Posh New York restaurant ‘tells staff to Google guests before giving them a reservation so they can keep out poor people’ – but stars like Ivanka Trump, Robert DeNero and Paul McCartney have no trouble getting in
- Staff at Fleming by Le Bilboquet claim they are only allowed to accept diners who are rich, and must clear the reservations with their manager before confirming
- NYC restaurant has hosted Ivanka Trump, Robert De Niro and Paul McCartney
- It seats 20 people and staff claim they ‘want to maintain a certain environment for our customers, rich people, even if it means we’re slow’
- Billionaire Ronald Perelman and French restaurateur Philippe Delgrange opened the Upper East Side eatery last year
- Staff claim they reject reservations by simply not calling people back to confirm
- But a rep said: ‘What the staff is claiming is absolutely not true’ and is made up
- Fleming by Le Bilboquet admits it Googles people but hasn’t said why they do it
A posh New York restaurant has admitted it searches online for names of guests before they arrive but denies claims from staff that it’s to filter out potential diners who are not rich and famous.
Fleming by Le Bilboquet, located on the Big Apple’s Upper East Side, can only seat 20 people and recognizable faces eating there include Ivanka Trump, Robert De Niro and Paul McCartney.
But hostesses must ‘pull up each unknown guest on Google’ according to a page-long ‘Fleming Hostess Reservation Protocol’ document and staff claim it’s because ‘we want to keep the restaurant for special people only’.
Staff at Fleming by Le Bilboquet claim they are only allowed to accept diners who are rich, and must clear the reservations with their manager before confirming
‘Yes, we Google people,’ an anonymous waiter at the restaurant on Madison Avenue and 62nd Street, told The New York Post. ‘There are more rich than famous people coming in but we get Robert De Niro, Paul McCartney, Ivanka Trump.’
The staff member added that the venue, which is a spin-off of legendary French restaurant Le Bilboquet – requires those entering reservations to clear it with their manager Alex before confirming with guests.
The Post reports that someone who works in the kitchen shared those who are rejected from dining there simply don’t get their phone call returned.
It seats 20 people and staff claim they ‘want to maintain a certain environment for our customers, rich people, even if it means we’re slow’
Billionaire Ronald Perelman (left in 2017) and French restaurateur Philippe Delgrange (right in 2006) opened the Upper East Side eatery last year
Billionaire Ronald Perelman and French restaurateur Philippe Delgrange only opened Fleming by Le Bilboquet last year but staff members claim the venue is willing to forgo business in order to uphold a prestigious appearance.
‘We want to maintain a certain environment for our customers, rich people, even if it means we’re slow,’ a waiter continued.
Their website simply has a button for potential diners to email. There is no other contact information.
However a representative for Fleming by Le Bilboquet said the claims from those working there are false.
‘What the staff is claiming is absolutely not true and whoever said it is making it up,’ Josh Vlasto told The Post.
DailyMail.com didn’t receive an immediate response from Fleming by Le Bilboquet when contacted on Friday about they search Google for information on customers.
The original Bilboquet only had 30 seats when it opened on East 63rd Street then it closed after 27 years and reopened in 2012 with 100 seats.
The likes of Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, Martha Stewart, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Hugh Jackman dined there.
Staff claim they reject reservations by simply not calling people back to confirm. Fleming by Le Bilboquet admits it Googles people but hasn’t said why and denies the other claims from staff