Inside the comeback of London's 200-year-old restaurant

"Simpson's is not quite the oldest restaurant in London, but it is certainly one of the oldest. Founded almost 200 years ago in 1828 as a coffee house considered, at the time, to be the home of world chess, Simpson's moved into its current home under the auspices of The Savoy in 1904. You can still see chess motifs above the door."

"What attracted me to it was the fact that most of the restaurants like this have already gone. Over the past five decades, he's been behind some of London's grandest and most-adored restaurants. First came the relaunch of Le Caprice in 1981 - a St James's restaurant where you might see Madonna at lunch and Princess Diana at supper - when King was just 27."

"I always wanted it because, I think, it is the grand dame. He has, in fact, been trying to buy the building since 2000. In 2022, Corbin and King lost control of the restaurants, and King struck out on his own. The launch of a new restaurant, Arlington, on the old Le Caprice site, caused a buzz on opening that has mellowed into steady affection."

Simpson's, founded in 1828 as a coffee house and chess hub, moved to its current Strand location under The Savoy in 1904. The restaurant closed during the pandemic in 2020 and remained shuttered until Jeremy King, a renowned London restaurateur, acquired and reopened it. King has spent over five decades establishing prestigious restaurants including Le Caprice, The Ivy, and The Wolseley. After losing control of those establishments in 2022, he launched Arlington and pursued Simpson's, which he had sought to acquire since 2000. King views Simpson's as London's grand dame restaurant, representing a significant restoration of a historic dining institution.

Read at CN Traveller