The story of David’s departure from his mansion in Holland Park to the less taxing paradise of Monaco was reported by Robert Watts in The Sunday Times, the writer who compiles the much-looked-at Rich List.

David, his brother Simon and their family are second on this year’s Sunday Times Rich List, with a combined fortune of just under £28 billion.

Billionaire brothers Simon and David Reuben © Credit Requested

Reuben is by no means the first RBKC-based billionaire to leave. Norwegian shipping magnate John Fredriksen slung his hook in 2024. He still retains his mansion in Chelsea, but laid off most of his regular staff.

Reuben’s brother Simon has lived in Monaco for around 40 years. The principality is affectionately known as “Alcatraz for the Rich” (© Mick Hucknall!).

However, The Guardian revealed yesterday that, in fact, David has been a tax resident in Monaco since at least 2014. Not quite such a shocking revelation then.

The exit timeline is now somewhat doubtful, but he has certainly gone, no matter when.

The Times calculates that 24 of the 350 people and families on the 2026 Rich List now live in Monaco. Translate that into money: British residents of Monaco account for about £77 billion of wealth.

Despite leaving London as a resident, he is still overseeing separate £1 billion restorations of London landmarks and is a shareholder in Newcastle United.

What does this mean for Holland Park? For locals, the more tangible question is what happens to the house – and the spending that tends to come with a billionaire household. Although perhaps this is a 12-year-old question?

The brothers made their fortune through metals and property – with the latter very much visible around our part of London.

Look at the Reuben Brothers Real Estate Holdings page and the Reuben London footprint is rather more extensive than the Holland Park address he has left.

For Chelsea eyes, most interesting are numerous prime Sloane Street shops and 125-133 Old Brompton Road, which housed Ferrari’s showroom at the front and has mews houses to the rear. The family’s property interests also extend into Kensington and Victoria.

And, perhaps most famously, there is the luxury shopping destination Burlington Arcade. The Reuben Brothers acquired the Piccadilly arcade in 2018.

Then there is the London Heliport – formerly Battersea Heliport – which the brothers bought in 2012 for £35 million. Ironic, somewhat, that despite leaving the capital, the family still owns the best way to exit London when you’re rich.

So, while David Reuben may be leaving Holland Park for Monaco – indeed, he may have left a while ago – the Reuben presence around Chelsea and west London has not and is not disappearing. His home address may have changed, but the Reuben family’s property footprint has not.

For Tricia Guild, Designers Guild was “so much more than a business”.

“It is my passion and my life’s work,” she said, describing how she built the brand over decades with “an unswerving belief in the power of creative design and a constant striving to achieve only the very best”.

Guild spoke movingly of the “sadness” she has felt at the collapse of the company she developed, whilst reflecting on what it has achieved and the legacy it leaves behind.

She said that “recent years have brought a succession of challenges to the business” and that, “despite the best efforts by our team and others over numerous months, we have not been able to find a way forward”.

After 56 years, the iconic company – and one of the King’s Road’s most recognisable names – is gone. For generations of Chelsea residents, its closure has come as a genuine shock.

Guild’s statement was also a tribute to the “wonderful people” she has worked alongside over the years, thanking the “talented, dedicated individuals” across the business, from the design studio and warehouse to head office and shop floor.

Guild said she hoped “the many positive and happy memories will be the ones that stay with us”.

There were “the gorgeous fabrics, wonderful interiors, photo shoots in the most inspiring places around the world, daring and successful product launches, the opening of showrooms in Paris, Munich and Stockholm, the gradual growth and development of the King’s Road store”.

But, above all, Guild said it was “the many lovely times spent with colleagues, suppliers, clients and friends over the years”.

And one final hope from Guild: “that, in some small way, I have brought colour into people’s lives. Above all, I am proud of the lasting legacy that Designers Guild Ltd leaves in homes around the world.”

Designers Guild Statement. Photo © DG Instagram

Designers Guild Statement. Photo © DG Instagram

It is a sentiment that has been echoed across Chelsea, with an outpouring of grief and sympathy as the gloom-coloured curtains finally came down on DG.

The Citizen first posted an Instagram reel on Monday showing the state of the famous shop, after Sky News reported on 7 September that the company was on “the brink of collapse”, having filed a notice to appoint administrators.

This early reel has gathered more than 17k views and has been forwarded more than 270 times, prompting a stream of heartfelt responses.

For many, it captured a piece of Chelsea history disappearing before their eyes.

“That’s terrible! I have lived in Chelsea for nearly 40 years, and this wonderful shop was like a longstanding companion for all those years,” wrote one.

Another shared their disappointment from an employment and creative perspective: “Such a sad day to see this glorious store have its doors closed. This for me as a young textile designer to see what could be achieved on cloth and to sit beside fabulous ceramics, glassware and objets d’art. What a sad end to see such a wonderful store be dismantled and abandoned”.

Others kept it simple, focusing on their own memories: “The end of an era – I remember my first visit in 1983”.

The reaction online came as the reality of what had happened was becoming clear on the King’s Road.

A sign had been put in the window over the weekend stating that the store would be closed for its “annual stock take,” with the promise that it would be open as usual on Monday. It did not open.

The sign, as pictured in TCC Instagram reel

Looking through the famous shopfronts revealed a bleak sight: the café dismantled, while what little stock remained was stacked or packed up in a threadbare showroom.

Boxes line the DG cafe

A sadden of its former glory

It also marked the end of the spirited defiance of a store manager, whose comments to The Citizen the previous week suggested there might still be hope.

On Tuesday, the confirmation appeared in the store windows: “with great regret after 56 wonderful years on the King’s Road the Designers Guild store is closed”.

The TCC posted the news, attracting more than 70k views and approaching 400 emotional comments.

The closure sign in the store windows

Past employees joined in: “18 years I worked at DG, alongside some of the very best people. DG ran through our blood, and we gave everything to the company”.

The comments quickly widened beyond DG itself, with some questioning the future of the King’s Road. One wrote: “until the government recognises the importance of small creative businesses or any independent business for that fact our High Streets will be decimated”.

Another warned: “The independent spirit of the Kings Rd is being lost a bit more each year”.

Some also picked up on the issue the TCC is already investigating, encouraging our line of enquiry: “Please keep putting pressure on Sloane Stanley…they are decimating the upper ends of these streets”.

It brings into sharper focus The Citizen’s ongoing investigation into the state of play at Super Landlord Sloane Stanley. Their “New retail opportunity” boards have appeared on empty properties across the area.

We asked the company’s CEO for an interview last week to understand what is happening, but have yet to receive a reply.

For now, Chelsea is left to mourn the passing of a business that helped define the King’s Road for generations. Good luck to Tricia and all the DG staff. You will be missed.

Some of the many responses on Instagram:

Looking striking in a black designer suit, with white gloves and a Panama hat, Jagger cut a distinctive figure as she rose to address more than 150 residents packed into St Cuthbert’s Church in Philbeach Gardens last night.

Striking: Bianca Jagger addresses the gathering at St Cuthbert’s Church          Photo: Remo Knecht

The audience fell silent as she spoke passionately about the threat she believes another round-the-clock gambling venue would pose to children and vulnerable people in the neighbourhood.

“This is the wrong place for another 24-hour gambling venue,” she said.

Speaking not only as a human rights campaigner but “as a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother”, Jagger told residents: “My concern is how it will impact our community. How do we protect our children and vulnerable people from harm? How do we prevent crime and disorder? How do we protect the safety and wellbeing of the people who live in our communities?

“And, perhaps most importantly, do local people and their elected representatives actually have the power to say No when they believe that their community is at stake?”

Thursday night’s meeting was the latest round in a long-running campaign by Earl’s Court residents against Silvertime Amusements’ plans for a new Adult Gaming Centre (AGC) at 177–179 Earl’s Court Road.

Silvertime already operates a smaller venue at 169 Earl’s Court Road and wants to move into the much larger former Lloyd’s Bank premises, opposite the station on the corner of Hogarth Road. Silvertime owns that site after buying it for £3,450,000 in 2024 from a businessman – revealed last night to be “Mr C.D Patel”.

The panel against Silvertime (L/R): Joe Powell, Will Prochaska, Francesco Zibellini, Bianca Jagger, Tom Bennett, Linda Wade      Photo: Remo Knecht

Cllr Linda Wade has been leading the charge to save Earl’s Court            Photo: Remo Knecht

Cllr Tom Bennett re-assured residents that RBKC will fight any legal battle ahead “robustly”          Photo: Remo Knecht

The company suffered a major setback in April when RBKC’s Planning Applications Committee overwhelmingly dismissed its application following a campaign which generated around 1,000 objections.

But in July, a separate council Licensing Sub-Committee granted Silvertime a new Adult Gaming Centre premises licence for its proposed new site, subject to a series of conditions. One requires the existing licence at No.169 be surrendered before gambling begins at the new premises.

Silvertime is seeking to overturn the planning refusal, meaning the wider battle is far from over.

Jagger told the meeting: “Earl’s Court is already becoming a gambling hub, with betting shops and Adult Gaming Centres located within a very small area. At some point, saturation has to mean something.”

The intense row has taken on national significance following Government proposals to strengthen the hand of councils and communities in deciding where gambling businesses can operate.

A gathering storm: Residents pack the pews of St Cuthbert’s                     Photo: Remo Knecht

The Government has announced plans to scrap the controversial “aim to permit” approach to gambling licensing and introduce Gambling Impact Assessments aimed at giving communities greater power to challenge concentrations of gambling premises.

Jagger said: “Local people know their neighbourhood. They know where children walk to school, where older people feel unsafe, where antisocial behaviour occurs, where people experiencing addiction seek help and where public services are already under pressure.

“Their experience must not be treated as secondary to a technical licensing process.”

The meeting also heard from Kensington and Bayswater MP Joe Powell and councillors Linda Wade, Liberal Democrat member for Earl’s Court, and Tom Bennett, Conservative member for Redcliffe.

Powell told The Chelsea Citizen that if a planning inspector overturns RBKC’s refusal, he will ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Angela Rayner, to intervene.

“It’s not a step frequently used on something like an adult gaming centre and it may be a first,” he said. “I feel confident, given the rapid change in Government policy, that we can use this case as an example to demonstrate what the new policy will look like.”

Powell has previously raised Earl’s Court in Parliament as a case study in communities resisting the growth of Adult Gaming Centres, highlighting the area’s existing gambling businesses as well as hostels for people with complex needs and methadone-dispensing pharmacies.

The proposed site will be ten times the space of Silvertime’s existing shop a few yards away       Photo: Rob McGibbon/TCC

Demonstrators voice their objection to Silvertime at a demo’ in March 2026         Photo: Rob McGibbon/TCC

Silvertime’s existing shop is a short distance from the former Lloyd’s bank building now owned by the gambling giant        Photo: Rob McGibbon/TCC

Will Prochaska, from the anti-gambling campaign group CEGA, launched a fierce attack on Silvertime, describing it as “a seriously predatory firm”.

“They pick locations in seriously deprived areas,” he claimed. “People in these areas are less likely to gamble, but they are more likely to be harmed by gambling.”

He also claimed: “Silvertime makes 60% of its profits from 5% of its customers.”

“The content they’re selling on their machines is highly addictive and that is their business model,” he said.

His claims were made at the public meeting. The Chelsea Citizen has not independently verified the figures.

Prochaska said the turnout at the meeting demonstrated the strength of feeling in Earl’s Court: “People have just had enough of it.”

Cllr. Bennett stressed that opposition to the proposal crossed party lines and promised campaigners on-going help and information as the planning appeal progresses. He also underscored an earlier pledge by RBKC Leader Cllr Elizabeth Campbell that the council will dig deep to pay for any legal challenge that comes from the well-resourced Silvertime. He revealed that  legal fees will cost a minimum of £100,000 and could raise significantly.

Cllr. Wade said the closure of the Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre had badly affected the neighbourhood, stripping away trade and hotel business and contributing to economic decline.

She argued that the resulting deprivation had created fertile ground for gambling businesses seeking to expand in the area.

The Earl’s Court Society – led by Francesco Zibellini – promoted Thursday’s meeting. It has been campaigning alongside residents against the expansion of 24-hour gambling in the neighbourhood. More than 70 people also attended the April planning meeting at which Silvertime’s application was rejected.

Jagger urged RBKC not to give up the fight.

“The Council now has an opportunity to send a clear message,” she said. “It can say that local communities matter. It can say that cumulative impact matters. It can say that the wellbeing of residents must be taken seriously.

“And it can say that there comes a point when enough is enough. I believe we have reached that point in Earl’s Court.”

The Chelsea Citizen spoke with the representative for Silvertime, but the company is refusing to release a statement. request for interviews with the two directors of the family-owned company that has operated since 1995 were also rejected.

Campaigners out in force against Silvertime last March

WARNING: Distressing Content – The Chelsea Citizen asked A.I what it thought the new Silvertime AGC might look like

Tom Kerridge’s The Chalk Freehouse, just off the King’s Road, has teamed up to launch ‘The Dog’s Dinner’ – special canine cuisine for pooches joining their owners for Sunday lunch.

Tom Kerridge. Photo © The Chalk Freehouse

Already proudly dog-friendly, The Chalk is giving its furry guests more than a warm welcome, with a place at the table of their own. And all in time for Chelsea Dog Day (3 Oct) and the annual Chelsea Halloween Dog Parade.

The canine dish has been developed by The Chalk Freehouse’s Head Chef Tom De Keyser and the Butternut Box team to be safe, nutritious and, crucially, tasty for dogs. Naturally, it comes with all the trimmings – including a dog-friendly Yorkshire pudding.

Combining Butternut Box’s Pork This Way with The Chalk Freehouse’s take on classic roast accompaniments, the result is a proper Sunday lunch for pups – and, hopefully, fewer hungry eyes staring up from beneath the table.

Tom De Keyser, Head Chef at The Chalk Freehouse, said: “Sunday lunch is about bringing everyone together, and for many of our guests, that includes their dog. We wanted The Dog’s Dinner to have all the fun and theatre of a proper Chalk Freehouse Sunday roast, right down to the roast potatoes and Yorkshire pudding.”

A pawfect Sunday. Photo © The Chalk Freehouse

For those dining on two legs, The Chalk Freehouse’s Sunday menu offers you 30-day dry-aged ribeye of beef (£38.50), half Devonshire White Chicken (£34.50), loin of Blythburgh Pork (£36.50) and a ragu of summer vegetables with braised Portobello mushrooms (£26). Each comes with roast potatoes, crushed carrot, and a stuffed Yorkshire pudding.

Just an eight-minute walk from Sloane Square, Kerridge’s pub brings his take on reimagined British favourites with a contemporary twist to Chelsea – now with a Yorkshire pudding for every member of the family.

Charlotte McCormack, Physical Product Director at Butternut Box said: “By combining our expertise in dog nutrition through fresh dog food with The Chalk Freehouse team’s culinary creativity, we have developed every element of The Dog’s Dinner specifically with dogs in mind. Pork This Way provides a wholesome base for the finished dish and gives owners confidence that their dog can enjoy the Sunday lunch experience too.”

The Dog’s Dinner – literally. Photo © The Chalk Freehouse

The Dog’s Dinner is available every Sunday up to and including 1st November. It is complimentary for dogs accompanying guests dining from The Chalk Freehouse Sunday menu.

Reservations can be made at thechalkfreehouse.co.uk.

Sky News reported last week that the beloved home décor store – launched by Tricia Guild in 1971 – is in serious trouble, with the company having filed a notice to appoint administrators.

City Editor Mark Kleinman claimed that DG was on “the brink of collapse”, stating that those at the helm had been left with “no alternative but to line up insolvency practitioners”. He added that business re-structuring experts Interpath Advisory have been put on standby to assist with an administration process.

The reported crisis comes less than 18 months since textiles and home furnishings giant Dunelm acquired the luxury home brand and licensed it back to its founder. Questions are now being raised as to what has gone wrong since the link up.

But yesterday, The Citizen visited the company’s flagship shop in Chelsea to talk to staff. There, a senior manager dismissed reports of an imminent closure.

“Do you see a closing-down sale?”, he said, pointing to the continued activity in the store. “I am currently working on a £200,000 project. As far as we are concerned, it is business as normal.”

He added that he was “suspicious of uncertainty” and alluded cryptically to an “acquisition process” which he said was due to reach a conclusion at the end of this week.

Referring to the Sky News report and The Citizen’s Instagram reel – a post that featured images of the Guild’s expansive six-unit shop frontage set to sombre funeral music – the manager described the coverage as “way too presumptuous”.

DG itself is an international company with offices in Tokyo, Munich, New York and Paris and is widely recognised for its vibrant designs, fabrics and upholstery.

Meanwhile, DG’s founder and creative director has continued to see success in recent months, with Mador Architects and Tricia Guild winning the 2026 UK Royal Institute of British Architects London Award for their project ‘Greenside Road’.

So why would the potential downfall of DG matter so much to Chelsea?

The company was first established by Tricia Guild in 1970 before being joined in partnership by her brother, Simon Jeffreys, in 1986.

Their iconic flagship store opened its doors in November 1971 at 277 King’s Road and has been there ever since – subsequently spanning from Nos.267-277.

There were sad responses from readers and customers alike to The Citizen’s Instagram Reel breaking the news of problems at DG. More than 12,500 people have so far viewed the Reel and many Followers posted comments of sadness and disbelief:

“Is there anything your local clientele can do to help?”, wrote one customer.

“I hope this isn’t true. Tricia is a visionary and DG on the Kings Road would be sorely missed.”

“Yet another Great British institution facing ruin, how terribly sad! I do hope it can be saved.”

The Citizen sends best wishes to Ms Guild and her team.

As written in the Sky News piece, a DG spokesperson said: “We have been working with our advisers for a number of months as we assess and explore a range of potential investment options which will help drive the next phase of our strategy. In recent days, we have taken legal steps to protect the position of the business while discussions with potential investors continue. In the meantime, it remains business as usual and we will provide further updates in due course.”

56 YEARS OF DESIGNERS GUILD

Tricia Guild and Simon Jeffreys. Photo © Designers Guild

Tricia Guild was born in Marylebone in 1946 and, by the age of 24, was married and had acquired David Bishop, a London interior company specialising in imported Indian cottons, with an investment of £42,000.

With degrees from the Royal College of Art, Winchester School of Art, and Loughborough University, Guild’s qualifications are numerous and put her in good stead to go solo.

“My aim for Designers Guild has always centred on the idea of making your life easier. We give you the tools to create your own individual sense of style, which hopefully makes your life more energetic and pleasant” – August 2020, Guild, DG Instagram.

“Don’t opt for a space with no personality because of fear of pattern and florals. When it comes to designing your own home, be passionate in your own belief” – April 2026, Tricia Guild, DG Instagram.

Guild is the author of over 20 books and has won multiple awards for her contributions to design.

Indeed, Guild managed to establish unique access to royal residencies when DG was granted a Royal Collection licence in 2007. This led to DG’s Royal Collection being launched in 2008 likely leading, at least in part, to Guild’s OBE for services to interior design that same year.

Her inspiration? Guild has frequently spoken of her grandfather and his garden, describing childhood visions: “One of my earliest memories is of gardening with my grandfather and looking up through clouds of lilac-coloured wisteria at the blue sky beyond. I remember being struck by the colours and in a sense, I have always been searching for that same sense of wonder in my work.”

Tricia Guild and Simon Jeffreys. Photo © Designers Guild

KX gym is planning to erect four new padel open-air courts and members facilities on a brownfield site – spreading over 2,400 square metres  – near its main workout club and spa on Draycott Avenue SW3.

The site, known as The Clearings, was formerly used by Peter Jones as a storage depot, but has been empty for nearly 20 years due to a failed sale in 2007. Successive schemes for property development have also failed, not least in recent years due to a slow down in the property market.

Now KX (pronounced Kicks) has lodged a planning application with RBKC for padel courts, including detailed designs that show toilets, a reception, an open air hangout area and a van serving coffee and refreshments. If granted council approval, the KX project is projected to £2 million and could be up and running within a few months. They say that the structure will only be in place for “12 months”.

Membership at KX for one person costs £8,750 annually on top of the £2,500 joining fee – your first year costing you £11,250 for access to the luxury health and wellness club.

Location of proposal and an aerial view of the brownfield site

An architect’s illustration of the courts layout

But the plan has been met with fierce opposition from residents who are hitting back with a volley of complaints lobbed into the council portal. The key points of opposition are NOISE from play, disruption from CARS used by players, and LIGHT pollution. The courts would be open from 6am-10pm, which residents say, will bring extensive disruption – particularly to those who live in flats where bedrooms overlook the site.

Residents also claim unfair play by KX and its property agent Savills for filing the planning application in early August when most people were away – and giving just three weeks during peak summer season to lodge objections.

Residents also claim that they were only alerted to the scheme by a single Public Notice board tied to a lamppost on Draycott Avenue.

The Clearings brownfield site and possible home for the padel club

Residents are further dismayed that neither company made any effort to consult them in advance of the application, nor give prior warning.

Following multiple requests for comment from KX, The Citizen received this reply from its external public relations company: “KX has no comment to make on this and will not be putting anyone forward for interview. Should that position change, we will let you know.” Savills has not responded. 

The CGI image of the KX Padel Club design, complete with the outdoor social area for members and refreshments van

Lord Richard Grantley, chairman of the Milner Street Area Residents Association (MISARA), called upon his members to act. He also submitted a detailed letter [published in full below] to RBKC’s planning officer Cheryl Collins in August detailing the areas of concern and reasons for objection. Lord Grantley states:

“We fully expect the very frequent “gunfire-like” sound of 4 padel courts to disturb many residents in many of the surrounding streets, including those some distance away, for up to 16 hours a day, 365 days a year.

“Two things are certain: this ugly structure will create light pollution, and it will be highly visible from surrounding streets. We appreciate that the current housing market is poor, but this padel scheme in the middle of a quiet residential area is not the right answer…this application should be refused.”

Noise remains the point of contention – and KX are aware. Spend enough time on their planning documents and you find notes about light and noise in the plans already. Indeed, they have completed Environmental Noise Survey and Noise Impact Assessment Report with the conclusion: ‘negligible’.

The Citizen will monitor progress of the planning application and bring readers full coverage of proceedings when it comes before the Planning Committee.

Side view of the padel courts roof structure

Some of the many objections letters to the council

Three letters of SUPPORT for the scheme

The damning letter from MISARA

The Citizen – a humble, self-funded news operation – has been given the nod by judges for Website of the Year (Regional/Local) and is up against some of the best-resourced and biggest hitters in the regional press.

Shortlisted in the category are Kent Online, Birmingham Live, So Glos, Belfast Telegraph and the Andover Advertiser – all of which are owned by long-established and large media groups, such as Reach and Mediaquest. The winner will be announced at a modestly glittering night at the London Hilton Bankside on 10th September.

The Chelsea Citizen was founded and funded by freelance journalist Rob McGibbon and launched in February 2025 – despite a failed crowdfunding campaign. The news title covers Chelsea, as well as its border neighbourhoods in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and has become known for breaking headline stories.

Many Citizen exclusives have been followed by the national press, including The Sunday Times, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, The Sun and Private Eye. It was this ability to consistently break news that was highlighted in the awards judges’ citation. It was also commended for turning “an arid news desert” into an “oasis of news and stories”.

The judges were also impressed by The Citizen’s determined campaigning, not least for leading a two year battle against Rockwell Property building a tower of luxury flats by Battersea Bridge – a campaign that culminated with a famous victory in June.

Editor Rob McGibbon, who started out as a local reporter on the Wimbledon News in 1985, said: “I am delighted that The Citizen has been acknowledged with this nomination. We have been punching way above our weight since Day One and we have proved that, with the right level of determination and a decent news sense, you can find news stories in an area that really matter to the community.

“This entire project has been the most arduous and exhausting vertical ascent of my career, but it has also been the most fulfilling. Going back to my roots as a local reporter and seeing how important local news is to my community has reaffirmed my absolute belief in the vital necessity for local newspapers. I hope that The Citizen can become a template for how hyper local news should be done – and how it can thrive.”

The Citizen’s awards citation on Press Gazette

Rob McGibbon with a 1985 copy of The Wimbledon News – showing his first splash story. Photo: June Torrance

Some of the important stories The Citizen has broken 

Everyone who’s anyone has at one time or another graced its beautiful blue and white tiled room on Langton Street, from Princesses Diana and Kate, to Placido Domingo and Mick Jagger, to Kate Moss and Felicity Kendal.

Above all, it is a homely, family-run restaurant serving Tuscan cuisine that has been adored by local residents ever since it opened its doors in 1975. That is, except for one neighbour.

The Citizen can reveal that La Famiglia has been in the grip of a long-running feud with a local man for more than 18 months that has escalated to the point that it threatens the very future of this elegant, discreet venue. Now, celebrities and locals are rallying round to support its owners and staff.

“The situation has got out of hand and now we are all concerned for what lies ahead,” said one worried regular. “The word has gone out that La Famiglia needs its family, so everyone is doing what they can to help.”

The row centres around noise coming from the garden dining room, which was opened in 1982 and was extended a few years later. It has 80 covers and has operated successfully without any complaints from residents ever since.

The garden backs onto multiple residential properties where the disgruntled neighbour in question lives. By some irony, he is an Italian man in his 30s, who began renting a flat in the area in November 2024. In January 2025, as the restaurant celebrated its golden anniversary, he started lodging complaints.

The man –  whose identity The Citizen is not revealing – claimed that loud chatter from guests and serving noise from staff  – the moving of cutlery and glasses – was waking up his baby daughter, who is now two. He even noted that celebrating diners singing Happy Birthday was a particular issue that vexed him.

La Famiglia has held a licence to serve in the garden until midnight for decades. Despite this, it agreed to restrict service to 11pm to appease the neighbour. The owner – Marietta Maccione – also directed a member of staff to act as ‘Noise Marshall’ every night, telling customers to quieten down if things became too rowdy.

The elegant garden room of 80 covers that is at the centre of the row

Those two measures hit profits considerably, but the compromise was not enough and complaints continued. Last October, the restaurant even went to the extraordinary extent of banning the singing of Happy Birthday – insisting that guests move into the front area if they wanted to sing that tune.

Restaurant managers preferred not to issue a statement to The Citizen, but a local with knowledge of the situation revealed:  “The complaining got ridiculous. No matter what the restaurant did to keep him happy, this man kept coming back with more issues and gripes. Even closing earlier and stopping anyone singing Happy Birthday was not enough.”

The neighbour started reporting his complaints to the council and began demanding that the garden close at 9pm Monday to Saturday and by 8pm on Sundays. His complaints have now triggered a licence review. On 7th July RBKC served a public notice announcing a review will be held by the Licensing Panel on the grounds of ‘Prevention of Public Nuisance and Protection of Children from harm’.

The notice is now in the window at La Famiglia, but The Citizen has redacted the complainant’s name to protect his privacy. His identity will become more public once the papers for the hearing are finalised and published by the council on its website.

It has become clear that if a stringent change in the licence such as closing the garden at 9pm comes into force it would have serious consequences for La Famiglia. It is understood that this would mean it losing the option of a “second sitting”. Takings would be affected so sharply that as much as 50% of its 60 staff could face being laid off, or having reduced hours. Fewer customers will also have a dramatic impact on a network of local suppliers who provide fresh produce and goods to the restaurant.

A local added: “If this man wins and the council changes the licence to close the garden at 9pm, it will be catastrophic for La Famiglia. The hospitality business is in a fragile state generally and such a restriction on a small family restaurant would make the entire operation unviable. It will cost a fortune in lost revenue and so many of the loyal staff will lose their jobs.

“It all feels so unfair. The flat where the man lives was extended by its landlord owner in the mid-1990s, which is the reason why it is so close to the garden. That was the choice of the freeholder, with full knowledge that La Famiglia had a dining room there.

“The people who run the restaurant have always been very respectful of their neighbours. In all these decades there have never been any complaints or disputes. Everyone loves the restaurant. It is an iconic character of Chelsea. The family who live right next door have raised their children here and have never had a bad word to say about the garden and its noise. This man is renting a flat and was here for only a short time before he started complaining and he has not stopped ever since. He is determined to cause chaos for La Famiglia.”

RBKC states that postal letters or emails (to licensing@rbkc.gov.uk) concerning the review must be lodged by 4th August. This has prompted a flurry of notes from supporters. The Citizen understand that many celebrities and notable locals have emailed the Licensing Authority to emphasise that they have eaten in the garden room over many years and can vouch for it always being orderly and well run by staff.

The Citizen has asked La Famiglia for comment and will be contacting the neighbour.

Redacted public notice from the council has been placed in La Famiglia’s window

Legendary La Famiglia founder Alvaro Maccioni and his daughter Marietta, the current owner

Richard Eden of the Daily Mail has picked up on The Citizen’s exclusive story

The scene…

Noted for its ultra-modern lilac and purple branding – the most “soothing” colours for pets – the clinic recently opened on the Fulham Road.

As a welcoming gift, pet owning readers of The Citizen qualify for a month’s free membership by following this link and quoting TCC25.

Dr Imre Pesta-Berry, the Head Vet at Creature Comforts Chelsea, said: ‘We’re so excited to be part of the Chelsea neighbourhood. Our fantastic team is here to support you on your pet’s health journey. We can help with all their needs, from regular wellness checks, to surgery and dentistry, so that they can stay happy and healthy for the long term.’

The colourful new clinic at No.281 Fulham Road

The central mantra of the business is “Owned by vets and run by vets”. Founded by vet of 26 years Russell Welsh and dog dad Daniel Attia, Creature Comforts is looking to revolutionise the way vet practices work. There is an emphasis on creating happy and healthy environments for the staff, as much a the animals.

The vet world is known for a high turnover in its workforce due to the overload of demands at the more traditional clinics. Creature Comforts has created a new model which caps member numbers per vet, ensuring focused care and personal, long-term relationships between vets and members.

The Creature Comforts mantra: Owned by vets, run by vets

Lilac and purple are thought to be the most “soothing” colours for animals

Customers are offered a monthly subscription model for £20 that includes unlimited consultations, as well as annual vaccinations, and member rates for neutering, dental treatments and routine medications.

Creature Comforts also prides itself on a state of the art app that allows pet owners to manage pet information, book appointments and even Live Chat chat with one of the medical team.

Creature Comforts currently has 32 Five Star Reviews on Google which can be read here.

For more information, visit Creature Comforts here or call 020 3039 3953.

The Creature Comforts app