Latest reviews for Bars & Pubs in St Luke's, London, United Kingdom

Cadogan Arms - superb by PaulaHartes

PaulaHartes — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:23:10 +0000

Review by PaulaHartes

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7352 6500

Website: www.thecadoganarmschelsea.com

Went here after seeing some good stuff online, and was very impressed. It's quite a big building, but split into the bar, the restauranty (big tables) bit, and the pool room upstairs. The staff and food were of the highest quality. Probably the best gastropub evening I've had in London. Definitely the best I've had for a very long time.Went here after seeing some good stuff online, and was very impressed. It's quite a big building, but split into the bar, the restauranty (big tables) bit, and the pool room upstairs. The staff and food were of the highest quality. Probably the best gastropub evening I've had in London. Definitely the best I've had for a very long time.

The Crown - Gastropub in SW3 by cazzareviewer

cazzareviewer — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:19:34 +0000

Review by cazzareviewer

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7352 9505

Website: http://www.thecrown-chelsea.com/

Tags: modern, cosy, cool

Great little boozer in Chelsea SW3. Excellent food, Spitfire on tap, laid back gastropub with a sophisticated atmosphere at reasonable prices. Warm and friendly welcome from Justin, the new owner. Looking forward to coming back for Sunday roast.Great little boozer in Chelsea SW3. Excellent food, Spitfire on tap, laid back gastropub with a sophisticated atmosphere at reasonable prices. Warm and friendly welcome from Justin, the new owner. Looking forward to coming back for Sunday roast.

Eclipse Bar - awful by leahs

leahs — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:15:13 +0000

Review by leahs

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7581 0123

Website: http://www.eclipse-ventures.com

Tags: cool, posh, relaxed

This place could be OK but the service is appalling, the waitresses are grumpy, slow and seem to be annoyed everytime you ask for something. Furthermore, we were ordering beer and wine so thought we would like some water so we asked for some jugs of tap water - what response did we get? Sullen looks (it was Halloween but these people need not have dressed up they were scarey enough with the filthy looks they served) and a response of "we dont serve tap water", well apart from the fact that is totally unethical even though we were spending hundreds of pounds on alcohol we were refused jugs of water. We of course purchased mineral water but actually I have never been refused a glass of water in any place I have been in my lifetime so was totally shocked. I will never go back to this place again and would advise anyone not to bother, try somewhere where the people are friendly and actually happy to serve you.This place could be OK but the service is appalling, the waitresses are grumpy, slow and seem to be annoyed everytime you ask for something. Furthermore, we were ordering beer and wine so thought we would like some water so we asked for some jugs of tap water - what response did we get? Sullen looks (it was Halloween but these people need not have dressed up they were scarey enough with the filthy looks they served) and a response of "we dont serve tap water", well apart from the fact that is totally unethical even though we were spending hundreds of pounds on alcohol we were refused jugs of water. We of course purchased mineral water but actually I have never been refused a glass of water in any place I have been in my lifetime so was totally shocked. I will never go back to this place again and would advise anyone not to bother, try somewhere where the people are friendly and actually happy to serve you.

Janet's Bar - Janet is not an Air Hostess! by reggiemacintosh

reggiemacintosh — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:19:44 +0000

Review by reggiemacintosh

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7581 3160

Tags: live music, friendly, trendy

I dare say,Janet is probably the most educated bar owner in London.For someone to call her an air hostess is probably no one who ever spoke to her.
Janet has a Doctorate of Law; her other bar staff include a Masters in Linguistics, a Physicist and a Master of the Kennels. Not to mention the 3 Polish girls who have been at Janet's for 9 years, 2 years and 18 months.
Janet's cover charge is Â£3 and only for those folks who do not order anything-otherwise,Nothing,Nada,Niente,Rien!
We love going to Janet's-my friends and I use it as our regular meeting-up place.I dare say,Janet is probably the most educated bar owner in London.For someone to call her an air hostess is probably no one who ever spoke to her.
Janet has a Doctorate of Law; her other bar staff include a Masters in Linguistics, a Physicist and a Master of the Kennels. Not to mention the 3 Polish girls who have been at Janet's for 9 years, 2 years and 18 months.
Janet's cover charge is Â£3 and only for those folks who do not order anything-otherwise,Nothing,Nada,Niente,Rien!
We love going to Janet's-my friends and I use it as our regular meeting-up place.

The Trafalgar - Decent King's Road option by Litro_K

Litro_K — Sun, 17 May 2009 11:36:09 +0000

Review by Litro_K

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7349 1831

Tags: posh, relaxed, standard pub food

The King's Road, typically, is somewhere I avoid around the end of the month, just before payday. It tends to induce the odd minor spending frenzy, and can be a dangerous place to start drinking, simply because of all the temptations in the vicinity. It's definitely not a place I'd head to, were I seeking less expensive options.

Having said all that, The Trafalgar is proving its worth as a very credit-crunch friendly midweek destination. The pub itself is really pleasant when it's not overly full (avoid Friday nights if you don't want to be surrounded by braying Trustafariansâ¬¦and I donâ¬"t mean TrustedPlaces users) and I like the low light, red lamps and leather chairs scattered around the place. They have a good selection of wines, draught and bottled beers, plus a regularly changing specials menu with a selection of dishes for a fiver. Last week I tried the fish cakes, which were surprisingly good and hand-made. Thereâ¬"s also an offer for two meals and two drinks for £15; also really excellent value for money, but the ordinary menu isnâ¬"t expensive either (most dishes are under £7).

If youâ¬"re in the area and not feeling as flush as some of the locals, Iâ¬"d recommend a stop here â¬ it will certainly keep you and your tastebuds happy and your credit card out of trouble.

The King's Road, typically, is somewhere I avoid around the end of the month, just before payday. It tends to induce the odd minor spending frenzy, and can be a dangerous place to start drinking, simply because of all the temptations in the vicinity. It's definitely not a place I'd head to, were I seeking less expensive options.

Having said all that, The Trafalgar is proving its worth as a very credit-crunch friendly midweek destination. The pub itself is really pleasant when it's not overly full (avoid Friday nights if you don't want to be surrounded by braying Trustafariansâ¬¦and I donâ¬"t mean TrustedPlaces users) and I like the low light, red lamps and leather chairs scattered around the place. They have a good selection of wines, draught and bottled beers, plus a regularly changing specials menu with a selection of dishes for a fiver. Last week I tried the fish cakes, which were surprisingly good and hand-made. Thereâ¬"s also an offer for two meals and two drinks for £15; also really excellent value for money, but the ordinary menu isnâ¬"t expensive either (most dishes are under £7).

If youâ¬"re in the area and not feeling as flush as some of the locals, Iâ¬"d recommend a stop here â¬ it will certainly keep you and your tastebuds happy and your credit card out of trouble.

Chelsea Potter - by Hugo

Hugo — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:03:20 +0000

Review by Hugo

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7352 9479

Tags: food, vegetarian dishes, beer garden / outside seating

Caught in a rainstorm without a brolly I decided to grab a pub lunch in the Kings Road classic, The Chelsea Potter.

I'd mainly recommend this pub as a place for a rare un-gentrified typical pub pit stop on the Kings Road. It's pretty rough and ready but it feels more like a normal pub than many of the spruced up charmess modern versions that have grown like an unappetizing rash over London.

I had a nervous moment looking at the menu to see if I had half a chance of grabbing a bite here rather than returning into the rain-storm. I was pleased to see a prawn thai curry to go with my pint of bitter. I declined to have chips instead of rice and persevered. Actually, perfectly edible and even, dare I say it quite tasty. Not a bad old pit stop to know about. I also noted that the pub was full of fellow diners - I'm unsure if this was a typical Sunday or whether it was rain induced. For a rough and ready pub lunch, I'd be back.Caught in a rainstorm without a brolly I decided to grab a pub lunch in the Kings Road classic, The Chelsea Potter.

I'd mainly recommend this pub as a place for a rare un-gentrified typical pub pit stop on the Kings Road. It's pretty rough and ready but it feels more like a normal pub than many of the spruced up charmess modern versions that have grown like an unappetizing rash over London.

I had a nervous moment looking at the menu to see if I had half a chance of grabbing a bite here rather than returning into the rain-storm. I was pleased to see a prawn thai curry to go with my pint of bitter. I declined to have chips instead of rice and persevered. Actually, perfectly edible and even, dare I say it quite tasty. Not a bad old pit stop to know about. I also noted that the pub was full of fellow diners - I'm unsure if this was a typical Sunday or whether it was rain induced. For a rough and ready pub lunch, I'd be back.

The Phoenix - Tasty Food, Nice Ambience and Staff by nip_and_nosh

nip_and_nosh — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:44:37 +0000

Review by nip_and_nosh

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7730 9182

Website: http://www.geronimo-inns.co.uk

Tags: food, real ale, gastro pub

The Phoenix is a nice gastropub in the heart of Chelsea. At the front of the pub are cozy couches and wooden tables - a nice spot for a small gathering of friends to catch up over a pint. In the back of the pub is the restaurant which is warm and welcoming - with a nice glowing fire on cold nights.

I ordered the guinea fowl it tasted terrific. Friends had other items on the menu as in the fishcakes and the quiche... again, everyone enoyed the taste. However, we all had one small complaint - there just wasn't quite enough to make you full. My guinea fowl was quite small, accompanies by two small paint-strokes of mashed potato, a half a parsnip, and some red cabbage. I opted for a pack of crisps on my tube journey home... another friend ordered a side of chips after she finished her meal, since it didn't quite fill the hole. (Bear in mind, we were a table of women and none of us tend to require large quantities of food).

Would I go back - sure, if I was in the area. But I would order myself a starter and possibly a dessert - making the bill quite hefty by the end... or I'd go when I was only somewhat hungry, but looking for a light meal. Otherwise, I could not fault this restaurant - the waitress was extremely nice and accomodating and the ambience was lovely.The Phoenix is a nice gastropub in the heart of Chelsea. At the front of the pub are cozy couches and wooden tables - a nice spot for a small gathering of friends to catch up over a pint. In the back of the pub is the restaurant which is warm and welcoming - with a nice glowing fire on cold nights.

I ordered the guinea fowl it tasted terrific. Friends had other items on the menu as in the fishcakes and the quiche... again, everyone enoyed the taste. However, we all had one small complaint - there just wasn't quite enough to make you full. My guinea fowl was quite small, accompanies by two small paint-strokes of mashed potato, a half a parsnip, and some red cabbage. I opted for a pack of crisps on my tube journey home... another friend ordered a side of chips after she finished her meal, since it didn't quite fill the hole. (Bear in mind, we were a table of women and none of us tend to require large quantities of food).

Would I go back - sure, if I was in the area. But I would order myself a starter and possibly a dessert - making the bill quite hefty by the end... or I'd go when I was only somewhat hungry, but looking for a light meal. Otherwise, I could not fault this restaurant - the waitress was extremely nice and accomodating and the ambience was lovely.

The Admiral Codrington - Excellent steak by akl5_tp

akl5_tp — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:40:36 +0000

Review by akl5_tp

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7581 0005

Website: http://www.theadmiralcodrington.co.uk

Tags: gastro pub, food, friendly

The food in the restaurant out the back of the pub is fantastic. Pub is also nice but gets packed!
3 of us had steaks - rib eye or fillet - and they were all cooked as ordered. It is a little on the pricey side even for a gastropub, but worth it - great place for any vague celebration that you might be having... just be sure to book!The food in the restaurant out the back of the pub is fantastic. Pub is also nice but gets packed!
3 of us had steaks - rib eye or fillet - and they were all cooked as ordered. It is a little on the pricey side even for a gastropub, but worth it - great place for any vague celebration that you might be having... just be sure to book!

The Hoop & Toy - No no no by suzianny01

suzianny01 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 13:08:53 +0000

Review by suzianny01

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7589 8360

Tags: food, vegetarian dishes, tv for sporting events

I would not recommend this pub to anyone, in fact I would encourage people not to go. I went there after an evening at the Proms for a couple of drinks and there was a sign on the wall which stated that closing time was 1pm. So when I noticed this we bought another bottle of wine at just before 11pm. Five minutes later the bell was rung and 10 minutes after that we were asked to drink up. I pointed out the notice on the wall and the member of staff said 'that is out of date' and ripped it off the wall. 10 minutes later the manager came over and ordered us to leave. With still a full glass of wine to drink I said that I couldn't rush and that the sign that was on the wall did show it was open much later. He told me that his colleague had already explained and that they were now closing and we had to leave. I was very angry, there was no apology and he was extremely rude. I told him there was no need to be rude and he replied telling me that there were much worse things he could have said to me. What???
I am still upset about it and that was a couple of months ago now.
Also I noted it had another sign on the wall which stated they did not serve tap water. I thought that everywhere had to serve tap water now??
I would not recommend this pub to anyone, in fact I would encourage people not to go. I went there after an evening at the Proms for a couple of drinks and there was a sign on the wall which stated that closing time was 1pm. So when I noticed this we bought another bottle of wine at just before 11pm. Five minutes later the bell was rung and 10 minutes after that we were asked to drink up. I pointed out the notice on the wall and the member of staff said 'that is out of date' and ripped it off the wall. 10 minutes later the manager came over and ordered us to leave. With still a full glass of wine to drink I said that I couldn't rush and that the sign that was on the wall did show it was open much later. He told me that his colleague had already explained and that they were now closing and we had to leave. I was very angry, there was no apology and he was extremely rude. I told him there was no need to be rude and he replied telling me that there were much worse things he could have said to me. What???
I am still upset about it and that was a couple of months ago now.
Also I noted it had another sign on the wall which stated they did not serve tap water. I thought that everywhere had to serve tap water now??

The Star Tavern - Fullers, fire and good food by Alsation

Alsation — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:19:07 +0000

Review by Alsation

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7235 3019

Website: http://www.fullers.co.uk

Tags: food, friendly, real ale

Cosy, compact and friendly pub in the heart of residential Belgravia. They have some perfectly cellared Fullers on tap â¬ you just canâ¬"t go wrong with a pint of Pride in this pub.
The downstairs lounge bar has a large open fire and tends to be the most popular spot. I have found that the seats around the bar tend to get blagged by the locals, some of whom are a bit visitor-intolerant.
The lunch time menu is simple and the food well prepared. Nothing great, but sensibly priced and (so far) never had reason for complaint.
Once you know how to find the Star youâ¬"re fine, but going there for the first time without a map or instructions can be geographically embarrassingâ¬¦.
If I had any misgivings it might possibly be some of the pretentious punters that swan in and out. There is a distinct Sloany feel to some of the louder customers, but thatâ¬"s understandable, given itâ¬"s in the heart of their territory!Cosy, compact and friendly pub in the heart of residential Belgravia. They have some perfectly cellared Fullers on tap â¬ you just canâ¬"t go wrong with a pint of Pride in this pub.
The downstairs lounge bar has a large open fire and tends to be the most popular spot. I have found that the seats around the bar tend to get blagged by the locals, some of whom are a bit visitor-intolerant.
The lunch time menu is simple and the food well prepared. Nothing great, but sensibly priced and (so far) never had reason for complaint.
Once you know how to find the Star youâ¬"re fine, but going there for the first time without a map or instructions can be geographically embarrassingâ¬¦.
If I had any misgivings it might possibly be some of the pretentious punters that swan in and out. There is a distinct Sloany feel to some of the louder customers, but thatâ¬"s understandable, given itâ¬"s in the heart of their territory!

Henry J Beans - Not impressed by misstravelbug

misstravelbug — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 21:59:33 +0000

Review by misstravelbug

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7352 9255

Website: http://www.henryjbeans.co.uk

Tags: american, food, cocktails

American food joint, ie. chicken wings, ribs, hamburgers. It's more a pub rather than restaurant, it's incredibly noisy and dim. Ordered the ribs and chicken wings, not terribly impressed, the sauce was too salty and the ribs stringy. Cocktails in a jug good value but won't be back again after a disappointing meal.American food joint, ie. chicken wings, ribs, hamburgers. It's more a pub rather than restaurant, it's incredibly noisy and dim. Ordered the ribs and chicken wings, not terribly impressed, the sauce was too salty and the ribs stringy. Cocktails in a jug good value but won't be back again after a disappointing meal.

Swag & Tails - posh pub grub by petrus

petrus — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 23:20:03 +0000

Review by petrus

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7584 6926

Tags: relaxed, food, independent pub

The Swag and Tails is a small pub hidden on a South Kensington backstreet on the way to Knightsbridge. Bernie Ecclestone can be spotted here lunching from time to time and this may give you some idea of what to expect; it's not your standard London boozer.

I had lunch there today with that blissful feeling that comes with the knowledge that someone else is paying, in this case my work were shaking out the moths from the corporate wallet and picking up the tab. This is an occasion as rare as spotting a red squirrel in the churchyard nearby and so I cherished it accordingly.

The menu is a slightly odd mix of clearly French influenced cooking, with a nod here and there to modern british and right on ingredients, such as Pollack. There are about 6 starters, ranging from soup to the seared foie gras at Â£10.95 that I plumped for. To my mind if you are going to have foie gras with all the attendant guilt, then seared is the way to go. You can keep your terrines, your pates, cappuccinos or custards, just a very hot pan, coloured on both sides, finished in the oven and taste bud ecstasy is guaranteed.

In this case the chef had decided to add a few bells and whistles to the main event. In fact he or she may have got a little carried away with the squeezy sauce bottle as it came out on a plate that had been deluged in coloured squiggles . The liver, with an appealing brown crust, was on top of a granary crouton, which itself was on a spiced pear compote. The final flourish was a black pepper tuile, otherwise known as wafer with a bit of black pepper on it. As one of my companions commented, "It looks more like a dessert than a starter!" Although all the other components were tasty enough in their own right, and some, the pears, complemented the liver well, overall the dish was overdone in effort. A simpler presentation and fewer flavours on the plate would have allowed the excellently cooked piece of foie gras to shine more clearly.

For the main I had sautÃ©ed loin of rabbit, with smoked black pudding and a broad bean and pear salad from a longer list including more simple pub fare such as a burger and steak sandwich. This was a very good dish; the rabbit had been timed beautifully, with a good colour outside and succulent inside. I have never had smoked black pudding before, but I would certainly like to have it again. The smokiness went brilliantly with the rich, crumbly pudding. The salad gave a lighter, summery note to the dish, and I could have almost managed to describe it all as healthy, had it not been for that pesky order of shoestring friesâ¬¦

The Swag and Tails seems to have a good chef in the kitchen, this is not a pie and chips pub, I guess your average billionaire wants a tad more sophistication when they go out to lunch. The prices are pretty high, but that comes with the turf. The main for example was around Â£15, which is punchy pricing for a pub. I would definitely recommend it, as long as someone else is paying!

The Swag and Tails is a small pub hidden on a South Kensington backstreet on the way to Knightsbridge. Bernie Ecclestone can be spotted here lunching from time to time and this may give you some idea of what to expect; it's not your standard London boozer.

I had lunch there today with that blissful feeling that comes with the knowledge that someone else is paying, in this case my work were shaking out the moths from the corporate wallet and picking up the tab. This is an occasion as rare as spotting a red squirrel in the churchyard nearby and so I cherished it accordingly.

The menu is a slightly odd mix of clearly French influenced cooking, with a nod here and there to modern british and right on ingredients, such as Pollack. There are about 6 starters, ranging from soup to the seared foie gras at Â£10.95 that I plumped for. To my mind if you are going to have foie gras with all the attendant guilt, then seared is the way to go. You can keep your terrines, your pates, cappuccinos or custards, just a very hot pan, coloured on both sides, finished in the oven and taste bud ecstasy is guaranteed.

In this case the chef had decided to add a few bells and whistles to the main event. In fact he or she may have got a little carried away with the squeezy sauce bottle as it came out on a plate that had been deluged in coloured squiggles . The liver, with an appealing brown crust, was on top of a granary crouton, which itself was on a spiced pear compote. The final flourish was a black pepper tuile, otherwise known as wafer with a bit of black pepper on it. As one of my companions commented, "It looks more like a dessert than a starter!" Although all the other components were tasty enough in their own right, and some, the pears, complemented the liver well, overall the dish was overdone in effort. A simpler presentation and fewer flavours on the plate would have allowed the excellently cooked piece of foie gras to shine more clearly.

For the main I had sautÃ©ed loin of rabbit, with smoked black pudding and a broad bean and pear salad from a longer list including more simple pub fare such as a burger and steak sandwich. This was a very good dish; the rabbit had been timed beautifully, with a good colour outside and succulent inside. I have never had smoked black pudding before, but I would certainly like to have it again. The smokiness went brilliantly with the rich, crumbly pudding. The salad gave a lighter, summery note to the dish, and I could have almost managed to describe it all as healthy, had it not been for that pesky order of shoestring friesâ¬¦

The Swag and Tails seems to have a good chef in the kitchen, this is not a pie and chips pub, I guess your average billionaire wants a tad more sophistication when they go out to lunch. The prices are pretty high, but that comes with the turf. The main for example was around Â£15, which is punchy pricing for a pub. I would definitely recommend it, as long as someone else is paying!

The Enterprise - Cosy Gastro-pub by Hugo

Hugo — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:10:29 +0000

Review by Hugo

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7584 3148

Website: http://www.sparkjumbo.co.uk

Tags: good food, food, terrace

The Enterprise is a handy and cosy gastro-pub in the heart of chelsea. A tasty menu with old favourites on makes it popular, which is an issue as you cannot reserve tables...be warned.

Not much space to swing a cat in here, so expect an intimate and bustling experience. Worth knowing about though.The Enterprise is a handy and cosy gastro-pub in the heart of chelsea. A tasty menu with old favourites on makes it popular, which is an issue as you cannot reserve tables...be warned.

Not much space to swing a cat in here, so expect an intimate and bustling experience. Worth knowing about though.

Anglesea Arms - by hofmeyr

hofmeyr — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 08:55:43 +0000

Review by hofmeyr

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7373 7960

Website: http://www.capitalpubcompany.com

Tags: food, modern british, beer garden / outside seating

brilliant atmosphere in the summer.
excellent food.
close to my mum's house ;-)brilliant atmosphere in the summer.
excellent food.
close to my mum's house ;-)