{"id":46902,"date":"2026-05-23T20:32:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T20:32:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/46902\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T20:32:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T20:32:10","slug":"london-restaurateur-jeremy-king-on-opening-simpsons-in-the-strand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/46902\/","title":{"rendered":"London Restaurateur Jeremy King on Opening Simpson\u2019s in the Strand"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAs trite as the saying \u201ca man that needs no introduction\u201d may be, it couldn\u2019t ring truer for Jeremy King. The iconic British restaurateur is a byword for some of the capital\u2019s most famous and era-defining establishments: from the Ivy, the Wolseley and J Sheekey, to more recently Arlington and the Park. After cutting his teeth as Searcys\u2019s youngest-ever manager at the age of 21, King and his longtime business partner Chris Corbin became legendary for transforming London<\/a>\u2019s historic \u201cgrand dame\u201d restaurants into modern cultural institutions. \u201cThere is something about the grandeur,\u201d King explains to Robb Report, \u201cand what I love is the grandeur without pretension.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThat intoxicating mix has long resonated with clients, who have included notables from all walks of life. Take Le Caprice<\/a>, which opened in 1981 and which King relaunched as Arlington in 2024. It was reputedly among Princess Diana\u2019s favorite eateries (she was known to enjoy a crispy duck salad, dining among rock and Hollywood royalty that included Mick Jagger, Madonna, Kate Moss, and Elizabeth Taylor). \u201cThe best restaurants have to be a m\u00e9lange of different people, interests, backgrounds, and wealth,\u201d explains King.<\/p>\n

\n\tExpect to find that intriguing fusion at Simpson\u2019s in the Strand, which reopened in March, and its upstairs bar and second restaurant, Romano\u2019s. King had been eyeing up the establishment for over 25 years, no doubt for that blend of grandeur and history. Its famed 19th-century patrons included the writers Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, who dined among rolling carving trolleys\u2014which, in fact, were quietly gliding in the background to prevent disturbing the country\u2019s top chess players, the venue being the sport\u2019s British center at the time. \u201cSimpson\u2019s has never been about spectacle. It\u2019s about concentration,\u201d says King. And now, he hopes, also a place of \u201ccalm, confidence, and continuity\u201d\u2014an irresistible setting that couldn\u2019t feel more apt today.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJeremy King at Simpson\u2019s in the Strand, London<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKasia Bobula<\/p>\n

\t\tHow do you start your day? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tI am normally up by 5:00 am with a slightly reluctant Teddy the cockapoo. She is like me and enjoys rituals. She goes back to bed downstairs while I check for urgent emails or messages, then the news and Wordle, to make sure my brain is working.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat is your personal style signifier? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tSuit and white shirt from Jermyn Street legend Turnbull & Asser,<\/a> a tie and a white pocket handkerchief.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat is the last thing you bought and loved? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tA complete set of Anthony Powell\u2019s A Dance to the Music of Time. I frequently read the 12 volumes that were published between 1951 to 1975.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat place has special meaning to you? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tArlington restaurant. I opened Le Caprice when I was 27 years old and had only ever been an employee. I really transitioned into an adult then, moving through taking control and having true responsibility. I\u2019ve only recently recognized that I\u2019m a very reactive person\u2014and that I love doing things on feel and intuition.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhere did you travel recently that was memorable? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tI recently went on a trip with my son to Burnham-on-Sea, where I grew up. Jonah is basing a screenplay on the town and a father-and-son relationship. Showing and sharing memories was poignant, especially for my son to see me as a child growing up. <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJeremy King at Simpson\u2019s in the Strand, London<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKasia Bobula<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat are the ingredients for a great table? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tHaving a bit of a squeeze, sharing food, and no music till late\u2014because it can dominate and distract.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat do you always keep in your fridge? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tCoconut water, goat\u2019s yogurt, pomegranate, endive, mayonnaise, dog food, Vichy Catalan.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat constitutes luxury to you? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tNot having to worry about the cost of what you want. To me true luxury is not being ostentatious. Maybe silk underwear answers the question: you know you\u2019re wearing them, but hardly anyone else needs to (not that I actually do\u2014mine are from Marks & Spencer).<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat is your favorite city and why?\t<\/p>\n

\n\tLondon, to live. I understand the city and it accommodates and facilitates my lifestyle. Paris to visit, because Parisians know how to live.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhere do you get your clothes? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tMy suits come from Timothy Everest or sometimes Anderson & Sheppard<\/a>, or Hanish Patel\u2019s Bespoke Attire. I go to Volpe\u2019s Adrian Holdsworth for my shirts and Connolly for all other clothing and casual pieces.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tJeremy King at Simpson\u2019s in the Strand, London<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tChris Floyd<\/p>\n

\t\tWho is your designer icon? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe interior designer Shayne Brady. We\u2019ve done eight restaurants together and I\u2019d be lost without him. He takes anything I\u2019ve wanted to do and takes it that much further. And also the architect Amanda Levete, who has showed me why it was just as well I didn\u2019t become an architect. <\/p>\n

\t\tWho do you admire most, and why? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tPaul Smith. He\u2019s brilliant but modest, generous, and altruistic. And he\u2019s the least narcissistic person I know, who embodies the idea of bien dans sa peau.<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat\u2019s the best advice you\u2019ve received? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tDoes it count if from myself? \u201cOnly strive to what you \u2018want\u2019 to do with your life\u2014not what you feel you \u2018should.\u2019\u201d And for others: \u201cStop looking up for help and guidance\u2014look down to see who you can help and mentor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tWhat have you done recently for the first time? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tForgiven myself. <\/p>\n

\t\tDo you have any personal rituals? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tMy life is full of ritual\u2014it gives me the structure and discipline from which I can break free and innovate. <\/p>\n

\t\tWhat would you have liked to be in another life? \t<\/p>\n

\n\tAn architect or artist.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As trite as the saying \u201ca man that needs no introduction\u201d may be, it couldn\u2019t ring truer for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46903,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[26],"tags":[13592,27,23510],"class_list":["post-46902","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-london","tag-feature","tag-london","tag-robb-report-uk"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@UnitedKingdom\/116625797989803672","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46902","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46902"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46902\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46903"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46902"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46902"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/britain\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46902"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}