A Michelin-starred London restaurant has gone public with footage of a man it accuses of breaking into the venue during dinner service and stealing a personally engraved magnum of champagne it had been awarded for being named one of the UK’s top dining destinations.
John Chantarasak, who runs AngloThai in Marylebone with his wife Desiree, said the man entered the restaurant at the height of dinner service on the evening of 5 June, rummaging through cupboards and attempting to open locked doors before locating and stealing the bottle from the restaurant’s private dining room. Footage shows a well-dressed man appearing to pocket the £100 bottle of Laurent-Perrier before quickly leaving the premises.
The magnum had been presented to AngloThai for being recognised by Condé Nast Traveller as a Top UK Restaurant for 2025 — an accolade that came just a week before the theft, when the restaurant was named 14th out of 100 in the publication’s ranking of the country’s best restaurants, beating establishments including The Ritz.
In a furious Instagram post, Chantarasak wrote: “Last Friday night this disgusting excuse for a human walked into AngloThai at the height of dinner service, rummaging through cupboards and tried opening locked doors, before settling on stealing a personally engraved magnum we had sitting in our private dining room.” He appealed to the public for help identifying the man. “If you recognise this vile man send over any information so we can forward to the police as we report this crime. If you also own a business in the Marylebone area then take note of this scumbag’s face in the instance they try preying on your business like they did to ours.” He added: “Hoping you choke on your stolen champagne you sorry excuse for a human. SHARE AND SHAME THIS LOW LIFE FOLKS.”
Chantarasak is a well-known figure in British food circles, having appeared on MasterChef as a guest expert and on Great British Menu. Half-Thai and raised in the Wye Valley, he trained at Le Cordon Bleu Dusit in Bangkok and worked under renowned Thai chef David Thompson before returning to London, where he helped launch the acclaimed restaurant Som Saa.
AngloThai began life as a pop-up before its popularity led to it securing permanent premises in 2024. The restaurant, which includes a private dining room called Baan seating up to 16 guests, was awarded its Michelin star in February last year.
The Metropolitan Police have been contacted for comment.
