Chelsea, International Restaurant Guide

In a chichi backstreet, a posh boozer that’s well-known to the denizens of Chelsea: it serves “a revisited version of typical pub food” in its rear dining room, which boasts a big, retractable glass skylight for warm days.

A big outside terrace is a key feature of Charles Saatchi’s attractive gallery café, which overlooks the green next to Duke of York’s Square on the King’s Road. Foodwise, it is most recommended for its afternoon tea possibilities, but it’s tolerably rated for a light bite at other times too.

“Very popular workers café by day, rather trendy restaurant by night!” – this veteran at the ‘wrong end’ of the King’s Road enjoys a “slick” double life as Chelsea’s “fun cheap eat”.

Neighbouring maze has gone, replaced by Lucky Cat, but Gordon Ramsay’s hotel grill in Mayfair continues to plough on for the time being. Feedback is negligible compared with its heyday, but its posh grills inspired fewer disappointments this year. It also has a Chelsea spin-off on the site where the f-word chef first made his name, when it was called Aubergine (long RIP), and another on Chelsea’s Royal Hospital Road (near the GR mothership): reports similarly are few, with a verdict of tolerable but mixed.

Ian and Richard Livingstone, the team behind Chewton Glen and Cliveden have taken over the management of the swish 11 Cadogan Gardens hotel in Chelsea (formerly operated as a club). After refurbishment, the hotel will re-open with a new restaurant: watch this space.