298 Kings Road,
Chelsea,
London,
SW3 5UG
(020) 7352 6500
The ViewLondon Review
One of several foodie pubs and restaurants owned by the ETM Group - Ed and Tom Martin to their mates - The Cadogan Arms is certainly one of their most reliable, marrying a buzzy bar area with a hunting lodge-esque dining room and an upstairs pool room to keep the Chelsea set entertained.
The Venue
Unless you’re a blissfully minted local, the chances are you’ll alight at Sloane Square Tube and make your way down the world famous King’s Road to The Cadogan, but hail a taxi or jump on a bus if you have an aversion to walking as it’s a good 15-20 minute stroll. This is actually one of two ETM venues in the area, the other being the absolutely-heaving-on-most-nights-of-the-week Botanist. While The Botanist is more of a restaurant with a small bar area, The Cadogan inhabits what was a proper boozer and now has all the hallmarks of the group’s pubs: a significant amount of floor space is given to dining; stuffed animals are mounted on the walls; stag horns are present and correct, too. This may be the city but wellies (designer, of course) and hunting jackets won't look out of place here.
The space is divided into three parts: firstly, the bar area offers drinkers the chance to unwind with a pint or two; secondly, the open-plan room sinks down a couple of steps into an area that’s specifically designated for diners, where mounted grimacing foxes and woolly beasts peer down at you from exposed brick walls and red leather banquettes provide the best seats in the house; finally, up a staircase visible from the dining room there’s another room that houses the very popular pool tables, and the loos are up here too.
The Atmosphere
Things are pretty chilled here on the whole and most people appear deep in conversation with their companions. Young bucks and slinky girls venture upstairs to play pool in relative privacy, and staff make sure everything ticks along nicely, with plenty of good humour and knowledge of the menu. Couples, work colleagues and friends are all present and you might even see the odd well-behaved child being treated by her parents to a slap up dinner.
The Food
In keeping with the hunting lodge vibe, the menu is a showcase of seafood, meat and game from around the British Isles. Mainstays include oysters from Wrights Brothers, rib-eye steak and seafood sourced from Billingsgate Market each day.
The salt cod branade (£8) is a good way to start; it’s a fishcake of sorts with a well-balanced creamy mix of potato and cod encased in breadcrumb. Less successful is the daily special of the Dover crab on granary toast: the crab is a little fishy and it’s mixed in a blend that’s the colour of thousand island dressing rather than a simple classic mayo dressing.
From a seasonal main menu that offers venison as well as a wealth of seafood dishes, the shoulder of suckling pork (£23.50) is beautiful if a little on the expensive side. It’s obviously been slow cooked for hours and the contrasting textures of crunchy golden crackling and fatty meat is a moreish one. It’s served with black and white pudding, a tart pureed apple sauce and savoy cabbage, all of which are a great foil to the main act. The 35-day grass-fed rib-eye (£23) again comes with a hefty price tag, however, while some of the meat is wonderfully crimson and yielding other parts are ever-so slightly chewy. Fries, béarnaise and a bone marrow gravy on the side are all successfully executed.
Puddings are again British, or French, but summon the cheese board (£9.50 for one; £18 for two) and you’ll be presented with a selection of artisan cheese including a Cornish blue, a brie-like Perl Wen and the Lancashire Black Bomb, which is quite literally the bomb for cheddar fans.
The Drink
Common sights like London Pride, Heineken and Guinness are on draught, but you will also find a guest ale like the malty Flying Scotsman. Pints average £3.60-£4. A succinct list of cocktails are popular with others in attendance and, like in all of their venues, the wine list is well-selected mix of new and old world tipples. Alongside their own ETM house wine (£16.50), you can find more uncommon options like the Anpataco Familia Schroeder Malbec, a very bright, brambly and lively number at £25 a bottle.
The Last Word
Like all of the Ed and Tom Martin pubs and restaurants in London, The Cadogan Arms is a great showcase of British produce and carefully sourced wines. The food prices may make regular visits a little intermittent, but whether you're a returning customer, or here for the first time, the chances are you’ll be glad you decided to pay them a visit.
The Cadogan Arms has been reviewed by 7 users