Is Your Favorite Restaurant a Singular or a Plural Place?

Should an exceptional restaurant be a singular or plural place? Do you prefer a one-of-a-kind experience that requires a pilgrimage, such as to El Bulli’s location in an out-of-the-way cove on the Costa Brava? Or do you find reassurance in, say, Nobu being everywhere (well, at least in the 50 or so cities around the world where it has sprung up)?

Culinary connoisseurs, I am certain, will prefer the exclusivity of the former. But I can see how others may admire the business savvy of the second. We’ll get more evidence of the profitability of that model now that a long-awaited sale has taken place. Earlier this month, news broke of a deal for a majority share in a set of posh London clubs and restaurants with the aim of replicating their concepts around the world. The valuation for the establishments involved — including the legendary private club Annabel’s and the Ivy group of restaurants — was £1.4 billion ($1.9 billion). The architect of the transaction — which took a couple of years to finalize — was Richard Caring, the former garment industry magnate who’s assembled a collection of high-end bars and eateries over the last two decades.