Open daily 9.30am until 12.30am
The style:
The enormous chandelier over the bar, which stands proudly central in the middle of a light and airy room, is the first thing to catch the eye. It’s a neat trick; one is drawn for a drink like a moth to a flame. Even on a busy night it’s unlikely you’ll find yourself in a crush as the main advantage to this stylish bar is space. There’s plenty of room for both boozers and diners and plenty of big windows to watch the Kings Road ebb and flow.
The crowd:
This is Chelsea: there were wealthy-looking handsome men winding down after a day’s hard fought business and several WAG wannabes sporting designer shoes and expensive handbags. It also seems popular with female best friends catching up. The atmosphere felt happy and optimistic, but don’t come if you’re looking for a quiet drink – it can get loud.
The food:
At a glance you could be forgiven for thinking the brasserie menu is uninspiring, but don’t be fooled: simple things are done amazingly well here. Opting for a ‘small plate’ in place of a starter, crispy squid (£5) arrived on a black slate oblong alongside real mayonnaise. It was perfect, the squid tender (not rubbery) and never sliding out of the light tempura-like batter as sometimes happens. My partner’s three succulent scallops were partly caramelised, mouth-wateringly sweet and enhanced with smoky tasting bacon and minted peas. They were so good they were worth the £12 price tag. The high standard continued through the mains; crab linguine (£14.50) achieving a perfect balance between chilli and garlic and roasted cod (£16), which can be nondescript, revealing a delicate marine flavour here. Though close to replete, lemon tart (£5) floated down my gullet like a citrus airy dream, while she who will always have chocolate smiled happily through the brownie (£5) that came with shot glasses of cream and chocolate sauce. A special mention should also go to our Danish waitress Maria. Helpful, friendly and attentive, she was also so gorgeous we both wanted to take her home.
The drinks:
You’re spoilt for choice. Cocktails are inventive, beautiful and er, ‘refreshing’. The wine list caters effortlessly for all tastes and pockets and there are so many different brands of bubbles if they were to unleash them all at once the bar might well float off to the heavens.
