195 Kings Road,
Chelsea,
London,
SW3 5ED
0872 148 1138
Note: Calls cost 10p per min plus network extras.
The ViewLondon Review
One of Chelsea’s best-kept secrets, Apartment 195 offers exclusivity, class and style with none of the pretension.
The Venue
Apartment 195 is discreet and well-hidden on the Kings Road, with a heavy black door requiring you to press a buzzer for entry. If the person the other side of the door likes the look of you, you’re in for a treat as this bar feels like a home from home, albeit a particularly luxurious one. The elegant Victorian facade reveals dark purple and red walls, heavy brown sofas, an enormous fireplace, contemporary art and flickering candles. The main bar is fairly diminutive, with a small salon and tiny TV room off it used by the venue’s members and private parties.
The Atmosphere
Being so discreet, Apartment 195 always feels relaxed and cosy, and it’s the perfect place to unwind to some ambient Latin beats after a hard day’s shopping on the Kings Road. The all-female bar staff guarantee a friendly and attentive service, at least once you’ve bypassed the forbidding entrance. The feel here is refined elegance – there’s no intrusive loud music or flashy lights, it’s just understated, classy and contemporary.
The Food
Apartment 195 doesn’t go to great lengths to impress with their menu, which is mainly bar meals like sausage and mash, steak and a tasty Oriental platter, all ranging in price from about £8 to £15. There’s nothing exciting here, but it certainly restores a bit of energy after a hard day’s shopping.
The Drink
This bar comes into its own with its exciting list of cocktails – expect the contemporary and more traditional with some named after London landmarks such as the London Eye and Trafalgar, plus the usual mojitos, martinis and caipirinhas, all very reasonably priced for the Chelsea locale, starting from £8. If cocktails aren’t your thing, there’s a wide range of world beers and a long wine list, too.
The Last Word
Long may Apartment 195 maintain its secret status, because it would be a shame if too many people were ringing the buzzer to be let into this urban oasis of calm, far above the Kings Road crowds.
Apartment 195 has been reviewed by 6 users