I Regret Almost Everything

I Regret Almost Everything is a memoir by Keith McNally. Originally published in 2025 by Gallery Books, the title details the experiences that led McNally to become one of the most acclaimed restaurateur’s in the history of New York City’s dining culture. McNally was born in England in 1951 to working-class parents, but would later travel the world and relocate to New York. His humble beginnings inspired him to seek success and fame beyond the context of his family and home. Written from McNally’s first person point of view and embracing a confessional tone, the memoir reflects on how McNally’s business success and marital conflict contributed to his physical and mental health conditions. I Regret Almost Everything disrupts notions of linear narrative time and explores themes including the Search for Meaning and Purpose, the Complexity of Family Relationships, and the Challenges of the Restaurant Industry.

This guide refers to the 2025 Gallery Books hardback edition of the memoir.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of suicidal ideation, death by suicide, illness, bullying, sexual content, mental illness, and death.

Summary

McNally grew up in Bethnal Green, an economically disadvantaged neighborhood in London’s East End. He lived with his parents, Joy and Jack, and his three siblings, Brian, Peter, and Josephine. McNally recalls how contentious his parents’ relationship was and how difficult he found it to get along with his older brothers. Feeling like an outsider and desperate to escape his working-class origins, McNally dropped out of school and left home at 16. From London, he traveled to Kathmandu, Luxembourg, Afghanistan, and France. These travels informed his passion for acting and film. When he moved back to London, he started appearing in theatrical performances and working on film sets.

In 1975, McNally relocated to New York City to start his life over. He hoped that this mythical metropolis would facilitate his foray into the film industry. However, he found it difficult to penetrate this artistic field and started working as a busboy and server. Things began to change when he secured a job at the restaurant One Fifth. He not only met his best friend Po Ming through this job, but was also soon promoted to general manager and maître d’. He then began making hiring decisions, and brought on his brother Brian as a bartender. (Brian had recently moved to New York and needed work.) Not long later, McNally hired Lynn as a server. They worked well together and soon began dating. Five years later they were married.

McNally and Lynn also started a family together, and eventually had three children, Harry, Sophie, and Isabelle. Meanwhile, they became business partners and started opening new restaurants. Their first restaurant was called the Odeon and located in Tribeca. Despite all of the economic and logistical challenges the couple faced, the Odeon was a success and remains open to this day. However, McNally and Lynn also encountered business conflicts that eventually led to their divorce. Their split was hard on McNally, Lynn, and their three children, but McNally claims that he and his first wife have since rekindled a friendship. He’s also devoted time and energy to repairing his relationships with his children.

After the divorce, McNally bought a house in Martha’s Vineyard. He devoted significant amounts of money and time to renovating the property. The place would become his permanent summer home.

In 1997, McNally met and fell in love with Alina. Five years later, they got married and started a family, too. Together they had Alice and George. In the early days of this second marriage, McNally’s older and younger children got along. Further, Alina was amenable to Harry, Sophie, and Isabelle’s involvement in her children’s and McNally’s lives. Some years later, however, she would pull Alice and George away from Lynn’s children.

Over the years, McNally opened restaurant after restaurant, including Balthazar, Pastis, Pravda, and Nell’s. Although he was making millions of dollars and receiving excellent reviews, McNally didn’t feel happy. He moved back and forth between New York and London, forever trying to navigate his personal and professional lives.

Then in 2016, McNally suffered a massive stroke. Because he was otherwise in good health, the doctors struggled to determine the cause of this medical event. After surgery, treatment, tests, and rehabilitation, they eventually discovered that a stress-induced coughing fit had resulted in the stroke. McNally fell into a depression in the subsequent months. He’d lost the use of his right hand and could barely speak. His diminished physical and verbal capacity compelled him to withdraw from his social spheres. It also intensified his self-doubt.

Further, McNally’s decision to pursue alternate rehabilitation programs in New York created distance in his marriage with Alina. She was angry with McNally for leaving her, Alice, George, and London, and hurt that McNally was spending so much time with Lynn and his older siblings back in the US. Finally, Alina filed for divorce. A despairing McNally attempted to die by suicide shortly thereafter. This decision led him to spend several months in intensive residential treatment. Although initially resistant to the psychological care he received, he gradually adjusted to and healed because of it.

Years later, McNally isn’t sure if he has in fact changed because of his experiences. However, he does admit that he’s become more sympathetic, understanding, and emotional. Most importantly of all, he’s discovered that his true purpose lies in the restaurant industry. He often struggled to find satisfaction in this work, but now understands how many people’s lives he’s touched over the course of his career. Further still, McNally now understands that being a New Yorker is a vital part of his identity.