Famous for its boots and bows, football and fashion, Chelsea is fast becoming London’s quintessential district, home to mods in the ’60s, punks in the ’70s, and gilded young Londoners ever since, though they still live at home. his gold-plated parents.
Stroll down King’s Road, the congested supercar thoroughfare that serves as Chelsea’s main street, and you’re highly unlikely to believe the community is the bohemian artists’ colony it once was. Still, for those who can, the famously upscale community is home to some wonderful places to eat for its thriving residents, from cozy bistros to some of the most elegant restaurants the capital has to offer.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to find bargains: the same old chains (Five Guys, Polpo) will be discovered along King’s Road and clustered around Duke of York Square, near the Saatchi Gallery, where there’s also a decent food market on Saturdays.
Chelsea is a wonderful place to shop and eat at any time of the year; Spring, when gardens are covered with new leaves and flowers fall on iron railings, is especially pleasant. From the pastel pink Peruvian décor to the Garden of the Earth of Delights, 3 Michelin stars, and Sunday roasts: here are 20 of Chelsea’s most productive restaurants – come see how the other party eats.
Claude Bosi and his wife Lucy’s new price revives the eternal question of whether Michelin-starred chefs (two in the case of Bosi at the Bibendum, below) secretly prefer to cook the kind of dishes they would like to eat themselves. Every day? At Joséphine, this means the bourgeois cuisine of Bosi’s formative years in Lyon: onion soup with a bite of cheese (a starter, but a meal in itself); sliced terrines at the table; delicious seasonal specialities, such as sweetbreads with morels; Fluffy island clouds run over a yellow yuttercup custard. It’s not cheap, but it’s not exorbitant for Chelsea either, and the all-day set menu (two or three courses for £24. 50/£29. 50) is a steal. And the room, with its starched tablecloths and burgundy benches, is also as it should be.
315a Fulham Road, SW10 9QH, josephinebouchon. com
Tom Kerridge owns Hand and Flowers in Marlow, the UK’s first two-Michelin-starred gastropub, but it’s a brother to the more casual Butcher’s Tap and Grill in Thamesside Buckinghamshire. It’s a pub, with pints of Rebellion Lager lying on the zinc-covered bar, but there’s no one there just to drink beer in a position run by one of the country’s most famous chefs. There are lamb skewers with mint and Barnsley chops, poultry Caesar burgers with milk milk, steaks from a fridge for aged meat, with onion rings and macaroni and cheese balls (both excellent) and a fabulous gooey caramel pudding for the afternoon. The staff is exceptionally friendly for a part of the city that is not known for its warm service.
27 Tryon Street, SW3 3LG, thebutcherstapandgrill. co. uk
This new Mexican comes with a top-notch Chelsea pedigree: co-founder Fraser Carruthers owned Albert’s nightclub on King’s Road and therefore has his finger on the pulse of SW3’s golden youth, Ixchel is a rather more adult proposition. toasted through Mexican head chef Ximena Gayosso González, who has spent time in the kitchens of Ella Canta in Mayfair and Dulce Patria in Mexico City; Their all-day menu includes sautéed shrimp quesadilla caps and Granny Smith avocado and corn tostadas, while the larger plates from the robata grill come with an achiote poultry leg and an old ribeye with chilmole sauce reduction. Impressive bar also focused on tequila.
33 King’s Road, SW3 4LX, ixchellondon. com
Live Chelsea’s fantasy to the fullest in one of SW3’s prettiest corners, with views of the river from the first-floor dining room and a ground floor with mantected leather furniture, ironed white tablecloths and pretty crockery, all so civilized that even the baby (or a dog) will start behaving as usual by the end of school. although the length of the bill can make adults stagger. However, the quality ingredients are cooked with know-how: a slice of roasted wild turbot with white asparagus and champagne and caviar sauce or Belted Galloway beef rib steak cured for forty-five days and grilled. The staff is also adorable and roast lunches are served on Saturdays and Sundays.
50 Cheyne Walk, SW3 5LR, cinquantecheyne. com
Proud holder of 3 Michelin stars since 2001, the title of chef that Google considers the most outstanding globally is the best reminder of why Gordon Ramsay has become a celebrity in the first world of the world. Ramsay is honest, rarely a chef here in those days, and kitchen duties are overseen by chef patron Matt Abé, who replaced the success of Clos angelesre Smyth in 2016. Fine French cuisine is the highlight in this very formal dining room: lobster ravioli, angelesngoustine and salmon is the main course, while Herdwick red meat with Jersey sausages, peas and mint is a tasty main course. Choose from a la carte menu in Los Angeles (£180) and a tasting menu (from £210 or £180 for vegetarians).
68 Royal Hospital Road, SW3 4HP, gordonramsayrestaurants. com
The mother here is Roaya Saleh, a Bahraini chef who opened her first Villa Mama’s in suburban Manama in 2012 and now owns three restaurants in the Middle East, in addition to this one in London. It’s an evocative white-tiled spot that’s bright and airy during the day, but prettier at night, when candlelight casts shadows on arches and cushions. Saleh’s childhood-inspired dishes make a compelling argument for never lacking time to grow: fabulous khubus flatbread to accompany the signature “eggplant explosion” starter, then chicken, lamb and fish specialties accompanied by aromatic rice and salads to share.
25-27 Elystan Street, SW3 3NT, villamamas. uk
Stanley’s is Chelsea’s aristocracy: owner Hugh Stanley not only ran the nearby Sydney Arms, but is also the nephew of the Earl of Derby; Don’t expect turkey cloves and spray tan from your diners. Dishes such as spring lamb with asparagus or cod with vegetables and seafood adapt to the interior and exterior decoration, with a small orange-style dining room overlooking an equally cozy, wooded and flowery patio. For something more budget-friendly, the nearby Phat Phuc noodle bar offers some of Chelsea’s most affordable food, though sitting outdoors is a more exciting proposition in summer than winter.
151 Sydney Street, SW3 6NT, stanleyschelsea. co. uk
Chef Anna Haugh is a familiar face on TV screens (MasterChef and Saturday Kitchen in particular), but the Dubliner is also on a project to prove that Irish cuisine is more than just Guinness and soda bread in her sublime little place to eat in a fairly quiet area. street just off World’s World. End of the King’s Road segment. A six- or eight-course ‘Taste of Ireland’ menu (£65/£85) is the most productive way to immerse yourself in Haugh’s technique: Gubbeen cheese mousse from County Cork, wild sea bass poached on burnt Irish grass from County Cavan, or salmon, duck and black pudding on the three-course menu.
1a Langton Street, SW10 0JL, myrtlerestaurant. com
With his cheesemaker (Paxton
27 Cale Street, SW3 3QP, boeufbar. com
Daphne’s has been a Chelsea staple for over a century and will celebrate its 60th birthday in 2024. The Italian restaurant, named after its founder, theatrical agent Daphne Rye and now part of Caprice Holdings, manages to combine the comforts of home with a dash of ivy-inspired glitter. The décor is that of an old Italian trattoria on a Chelsea budget: the bar is topped with pink marble, while the antique Venetian chandeliers tinkle in the breeze as the large windows open onto the sidewalk. On the plate, undeniable Italian cuisine of the house. is at the center of the menu. Dishes of vitello tonnato and melanzane alla parmigiana should be served around a family table, while wild boar pappardelle and meatballs with roasted potatoes and tomato sauce offer entrees that any nonna would be proud of. of.
112 Draycott Avenue, SW3 3AE, daphnes-restaurant. co. uk
There’s a Peruvian dream with the best pie waiting for you at the end of the world on the royal road: Chicama enchants without putting a handful of meat on its menu. A delivery of Cornish seafood offers a pescatarian menu to sweeten to the max. -Hard carnivores. Diversity of dishes, from a meaty portion of blackened octopus with candied potatoes and sun-dried tomatoes to a variety of ceviches, adding an edition of Jerusalem artichoke scallops, swimming in tiger’s milk with truffle. An essential request but one that is nevertheless overlooked. It’s a marshmallow and tapioca snack: a savory bite (made without eggs or sugar) flavored with Parmesan cheese and fried to the point of being significantly crispy.
383 King’s Road, SW10 0LP, chicamalondon. com
Tucked away on a small street near Sloane Square, chef Taylor Bonnyman offers excellent, trendy cuisine in the Five Fields. The dining spot, named after the old term for the surrounding area, harkens back to the days when Chelsea was more of a green area than a Rolls-Royce. A produce-based menu mixes British-grown ingredients (often from its Sussex orchard) with nods to London’s cultural diversity: Bonnyman, born and raised in London, serves his sea bass with rhubarb, curry and onion, and his foie gras with shimeji mushrooms. He and his talented team have a Michelin star for their efforts.
8-9 Blacklands Terrace, SW3 2SP, fivefieldsrestaurant. com
The Cadogan Arms, a stylish local pub for Chelsea’s upscale locals, is just as welcoming if you don’t live a staggering distance from King’s Road, the tone of the place is decidedly SW3. There are 75 French cocktails straight from the freezer, pilsner. brewed exclusively for the Cornwall pub, and a menu of classic pub dishes overseen by executive chef James Knappett of the two-Michelin-starred Kitchen Table. Expect beer-battered fish with triple fries, cheddar cheesecake and cabbage for vegetables, and ham, eggs and chips made from the finest British ingredients.
298 King’s Road, SW3 5UG, thecadoganarms. london
Phil Howard is a legend of London kitchens. Nicknamed “the chef’s chef” by many of his peers, his masterful stint at Mayfair’s The Square lasted 25 years, with 17 of them earning two Michelin stars. In 2016, he turned his attention to Elystan Street, a less formal and more neighborhood-friendly setting, where Howard’s cuisine stands out, laden with seasonal flavors, there is no white tablecloth in sight. An ever-changing menu focuses on combining ingredients that are available in the same months of the year: in spring, sea bass is accompanied by asparagus minestrone and garlic leaf pesto, while in winter it combines venison loin with baked roots and pickled pears. The set menu for lunch and evening offers a wonderful deal (for Chelsea) of 3 courses for £35.
43 Elystan Street, SW3 3NT, elystanstreet. com
Favored by the Princess of Wales when she was just Kate Middleton and the site of a lot of gossip on a certain SW3 truth show, she feels more like she spends her most productive days in Bluebird’s main dining room, just like her equally expansive brother Quaglino. The front yard, however, is a party and remains one of the most fabulous places to see and be noticed in Chelsea while sipping champagne and cocktails while sipping fish cakes, fried steaks, and roast chicken. If the weather is rarely very good, The Bluebird Café, across the cobblestones, serves the same menu indoors, from brunch to dinner, and there’s a kids’ menu too.
350 King’s Road, SW3 5UU, bluebird-restaurant. co. uk
Named after the French tire manufacturer’s circular mascot (and pioneer of places to eat guides), Bibendum is housed in the historic Michelin House, a striking Grade II indexed construction built in 1911. Under the gaze of the stained glass windows of the pneumatic icon, Lyon- Born chef Claude Bosi delicately mixes British and European products: Brittany rabbit is accompanied by prawns and barigoule with artichokes, while Cornish turbot is served Grenoble-style. Above are the two Michelin stars; Downstairs is a casual but elegant oyster bar serving shrimp burgers and lobster rolls in a circular courtyard year-round.
Michelin House, Fulham Road, SW3 6RD, claudebosi. com
The Ivy Collection, a derivative culinary series propelled through the historic point of Covent Garden, has made its way into the poshest neighbourhoods not only of the capital but of the whole of the UK, but The Ivy Chelsea Garden is one of the first. and possibly one of the oldest. The horniest of those places. The dazzling décor is adorned with maximalist flowers and greenery, both real and pictured, and a terrace in the back, all very similar to the Ivy Café, but where this place stands out is with an adorable garden. In line with what you’d expect: the signature shepherd’s pie makes a welcome appearance, while lighter, more affluent appetites can dine on lobster linguine and miso-flavored black cod.
195-197 King’s Road, SW3 5EQ, ivycollection. com
Rohit Ghai has helped obtain Michelin stars for institutions such as Jamavar, Gymkhana and Trishna. In 2018, the chef teamed up with his former collos angelesborator Abhishake Sangwan to open Kutir, a fine-dining Indian restaurant in the upscale neighborhoods of a Chelsea townhouse. The setting is arguably distinctly residential, but the menu is reminiscent of India’s rural forests. “Expedition” tasting menus take explorers through quail naan dishes with scrambled eggs, masalos angeles and truffle, tandoori chops with blos angelesck cumin and sprouts, before completing with a steamed yogurt bhappa doi dessert with pineapple and coconut. There are also vegan, angelesl halos, gluten-free, nut-free, and dairy-free menus, as well as a la carte lunches and set menus.
10 Lincoln Street, SW3 2TS, kutir. co. uk
Passengers driving along King’s Road at the more convenient stop on bus number 11 may be intrigued by the elegant open-fronted restaurant in good weather. It’s Medlar, an elegant and sophisticated dining room owned by chef Joe Mercer Nairne and receptionist David. O’Connor. The menu costs diners to order 3 courses (£75) than one (£45): crab ravioli with brown prawns and leek fondue, followed by a grilled red meat cutlet with peas and pecorino cheese, optionally, with a hot chocolate mousse. and a salted caramel tartlet for the pudding. Prices are slightly milder for lunch, while Medlar has won awards for its wine list.
438 King’s Road, SW10 0LJ; nèflerestaurant. es
Gregory, Oliver and Richard Gladwin would possibly look like Chelsea with their flowing hair and plaid shirts, but the brothers grew up on their family’s farm and cellar in the Sussex countryside, from where produce is now shipped to the kitchens of its five London restaurants. . What they don’t grow themselves comes from producers with the same philosophy of minimal intervention, or is harvested and hunted in the wild. It sounds pretty dignified, but rest assured, the atmosphere is more cheerful than sad, especially when pumpkin dishes are served. Ravioli or haliyet fish with twine arrive at the table. Tasting menus, Sunday roasts and a two-course lunch for £22 mean there’s something for everyone. The brothers recently bought Pig’s Ear, their first pub, near Old Church Street.
172 King’s Road, SW3 4UP, lapin-restaurant. com
@mrbenmccormack
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