Chelsea, British, Modern Restaurant Guide

This “pleasant spot off the King’s Road” in Chelsea is at its “romantic best if you’re sitting outside in the summer”, in one of the courtyard booths. The seasonal British menu is well executed, if lacking real excitement.

2022 Review: This lovely 200-year-old pub in a Chelsea backstreet serves a very decent menu (including “child-friendly” options) and is thriving follow a smart refurb under the ownership of Rupert Clevely’s Hippo Inns for the second time – in 2010 he sold it to brewer Youngs as part of Geronimo Inns.

With the “lovely decor” replicated from the Theatreland icon for which they are branded, Richard Caring’s “always buzzy” spin-offs have found a gigantic audience nationally. But “these places live off the name for sure” and “it’s the ambience that keeps them going” – while fans say the food is “reliable”, more sceptical types dismiss it as “conveyor-belt cooking”; and say service is merely so-so. Some branches are better than others: best in London is ‘Chelsea Garden’, which has the same “distinctly average” standards as the others, but reliably offers an “uplifting” atmosphere and “great people watching” (and “on a sunny afternoon there is literally NO WHERE ELSE TO BE but its large garden. HEAVEN!!”). Also worth mentioning is the outlet by The Thames in SE1: “excellent views of Tower Bridge”, “even better if outside in summer and convenient for The Bridge Theatre”.

The Gladwin family’s faux-rustic, field-to-fork spot in quirky premises on the King’s Road still scores more hits than misses, thanks to the “care taken sourcing the ingredients” and its “buzzy” atmosphere. It’s perennially a “crowded” venue however, and a slip in ratings supports the odd reporter who feels that food-wise, its British small plates are “not quite punching up there like they used to”.

“When all that wealth and beauty on the King’s Road become too much”, this “tastefully restored” old pub (built in 1838) is something of an antidote. It wins praise all round for its “attentive” service and “traditional British fare” that’s “on the button and carefully presented”. If there’s any reservation, it’s that it doesn’t dazzle quite as much as its restaurant royalty backing might lead you to hope (the owners of JKS Restaurants, with food overseen by Kitchen Table’s James Knappett). Top Menu Tip – “prawn cocktail and skinny chips with a side order of hot sauce”.

Former Square chef, “Philip Howard’s magical touch” is evident in much of the “very well-realised, modern and light” ‘flexitarian’ cuisine at his grown-up HQ, in one of the posh side streets surrounding Brompton Cross. Ambience-wise, it’s not a riot, but “unustuffy”, “very civilised and not noisy”. Incidents of “inept performance” post-Covid continue to drag on its rating for service, but most reporters are “very well looked after” and a typical report is of a “truly delightful” meal.

A “fabulous wine list with so many wines available by the glass” is the key draw to this trio of wine-bar/kitchens from the West End to Chelsea (the Draycott Avenue branch closed this year). Dining can seem “quite pricey” for what it is, but most diners say they “love the food as well”.

2021 Review: “Eager staff”, a proper “local pub atmosphere” and a “great menu” of modern British dishes make this a “real discovery” just a stone’s throw from the Thames. The oldest boozer in Chelsea (est. 1708), it has served pints to luminaries including JMW Turner, Dylan Thomas and Bob Marley.

“An excellent venue for an intimate date…” – this beautiful and comfortable grill, just off Chelsea Embankment (with river views from its top-floor bar) is full of atmosphere. It’s owned by Sally Green – who also owns Ronnie Scott’s – who is celebrating her 10th year as proprietor in 2024. The menu focus is on grilled protein and Sunday roast is also a feature: results are very good, but some would still say it’s “overpriced”.

2023 Review: This “lively and friendly local” in South Ken rates well for its “high-quality menu complemented by daily specials”. Opened three years ago by the Lunar Pub Company, it’s “not somewhere for a quiet and romantic dinner, but the young local crowd make it a vibrant venue”.

The “plateau de fruits de mer takes some beating” at Claude Bosi’s oyster bar, downstairs from his grand – and rather more expensive – flagship restaurant, in the foyer of Chelsea’s iconic Michelin building. (Some hot alternatives to the cold luxurious seafood bites were introduced a couple of years ago.)

Lady Bamford’s quartet of London ‘rus in urbe’ cafés should have caught the zeitgeist, with their focus on home-produced organic ingredients from her estate. But the offering is variable, with food that’s too often slated as “poor”; or incidents of “staff hanging around not knowing what to do”. The Pimlico branch scores the best of the bunch, but it’s worthy of note that visitors to the Daylesford farm mothership in the Cotswolds report an altogether different and “delightful” experience.

It has a “very attractive site” – a landmark 1920s car showroom on King’s Road Chelsea, with a “trendy vibe” – but is perennially “let down by a tired menu which is not well executed” and mediocre service. Why D&D London have never sorted this place out is a bit of a mystery – it could be so good.