Top chef sparks fury as he slams ‘cheap’ diners who split dishes & ask for tap water… and demands they ‘order correctly’

A TOP chef has sparked fury after slamming “cheap” diners and demanding that they “order correctly”.

Hugh Corcoran hit out at customers who split bills and ask for tap water at his restaurant, The Yellow Bittern in London.

The chef, who recently opened his business, took to Instagram to vent his frustrations over diners ordering bare-minimum meals to share, such as a single starter.

He said that it had become normal for “a table of four to order one starter and four mains to share”. 

He continued: “And in the case that a plate of radishes is enough for you and your three friends for lunch, then perhaps an allotment would be a better investment than a table at a restaurant.

“There was at one point an etiquette in restaurants that if you booked a table in a nice place you at the very least had to order a main course (and possibly even a starter or dessert) and drink wine in order your table to be worth serving.   

“For example, we do to the effort of dressing the table, of picking and arranging the flowers, of polishing the glasses etc and reserve the table for someone to order a meal which costs £25 a head.”

Some Instagram users were quick to slam him as “tone deaf” accusing him of failing to understand how the cost of living affects diners”.

One user said: “Hahaha this is so f****** tone deaf. How many people have the luxury of going out for a boozy lunch midweek?”

However, a few commenters backed Corcoran’s stance.

One supporter commented: “If you don’t want to order a proper meal, then maybe just don’t eat out.”

Corcoran later doubled down in a follow-up post, defending his view of restaurants as places for “conviviality and abandon to the pleasures of food and drink.”

He argued that he’s merely asking diners to support his small, family-run business by ordering enough to cover their spot.

He wrote in his post: “If people take up space but do not consume, the restaurant makes no money. It is as simple as that.”

The Yellow Bittern, which opened just last month, operates with three staff members and has only 18 seats.

Co-owned by Oisín Davies and Frances Armstrong-Jones, the restaurant has previously been described as the “most eccentric in London” and “fabulously analogue”.

Adding to its old-school appeal, it’s cash-only, doesn’t take online reservations, and is open strictly for weekday lunches from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Tables are reserved via landline or by sending in a postcard—quirks that have drawn both intrigue and ire from potential patrons.

For those who do manage to get a booking, the restaurant’s menu is a nod to hearty, old-fashioned fare, featuring pheasants, stews, and indulgent puddings, paired with wines like Sauvignons and Rieslings.

Corcoran, who made his name in Paris and the Basque Country, says he wants his guests to “justify their presence” by ordering generously, adding that diners “are there to spend some money.”

Yet, his attempt to school customers on “dining etiquette” hasn’t sat well with everyone.

One frustrated follower said: “Here’s the thing: literally millions of restaurateurs make it work without public whining and shaming customers.”

Another chimed in, saying: “You’re not ‘changing dining culture’; you’re just turning people off.”

Corcoran remains unfazed, insisting that he’s creating a dining experience for those ready to fully enjoy it, unapologetically claiming that “restaurants are not public benches.”

Meanwhile, Gary Neville’s Leeds restaurant has gone into liquidation with debts reported at £1 Million – including £519k owed in taxes

Elsewhere, a celebrity chef has closed down his iconic seaside restaurant after 16 years – and has “no plans to open any more in the future”.

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