Actor Russell Crowe and his girlfriend Britney Theriot were denied service at a Melbourne-based Japanese-fusion restaurant, Mr. Miyagi, for not meeting the establishment’s smart-casual dress code. The couple arrived at the restaurant in outfits they had worn for a game of tennis earlier in the day. However, the staff promptly turned them away. According to Crowe’s manager Grant Vandenberg, the actor was wearing a brand new Ralph Lauren polo at the time.
Mr. Miyagi describes itself as “casual but fancy” and prohibits “work gear, activewear, singlets, and thongs (flip-flops).” The restaurant’s management reiterated that no one is above the rules, including the Gladiator star. Owner Kristian Klein told The Herald Sun, “We treat everyone the same. It doesn’t matter who you are or if you are Russell Crowe. We’ve got a dress code that we push across every level.”
Klein also stated that he did not believe the dress code was unreasonable, and he would not try to visit a nice restaurant wearing boardies and thongs himself. The staff member who denied Crowe entry reportedly did not recognize the Robin Hood actor, which Klein called a “very unfortunate situation for everyone.”
In response to the incident, Mr. Miyagi had some fun by updating its dress code policy on Instagram, which read, “Dress smart casual, unless you’re Russell Crowe, then wear whatevs.” The restaurant later addressed Crowe, making a permanent change to its dress code, and inviting the actor to dine there again.
According to the Daily Mail, radio broadcaster Steve Price and his girlfriend were turned away from the restaurant just days later for a dress code violation. Crowe joins a list of recent A-listers who were denied entry to eateries, including talk show host James Corden, who was banned from Keith McNally’s Manhattan restaurant Balthazar in Oct. 2022, and Ariana Grande, who was kicked out of a California doughnut shop after being caught on surveillance camera licking some unattended pastries.
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