Description: New York Times Bestseller Winner of the 2026 Gotham Book Prize The entertaining, irreverent, and surprisingly moving memoir by the visionary restaurateur behind such iconic New York institutions as Balthazar and Pastis. A memoir by the legendary proprietor of Balthazar, Pastis, Minetta Tavern, and Morandi, taking us from his gritty London childhood in the fifties to his serendipitous arrival in New York, where he founded the era-defining establishments the Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg, and Nell's. Eloquent and opinionated, Keith McNally writes about the angst of being a child actor, his lack of insights from traveling overland to Kathmandu at nineteen, the instability of his two marriages and family relationships, his devastating stroke, and his Instagram notoriety.
Brief description: Richard E. Grant was launched to fame in the 1987 cult classic Withnail and I. Since then, he has gone on to star in a wide variety of films, including his Oscar Award-nominated performance in Can You Ever Forgive Me? in 2018. An avid reader, in 2021 he hosted the BBC's literary travel series Write Around the World with Richard E. Grant. He married Joan Washington in 1986 and has a daughter, Olivia. You can find him on Twitter @RichardEGrant and Instagram at @Richard.E.Grant.
Review Quotes:
"Richard E. Grant showcases the compelling life of legendary restaurateur...[and] brings a commanding narration to the proceedings. His timing, along with his eloquently dry delivery, is masterful. Grant's narrative skill is on full display as McNally shares his professional failures and personal struggles...Throughout, Grant's performance is spellbinding."
-- "AudioFile"