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.
