Two Michelin star restaurant charges single diners the price of a meal for two - and plans to hike the bill further
21 July 2023, 12:10
A two-Michelin star restaurant in London is charging single diners the price of a meal for two.
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Alex Dilling, in the Hotel Cafe Royal, Mayfair, has solo eaters pay £350, the price of a table for two to use its tasting menu.
They also have to pay £170 for lunch.
But while singletons fork out such large bills, a pair can simply split that bill and ease the cost.
And in more bad news for would-be solo fine diners, the restaurant plans to up its tasting menu price to £390.
But it insists it only has limited space - the modern French gastronomy specialists have just 34 seats - which is why it imposes such a high cost on someone who takes up a table that could be needed to seat two customers.
Victoria Sheppard, who owns the restaurant with Alex Dillon, said: "We have a very high demand for solo dining and only 11 tables and a very maximum of 34 covers in our restaurant, to date we don't turn our tables.
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"We procure amongst the highest quality ingredients possibly available to provide the highest level of gastronomic experience."
However, she said the restaurant would accommodate solo diners who don't want to pay the minimum amount if it's possible to fit them in.
She also told the Mail: "I can confirm our prices are increasing by 11 per cent for dinner tasting menus despite an increase in staff costs of 30 per cent and our average cost increase from our suppliers being 25 per cent."
"It's going to be increased in mid August, that's because living is increasing in London, food prices included," a spokesman for the restaurant said.
"I think all the Michelin restaurants in London are increasing the prices, if they are allowing any form of solo diners at all."
The seven course tasting menu includes aged kaluga caviar, pate de Campagne, Limousin veal, blue lobster, bresse peigeon and wagyu sirloin.
