Tables for one? They are available, but in the event they were to be fully occupied, and too many individual customers arrived, top chef Alex Dilling's restaurant might set a price equal to double the amount.
A two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the heart of London's shopping district, has announced in its policy that it can allocate a maximum of 4 tables to solo customers, finding it necessary to increase the bill for guests dining without a companion beyond a certain number of requests. The price would thus rise to 390 pounds (450 euros), double that of a "normal" dinner. The restaurant, which serves modern French cuisine, may therefore increase the dinner price only on certain occasions due to limited table availability.
The lunch service operates similarly: one person without a companion pays £170, while two people pay £85 each. The restaurant, known for its modern French cuisine, will implement the price increase from August 18. But what is the real motivation behind this change? Owners - Victoria Sheppard and top chef Alex Dilling - claim that rising costs from suppliers have forced them to adjust the prices immediately. Sheppard, at 33 years old, is the youngest woman to own a two-Michelin-starred restaurant, and she stated to MailOnline: "We have a very high demand for solo diners, but we only have 11 tables and a maximum capacity of 34 covers. We source the highest-quality ingredients to offer a top-notch gastronomic experience."
She added, "I can confirm that our prices have only increased by 11% for the tasting menus at dinner, despite a 30% rise in staff costs and an average 25% increase in supplier costs." Sheppard also mentioned that, in exceptional cases, the restaurant will try to accommodate solo guests who do not wish to pay the minimum spend. Interestingly, in the travel industry, surcharges for single individuals have become commonplace (hotels have long charged an additional amount for exclusive room occupancy); however, in the restaurant sector, such practices are still rare.
High-end London restaurants, including Sketch (three Michelin stars), Helen Darroze at The Connaught, and Ikoyi (two Michelin stars), do not apply surcharges in these cases, even though they offer tasting menus exclusively. Earlier this month, the Observer also revealed how some of the UK's finest restaurants are charging guests hundreds of pounds for cancellations. This means that some customers ended up with hefty bills to pay, despite not consuming anything. An Observer analysis showed that 90 out of the top 100 restaurants in the UK - listed in the ranking - impose cancellation fees and no-show charges, some as early as two weeks prior. Chefs have already discussed the difficulties associated with last-minute cancellations and no-shows, with many stating that it could undermine the already fragile restaurant industry in the post-Covid period.
