The Wolseley co-founder Jeremy King threatens to ban TikTokers from his new Notting Hill restaurant after being overrun by influencers disturbing diners with ‘digital camera crews, make-up artists and vainness mirrors’
Jeremy King has joked that his new glamorous Notting Hill restaurant has become overrun by influencers flanked by camera crews and makeup artists.
The man behind some of London‘s most iconic dining rooms – including The Ivy and Le Caprice – released a newsletter this week apologising to customers who have been disturbed by TikTokers.
Half-joking, King claimed that he may be left with no choice but to ban influencers from the plush eatery if he sees ‘another young lady show up with a vanity mirror.’
The statement began: ‘In recent weeks, The Park has been subject to unexpected visits by camera-wielding influencers.
‘This has taken us completely by surprise, probably because we do not spend a lick of time on TikTok. But some of our digitally-oriented team members have shared that The Park and its restrooms are trending.
‘We take this very seriously, and have already addressed the matter if our over-flattering lighting and stylish interior design with the appropriate parties.
‘In the meantime. we have implemented protocols to minimise any potential disruption of your meal, and can assure you that you will not end up in the background of anyone’s Reel.
‘We are not quite ready to declare The Park a mobile-free zone, but if another young lady shows up with a three-person camera crew, makeup artist and vanity mirror, we’ll have no choice but to reconsider our position.
Jeremy King has joked that his new glamorous Notting Hill restaurant has become overrun by influencers flanked by camera crews and makeup artists
A statement released by The Park apologised to customers ‘on behalf of TikTok’
‘We hope we won’t be trending for too much longer, and thank you for understanding.’
King, 71, who stands at 6ft 5in and is known as the ‘gentleman giant’ of London’s fine-dining scene, has always maintained that ‘generosity is central to hospitality’.
His restaurants have long been magnets for celebrity clientele. His original Le Caprice famously took off after model Marie Helvin hosted Mick and Bianca Jagger, Bryan Ferry and Jerry Hall. Princess Diana was also a devoted patron.
The Park’s crack-down on influencers comes as restaurants across the globe grapple with the disruptive influence of social media content creators.
A Brooklyn cafe called Dae banned filming entirely last year after being overrun by ‘hordes of influencers armed with tripods’, while Folderol, a wine bar in Paris, faced such chaos from TikTok tourists that neighbours called police four times.
Industry experts say the problem has reached epidemic proportions. A 2022 survey by marketing agency MGH found that 30 per cent of TikTok users travel longer than normal to visit restaurants after seeing them on the platform. Over one-third choose dining spots based on videos they’ve watched.
Restaurant owners have reported influencers staying for hours with a single drink while conducting photoshoots, demanding free meals in exchange for posts, and even threatening negative reviews when refused complimentary food.
For King, 71, the ban on high-production content creation at The Park is the latest chapter in one of the hospitality industry’s most remarkable comeback stories.
A host of celebrities have attended the restaurant since it opened in June 2024. Pictured: Geri Halliwell-Horner at The Park in May 2025
British singer Lily Allen attended the same event as Halliwell-Horner last year
The veteran restaurateur was dramatically ousted from Corbin & King – the company he co-founded – in April 2022 after a bitter boardroom battle with Thai hotel conglomerate Minor International.
He was reportedly forced to hand over his company phone and laptop immediately and wrote that he’d been made to ‘walk away… without so much as a goodbye’.
Sir Stephen Fry, Jeremy Clarkson and Nigella Lawson were among the devoted customers who vowed never to return to his former restaurants. But King, who was awarded an OBE in 2014 for services to hospitality, has since staged a triumphant return.
He opened Arlington – a reimagining of Le Caprice – in March 2024, followed by The Park in June that year. He is also set to relaunch Simpson’s in the Strand later this month [February], which he describes as ‘the apotheosis of my career’.
The Park, which sprawls across 8,600 square feet with 150 covers and spectacular views over Hyde Park, is King’s first contemporary restaurant in a new building and his first venture focused on American cuisine.
The ‘New World Grand Café’ features mid-century Manhattan design with warm limba wood panelling and 30 corner booths upholstered in sunset orange leather.
The menu draws inspiration from Californian-Italian cuisine that emerged in the 1970s and 80s, with dishes ranging from £34.75 crab linguini to £27.50 chicken Milanese, alongside an exclusively Italian-American wine list featuring bottles from California, Oregon and Washington State.
