The Ivy Restaurant, London

Originally just a cafe when it was opened in 1916 by Abel Giandellini, The Ivy is now the restaurant favoured by the rich and famous in London.

By 1929, the cafe was expanded into a restaurant.

One day, while the building work was going on for the expansion, Giandellini apologised to a customer for the noise and said that it would be worth it as the intention was to create a high-class restaurant. On another table, an actress, Alice Delysia, overheard and called out, 'Don't worry, we will always come and see you. We will cling together like the ivy'. They named the restaurant after that sentence.

It has been owned by various people in the years since, and is now owned by Richard Caring who also owns restaurants Le Caprice and J Sheekey. It was completely refurbished in 1990 to its present design.

There's another Ivy Restaurant in Los Angeles, but it has no links to the London one.