I Regret Almost Everything

A Memoir

By: Keith McNally

Narrated by: Richard E. Grant

The entertaining, irreverent, and surprisingly moving memoir by the visionary restaurateur behind such iconic New York institutions as Balthazar and Pastis.

A memoir by the legendary proprietor of Balthazar, Pastis, Minetta Tavern, and Morandi, taking us from his gritty London childhood in the fifties to his serendipitous arrival in New York, where he founded the era-defining establishments the Odeon, Cafe Luxembourg, and Nell’s. Eloquent and opinionated, Keith McNally writes about the angst of being a child actor, his lack of insights from traveling overland to Kathmandu at nineteen, the instability of his two marriages and family relationships, his devastating stroke, and his Instagram notoriety.

©2025 Keith McNally (P)2025 Simon & Schuster Audio

Painful confession

He walked the line between being boastful and self deprecating better than most. He does a fair amount of name dropping but that is the circle he runs with. I wish he’d had a bit more insight into what it was like to be married to him. As a woman who divorced an absent husband, I felt sympathy for his wives. I really appreciated his conversations about art and culture, I would’ve liked to have heard more about how he came across the designs that he came up with for his restaurants. I find it interesting that he could hardly cook and yet he was wildly successful with restaurants. A part of me like the book a part of me didn’t but overall, I’m glad that I listen to it. I wish him well

Very compelling read

I loved this book and I couldn’t put it down. I found myself immersed in Mr Mcnally’s world…He’s such a talented writer, so interesting, so honest, This book is skillfully crafted…I’m going to read it again I liked it that much.

Wonderful…

very well written and Richard Grant does a marvelous job!!! I didn’t want it to end.

Rarely frank, wise and interesting memoir

Keith McNally, a working class guy from London, made a life long (superbly successful) detour into restaurant business from the (unsuccessful) film-making aspirations. At the very top of his career he had a stroke, followed by a divorce with a suicide attempt in between. Everything is in this story - successes and failures - written without any self-pity or any self-justification. The successful life is presented as is, with all its warts. Many, many warts. It makes it very lively reading. The best part of the book is the author's humling experience after his stroke (he did not recover to his former self) - this part alone makes it well-worth to pick up the book: how do you proceed with life and career after such a major change?
One more thing: McNally is an intellectually curious person, so mini-essays on various topics are scattered all over memoirs, which makes it even more interesting reading.
Richard Grant gave McNally's writing just the right voice. The reading is not overly dramatic, but the actor used the accents and intonations where approproate.

Great listen. Richard Grant reads.

This is a very relatable story about the trials and tribulations of life. Specially helpful for people coping with the aftermath of stroke. Highly recommend. Really appreciate the efforts the author must have gone through to write this book.

Unraveling Preconceptions

I really enjoyed the humble revelations of this long admired New York wizard of the dining experience. It also brought me the "we're only human" enlightenment of my own self reflection. I was especially moved that Keith kept a hand on the shoulder of modesty while unraveling what he was and what mattered upon inspection as the tides of inevitable change is embraced.

Put on your seatbealt

At times, an uncomfortable, strange and interesting autobiography on the life of Keith McNally. His humbling list of regrets are the foundation of story but get tiresome after a while.

Loved this memoir

The perfect British reader for this book. A melodious expressive voice that captures the comedy and heartbreak.

Wonderfully riveting

I really enjoyed the story told through Keith’s eyes. I’d like to think we’d be friends. Richard E Grant was fantastic too. Sad that I finished it. Wanted it to keep going!!

A lesson in memoir-writing

One of the best memoirs I’ve read for its raw honesty and humanity. Thank you, KM!