Donald Trump broke with presidential protocol and ditched his press entourage Tuesday night to eat dinner with his family at famous New York steak house 21 Club - where he was met with a standing ovation from stunned diners.

The mood, however, was not so cheery among the press pool employed to follow the President-elect, as they waited outside his Fifth Avenue home.

They had been told by Trump's press liaison, Hope Hicks, at 6:14pm that he would not be leaving Trump Tower for the rest of the night and that they might as well go home.

Unbeknownst to Hicks, an hour and 15 minutes later, Trump - along with his wife Melania and his four grown up children with their respective partners - emerged from the apartment block and took a motorcade - with at least a dozen vehicles and an ambulance - to the very same restaurant where he enjoyed his wedding reception with Ivana in 1977.

Hicks told the reporters that she was as unaware of Trump's dinner plans as they were and promised that this was not a sign of things to come but a small blip while they sorted out his permanent press pool.

Throughout the past seven days there have been reports that the President-elect's team is in disarray and unprepared for the process of transition. This latest mix-up with his press liaison and the press pool will only serve to fuel these reports.

That being said, given the choice of restaurant it is clear that Trump was not attempting to fly under the radar on Tuesday night when he went to dine out with his family.

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Escape: Trump gave his press pack the slip and went to 21 Club (pictured), near Trump Tower, for dinner with his family. He'd told his press liaison that he was staying at home for rest of night

The president-elect was joined at dinner by his daughter, Ivanka Trump (left) and her husband, Jared Kushner (right) as they left the restaurant together

The billionaire's daughter-in-law, Lara Yunaska Trump (left) and his youngest daughter, Tiffany Trump (right) were also photographed leaving the 21 Club

Vanessa Trump (above), who is married to Donald Trump Jr, was also photographed leaving the famous restaurant on Tuesday evening

Donald Trump Jr is pictured above just steps behind his father outside of the 21 Club on Tuesday evening

Kiss goodbye: Trump was seen giving son Eric a farewell kiss after their meal at the restaurant

The fact that Trump was dining out and not at home where he said he would was only discovered by chance when a Bloomberg reporter - apparently in the 21 Club by coincidence, on a work outing - took a picture of him as he entered the restaurant to applause from diners.

As the President-elect walked into the restaurant to be seated, he was caught on video shaking hands and telling patrons, 'we'll get your taxes down, don't worry about it.'

His press pool picked up on the tweet and made their way to 21 Club, but found that the block around it had been shut down by police.

The disarray grew even worse when only a small group of reporters - those who had NYC press passes - were allowed to wait outside the restaurant.

Those without, which included several members of his private press pool, were forced to wait down the street where their view was blocked by a dumpster.

At 9:38pm, the pool peered around the dumpster and watched Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, get into a SUV.

One of the reporters asked if they enjoyed dinner, and Ivanka Trump smiled. Soon after, the motorcade began rolling.

Trump gave his son Eric a farewell kiss outside the restaurant after their meal. The President-elect's motorcade was seen pulling into Trump Tower at 9:41pm, around two hours and ten minutes after it left.

HISTORY OF THE TRAVELLING PRESS POOL The travelling press pool is a group of reporters selected to accompany the president and in exchange for access share any information, photos or videos they obtain with other members of the press. Almost every single president has ditched their pool over the years, most times to get out for a private dinner or date. The travelling pool began shortly after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 and is at times referred to as the 'death watch,' a nod to the most morbid event that the press would need to cover when following the president. The travelling press pool has also proved important during events like 9/11, when reporters were with George H.W. Bush on Air Force One as he returned to Washington DC after the attacks. Advertisement

As a regular diner at the restaurant, Trump is known to sit at table number 11 inside the historic restaurant. That table was also a favorite by President Gerald Ford and his wife.

Hope Hicks told reporters that this was not a sign of things to come, and was a result of Trump not yet having a 'protective press pool' that follows him everywhere - unlike sitting presidents.

President Barack Obama, for example, has a Washington, DC pool that follows him around the capital, and another press pool that rides with him on Air Force One. He is almost never without the pool, per an agreement with the White House Correspondents' Association.

Once Trump's protective pool is set up, the press will have the same access to him that they have with any other president, Hicks promised.

Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway said Wednesday that the president-elect did not mislead the press on purpose. 'He was just having dinner with his family,' she said.

Jason Miller, a senior adviser to Trump's campaign and a spokesman for him now, noted that the president elect doesn't have a protective pool at this point and said, 'Obviously, that will change when he becomes president and we're working towards that now.'

Milled told Trump's press pool Wednesday that the transition team is working to improve communication with the press.

'Do we always bat 1.000? Not necessarily. Last night probably was an example where there could have been a little bit better communication,' he admitted.

'But I would also...stand up for the President-elect and say that, for some in the media, unless they're actually sitting at the table, seeing if he's getting the chicken or the fish, that they will never be happy.'

TRUMP'S TROUBLED TIMES WITH HIS PRESS POOL The president's protective pool follows him wherever he goes. It is comprised of reporters representing national news outlets, the networks, wire services such as AP and Reuters, and radio stations. Hillary Clinton's pool met her at the airport most mornings. After she debuted her campaign plane, on Labor Day, news outlets were able to purchase seats in the press section of her plane, ensuring that her pool of reporters were able to travel with her the rest of the day. They tagged along, in her motorcade, to campaign events. Reporters covering Trump didn't even travel on the same plane as the candidate - his personal jet didn't have space. They traveled on a separate plane, allowing him to ditch them multiple times to make last minute trips to Louisiana after a flood and Mexico to meet the country's president, Enrique Pena Nieto. When Trump traveled to Washington last week to meet with President Barack Obama, reporters were not invited to accompany him from LaGuardia to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Comparatively, the President's in-town press pool sees him off on Marine One from the White House's South Lawn. His out-of-town pool awaits him at Joinr Base Andrews and rides with him on Air Force One to his destination. If he's making moves within the city, they ride in pool vans behind him in the motorcade to his destination and back. The President almost never goes anywhere without his press pool, per an agreement with the White House Correspondents' Association. The importance of the press access agreement was demonstrated when Clinton disappeared for 90 minutes in September after falling ill at a 9/11 memorial. The Oval Office candidate admitted later in the day that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia two days before and kept it a secret in order to continue with her campaign. Advertisement

The Trump official said there has to be a balance between press access and future first family's privacy.

'But to your initial point, we do think that there will be improved communication and our goal is to make sure that something like last night doesn't happen again,' Miller said.

Tuesday night was the first time the President-elect had left Trump Tower since he returned from Washington, DC on Thursday.

It's not yet known what the President-elect chose to eat, but he's a well-known steak fan.

A 28-day aged ribeye steak costs $68 from the ritzy restaurant's a-la-carte menu.

The special on menu at the restaurant Tuesday was a herb-crusted rack of lamb that's meant for two people and costs $125.

Trump admitted in March that he likes to have his meat well done - so much so that it 'rocks on the plate,' he says.

As the president-elect walked into the restaurant to be seated, he was caught on video telling patrons, 'we'll get your taxes down, don't worry about it'. His wife, Melania, is pictured in the background smiling

Kate Smith of Bloomberg dined at the restaurant on Tuesday and claimed Trump ordered a virgin Bloody Mary as his beverage

As a regular diner at the restaurant, Trump is known to sit at table number 11 inside the historic restaurant. That table was also a favorite by President Gerald Ford and his wife

It's not yet known what the President-elect has chosen to eat, but he's a well-known steak fan. A 28-day aged ribeye steak currently costs $68 from the ritzy restaurant's a-la-carte menu

Disorder: Some of the media who were assigned to Trump were told to wait down the end of the street, as they didn't have NYC press passes. Some non-Trump reporters with the passes stayed

The newly elected president was spotted getting into a waiting SUV, as his son, Donald Trump Jr was just steps behind him outside of the 21 Club on Tuesday evening

"We'll get your taxes down—don't worry about it" POTUS-elect Trump tells diners at NYC's 21 Club—via @HallieJackson who made a rez to get in pic.twitter.com/0IcEYXq7SW — Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) November 16, 2016

The confusion over Trump's clandestine meal is the latest sign of trouble for the Trump transition team that has underwent two shakeups since Friday.

Trump demoted New Jersey Governor and transition chair Chris Christie on Friday and put his running mate, Mike Pence, in charge. Mike Rogers, a former congressman and national security adviser to Trump, was also axed by the government-in-waiting.

Former State Department official Eliot Cohen advised prospective Trump appointees to ‘stay away’ on Twitter today. ‘They’re angry, arrogant, screaming “you LOST!” Will be ugly,’ he said.

Kushner is said to be behind the staff shakeups.

The president-elect hit back at his critics shortly after he finished his dinner, proclaiming on Twitter: ‘Very organized process taking place as I decide on Cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are!’

Trump returned to his home at 9:41 pm after the two-hour meal with his family, putting a formal end to his night.

Guarded: The entire block was shut down by security (pictured). The break with protocol was seen as a sign of disorganization in his camp, and discomfort with presidential scrutiny

Ovation: Trump was met with a 'standing ovation' from diners at the restaurant (pictured)

Rudy Giuliani, a vice chair of the transition and a top contender for secretary of state, told the New York Times the discord was ‘completely normal.’

‘It happened in the Reagan transition. Clinton had delays in hiring people,’ he said, referring to past presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton.

Giuliani said, ‘This is a hard thing to do. Transitions always have glitches. This is an enormously complex process.’

Trump had spent the day prior to his break for freedom in a series of meetings with dozens of people at his home.

Among those seen entering Trump Tower earlier Tuesday was Senator Ted Cruz, who once called Trump a 'sniveling coward' but left saying he hoped to work 'closely' with Trump and VP-elect Mike Pence in the future.

It was later announced on Twitter by a Bloomberg reporter that Cruz was in the running to be attorney general.

Also seen entering were Senator Jeff Sessions, retired Lt Gen Keith Kellogg, and Trump's ex-wife, Marla Maples - so perhaps it's no surprise Trump wanted to unwind minus his entourage.

Showman: Trump boasted that only he knows who 'the finalists' for his Cabinet are on Twitter Tuesday, in a remark that seemed more appropriate for The Apprentice than the President