Marco Pierre White’s London Steakhouse is facing criticism after introducing a £1.50 per person charge for tablecloths and napkins.
Diners at the Liverpool Street restaurant will see the fee added to their bills “to cover the cost of table linen and napkins,” along with a 9.5 per cent service charge.
The move is reportedly part of a growing trend of restaurants adding stealth fees to offset rising costs in a challenging market.
The London Steakhouse is also said to charge a £10 fee for diners booking certain set menus more than 48 hours in advance.
Hospitality expert Steven Hesketh told LBC: "To continue adding additional charges for customers is another nail in the coffin of the hospitality industry, which we really don’t need."
Consumer expert Jane Hawkes told the Telegraph: “The hospitality industry is struggling, but don’t bamboozle your customers, a fee just for the privilege of booking is unfair.
"It's not at all fair to introduce an extra charge for something that should be included as standard.
"If you go to a restaurant you expect to get a bill for the food and drink you have had, nothing more.”
The restaurant was first opened in 2003 as Lanes Restaurant & Bar but by 2008, and with the help of White, evolved into the London Steakhouse.
“We specialise in event dining, doing things properly with the manners and trappings of tradition, most importantly, with friendliness and the personal touch. Every meal in company should be a celebration,” a statement reads.
Punters on Twitter were also irate at hearing the news.
“This is why restaurants are shutting down, stealing from customers,” one tweeted.
Another replied: “Restaurants are shutting down due to not enough customers and the costs of running a restaurant / pub / cafe have gone through the roof.
“This is a bad idea imo. Just raise the price of the menu.”
