its owners, who said it was too expensive to insure her against accidents.

However, she continued to host a twice-monthly “lunch with Elena” event at the Little Italy restaurant in Soho, later moving the event to nearby Quo Vadis.

Elena had tried to retire aged 65, but her talents were so much in demand she continued to work for almost three more decades, first at L’Escargot, where she became widely recognised as one of the greatest restaurant managers, the Gay Hussar restaurant and finally at L’Etoile.

Loyal and devoted customers included theatre impresario Cameron Mackintosh, actor Sean Connery, singer Rod Stewart and TV presenter Michael Palin. Celebrity Stephen Fry, also a regular at her table, once described Elena as “my second mother and the kindest woman in London”.

Last year, more than 100 guests, including TV presenter Melvyn Bragg and actress Maureen Lipman, paid tribute to Elena at her 95th birthday party at Quo Vadis restaurant in Dean Street. She was recovering from her broken hip but appeared as jovial and as sprightly as ever.

Elena welcomed dozens of family members and friends to the event, where Lord Bragg revealed he had followed her to five different restaurants over the years.

The legendary maitre d’ was awarded the MBE in 2005 for services to the London restaurant scene over her long career. Her books, chronicling 50 years of meals booked by the great and the good, are stored in the British Museum.

Elena has two grown-up children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Aldo, her husband of 60 years, died in May 2011 aged 91. The couple were married at St Peter’s Italian Church in Clerkenwell in 1941.

Son Louie said: “She was unconscious since suffering a stroke and she was very peaceful. The family had a lot of time to say goodbye. She was somebody who was so full of energy and life and we’ve had so many people contacting us, it’s been very heartwarming.”

A funeral service will be held at St John the Evangelist church in Duncan Terrace on April 13. Elena’s family is also organising a memorial service in Soho later this year.