Best Chelsea Bars

Tom and Ed Martin’s Botanist has been rocking Sloane Square since 2008, so its recent Russell Sage refurb seems rather timely – note the vibrant paintings of parrots and elephants that now provide a backdrop to the restaurant’s leather banquettes and snug upholstered booths. The adjoining art-deco bar buzzes throughout the day, while adjustable glass screens shield diners from the lively after-work crowd. A versatile all-day menu kicks off with breakfast (perhaps a full English or ricotta pancakes with bacon and berries), ahead of an international line-up spanning everything from tuna tartare with avocado, radish and macadamia nuts or succulent scallops partnered by crisp Serrano ham and burnt cauliflower purée to veal schnitzel, chicken with wild mushrooms and polenta, spinach tortellini and fish dishes such as cod with chorizo and bean stew. There are also steaks and a Longhorn burger from the grill, while imaginative salads keep the veggies happy. With pre-theatre suppers, weekend brunch, a sensible wine list and exceptionally friendly staff, The Botanist is in fine form for its tenth anniversary in spring 2018. 

Given that it’s somewhat adrift of Chelsea and Fulham’s main drinking hotbeds, on the southern flank of Brompton Cemetery, we hope this revitalised boozer doesn’t end up as a bit of a graveyard. ‘Cold beer and a warm heart’ promises a neon sign in the window, and the Pensioner is aimed at locals rather than Saturday’s out-of-town casuals en route to watch Mourinho’s men at nearby Stamford Bridge. Those who do make it all the way to the Royal Borough’s western limit will find cheerful pick-and-mix retro decor, Meantime ales on tap, Prosecco at £15, sub-£3 spirits and mixers during extended happy hours – plus cocktails such as Rob Roy and Daiquiri, affordable flatbread pizzas, a pool table and a rear courtyard. Live music, quizzes, film nights and comedy turns are also promised.

Following a punchy summer 2016 revamp by owners D&D, the lounge bar at Bluebird is at the forefront of SW3’s social scene. The industrial edge on the first floor of this 1920s former garage has been softened by a pleasing Raoul Dufy-esque colour palette of mandarin, pomegranate, pinks and blues. Celia Birtwell prints, jazzy rugs, mismatched 1930s-style furniture and lush green ferns do their bit too. Sit at an art deco stainless-steel island bar to sample wine from £19 and an intriguing range of well-made, reasonably priced crustas, cups, cobblers and twisted classics including Gingerbread Mojito, Beaufort Beauty (pisco, dessert wine, passion fruit and sloe gin), and aged Old Fashioneds and Negronis served from (nice touch) miniature petrol pumps. Snack on tiger prawns aïoli, barbecued quail and guacamole, or olive and artichoke tapenade with croûtons – or simply gossip over G&Ts. Buzzy, brash and brilliant, Bluebird is back with a vengeance.

Spread over four floors, this swanky King’s Road hangout attracts its full share of slick-haired suits and glammed-up it-girls. The upstairs members’ club/restaurant caters for signed-up regulars, while the Champagne penthouse, brasserie and street-level cocktail bar also have their own chic allure. All-day breakfasts and weekend brunch are popular draws, while main menus offer a mixed bag of Anglo-European dishes ranging from ploughman’s, fish pie and steak sandwiches to braised ox shin with horseradish mash or nut-crusted sea bass with braised fennel and Madeira broth. Meanwhile, drinkers get their kicks from ‘awesome’ cocktails including watermelon martinis, spiced pear mojitos and the signature Champagne punch. And if you got a £1,100 to spare, why not invest in The Chancellor – a metre-high martini glass fuelled with a bottle of Dom Pérignon and three blazing doses of Rémy Martin Louis XII Cognac.

Few bars have quite such a handle on fun as this surreptitious speakeasy, located a couple of corridor turns into Chelsea Cloisters. Slip the doorman a wink, kick back a heel and dive headlong into a world of 1930s kitsch – from the pulp fiction-inspired entrance to the ruby red wallpaper, bric-a-brac artwork and well-thumbed dressing-up box. All the classic cocktails are present and correct (think a Whiskey Sour with Bulleit Bourbon), but if you really want to let the good times roll, we recommend the tasting selection of house cocktails served in miniature teacups or specials such as Mystic Note (a gramophone filled with lemongrass-infused Tanqueray, apple juice and gomme syrup). ‘Shady associates’ Gaucho, next door, provide a succinct food menu, so if things start getting out of hand, soak up the excess gin with a steak slider or a burger and chimichurri chips.

“A Mecca for floppy-haired Sloanes in Jack Wills shirts”, this teeming Chelsea hostelry has one huge selling point in the shape of a luxuriant heated garden, which gets packed to the gunnels on warm days and balmy evenings. Inside, the ‘Feeney’ sports a high-ceilinged saloon bar lit by Droog chandeliers, with sentimental artefacts and a library of antique books – a perfect setting for revellers who fancy knocking back a few house Mojitos before hitting Boujis. Otherwise, the conservatory-style dining room is a draw for lunching ladies who feed on plates of jerk chicken and pineapple salad, butternut squash and Gorgonzola ravioli or venison loin with pumpkin, passion fruit and ‘huntsman’ sauce. Pud might herald saffron and orange pannacotta, and there are plenty of organic names on the Euro-accented wine list. Alternatively, a stripped-back ‘deli’ dispenses all-day sharing platters, sandwiches and cheeses.