Update 25/7/23: The restaurant has just released an update to this story, clarifying its solo dining policy. They say that there is always one or two tables open for solo dining without a minimum spend, with the hopes that that will increase when their opening hours increase later this summer.
The decision by the two Michelin-starred restaurant Alex Dilling at Hotel Cafe Royal to charge solo diners the cost of two tasting menus has been the subject of much discussion on London food Twitter over the past couple of days. The policy was first revealed by ex-Bloomberg writer Richard Vines following a meal there and confirmed by the restaurant in an article in Restaurant Magazine.
Explaining their reasoning, co-owner Victoria Sheppard told the magazine that the restaurant, which runs as an independent business from the hotel, has a total of just eleven tables but has a lot of solo dining requests. If they accepted them all, the empty seat at each table could potentially mean a 25% reduction in revenue while their costs remain the same.
The issue highlights the pressure restaurants are under all over the country to meet rising costs in food, energy and staffing. Margins are incredibly tight at the moment and we can completely see why this issue would have a major impact on a business. However that didn't prevent the usual Twitter raging about the issue with comments including:
Singles living alone carry a very high extra premium for their cost of living.
— Janis Ward (@janisward) July 21, 2023
Restaurants, please join the pile-on, why don’t you.
Hopefully solo diners will go elsewhere, how insulting!
— Diane Kearton 💙💙 (@DiKearton) July 21, 2023
That said, there were others who had alternative suggestions:
2/2 Surely one answer for Alex Dilling is to explain up front that you can book as a solo diner, but due to the tight operating model you may be paired on a two-top with *another* solo diner? The restaurant loses nothing, solos are not excluded, and who knows, it may even be fun?
— Thom Hetherington (@ThomHetheringto) July 21, 2023
Hot Dinners spoke to Victoria and asked whether, given the interest shown by solo diners, they'd consider maybe introducing a counter dining programme. "We do have a beautiful bar which non-dining guests can access," she told us, "but we do not feel it would do justice to Alex’s tasting menu to be served in a counter setting. However, we are planning to introduce small bites at the bar later on in the year."
The good news is that if you're a solo diner hoping to try Dilling's cooking without the double price tag, they do accept solo bookings without charging twice if you book within 24-48 hours of wanting to dine and there is availability.
More about Alex Dilling at Hotel Café Royal
Where is it? 68 Regent St, Soho, London W1B 4DY
How to book: Book online
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @alexdillingcaferoyal
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