Beluga in Leatherhead, which is due to open tomorrow (11 February), was criticised by members of the public for the terms and conditions on its website that stated: ‘Dress code is smart casuals with jackets for men, no tracksuits, no t-shirt and women can wear skinny jeans with sexy black ankle-strap heels and with a form-fitting top. Alternatively, there are many different types of dresses that would look good at a bar in the summer or winter, namely a midi or bodycon dresses.’
Men were told that they could not wear tracksuits.
Posting on the restaurant’s Facebook page, one person commented: “What restaurant has T and Cs? How ridiculous. I don’t think I would look good in a body on dress to many spare tyres. So only skinny people allowed them?” Another wrote: “I disagree with your dress code, I will never set a footstep into your doors and I recommend this to everyone who disagrees with your dress code.”
In a post on Instagram the restaurant apologised for the terms and conditions on its website, saying that they had been published “mistakenly”. “The description was inappropriate, disrespectful and offensive and does not reflect the image we’re seeking the promote,” it wrote.
“We are wholeheartedly apologising for any offence and upset that we have caused.”
The restaurant has also clarified that it has a “smart dress code for men and women".