Ralph Lauren opens his first bar-restaurant in London; it’ll sure be a hit with the preppy and the preened
Ralph Lauren is a man of exceptional taste. From humble beginnings, he created a brand that is renowned throughout the world and one that generated revenues of £6.1 billion ($7.4 billion, €7 billion or درهم27.2 billion) in 2016.
Bronx born Mr Lauren, a father of three including the brilliantly named Lauren Bush Lauren, survived the removal of a brain tumour in 1987, has one of the finest car collections on the planet and owns a 17,000 acre cattle ranch in Ridgway, Colarado. He truly has it all and aside from his clothing empire, Lauren’s coffee shops, bars and restaurants are a mecca for those looking to be surrounded by the preppy and the preened.
Now, finally, London is getting a dose of ‘dining à la Lauren’ with the opening of Ralph’s Coffee & Bar in the company’s new Regent Street store. Decked out in polished brass, dark wood panelling and saddle leather, this club-like bar-restaurant is certainly pint-sized. With just twenty-four seats and twelve bar stools, it’s the antithesis of such places as 19,000 square foot Novikov and it is about as far from the modernist design of Nobu as Jeremy Corbyn is as likely to jump on a polo pony.
Aside from an all-day breakfast menu, open sandwiches rule the roost when it comes to the menu. There’s a smoked salmon, dill and caper cream cheese combo and, naturally, a cobb salad but it’s for cocktails that the venue will no doubt excel. Imagine Jay Gatsby perched at the bar holding court whilst drinking a gin rickey at the bar and you’ve about summed the place up.
Ralph’s Coffee & Bar, Polo Ralph Lauren, 173 Regent Street, London, W1B 4JQ. Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7113 7450.
Given Ralph Lauren’s daughter is married to a member of the Bush family, I hope he supported DONALD TRUMP!!!!!!!!!!!!! He better not be exporting work to Mexico either as if he is, he will be taxed to the hilt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! America needs the WALL and it needs to be built now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you for alerting me to this. I will most definitely be going for lunch. I looked at the menu and I can see this could become rather like what Michael’s in New York is for me and my girlfriends when we’re there. We like sophistication and people watching and I can bet all the beautiful people of London will flock to Ralph’s.
If you like people watching I will make sure I am there for you to watch
Looks stunning. Reminds me of PJ’s on Fulham Road.
I am sure it is delightful but I bet they don’t do specials for OAPs. I might save up and visit when I make a pilgrimage to the capital to see my sister.
Ethel, are you serious?
It looks awful…an American nightmare vision of English taste.
It could be called Lifshitz’s (his birth name, Ethel) and served bagels. Talking of Jewishness where is Chaim these days: I miss his life view
Looks heavenly. Small and perfectly formed. I absolutely love the decor (I love brass topped bars). A sense of laidback American style and a switched up sophisticated european traditional look. Smaller than our American cousins Polo Bar in Manhatten where Woody Allen is apparently a regular. Will be having open an sandwich and a cocktail or 2.
Isn’t Woody a noted old paedophile?
What is ‘switched up’ Julie?
The whole thing is a dreadful pastiche of what rather naive Americans think is European taste.
Julie Randall: Aren’t you some kind of Little Englander? I would be surprised if you liked anything foreign so this place ain’t for you!
Reminds me of Annabel’s or Mark’s or The Connaught…….(NOT) !
Mr Wayde is often grumpy. Is he a retired teacher?
I am always remarkably cheerful. I just take a great delight in taunting silly and ignorant people.