In 2020, Simpson’s in the Strand, one of London’s most historic restaurants, closed its doors. The restaurant existed on the Strand for nearly two centuries, first opening in 1828 as the Grand Cigar Divan, before being converted into Simpson’s Tavern and Divan in 1848. For many years, it was the center of chess in England, and is known for its carved silver carriages, which travel through the dining room to avoid disturbing the chess players. The Savoy Hotel was acquired by the Simpsons in 1898 and retained ownership until its sudden closure during the Depression. It was a tragic death, which seemed to mark the end of an ancient era of food.
But on March 3, Simpson reopened. It felt almost miraculous to outsiders, but its rebirth had been years in the works. Restaurateur Jeremy King, known for shepherding London icons such as The Wolseley and The Ivy, has been trying to get his hands on The Simpsons for years.
“The Simpsons has haunted me since I first saw it in the 1980s,” King, 71, told the Observer. “I was impressed, but I never dreamed that I would ever be able to buy or find that kind of restaurant at that time. The opportunity to take over Simpson’s came around 2000, but it fell through. Then I tried again in 2008 and 2015 and, to some extent, before Covid.”
In 2022, King heard a new possibility. Simpson had not yet reopened after its closure during the riots, but there was still space, so he made a bid for the Savoy. It took three years from initial bid to handover, but when all was said and done, King was still faced with the challenge of restoring Simpson’s multi-room, multi-story design. The current building dates back to 1904, when the Strand was rebuilt, and he wanted to ensure that its historic flourishes remained intact.
Unlike many famous London restaurants, Simpson’s is rooted in old-school British tradition. New restaurants like Maison Francois and Brasserie Zédel have revived that feeling, but to find a fine dining room, you usually have to look to old hotels.
“It was a purpose-built restaurant, and there’s nothing like it in London,” says King. “It’s really unique. If we had to build the type of restaurant it is from scratch, it would have been incredibly expensive. We rebuilt two rooms, but we used a lot of what was already there. We even managed to keep the chandeliers.”
The biggest updates have been things like the kitchen and the air conditioning system, rather than the guests will notice. “I tried to make it feel like the same family has been lovingly cared for over the years,” King commented. “So you can feel the age, but at the same time it’s very sharp. Most of the modern development was behind the scenes.”
The most famous room at Simpson’s is the Grand Divan, a wooden dining room where the carvings are done. trolleys come to the table (a room famous for banning women until 1984). Upstairs, there is a bar and a space for private events (British Vogue again GQ hosted a BAFTA party there in February). There is also a second dining room, which will be a cafe-style restaurant called Romano’s. It is named after Romano’s Restaurant, another famous restaurant that existed on the Strand until 1941, when it was destroyed during World War II.
“It’s my gift to Romano,” said King. If it hadn’t been bombed during the war, I would have tried to find it too.
Over the years, the Grand Divan has gone through various manifestations. The color scheme has changed, and the table setting has changed, although the wood paneling and chandeliers remain. King decided to add more booths to the space, and they melt so easily that returning customers can’t tell the difference.
“Someone I knew brought a man who knows this restaurant very well,” said King. “And he pointed to one of the booths under the window, and said, ‘Between the late 1980s and early 2000s, I used to sit at that table at least twice a week.’ That booth has not been there for the past three weeks. But, to me, that’s a win. People like the feeling of being friends, and they like history and nostalgia and feeling part of something.”
As someone who ate at Simpson’s a few times before the pandemic, the update is probably not uncommon. Although the Grand Divan has a different table layout and beef Wellington is not on the menu, the feeling of being in the room feels the same. When I dined recently, two weeks after its opening, it was full of excitement and energy. Visitors were young and old, many nostalgic for what they used to be. The service is still a work in progress (the servers, for example, weren’t always available or very attentive), but the vibe is as authentic as ever.
Reminders of the past appear throughout. In the Grand Divan, the bowls are decorated with the Simpsons logo, which has also been updated. King compares the logo to a Coke bottle. He says: “When you look at a Coca-Cola bottle at the time you think, ‘That must be the Coca-Cola bottle they’ve had for years.'” But it’s changed a lot. We used the basic Simpsons logo, and it feels the same.”
Before the King signed the lease, the Savoy sold some of its old jewelry, plates and glassware. A few silver trolleys were also sold; however, King was able to salvage seven of the original beef carts and assemble their working parts into the four that now circulate in the room. The trolleys currently serve roast beef, but will soon include other dishes.
“We’re going to expand them into lambs,” King said. “I want to make salmon coulibiac. People really enjoy the trolleys. We have four carvers, one of whom we brought back who worked here. Beef Wellington may come back later. We didn’t want to confuse people, so we’re staying with regular beef for now, and Wellington can come in.”
During breakfast, this restaurant stopped working in 2017, trolleys came with condiments like brown sauce and marmalade. Overall, the menu is traditional English fare, with nods to Simpson’s past offerings, such as roast beef. Starters include a generous portion of prawn cocktail, marinated in Marie Rose sauce, and venison tartare. There are oysters, hand-dipped scallops and a Waldorf salad—dishes that can be shared or eaten selfishly. The main dishes are simple but well cooked, with options for vegetarians and pescatarians. King says the roast beef is by far the most popular, as is the limi-in-cheek, which features ox cheek and tongue served in a peppercorn sauce.
“There are dishes that are a big part of the past, and they tend to be simple dishes,” King said. “I was worried it might be boring, but David Stevens, who is the head chef, has come up with one of the most exciting menus I’ve ever had. It’s very British: We have puddings and pies every day, and dishes like boiled meat, which sounds very boring. But a big boiled ham with parsley is delicious and well received. Developing a sense of generosity is important.
Remnants of Simpson’s past as a chess mecca remain. Chess pieces still adorn the entrance, and there are murals in the lobby depicting the building’s history, including one of female chess champion Vera Menchik. King even displayed a few of the original chess boards. While King says chess isn’t the focus of restaurants or bars, he notes that “chess will be played.”
The King was one of the most famous restaurants in London. He and his former business partner, Chris Corbin, acquired Le Caprice in 1981 and reopened The Ivy in 1990, both becoming celebrity hotspots. They brought back the seafood restaurant J. Sheekey, which originally opened in 1896, also launched the European-inspired brasserie The Wolseley in 2003. He’s been behind everything from Brasserie Zédel to The Beaumont, a luxury hotel in Mayfair. After the admittedly chaotic dissolution of Corbin & King in 2022, he founded Jeremy King Restaurants, which he now heads. Arlington (renewal of Le Caprice), In the park and Simpson on the Strand.
Despite his influence, King says he’s not ready to acknowledge his legacy. “I’m told,” he admitted. “But if I start believing all the media and advertising, there’s a good chance I’ll quit football. I’m always trying to get better. The biggest enemy of wholesalers is arrogance and overconfidence. I don’t think I’ll fully enjoy it until after I retire and maybe even then. Unless I’m in a position to look down or look up, ‘Maybe I looked up. the difference.'”
For now, The Simpsons is focused on King. He has been present at every service since it opened. The Romanos will likely join the Grand Divan by the end of the month, meaning about 250 guests could dine at Simpson’s at any given time. Nevertheless, King, quoting The River Café again The Fat Badger like his favorite places to eat in London, they still have a lot of ways to change the city’s dining scene.
“I don’t have anything new planned,” King admits, though he’s open if the right building comes along. “But what I’m focused on is making Simpson run well, I think it’s the Jesuits who say, ‘Give me a child until he’s seven years old, he’ll be prepared for life.’ So I gave the restaurant seven months to set the DNA and the way of working and how it should be.”
He adds, “I’m not one to blow my own trumpet, but the number of people who say that Simpson’s is in the best hands makes me proud, and it really puts the pressure on.”
