DO AMERICANS DO HOSPITALITY BETTER?

NYC-Inspired, London-Delivered: Are We Missing the Point?

We’ve written about the Americanisation of London restaurants a few times over the last couple of years and, with the steady stream of New York-inspired openings recently, there’s no sign of it slowing down. But bar the branding, the concept, and the menu direction, how ‘American’ are these spots really? And more importantly, how does the service compare?

I lived in New York for a year in 2018 while opening hotels across LA, Portland, Chicago and NYC, and there were aspects of American hospitality that genuinely grated on me. The tipping culture, for one – tipping on absolutely everything, even at street food stalls and in grocery stores. I know, I know, nobody likes that person, but it was A LOT. Then there was the relentless cheerfulness: the ‘Hey, how are you today?’ asked first thing in the morning in coffee shops. Living in hotels meant this was frequently my first interaction of the day, and I am not a morning person, AKA I need caffeine to hit my veins before I chat sh*t to anyone. And of course, they were mostly on autopilot rather than actually wanting to know how every single one of the 1,000 people they served daily actually were. And to be fair, I don’t blame them for that.

That said, two things became immediately clear the moment I landed back in London and went for my first meal out: American hospitality is highly strategic, and Americans are exceptionally good at monetising service.

I remember walking into a hyped new London restaurant that showed availability online. Unsure of my arrival time, I didn’t book and instead tried my luck as a walk-in. I was told there were no tables all night. So I whipped out my phone, booked online on the spot and asked if they could take my number to call me if something came up earlier than my booking, which was only 30 minutes later. They refused and simply told me to come back.

In the States, the response would have been very different. You’d be offered a standing spot in a corner, given a menu, encouraged to order drinks, and then seated as soon as a table became available. American hospitality is so much more focused around the art of maximising covers and they don’t want to let a single person go. You’d leave grateful, feeling like they’d done you a favour – and they’d maximised spend for the business in the process.

That level of hustle just doesn’t tend to happen that often in London. Neither does the upsell, which they do so smoothly and without resentment, and you don’t mind because leftovers are always offered to go. The doggy bag isn’t just accepted, it’s encouraged, which in turn makes you far less likely to worry about over ordering. I once ate half a Chateaubriand for breakfast by a hotel pool after dinner at The Grill in New York, and I am not sad about it.

Part of the difference may come down to front-of-house structure. London restaurants rarely employ a dedicated host or maître d’ outside of super luxe spots, and it’s even less common now given the pressure those salaries put on the P&L. But a great one can pay for themselves many times over. I once got annoyed when a host in New York asked us to move tables mid-meal to accommodate a large party walk-in – until he comped our bottle of wine and sent extra items for the inconvenience. He knew exactly what he was doing: a minor cost offset by the value of a ten-top of enthusiastic eaters and drinkers.

There are smaller tactics too. In many American restaurants, you’re poured a glass of ice water the moment you sit down, even in winter. It’s not just hospitality: quenching your thirst makes you more likely to order an alcoholic drink. Subtle, calculated, and effective.

Many London restaurants still fall way short of employing smart service tactics, including many of those that look to America for inspiration. One Club Row is one exception that springs to mind – its co-founder Benjy Leibowitz lived and worked in New York hospitality for a decade – and you definitely see that experience come through in the service there.

So while London continues to borrow American concepts at pace, the question remains: are we embracing the service mentality behind them – or just the aesthetic?

From The Horses Mouth

Ten minutes before opening, torrential rain, four thirsty people and a wine bar. We asked for a glass, got told to come back in ten and sent back out into the weather. Missed opportunity, really – we were more than ready to be their easiest first round.

Anon, Parched. Dehydrated. Desperate. 2025

If you have any examples you’d like to share - shoot them across to Christina@londontheinside.com and we’ll share them in our next edition!