After he was knocked to the ground by a partygoer, a London court heard that a waiter working at the iconic restaurant in central London suffered a broken foot.
Bartlomiej Dyjak, 38, allegedly assaulted Le Caprice employee Elias Kidane outside Tramp private members’ club in Mayfair during the early hours of New Year’s Day last year.
He is standing trial at the Old Bailey charged with inflicting grievous bodily harm.
A court was told that Mr Kidane, who had just finished a shift at the restaurant, had enjoyed champagne and only had a limited amount of memory about his trip home.
The Old Bailey was told by him that he started to drink at 12am. He was last person to leave the restaurant at 2am. Everyone was enjoying champagne at the restaurant.
Le Caprice, a central London restaurant that was loved by celebrities, closed down in the wake of the pandemic.
It was alleged that the assault occurred outside Tramp private member’s club (pictured). Bartlomiej Dijak claims that he did not inflict grievous bodily harm
‘I closed with my line manager and I asked him if he wanted to go somewhere else to drink.
‘Then I don’t remember anything else, I think I wanted to go home.’
According to him, he was walking past the members’ club on the way to the bus stop. This is a long walk that he said he has done ‘thousands’ of times.
He told court however that he had been confronted twice by men, before being “attacked”.
He said, “I had a flash of being in front of two men. They were very tall.
‘I don’t know how but I got attacked, I felt a sweep, a leg sweep and I immediately fell on the floor. I still remember that time I was trying to get up and I couldn’t get up.
‘I tried to get up and I heard voices, no one helped me at that time. Others were also laughing in the background. I was unable to remember what happened next.
Le Caprice was frequented by Princess Diana, pictured here leaving the restaurant in central London in January 1994
‘I woke up somewhere in a doorstep somewhere near the club. [It was] about 10am on New Year’s Day.
‘I was trying to get up and I saw my leg, it was extremely swollen, it was huge, it was like three legs. There was no one passing by, I couldn’t ask for help or anything.’
He made it to Green Park station, where he took the Tube home.
The incident occurred two days later. He self-presented to St. Thomas Hospital where his right leg was fractured.
After hearing that a plate was placed on the Old Bailey’s ankle, five screws were also put into his foot. He could not walk for two more weeks.
Dyjak is a resident of River Rise Close in Surrey Quays (south London) and denies inflicting severe bodily harm.
Le Caprice was loved by Princess Diana as well as a number of A-list stars like Elton John, Tom Cruise and others, shortly after the outbreak of coronavirus in March 2013.
The first restaurant opened by Mario Gallati (a former maitre de’ at The Ivy), in 1947. It remained open until 1975.
It became a popular spot for stars like Mick Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and other royals such as Princess Margaret and Princess Alexandra.
One of the few London exclusive restaurants, it was not reopened after lockdown.
It was temporarily reopened in April as an academy for training, due to the staff shortages that plagued the hospitality sector.
There are “early plans” to open the restaurant in another location. However, this is still at an early stage.
The trial is continuing.