# Thomas Straker Opens New York Restaurant > Thomas Straker, the British chef with 2.7 million Instagram followers, opens his first New York restaurant in the former Lucky Strike space. - Title: Thomas Straker Opens New York Restaurant · Vanity Fair - Summary: Thomas Straker, the British chef with 2.7 million Instagram followers, opens his first New York restaurant in the former Lucky Strike space. Thomas Straker… - Keywords: thomas straker, lucky strike, keith mcnally, new york, seahawks, nfl, restaurant, tiktok, instagram, michelin, casa cruz, dorsia - Source: Vanity Fair — https://vanityfair.com/story/thomas-straker-british-bad-boy-new-york-restaurant - Author: Elise Taylor - Published: 2026-10-07T16:00:00+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: thomas straker, lucky strike, keith mcnally, new york, seahawks, nfl, restaurant, tiktok, instagram, michelin, casa cruz, dorsia ## First Meeting Thomas Straker was hungover after drinking with Canadian tourists at Scarr’s Pizza on the Lower East Side. ## Hungover Next Day He texts his general manager about the party, who texts back that the restaurant was a mess. > Absolutely disgusting in here. Food everywhere, cigarettes on the floor. ## Straker’s Background Thomas Straker is 36 years old and has a reputation for scandals but is not a degenerate. ## London Restaurants He operates two Michelin Guide restaurants in London: Straker’s and Acre, both in Notting Hill. ## Dua Lipa’s Favorite Dua Lipa named Straker’s one of her favorite restaurants in London. > Dua Lipa told V Magazine it’s one of her favorite restaurants in London. ## All Things Butter His butter line, All Things Butter, is stocked in major UK and US retailers and sold 1 million pots in the UK this February. > sold around 1 million pots in the United Kingdom this February alone ## TikTok and Instagram Straker has more than 2.5 million TikTok followers and 2.7 million Instagram followers. > more than 2.5 million TikTok followers and 2.7 million Instagram followers ## New York Restaurant Straker will open his first New York restaurant, Dorsia, in the former Lucky Strike space. > Dorsia is one of the investors ## Military School Straker failed at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where Prince Harry and Prince William studied. > I failed because apparently I was too immature to do the officer training ## Casa Cruz He worked at Casa Cruz, a restaurant in Notting Hill with patrons including Victoria Beckham and Prince Harry. > whose patrons include Victoria Beckham, Prince Harry, and Kate Moss ## Santa Cruz’s View Juan Santa Cruz describes Straker as "an absolute rebel" who helped make Casa Cruz successful. > an absolute rebel ## Tattoo and Art Straker has a tattoo of a fish and his restaurant features art from a $5 billion art collector. > It’s a bloody butcher fishing fly, his skin still red and shiny from the needle ## Keith McNally’s Reaction Keith McNally says he feels rage and jealousy about Straker opening the restaurant in his former space. > Feelings of rage and jealousy ## McNally’s Advice McNally advises Straker to close his New York restaurant and return to London. > He wrote to McNally and asked him to get a coffee ## McNally’s Final Words McNally says he loves Straker’s food but will eat at his New York restaurant every other day for 40 years. > Although I loathe Tom, I love his food, and I plan to eat at his NY restaurant every other day for the next 40 years or until I die. Whatever comes first. ## Key takeaway Thomas Straker, a British chef with 2.7 million Instagram followers, opens his first New York restaurant in the space previously occupied by Keith McNally's Lucky Strike.