Peer tries to close Oriel after one bad meal

Earl Cadogan (pictured), one of Britain's richest landowners, has decided to close down a landmark Chelsea restaurant whose freehold he owns because, after an evening at one of its tables, he decided the food was not up to standard. The eaterie in question is Oriel on Sloane Square, a favoured haunt of ageing Sloane Rangers and patrons of the Royal Court Theatre next door.

"I didn't like the food and the prices there are far too high," Cadogan tells the Daily Telegraph. "I can tell you that we won't be renewing their lease when it expires in two years' time. We are going to have a new development there."

However, Cadogan, whose family's wealth is estimated at almost £3 billion – they own 90 acres of Chelsea - may have a fight on his hands. A spokesman for the Oriel's owners, Tragus Holdings, says: "Any decision on the possession of the unit will rest with the courts. The Oriel has been an iconic feature of Sloane Square for over 20 years."