London Chelsea 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.

“Buzzing, busy, delicious, rushed, noisy, crowded…” – this noodle bar is everything you might expect from a Vietnamese street-food outlet; and is notably “good value for the area”, situated as it is in a posh courtyard off Chelsea’s King’s Road. You could be forgiven for not realising that the name apparently means ‘happy Buddha’.

2021 Review: “When all you want is an old-school burger”, these US-based arrivals of recent years really “hit the spot” – you can “build your own”, with “tons of accessories”; plus “seriously addictive fries”, “thick milkshakes”, and “more soda flavours than is reasonable”. “The eat-in experience is as depressing as McDonald’s”, though, in fact perhaps more so – “some branches have a strangely gloomy ambience” – but fans feel that “if you don’t mind 1980s-rock, a trip can still be surprisingly fun”.

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.

What does it say about the culinary tastes of the British middle classes that this spin-off chain, with about 40 locations based on the original Theatreland icon, has been such a rip-roaring success? True, there’s some “great people-watching” at the “always buzzing” Chelsea Garden venue (which has one of SW3’s best gardens). And, without doubt, those branches in Kensington, Tower Bridge and Kingston also particularly stand out amongst the rest for their “super atmosphere”. In general though, the knock-off look of their locations “isn’t a patch on the original on West Street, yet pretends to be exactly the same”. And when it comes to their brasserie dishes: although its many followers tout them as “acceptable, albeit nothing special”, their rating-average identifies them as “underwhelming tick-box fare”; all offered by service that’s very “indifferent”. And yet they are “always busy”! In June 2024, it was announced that billionaire Richard Caring had successfully sold his entire Ivy restaurants stake. Now that he is laughing all the way to the bank, it will be interesting to see if ratings reverse, continue or deepen their southward trend.

“Stunning food in a stunning setting with St Paul’s as a to-die-for backdrop…” (in EC4); “the superb atmosphere of the very colourful room sets the mood…” (in SW3): – Praise isn’t short on the ground for these maximalist pan-Asian venues. They are easy to diss, but most reporters actually feel that, OK, they’re “a bit pricey” for their hotch-potch of pan-Asian “classical dishes”; seem “slightly tasteless”; are “very noisy”; but, for all that, overall are “still a lot of fun”. There is also though, a minority of diners that loathe them for a variety of reasons; and feel that “the prostitution of the Ivy brand continues apace”. (“The western siblings are fine, but this faux-Asian set-up is a travesty – the worst sort of western cultural appropriation and arrogant corruption…”; “opulent surroundings and extravagant presentation cannot disguise overpriced and underwhelming food…”; “it’s all flashing lights and selfies. We will not be going back!”)

This “fun place” on the King’s Road with “happy, smiling staff” and an “eclectic” faux-rustic interior is, for most diners, an enjoyable spot for a meal – even if the cooking doesn’t always do full justice to the Gladwin Bros’ ‘Local & Wild’ ethos (of food farmed and foraged by their family). We do have reports of “delicious light lunches” with “glorious comfort food”, but it’s patchy: for instance, one would-be fan opines – “having visited the family vineyard in Nutbourne on several occasions, we came with high hopes. The food was surprisingly mediocre, the game pie dry and unappetising. What should be a real gem was disappointing”.

“LOVE this chain and would happily eat there any day!” – These “always buzzy” Nordic operations (originating in Copenhagen 30 years ago) provide a “tasty mix of sushi and grilled yakitori kebabs” in Scandi-minimalist dining spaces. One or two reporters hesitate at the prices for these luscious morsels – “not sure you can justify the cost of leaving full up” – but the overall satisfaction-level is high. They added a branch in Richmond’s former House of Fraser in May 2024 followed by another on Islington Green in September.

2021 Review: These “buzzing family-run Italians” in southwest London create “an exceptional atmosphere” for large parties of all ages – and “they won’t break the bank”. “Despite the celebratory brouhaha, they produce a very respectable menu of traditional dishes – fish stew, duck, pizza on demand” – “even the veggies are catered for”. “Expect noise and old people dancing.”

“If you want a traditional Italian restaurant in Chelsea, this is the place”, say regulars at this tiny, “tucked away” trat’ “in a Chelsea side street off the King’s Road” – a quirky site they’ve been going to for yonks (mostly since before the founder, Roberto Colussi, died a few years ago). It can seem a bit “disorganised”, but “even on a quiet Tuesday lunchtime, it’s pretty much full and for a good reason: it’s excellent value for money” by the standards of the area.

The old car park behind Borough Market is now a covered street-food zone with about 15 different stalls – “I know it’s a bit of a tourist trap these days, but there’s still something about walking around, grabbing something new to try, or just hitting your old favourite”.

Just off the King’s Road, this Chelsea Malaysian endures on a site that’s prominent if you are local, and out-of-the-way if you are not. It owes its longevity to a menu of “really good Malay/Chinese combinations”.

“A great pit-stop on a night out” – these “busy, buzzy” rustic spots in Chelsea’s King’s Road and Battersea’s ‘Nappy Valley’ major in a wide selection of sourdough pizzas, although the exact offering is slightly different at the two sites (for example pasta in SW3 but not SW11). Attractive lunch deals too. Top Tip – the ‘La Terrazza’ heated rooftop terrace in Chelsea is worth discovering but walk-ins only and has its own menu.

“A favourite for midweek sushi” – this 12-year-old pan-Asian group from Israeli-born Ohad Kastro started in Primrose Hill and has expanded to six outlets in a series of well-heeled locations, with Barnes and Chelsea particularly commented-on. Perhaps not a choice for foodie purists, they provide a convivial setting for “an interesting and varied menu of Asian-inspired” dishes prepared to an admirably consistent standard. (One gripe – the “astonishing number of takeaway food packages collected by delivery drivers” was an irritant in a couple of reports this year).

2021 Review: An “intriguing concept” – ‘A rotation of Mammas’ from 20 different Italian regions per year provide the hearty scoff at this welcoming Chelsea yearling, where handmade pasta is something of a feature. By all accounts, the formula works, delivering “interesting dishes not found in your typical Italian restaurant” to a consistently good standard, and – for the ’hood – it’s not especially pricey either.

With its alpine-themed interior, this Italian-ish Chelsea haunt from the team behind Goodman and Burger & Lobster opened to rave reviews just before lockdown. This year, though, its offering – combining a raw bar, with prime cuts of steak or fish from the grill and a selection of pasta – received little but opprobrium in our diners’ poll for “ridiculously overpriced and average meals” (“you don’t have a value-for-money category. If you did, this would score 0/10!”).

This elegant 1853 tavern near Chelsea Physic Garden makes “an excellent local, if with prices befitting its location” and a menu of quite ambitious pub grub, following its transformation by Jack Greenall (of the Lancashire brewing dynasty). He now owns a select trio of west London pubs having acquired the Walmer Castle in Notting Hill and The Carpenter’s Arms in Hammersmith last year.

In terms of delivering “really decent” food on the King’s Road (a rarity) and “an amazing Sunday roast”, the three-year-old revamp of this “beautiful” early Victorian Chelsea pub must be accounted a success, and it becomes “BUSY!”. If the backers were not JKS Restaurants in partnership with Kitchen Table’s James Knappett one would say ‘job done’, but by the standards of such megastar restaurateurs, the result is good – not outstanding.