One Of London’s Most Iconic Restaurant Spots Is Reopening
If you happened to be someone of relative fame with aa penchant for the more hedonistic side of life in the 1980s, chances are you ended up at Le Caprice quite often. The iconic venue shut during Covid, but has changed ownership and is relaunching under new name Arlington, quickly becoming the most talked about spot in London.
Who is behind the reopening?
Helming Arlington is famed restauranteur Jeremy King, who first took over the premises in 1981 with business partner Chris Corbin. In typical fashion, the new launch has been star-studded with reports of Claudia Winkleman, Tom Parker Bowles, Soho House founder Nick Jones, and Anya Hindmarch in attendance.
One celeb who seemed happy with its relaunch was Nigella Lawson who posted about her return on Instagram, writing: “First visit to the Arlington, that’s to say, the Caprice as was, and haunt of my twenties and thirties. It was so moving to be back. Like coming home.”
Bookings for us regular folk opened on March 11th, although acquiring seating is roughly as difficult as ascending to head chef in the place – let’s just say the waitlist is long.
Celeb sightings at Le Caprice were as normal as a grey sky in the middle of March here in London. Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor, Damien Hirst, Harold Pinter, Naomi Campbell and, obviously, Bill Clinton are just some of the names that counted as regulars. Perhaps its most iconic was Princess Diana, who always sat at table number nine, which sat empty for the period after her death.
What is the food like?
Based on Nigella’s Instagram, it seems like bog-standard fish and chips fare is the name of the game. With a martini, of course. We jest – but quirky, foodie hotspot this isn’t. On the menu are classic hits like Bang Bang Chicken, giant salmon fishcakes and lobster thermidor souffle. Think comfort and indulgence rather than pushing up against the limits of culinary exploration.
How to book
Bookings are open now on their website, so feel free to chance your arm at a table – however, it’s unclear whether or not we’ll be able to nip in for a review first to taste the food. You’ll have to just take Nigella Lawson’s word for it, I guess.
where: 20 Arlington St, St. James’s, London SW1A 1RG
website: arlington.london.com
