The Lost Hours

I was initially surprised when we walked into The Jam Tree in Chelsea – I had passed by it every night on my way home to Putney and thought it was a bog standard pub, so never gave it another thought but decided to come along on a Sunday evening because it was Comedy night which was absolutely brilliant I must say. You walk in and it is decorated nicely with some interesting touches and an amazing beer garden at the back where they were serving up market BBQ – what I mean by that is you spend 13 pounds for a hamburger which ain't cheap any which way you look at it – really that is a bit cynical – but it is touted as 100% Angus beef (well, it better be after the horse met saga)…I mean in America everything is 100% Angus beef – it's like some sort of big selling point in England…my aunt had the chicken wings which were gooey in a very orange sauce and were alright – tasty and BBQ'ey… The small glass of Spanish white wine was served in a very nice white wine glass that was too big for the serving so it looked mean at a fiver. Daughter Tatiana discovered the popcorn with truffle oil and parmesan which we ate three of, it was so good – it was addictive and a novelty…the two girls behind the bar were taking a very long time making extremely beautiful and exotic cocktails and putting their individual touch to them and I must admit they looked amazing BUT loads of people just wanting to order a beer or a glass of white were left waiting for up to ten minutes while the non-plussed bar girls cut up fruit, shredded ice and decorated the cocktails that were pricey but nice to look at. The manager needed a girl behind the bar whose sole job was to pump beer we thought because that was what a lot of people were waiting on…just two male waiters and one looked like the manager taking food orders – everything you ordered produced an immediate bill for some reason – there was no concept of paying at the end of the meal which is weird in a place that errs on the pricey side of pub-ville. Generally a fun evening due to the Comedy night going on and on a hot summer night we might sit in the garden in the back but our overall impression was it was a nice place but really badly managed – sorry…

The first Jam Tree blew me away, but the second one is truly beautiful. The Sunday Roast was gourgeous and all in the delightful Beer garden which is neatly tucked away. A wonderful addition to Kings Road and for sure will return very soon.