LDNReview
Included In
As much as we all like to pretend that we’re feral little extroverts who spend our lives saying things like I’ll sleep when I’m dead, baby, most of the time comfort trumps excitement. Don’t believe us? Think about every time you’ve left the house and foregone those Certified Fancy Shoes that keep Compeed in business for something cushier. Comfort is more important than glamour, and yet, sometimes these two worlds collide and we’re gifted the pleasure of UGG boots, fashion leisurewear, and dun-dun-dun, The Cadogan Arms.
This is a jaw-dropping refurbished Chelsea pub that serves quintessential British cosiness with the gliding confidence and sophistication of a Julian Fellowes’ dame. Oh, I’ll have the sirloin in the parlour, be a good man and bring me a glass of port whilst you’re at it, darling. There’s an open fire, fish and chips on the menu, and deep armchairs that will swallow you whole after a third pint. But there are also stained glass windows behind the bar, rare bottles of £650 Bordeauxs on the wine list, and those deep snuggle-fest armchairs are upholstered in ivy velvet. The Cadogan Arms is a public house truly fit for the King’s Road and yes, you will see people eating their ham, egg, and chips in a two-piece suit in the glossy dining room. When there are chandeliers above the beer taps, you can get away with looking fancy. But importantly, this is still a pub so you can also get away with wearing your dad jeans to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon befriending the locals’ dogs and merrily gobbling up your roast.
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Menu-wise, the food also manages to fall somewhere on the spectrum of comfort and class. Oysters to pork pies, ribeye steaks to a cheeseburger with a side of skinny chips, fondant to sticky toffee pud. It’s all reliably hearty and satisfying, but the real show-stopper here is their signature rhubarb trifle, a nostalgic edible anachronism that is a rare find on London menus these days. It’s the kind of dessert that would make a cardiologist mouth a silent prayer for your arteries but it’ll make you feel like a kid again, high on sugar and deeply afraid that someone else is going to hog all of the luxurious custard. It’s also £11. Much like the price tag on that ‘casual’ silk pyjama blouse, the food here can be deceptively expensive. When you realise that the fish and chips costs almost twenty quid, it does feel a bit like you’ve been slapped around the face with, erm, a battered fish. This is Chelsea, after all. So it’s no surprise that dinner comes with a built-in chandelier and open fire tax.
If you’re willing to overlook those high prices for the high moulded ceilings, then it’s also worth knowing that The Cadogan Arms is a pub that can be used, booked, and stumbled upon for much more than a pint and pork pie. Bring your date here when things are just starting to get serious to do a trial-run of that Cotswolds getaway you’ve been thinking about suggesting. You’ll have a lovely time. Bring your favourite friends to the bar for a catch-up involving darts, a round of old fashioneds, and sure, some potential dart-related injuries. Bring your whole family here to prove once and for all that you were right about the sartorial prowess and comfort factor of UGG boots. ‘Sometimes’—you can say in the midst of a bite of a perfect scotch egg—’style and comfort go hand in hand.’
Food Rundown
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Pork & Sage Scotch Egg
Jersey Rock Oysters
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Hand-raised Pork Pie
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Ham, Egg, & Chips
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Beer-Battered Fish & Chips
photo credit: Lateef Photography
Ribeye Steak
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Rhubarb Trifle
photo credit: Aleksandra Boruch
Sticky Toffee Pudding