A swanky London steakhouse is facing backlash over its introduction of charges for tablecloths and napkins.<br>
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Diners at the London Steakhouse restaurant, which was opened by celebrity chef Marco <br>
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Pierre White in 2008, are now expected to fork out an additional cover of £1.50 per person.<br>
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The restaurant, located near Liverpool Street train station, has <br>
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stated that this will be a fixed fee 'to cover the cost <br>
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of table linen and napkins', with a discretionary service <br>
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charge of 9.5 per cent also appearing on bills.<br>
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Industry experts have cautioned though that this could be just the start of restaurants <br>
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seeking more 'innovative' ways to raise additional revenue from customers.<br>
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Off the back of the government's autumn budget which saw both the minimum <br>
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wage and national insurance rates increase, restauranteurs have been warning that prices must rise for them to <br>
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be able to foot the bill.<br>
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From April, the national minimum wage will increase by 6.7 <br>
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per cent to £12.21 per hour, with employer's NI charges to jump by 1.2 per <br>
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cent. <br>
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Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch has previously claimed the national <br>
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minimum wage is detrimental to British businesses, and told this year's Tory conference that it <br>
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was 'over-burdening' many small enterprises.<br>
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The London Steakhouse appears to be reacting proactively to its impending expenditure <br>
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increases, through both the tablecloth and napkin fee along with a host of other <br>
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charges.<br>
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Marco Pierre White's (pictured) London Steakhouse has <br>
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come under fire over the introduction of charges <br>
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for tablecloths and napkins<br>
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The London Steakhouse restaurant (pictured) has been open near Liverpool Street station since 2008<br>
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Diners are now expected to fork out an additional <br>
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£1.50 per head for tablecloths and napkins<br>
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Be the first to commentBe one of the first to commentComments<br>
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Would you pay for the napkin fee?<br>
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Comment now<br>
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The charges for the linen are displayed on the restaurant's à la carte menu, with the set menus seeing additional charges <br>
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such as a £1 head cover fee.<br>
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A 12.5 per cent service charge is also added to set menu bills, as the self-proclaimed 'linen-topped table dining' establishment seemingly seeks more ways to charge patrons.<br>
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The cover charge concept is one which is standard practice in many places around Europe, particularly <br>
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in Italy where the 'coperto' charge covers table linen and bread.<br>
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Cover charges are becoming ever more prevalent in the UK, with Harrdos also recently jumping on the trend and implementing a £1 levy at its London eateries.<br>
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Other charges laid out on the London Steakhouse's website include <br>
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a £10 fee for booking certain set menus over two days in advance.<br>
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This fee is not considered as a deposit by the restaurant and is not credited from your final bill, but rather a charge simply allowing you to make your reservation. <br>
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Consumer specialist Jane Hawkes told the Telegraph that the introduction of such fees is unfair <br>
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on diners and that customers should be made to feel valued <br>
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by businesses, rather than 'bamboozled'.<br>
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One potential unintended consequence of these fee introductions is that patrons will <br>
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feel less obliged to pay service charges or leave behind tips.<br>
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Despite new legislation coming into effect in October which ensures staff receive equal distribution of tips, industry expert <br>
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Ms Hawkes says that this may prove to be redundant if fee gouging persists. <br>
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The London Steakhouse restaurant has been approached <br>
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by the MailOnline for comment. <br>
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ItalyMarco Pierre WhiteKemi Badenoch<br>
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A swanky London steakhouse is