Harden's survey result
Summary
“The food is pretty basic, but that’s not why people go” to wine merchant John Brinkley’s Chelsea brasserie, a long-time hangout for a loyal ‘Sloane Ranger’ crowd who discovered the place in the ’80s – “the wine list is excellent and not greedily priced, and the atmosphere remains great”. There are suggestions, though, that its “buzz” is on the wane (“the place has been sliding for at least two or three years”), but people have been saying this for over a decade now!
Summary
For its Sloane Ranger crowd, wine merchant John Brinkley’s long-established brasserie is a “still-buzzing Chelsea legend where you can drink well at almost-retail prices”. But, while most fans feel the food is “decent” too, others say “you pay too much for what you get and folks are starting to vote with their feet”. There are spin-offs in Wandsworth Bridge Road and beside Wandsworth Common (see Brinkley’s Kitchen).
Summary
The flagship of John Brinkley’s wine-focused southwest London group attracts a well-heeled Chelsea set out for a good time. “You really shouldn’t expect great food, let alone good value at this address” – but there’s plenty of fun to be had here, and at spin-offs in Wandsworth Bridge Road and overlooking Wandsworth Common.
Summary
A “fun atmosphere” and “wide wine list that’s almost at cost prices” ensure that John Brinkley’s Chelsea-set haunt remains “a perfect place for an afternoon to float away”, or a “summer’s evening in the conservatory”. The food “won’t set the world alight”, but that’s never been the point. There are now spinoffs in the Wandsworth Bridge Road and on the edge of Wandsworth Common.
For 34 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
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Restaurant details
Prices
| Availability | 2 courses | 3 courses |  |
 |
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Always | £50.00 |  |
|
 |
Traditional European menu
| Starter | Main | Pudding |
|---|---|---|
| £21.00 | £30.50 | £9.00 |
| Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £35.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £0.00 |
| Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £0.00 |
| Service | 10.00% |
Opening hours
| Monday | 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Tuesday | 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Wednesday | 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Thursday | 5 pm‑11 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
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