Keith McNally isn't exactly the "forgive and forget" type. If you follow him on Instagram, you already know that. The man behind Balthazar, Pastis, and The Odeon—the guy basically responsible for how downtown Manhattan looks and tastes—has spent the last few years picking fights with everyone from James Corden to his own ex-wives. But his memoir, Keith McNally I Regret Almost Everything, is something different. It isn’t just a collection of restaurant gossip. It is a brutal, sometimes ugly, and surprisingly moving look at a man who realized, halfway through a stroke, that he might have spent his whole life being the wrong person.
The Night Everything Broke
The book doesn’t start with a glamorous opening night or a celebrity encounter at Minetta Tavern. It starts in a hospital bed. In 2016, McNally suffered a massive stroke that effectively hit the "delete" button on his ability to speak. Imagine being the king of New York nightlife, a man whose entire career was built on charm, wit, and the ability to command a room, and suddenly you can’t even say the word "coffee."
He describes it like a "malignant jellyfish" clamping onto his face. Brutal.
The stroke didn't just break his body; it broke his ego. Two years later, feeling like a ghost of his former self, he tried to take his own life. He failed at that, too. He was found by his son, George, and ended up in a psychiatric ward for nine weeks. This is the "regret" he talks about. It isn’t just about bad business deals or a failed pizzeria like Pulino’s. It is the deep, bone-shaking regret of a man who realized his "integrity" was something he’d traded away for success decades ago.
Why the James Corden Drama Was Actually About Power
Most people bought the book to see if he’d double down on the James Corden "omelet-gate" saga. If you missed that bit of internet history, McNally famously banned the late-night host from Balthazar for being a "tiny cretin of a man" to the staff.
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In Keith McNally I Regret Almost Everything, he admits something kind of shocking. He didn’t actually see Corden be mean.
He wrote that viral post based on what his staff told him, mostly because he was "intoxicated with the power" of his growing Instagram following. He describes himself as a "little dictator" relishing the hold he had over someone so famous. It’s a rare moment of honesty in an industry that usually protects its own. He doesn't say Corden was innocent—he still calls him a "bastard"—but he regrets the performative nature of his own outrage. He used Corden to feel relevant again after the stroke had made him feel invisible.
The Myth of the "Self-Made" Visionary
McNally hates the word "restaurateur." He thinks it’s pretentious. He also hates the idea that he has some magical "instinct" for success.
Instead, he attributes his career to a series of lucky breaks and an obsessive, expensive habit of building things two or three times until they feel "right." He famously goes over budget on every project because he can’t visualize a design until it’s physically in front of him.
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- He moved to New York in 1975 with $200 and a plan to make movies.
- He started as an oyster shucker at One Fifth.
- He got promoted to maître d' simply because New Yorkers loved his British accent.
- He "stole" the idea for The Odeon’s neon clock from his childhood cinema in London.
It wasn't a master plan. It was a scramble.
The Problem with Being "Too Honest"
The book has ruffled a lot of feathers. McNally writes about his sexuality, his affairs, and his messy divorces with a level of detail that makes you wonder if he’s trying to burn every bridge he has left. He even mentions that his second wife, Alina, will probably sue him after reading it.
There’s a whole chapter about a sexual harassment lawsuit from 2017 involving a woman he calls "Ava Meadows." He uses the book to push back against the allegations, which some readers find refreshing and others find incredibly "cringey." This is the McNally experience: he refuses to be the "likable" protagonist. He is grumpy, he is cynical, and he is deeply suspicious of anyone who claims to have their life together.
Regret as a Survival Tactic
One of the most poignant takeaways from the memoir is his view on work.
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People always tell you to "take time off" when you’re depressed. McNally says that’s terrible advice. He argues that work—any work—is the only thing that gives a person a sense of purpose when everything else is falling apart. Even when he was paralyzed on his right side and couldn't speak, he forced himself back to the restaurants. He learned to write with his left hand. He started using Instagram as a way to communicate when his voice failed him.
He doesn't believe in "closure." To him, grieving isn't a process you finish; it’s a room you live in.
What You Can Actually Learn from McNally
If you’re looking for a business manual, this isn't it. But if you want to understand the reality of high-level creativity and the cost of fame, there are some real insights here:
- Details are the only thing that matters. Not "good" design, but the right details. The color of a wall (which he’s been trying to copy from playwright Alan Bennett for 50 years) can make or break a room.
- Change your mind. He has a deep hatred for people who "bask in being right." He believes that the ability to change your mind is the only true sign of intelligence.
- Embrace the cringe. He says that if you aren't embarrassed by your memoir, you haven't told the truth.
Keith McNally I Regret Almost Everything is a messy, ego-driven, beautiful disaster of a book. It’s exactly like one of his restaurants: loud, expensive, slightly chaotic, but ultimately impossible to look away from.
If you're interested in the intersection of New York history and personal crisis, your next step should be to look up the "The Odeon" or "Balthazar" on a quiet Tuesday night. Seeing the spaces he built while keeping these regrets in mind changes the atmosphere entirely. It makes the "magic" feel a lot more human.