The Tamesis
Restaurateur Jeremy King, who has long shaped London’s dining scene, once said that if one of his restaurants, such as The Ivy or Le Caprice, didn’t have a backstory, he would invent one. For the people, this is not necessary. Founded in New York last year by King’s daughters Margot Hauer-King and Emmet McDermott, this invitation-only bar and club has revitalized a Greenwich Village townhouse (formerly home to the legendary Midtown Gallery) into a modern salon full of glamor and glamour. With its copper furnishings, crackling fire and carefully curated guest list, the space pays homage to its history while also creating something entirely new.
This January, however, People’s is honoring a different kind of legacy, hosting a pop-up dedicated to King and serving up some of the signature dishes that made his London restaurant so iconic. Dishes on the simple three-course menu – Scandinavian frozen berries, Bang Bang chicken and classic martini – are not only classics from a king’s institution, but also tell nostalgic stories of characters from London’s past.
“When Margot wanted a cold dish, but a simple dish that was very representative of the period, it was an obvious choice,” King says of the chicken, which was inspired by a lackluster Chinese meal he had at Earls Court. Frozen berries, meanwhile, have more royal roots and were served at the Serpentine Gallery on the day Princess Diana wore her revenge dress. (There, they’re drenched in white chocolate.) And the King Martini—cucumber with cucumber—needs almost no explanation.
From Mick Jagger to Kate Moss to Andy Warhol, Jeremy King’s empire has been graced with tablecloths and wicker chairs. Lucian Freud was known to eat at Wolseley’s six nights a week. The photo of Princess Diana leaving Le Caprice has become synonymous with her public image captured by paparazzi. Stephen Fry led a group of A-list stars who refused to visit the facility after the latter changed hands, forcing King’s business into administration.
The People’s Daily, founded just over a year ago, has inherited a similar buzz, although it has maintained a more cautious approach to the status of its celebrity visitors. McDermott told me that their favorite guest was Patricia Clarkson, who often stopped by for a glass of Sancerre. “She lived in this neighborhood and she was definitely a big deal,” Hauerkin added. “Patricia embodies something we’ve always wanted – she’s there at 5pm for a quiet chat, and she’s there at 11pm when the music is blaring.”
