Searle, who represented NDG's Loyola district in Montreal city council for 11 years but was defeated in his run for mayor of the Borough of Côte des Neiges-NDG in 2005, has opened the London Bus Café with business partner Jeannie Oh.

Located at 4126 Ste. Catherine Street W., the café serves an array of coffees, teas, soups, sandwiches, salads, a hot daily special, and scones, to nearby residents and eastern Westmount's business crowd.

Maintaining the British touch

Having come to Canada from England nearly three decades ago, Searle has incorporated many aspects of his heritage into the café's theme, including a special afternoon tea service, and a widescreen television that shows programming from England.

During the official opening on Thursday last week, patrons could watch Monty Python's 1983 comedy The Meaning of Life, although the volume was turned off. As Searle acquired a cachet as one of the more whimsical members of Montreal city council during his years in office, the choice of entertainment seemed apt.

"I have often been mistaken for John Cleese or Mr. Bean," he told The Examiner. "It's not just the walk. It's the way that I talk.

"Unfortunately, we get Mr. Creosote at lunchtime from time to time," he said, referring to a character from The Meaning of Life. In the movie's final minutes, which occur in an upscale restaurant, the middle-aged and morbidly obese Creosote creates a scene which is regarded as one of the most unforgettable in comic cinema.

But Searle assures that there'll be a lot of other programs, such as a National Geographic documentary about the training of English sheep dogs. He hopes to revitalize locally a tradition which remains strong in England — afternoon tea — each day from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

"Ours is medium tea," he said, referring to the English "high tea" tradition, which is more elaborate. "The definition has something to do with the price. We keep it down to $10. But still the white tablecloth, the little pots of jam."

While the restaurateur's profession may seem distant from the calling for which Searle remains best known, he worked as a waiter in Toronto 30 years ago when he first arrived in Canada. "I always believed that my role was to give people a dining experience, not just to eat," he said. "We want this to be a nice drop-in place for the neighbourhood."

In the meantime, Searle is not putting politics aside. "I run in next year's election in Loyola district, and we'll find out if people still think I'm a useful member of the community," he said.

Following last week's opening, more than $458 in profits from lunches sold during the afternoon were donated to the New Hope Senior Citizens' Centre in NDG.