Gastro pubs so often disappoint being neither good gastronomically speaking or good from a pub point of view. I was slightly hesitant about dinner at The Cadogan Arms in Chelsea after reading some bad to mediocre reviews but thankfully the recently renovated boozer came through with the goods for my visit. It's no surprise given that Tom and Ed Martin are behind The Cadogan Arms, the two brothers having already pumped out a good few of London's top gastro pubs.
Inside, the pub has a clubby spirit with wooden floor boards, lots of dead animals heads and antlers on the walls and a big bar for people clinging onto the pub part of the gastro pub. The menu reads well with lots of classic British dishes like chicken livers and deep fried duck egg or bubble along with crowd pleasers like Caesar salad and a burger.
After fresh brown bread and a pat of creamy butter we start with a dozen of the Colchester rock oysters (£22) which taste of high tide and the sun. Sure, The Cadogan's Arms role was limited to good shopping and oyster shucking but still these are top quality oysters.
Colchester oysters
The fish and chips (£14.50) features fish coated with a light and pungent batter made from ale and comes complete with crunchy chips and mushy peas. A side of peas and pearl barley (£3.50) is enlivened in the best possible way with slithers of bacon. The best dish though is from the specials board, the whole roasted baby chicken (£14.50) is tender and juicy. Nestled on fluffy roast potatoes it is smothered in a rich reduction flavoured with thyme. It's nigh on perfect and encapsulates why this rebooted gastro pub hits the jugular.
Roast baby chicken
This is a pub so there is a wide selection of beers on tap and by the bottle, including a monthly seasonal ale. The wine list is fairly extensive and is helpfully divided by varieties.
Essentials
Details: 298 King's Road, Chelsea SW3 5UGT
Damage: Reasonable
7/10
Links
If you liked reading this you might be interested in my review of the nearby brasserie Bluebird or The Botanist which is also run by Tom and Ed Martin.
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