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Diners were today mourning the end of an era as the new owners of a notorious Chinatown eatery pledged to shed its reputation as London’s rudest restaurant.

Wong Kei in Soho earned cult status for snarling staff dishing out insults to any customer who dared to resist shared tables, refused to go upstairs, paid by card or asked for a knife and fork.

But the new managers have promised to improve the quality of service when it reopens next month after long-awaited refit.

Daniel Luc, who is taking over the 500-cover restaurant in Wardour Street, said: “Maybe there was an issue with rude staff 20 to 30 years ago, but I don’t think so any more. I don’t know whether that’s a good thing or not.”

The news came as a shock to devotees who have grown accustomed to stir fries served with a shrug. They took to Twitter to express their disappointment.

Andrew Lebentz wrote: “Please don’t make Wong Kei a polite place to eat - the best thing about it is the rude staff.”

And James Bollen wrote: “RIP London’s most masochistic dining experience in Chinatown.“

In a review on the TripAdvisor website, which ranks Wong Kei 3,482nd of 16,000 London eateries, Pam Rei wrote: “The food is great, cheap, plentiful. Service is rude but can be hilarious if you take it all in the right spirit, take it in your stride.”