Harden's survey result
Summary
Aiming for a taste of La Dolce Vita lifestyle, these retro-glam Italian cafés and restaurants mostly occupy the same sites as the eponymous clothing brand, and deliver classic casual Italian menus mixing pizza and pasta (both typically over £20 a plate) with both more and less substantial dishes. A brief involvement with Zaha Hadid’s Serpentine restaurant has ended, but a new, sixth branch debuted in July 2021 in the heart of St John’s Wood (on the site of a former Côte). With 84 covers, it’s the largest outlet to-date and opens all day from breakfast.
Summary
These retro-glam cafés are mostly located in-store, but the portfolio now also boasts the “beautiful building by the Serpentine Sackler Gallery” designed by Zaha Hadid. Perhaps because their price-tag is not exactly ‘bargain basement’, feedback is somewhat limited, but there’s a fairly clear picture of chic Italian dishes that, while “good and tasty”, can seem “nothing special” given the Monte Carlo-esque bill. Any such caveats do not seem to be getting in the way of the chain’s ongoing expansion however, most recently into Kensington.
Summary
These retro-glam cafés are mostly located in-store, but the portfolio now also boasts the “beautiful building by the Serpentine Sackler Gallery” designed by Zaha Hadid. Perhaps because their price-tag is not exactly ‘bargain basement’, feedback is somewhat limited, but there’s a fairly clear picture of chic Italian dishes that, while “good and tasty”, can seem “nothing special” given the Monte Carlo-esque bill. Any such caveats do not seem to be getting in the way of the chain’s ongoing expansion however, most recently into Kensington.
Summary
“A chic take on Italian cooking” makes these in-store deluxe cafés– a popular option “for a quiet and unassuming” (but fairly loaded) Mayfair, Notting Hill and Chelsea clientele, who often choose it for business. The sceptical view is that it’s “perfectly nice, but why all the fuss – should they stick to frocks?” They must be doing something right though, with new branches this year in Harrods and – most notably – their takeover of Zaha Hadid’s magnificent restaurant space (formerly The Magazine, RIP) at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery.
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Have you eaten at Chucs?
Restaurant details
Chucs Restaurant Diner Reviews
"We had two mains: a delicious cod with lentils etc and a tasty burger on the dry side (the waitress said “we don’t do medium”). Alfresco lunch with the heaters not working well and this spoilt the enjoyment. "
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