I didn’t expect to be impressed by another shiny new pub. Usually, they promise “heritage charm” and deliver overpriced chips and Edison bulbs. But The Trafalgar on King’s Road – Chelsea’s first new public house in over a century – is the real thing. And after a £2.4 million facelift, it’s made the British pub feel glamorous again.
Housed in a Grade II listed Georgian building opposite Chelsea Town Hall, The Trafalgar still looks like a bank that once held secrets. Five-metre ceilings gleam with aged bronze, Flemish chandeliers throw soft light across oxblood banquettes, and the bar itself is a thing of beauty: dark oak, polished ebony, and a shimmer of green tiling. It’s elegant but familiar. Somewhere between a pub and a film set.
The menu sticks to what the British do best – and then improves on it. The ham and cheese toastie is everything you want after one too many glasses of wine: buttery, salty, and indecently gooey. The scotch egg with coronation mayo deserves its own fan club. I started with the oxtail and truffle croquettes with Bovril mayo (yes, really), which were crisp, rich and comforting in a way only pub food can be when done perfectly.
The mains are hearty but clever. The poached guinea fowl with dauphinoise was beautifully done, while the Suffolk Wagyu burger disappeared from my husband’s plate faster than polite conversation. For dessert, I went for the Baby Guinness cake layered with Bailey’s mascarpone, which deserves more praise than my vocabulary can do justice.
Even better, the prices aren’t outrageous by Chelsea standards. The set lunch – two courses for £22, three for £27 – makes it one of the few spots on the King’s Road where you can have an elegant meal without selling a kidney.
Weekends bring brunch and roasts. Think poached St Ewe eggs, epic club sandwiches and proper Sunday feasts. If you’re smart, order the ale-braised beef “Thor’s Hammer” – a caveman-size dish made for six, served with all the trimmings. It’s part theatre, part feast, and a very good excuse to linger all afternoon.
Then there’s the downstairs. The Havannah Room is where The Trafalgar drops its guard. A hidden bar, mirrored ceiling and velvet curtains set the tone for live music, burlesque nights and comedy sessions. The award-winning Always Be Comedy takes over every Thursday with line-ups that include Nish Kumar and Joel Dommett – the kind of nights that start with oysters and end with tears of laughter.
Drinks are taken seriously. The cocktail list balances polish and playfulness – a sharp Negroni, a bright Paloma, a dangerously smooth Elderflower Martini. Wines are grouped by taste rather than jargon, and the beer list reads like a love letter to British brewing, from Brixton Lager to Jubel.
What I loved most, though, is that The Trafalgar still feels like a pub. You can walk in with a dog, order a pint, and not feel like you’ve crashed a private club. Or you can sit under the chandeliers and pretend you own the place. Either way, you’ll want to come back.
Chelsea hasn’t had a proper pub like this in far too long. The Trafalgar is warm, stylish, and quietly confident – proof that sometimes, all you need is good lighting, good food, and a pint poured properly.
224–226 King’s Road, London SW3
