Last Updated on January 4, 2026
Return of the King
There wasn’t really any choice for our March Restaurant of the Month. The salient question was would we get a table at Arlington, Jeremy King’s renamed reboot of his old gaffe Le Caprice which has more buzz going on than a bolshy beehive? And, dear reader, we did. If you’re out of touch with London restaurant gossip, which as a regular London Unattached reader I’m sure you’re not, here’s the backstory. Le Caprice was opened in 1947 by Mario Gallati who had been the maitre d’ at The Ivy for 30 years. Fast forward to 1981 when the restaurant was bought and revamped by Jeremy King and business partner Chris Corbin fast becoming the epicentre of London’s social scene, a canteen for the glitterati; Lady Di, Elton John, Mick Jagger and Liz Taylor were some of the regulars, seduced by the stylish black and white interior featuring David Bailey photographs. Front of house was helmed by the ‘legendary’ Jesus Adorno who ministered to his celeb flock with care and devotion. Corbin and King sold up in 2005 with ownership passing to serial restaurateur Luke Johnson and then to Richard Caring who still owns the name – and who may relaunch Le Caprice on a different site. King and Corbin went on to build a group that included The Ivy, J Sheekey, The Wolseley, The Delaunay, Brasserie Zédel, Colbert and Fischer’s; however, over lockdown, the duo lost control of their restaurants to their major investors.
But the King is back, as a solo act this time around. First out of the blocks is Arlington which on opening had Jesus Adorno back in his previous role – sadly only for a month as apparently it wasn’t the ‘right fit’ for him. Adorno has been replaced by Paul Hough who held management roles at a slew of posh London restaurants; there’s a May launch for The Park, a modern grand café in Kensington Gardens, and later this year King relaunches another classic room, Simpson’s in the Strand.
But what about Arlington? As everyone in the world has commented, it is Le Caprice reborn. A symphony in monochrome with black-framed white rattan chairs, black floors and white ceiling, a fresh set of David Baileys, black stone bar, sexy black bar stools – I’ll stop now. Oh, and the mirrors behind the bar are back. It’s a great room – but is it relevant to 2024?
Getting a table at Arlington needed to be celebrated with a glass of fizz. Our glasses of Franciacorta Brut Corteaura from Lombardy had a crisp mandarin acidity which sharpened our senses as we people-watched. There were family parties with permatanned elders regaling grown-up kids and grandkids with tales of hedonistic excess. Tables of youngsters were fooling no one by trying to act sophisticated and couples long out of conversation were listening to the pianist stumble through his sheet music. Paul Hough stalked the tables exuding an unflappable sense of urbanity. He takes an order here, gives an order there, helps customers through the minimalistic menu descriptions and gently upsells where he can.
But what about the nosh? King has created his own 1980s tribute act with a menu featuring several of Le Caprice’s greatest hits. That’s great if you yearn after early 1980s food as several reviewers have rather unconvincingly opined, but for me, it was old-fashioned – not in an ironic, fun way – and underflavoured. Bang Bang Chicken featured strips of shredded chicken on a bed of julienned vegetables overwhelmed with a dense peanut butter-like sauce cut with a light Asian seasoning. Coriander leaves were added, and peanuts were chucked in. The sauce was cloying and not very pleasant (I like peanuts).
Dressed Dorset Crab needed more zing, herbs and something citrus, and the celeriac remoulade lacked a mustardy bite. A welcome glass of Valençay Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Sébastien Vaillant, Loire, 2022 had pleasant peach notes with some acidity balancing the fruit nicely.
We moved onto our mains hoping for a little more excitement. A salmon fish cake was protein heavy, which is a good thing, but it had a burnt bottom and again needed a bit of revving up, with an anaemic sorrel sauce being too laid back.
My risotto nero lacked the intensity I love from squid ink, but the topping of tender squid segments cooked in garlic butter was gently satisfying. A side dish of mixed green salad was perfectly acceptable with a good mix of fresh leaves and a light dressing.
The Cappuccino Creme Brulee came in a coffee cup with a cloyingly warm coffee mousse topped with a creme brûlée. It was too rich, too creamy a combination for the two elements to coalesce successfully.
I really wanted to rave about Arlington. I’m sure that head chef Will Halsall is a fine cook and Jeremy King is a fantastic restaurateur who has made the decision to restart his business by going back to his roots. If you miss Le Caprice or want to time travel back to the 80s then it’s worth a visit.
20 Arlington Street, London SW1A 1RJ
Other new restaurants that have caught our eye this month include
Josephine
Claude Bosi in partnership with his wife Lucy has just opened Josephine, which he describes as a Lyonnaise-style bouchon in a tribute to his grandmother. The menu reads like a list of bistro classics and with Lyon being his home town the chef is clearly emotionally invested in this project. There’s a weekday Plat du Jour at £15.50, an authentically meat-heavy Menu de Canut (the Lyonnaise silk workers) and a focus on Chartreuse. Check our review of Josephine!
315 Fulham Road, London SW10 9QH
Mimosa
The ever-expanding French luxury restaurant group Moma have brought their Parisian restaurant Mimosa to London’s Langham Hotel. With a focus on the cuisine of the French Riviera (there’s a Mimosa Egg sub-menu!) and Italy, the interiors by Dorothy Delayé will whisk us to the Côte d’Azur and for the summer there is a garden! What’s not to like?
The Langham, 1C Portland Pl, London W1B 1JA
Lita
Rising star chef Tipperary-born Luke Ahearne, recently Head Chef at Corrigan’s Mayfair and Gordon Ramsay’s River Restaurant, has been backed by the Burger & Lobster people to open chic Marylebone bistro Lita. With an emphasis on southern Mediterranean cuisine and an open-fire grill we are saving our pennies to try the whole Cornish turbot (£148!).
7 Paddington St, London W1U 5QE
We also must mention last month’s restaurant of the month Camille – check out our review. And, while not a new opening we think Trivet Restaurant deserves a special congratulations for gaining it’s second Michelin star while not compromising on an affordable price list!
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