Simpson's in the Strand, the historic London restaurant founded in 1828, is set to reopen next month just in time for its bicentenary. The revival is led by veteran restaurateur Jeremy King, who has described the project as 'the apotheosis of my career'. King, who fell in love with the restaurant 40 years ago, has been pursuing its owners, the adjacent Savoy hotel, for over two decades.
The restaurant originally opened as a coffee and chess club, introducing wheeled silver trolleys to serve roast beef without disturbing players' concentration. It later rejected the French word 'menu' in favour of 'bill of fare' to emphasise its focus on British food. Notable patrons included Charles Dickens, PG Wodehouse and Winston Churchill, though women were barred from the main dining room until 1984.
Simpson's closed during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, leading some to mourn it as an emblem of Georgian heritage whose moment had passed. King aims to restore its Edwardian opulence while making it relevant again. Critics have praised the match, with Jimi Famurewa calling King the 'dream custodian' for a restaurant that had become 'a bit of a museum exhibit'.
King, 70, has already opened two new London restaurants under his own name, the Park and Arlington. He previously revived Le Caprice and the Ivy with former business partner Chris Corbin, part of the celebrated Corbin & King portfolio until a 2017 buyout led to his ousting. King said he has 'always enjoyed the romance of historical restaurants' and that Simpson's 'allowed us to immerse the guests in Edwardian opulence'.
