You can almost smell the roasting beef. Even now, with the doors mostly shut and the silver trolleys polished to a mirror shine but sitting idle, the ghost of Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London lingers over the city like a thick gravy. It’s a weirdly polarizing place. To some, it’s the ultimate bastion of British culinary pride, the spot where Winston Churchill supposedly sat and where Charles Dickens gathered inspiration. To others, it represents a stuffy, bygone era of overcooked vegetables and rigid social hierarchies. But love it or hate it, you can't ignore the hole it’s left in the London dining scene.
Most people don't realize it started as a cigar divan. Back in 1828, Samuel Reiss opened it as a place to smoke and play chess. It wasn't about the food then. It was about the strategy. The chess players were so focused they didn't want to move, so the waiters started carving meat at the table to avoid disturbing the games. That’s how the legendary silver trolleys were born. Think about that for a second. One of the most iconic "fine dining" traditions in the world—the tableside carving of a rib of beef—was actually just a Victorian version of a "grab and go" meal for gaming nerds. Funny, right?
The Glory Days and the Silver Trolley Myth
When people talk about Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London, they usually get misty-eyed about the "Grand Divan." It’s a room that feels like a cathedral for carnivores. Huge ceilings. Wood paneling that has soaked up two centuries of cigar smoke and gossip. The main event was always the beef. Not just any beef, but 28-day dry-aged Scottish shorthorn, wheeled around on those massive, domed silver carts.
The carvers were performers. They weren't just slicing meat; they were masters of an art form that is basically extinct now. You’d get two thick slices of beef, a massive Yorkshire pudding, and a dollop of horseradish that would clear your sinuses from across the room. It was heavy. It was expensive. It was unapologetically British.
But here’s the thing: it wasn't always perfect. If you talk to food critics who visited in the late 2010s, the reviews were... mixed. Some called it a "tourist trap with history," while others insisted the quality of the fat on the roast was the best in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s that tension between heritage and modern expectations that has always defined the place. You aren't just paying for a meal; you're paying for a ticket to 19th-century London. Honestly, in a city that's constantly chasing the newest "fusion" trend, there was something deeply comforting about a place that refused to change its recipe for cabbage for a hundred years.
A Quick Timeline of Near-Death Experiences
The restaurant hasn't exactly had a smooth ride lately.
- 1828: Opens as a chess club/cigar lounge.
- 1848: Re-branded as Simpson’s Grand Divan Tavern.
- 1900s: Becomes a favorite of the literary elite.
- 2017: A massive, multi-million pound refurbishment. They tried to modernize the menu. It was controversial.
- 2020-2023: The doors go mostly dark during the pandemic.
- 2024: The Great Auction.
That auction was a gut-punch for fans. They sold off everything. The silver trolleys? Gone. The mahogany dining chairs? Sold. The specific plates Churchill used? Under the hammer. It felt like the final nail in the coffin for the old-school version of the restaurant. But then, rumors started swirling.
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What's Actually Happening Now?
If you walk past 100 Strand today, you'll see the Savoy Hotel (the owners) aren't ready to let the brand die. They’ve been teasing a "reimagining." What does that mean? Usually, it means smaller portions, higher prices, and more Instagrammable lighting. But for Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London, the stakes are higher. You can't just slap the name on a generic steakhouse. The building itself is Grade II listed, meaning they can't just rip out the soul of the place.
Jeremy King, a legend in the London restaurant world (the man behind The Wolseley and Brasserie Zedel), was rumored to be involved at one point. That gave people hope. King is the master of "theatrical dining." He knows how to make a room feel like it's 1920 without making the food taste like it’s been sitting in a larder since then. Currently, the plan seems to be a slow, careful pivot. The Savoy has recently hosted "pop-up" style events and private dinners to keep the name alive.
It’s a business chess match. The Savoy needs the space to be profitable, but they also know the "Simpson's" brand is one of their most valuable assets. You can't buy 200 years of history. You have to curate it.
Why the British Roast Matters So Much
We need to talk about the beef. Seriously. The UK has a weird relationship with Sunday Roast. It’s not just a meal; it’s a national identity. At Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London, they didn't just serve roast beef; they served The Roast Beef.
In a world of smashed avocado and deconstructed desserts, Simpson's was a reminder of "Muscular Britishness." It was food that required a nap afterward. The technique used—carving against the grain at a specific angle to maximize juice retention—is something they taught carvers for decades. They had a "Master Carver" who oversaw the apprentices. It was like a guild.
When you lose a place like this, you lose the technical knowledge of how to serve at scale. Most modern restaurants struggle to serve a party of ten simultaneously. Simpson’s used to feed hundreds of people three-course meals with military precision, all while keeping the meat at the perfect temperature inside those silver domes. It's an engineering feat as much as a culinary one.
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The Cultural Weight of the Strand
The location is everything. The Strand is the bridge between the City (the money) and Westminster (the power). Simpson's sat right in the middle. It was the "neutral ground" where deals were made.
Did you know it’s featured in Sherlock Holmes? In "The Adventure of the Dying Detective," Holmes tells Watson he’s looking forward to a meal at Simpson’s. P.G. Wodehouse wrote about it. It’s in Forster’s Howards End. It’s part of the literary map of London. For a tourist, eating there was like stepping into the pages of a book.
But for locals, it became a bit of a "special occasion only" spot. That’s dangerous for a restaurant. You can't survive on birthdays and anniversaries alone. You need the regulars. You need the people who come in on a Tuesday because they want a solid piece of fish and a glass of claret. In its final years before the 2020 shutdown, Simpson's struggled to attract the younger crowd. Gen Z doesn't necessarily want to spend three hours eating a massive slab of cow in a room where you feel like you have to whisper.
How to Experience the "Simpson's Style" Today
While we wait for the full reopening or the "new version" of the restaurant to take shape, how do you scratch that itch?
First, look at The Savoy itself. They still manage the space. Often, the Grill at the Savoy or the American Bar will carry the DNA of Simpson's. But if you want that specific, silver-trolley energy, you have to look at places like Rules in Covent Garden (the oldest restaurant in London) or The Wolseley.
- Rules: If you want the game, the wood paneling, and the feeling that a ghost might be sitting at the next table, this is your best bet. It’s actually older than Simpson’s and still serves incredible grouse and beef.
- The Quality Chop House: For a more modern take on "Grand British," this is where the foodies go. It’s less about the trolleys and more about the incredible sourcing of the meat.
- Hawksmoor: If you just want the best beef in London without the Victorian cosplay, Hawksmoor is the gold standard.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Closure
There's a common misconception that Simpson's closed because the food was bad. It wasn't. It closed because the model was broken. Running a restaurant in a historic building on the Strand is incredibly expensive. The overheads are astronomical. To make the numbers work, you either have to charge £200 a head or turn tables every 90 minutes. You can't turn tables every 90 minutes if you're carving meat at the table and encouraging people to linger over port.
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The "death" of Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London was really just a symptom of the changing economics of London. Fine dining is moving toward smaller, more intimate spaces with less "theatre" and more focus on efficiency.
Actionable Insights for the Future
If you’re a fan of London’s culinary history or you’re planning a trip to see what’s left of the "Old London," here is what you need to do:
- Monitor the Savoy Press Releases: Don’t trust third-party booking sites. If Simpson’s reopens in any capacity, it will be announced through the official Savoy channels first.
- Visit the Strand Anyway: Even if the restaurant is closed, the facade and the entrance are iconic. It’s worth walking past just to see the architecture.
- Check out the Auctions: Every few years, more memorabilia from these grand old houses hits the market. If you want a piece of Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London, keep an eye on auction houses like Bellmans.
- Support the Survivors: Go to Rules. Go to Wiltons on Jermyn Street. These places only stay open if people actually eat there, not just talk about how "sad" it is that they're disappearing.
The story of Simpson’s isn't over. It’s just in an intermission. The silver trolleys might have been sold, but the room is still there. The history is still there. And in London, nothing this iconic stays dead forever. It just waits for the right person to come along and figure out how to make roast beef cool again. Honestly, given the way trends cycle, we're probably only a year or two away from "Victorian-core" becoming the next big thing on TikTok. When that happens, Simpson's will be ready.
Final Takeaway
The legacy of Simpsons in the Strand restaurant London is a reminder that dining is more than just calories. It's about continuity. In a city that was bombed in the Blitz, rebuilt in the 60s, and gentrified in the 2000s, Simpson's was a rare thread of consistency. Even if the new version is different, the fact that we are still talking about a chess-club-turned-steakhouse 200 years later says everything you need to know about its importance to the London soul.
To see the current status of the building or to inquire about private hires, your best bet is to contact the Savoy’s concierge directly. They are the gatekeepers of the Strand's most famous ghost. Don't expect a quick answer, though. Like the beef they used to serve, things at Simpson's take time.
Keep an eye on the heritage listings and local planning applications for 100 Strand. That's where the real news of the "reimagining" will leak first. For now, we wait for the return of the trolley. It’s a long wait, but if history is any indication, it’ll be worth the hunger.