The best of Chelsea by the people who know - Cadogan

64 | FOOD AND DRINK | Pubs, bars and nightlife
The Cellar at the World’s End
(see Restaurants)
The Cross
Keys
The Cross Keys closed in May 2012.
1 Lawrence Street, SW3 5NB
JuJu
Chelsea Potter
The Chelsea Potter was originally called
the Commercial Tavern and was built by
entrepreneur Richard Smith, who
acquired the former grounds of a manor
house in the 1830s and tried all sorts of
business ideas there, including a pleasure
garden, a wash baths for working
men, a theatre and finally a dance hall
and a tavern.
The Commercial Tavern and the dance
and entertainment venue the Commercial
Rooms or Commercial Hall – now the
Founders’ Hall that houses classrooms
at Hill House International Junior School
– were both built around 1842.
The tavern and the hall were connected
by an internal door, and it is thought
that the buildings were linked even when
the hall was being used as a place of
worship later in the 19th century.
Architects found the door opening when
they were recently restoring the
Founders’ Hall for the school.
The tavern was renamed the Chelsea
Potter in the 1950s, and was a hangout
for King’s Road icons in the 1960s,
including Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling
Stones.
Today the Chelsea Potter is a popular
traditional English pub that serves cask
ales and British pub food. It has a few
tables outside for the lucky few who get
there early enough, and there’s usually a
crowd balancing drinks on the outside
windowsills in the evenings once the
tables have been filled.
119 King’s Road, SW3 4PL
T: 020 3603 5764
www.taylor-walker.co.uk/pubfood/chelsea-potter-chelsea/pid-C6708
Coopers Arms
A pub on the corner of Redburn Street
and Flood Street, the Coopers Arms is
dedicated to real ales and home-cooked
food, from sandwiches to bangers and
mash, fish pie and curry.
There’s also a Sunday menu (available
12pm-9pm) which includes a Sunday
roast.
Open daily 12pm-11pm. Food served
Monday-Friday 12pm-3pm and 5pm-
10pm, Saturday-Sunday 12pm-10pm.
87 Flood Street, SW3 5TB
T: 020 7376 3120
www.coopersarms.co.uk
The Cross Keys
Founded in 1708, the Cross Keys has
counted Dante Gabriel Rossetti, JMW
Turner, James Abbott McNeill Whistler,
John Singer Sargent and Agatha Christie
among its patrons.
It’s a striking sight with the reliefs of
St Peter, an angel and a heron on the
building’s front – the ‘cross keys’ symbol
is a reference to the keys of heaven.
Henry J Beans Bar and Grill
Once the famous Six Bells pub
frequented by artists including Whistler,
Henry J Bean’s is now an American bar
and grill. The food is classic American
burgers, steaks and hotdogs, and there’s
an extensive spirits and cocktails list.
It might not have the historic atmosphere
of some of the other local pubs,
but it makes up for it with its garden –
it is huge by the standards of Chelsea,
where outside drinking spots get very
busy. If you’re finding it tough to get a
space to drink outside or accommodate
smokers in your party, this is probably a
good bet – although it too gets crowded
in the summer.
Monday-Wednesday 11am-11pm,
Thursday-Saturday 11am-12am, Sunday
11am-12am. Children are not allowed in
the venue after 7pm.
195-197 King’s Road, SW3 5ED
T: 020 7352 9255
www.henryjbeans.co.uk
The Henry Root
This bistro/wine bar/tea shop is named
after the pseudonym used by William
Donaldson, who wrote letters lampooning
the wealthy, famous and influential
from this street. It aims to be a place to
relax with a slice of cake and a cup of
tea or glass of wine, or grab a bite to eat
from the seasonal menu. Brunch is
served at weekends.
9 Park Walk, SW10 0AJ
T: 020 7352 7040
Monday-Friday 11am-11pm, Saturday
and Sunday 9.30am-11pm.
www.thehenryroot.com
The Jam Tree
The Jam Tree is an open-plan gastropub
with a decked garden complete with its
own bar and a barbeque. The wine list is
substantial and there are speciality beers
and a decent cocktail list, including the
signature Jam Mojito (white Cuban
rum stirred with fresh mint, lime and
raspberry jam).
It hosts special events, such as a
‘steak out’ evening and resident DJs,
and the menus have a modern British
and ‘colonial’ flavour.
The Sunday menu includes roasts.
There’s also a special menu for when the
barbeque is fired up on Thursday and
Friday nights and
all-day Saturday and Sunday, weather
permitting, including jerked chicken leg,
rib-eye steak and giant barbeque
prawns.
Open Sunday-Thursday 12pm-11pm,
Friday-Saturday 11am-2am. Lunch:
12pm-3pm. Dinner: 6pm-10pm.
541 King’s Road, SW6 2EB
T: 020 3397 3739
www.thejamtree.com/chelsea/