New York City restaurateur Keith McNally has criticized his fellow Brits for being terrible tippers — and says he’s ashamed to be English.
In a sizzling Instagram post with the Union Jack, the London-born owner of celeb hotspot Balthazar, whom James Corden made famous for throwing a tantrum over an omelette last year, slammed his compatriots: “I wonder why English people are generally the WORST KIPPERS in New York restaurants?,” he raged.
“Especially if they belong to the middle or upper class. This is not a complaint, just a fact. (Even the Scots generally tip better than the English in New York restaurants).’
McNally did not refer to any specific incident in his post and did not respond to DailyMail.com’s request for comment. In the US, it is customary to tip service employees between 15 and 25 percent.
McNally’s post comes just two weeks after a separate incident in which a New York City waitress — who did not disclose where she worked — slammed a table of European diners for leaving a $70 tip on a $700 bill.
Keith McNally says he’s ‘ashamed to be English’ after berating Britons for tipping horribly
One woman commented that McNally’s post was low tips because “we expect to tip in appreciation of exceptional service”
A user suggested that English people’s poor tips are due to poor service, but Keith says the upper class subconsciously wants to keep the working class down
Despite the fact that British-born Vogue editor Anna Wintour is a regular client of Balthazar, McNally launched a blistering attack on English people, calling them the worst tippers
Returning to old stereotypes about Scottish people being stingy, McNally believes that Englishmen are worse tippers:
“Even the Scots tend to tip better than the English in New York restaurants.” he said.
One IG user explained the UK’s lack of tips: “It’s because we expect to tip in appreciation of exceptional service and not to demean low wages.”
But McNally replied that he thought it was a British class issue:
‘I don’t believe this is the reason. Time and again my servers have given English customers perfect service, but they often received much less than the standard 15% tip,” he said, adding:
“I think most middle- and upper-class English people tip abominably because they subconsciously want to keep working people in their place, as they’ve done for hundreds of F****g years.”
Aside from celebrity hotspot Balthazar in Soho, McNally also owns popular restaurants Minetta Tavern and Morandi.
He regularly posts photos of himself with his celebrity guests, including Anna Wintour and Sienna Miller.
Yesterday, McNally revealed that a mysterious celebrity who dined at Morandi’s for dinner tipped the wait staff $1,000.
“Servers were thrilled to hear that X was coming tonight. X is phenomenally generous and usually leaves over a thousand for the tip. X decided to sit in a booth today. (He usually opts for a window table.) X left a $1000 tip for server Mercedes.
It’s unclear who the mysterious celeb diner is.
McNally asked, “I wonder why English people are generally the WORST KIPPERS in New York restaurants?” (He was photographed with English actress Sienna Miller in February)
Last year, McNally famously confronted British talk show host James Corden about his “abusive” behavior towards servers when he returned an egg yolk omelet because it contained traces of egg white. He claimed he had a food allergy.
However, after 86’ing Corden — a term used in the restaurant industry to stop serving a person, or to kick them out — McNally has since rescinded the ban.
Following claims that Corden “insulted” Balthazar’s staff, McNally posted a lengthy Instagram post calling out the comedian and actor for his alleged behavior.
McNally said Corden called him to “apologise profusely.”
He stated that “all was forgiven,” saying, “Because I’ve screwed myself up more than most people, I’m a strong believer in second chances. So if James Corden lets me host his Late Late Show for nine months, I’ll immediately revoke his ban on Balthazar. No of course not. But….anyone generous enough to apologize to a slacker like me (and my staff) doesn’t deserve to be banned everywhere’.
His celebrity-loved restaurants attract Mick Jagger, Cher, and Andy Warhol, but McNally has strict rules on how he treats customers at his eateries — including not giving stars special treatment.
“Never give them drinks on the house, always talk to the person they are with rather than them,” he told the Sunday Times.
“Famous people are really bullied by overly elaborate service. They just want to be left alone.’
Not hanging around tables and always repeating orders to customers to make sure no mistakes are made are also part of McNally’s demands for his servers to ensure diners have the best experience at the restaurant.
“Be friendly, but never cozy,” he began in a lengthy Instagram post titled “Restaurant Service Rules.”
‘Always repeat the customer’s order back to him. Skate sounds like steak after one martini.’
McNally famously started a feud with fellow Briton James Corden after the talk show host threw a tantrum when egg whites were spotted in his wife’s egg yolk omelette
Corden and Julia in 2018. He claimed she told Balthazar staff she had a “severe food allergy”
McNally was born in Bethnal Green in East London in 1951, to Joyce, a cleaner and Jack, a longshoreman and amateur boxer.
In 1975, he moved to New York, where he intended to become a director, but soon set his sights on restaurants after holding a series of kitchen jobs from oyster shaker to busboy.
Five years later, he opened his first restaurant, the Odeon in Tribeca, with his first wife Lynn Wagenknecht and his brother Brian.
The Odeon quickly became the “center of the downtown arts scene,” with Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, Anna Wintour, Lorne Michaels, and the cast of Saturday Night Live among its regulars.
The Cockney who became king of the New York restaurant scene: How Keith McNally, 71, the twice-divorced boss of celebrity hotspot Balthazar, refuses special treatment for stars and hands out free champagne, but “never to Al Pacino.”
McNally moved to New York in 1975 before opening his first restaurant The Odeon in 1980