The newest branch of Marco Pierre White and Frankie Dettori’s chain of Italian diners is proving to be real hit with football fans, providing they support Chelsea, that is!

The Venue
The newly opened Frankies Sports Bar and Grill sits quietly within the bowels of the Chelsea Stadium, next door to the Millennium Copthorne hotel and Marco’s, the celebrity chef’s other Chelsea-based establishment. On non-match nights the stadium is eerily quiet and it’s all too easy to take a wrong turn in the hope of finding the dressing rooms!

Despite the obvious Italian influence, Frankie’s has an air of Vegas about it. A glitzy Fifties-style cinematic entrance welcomes you into the dimly lit bar and dining room. Mirrored globes dominate the ceiling bouncing shards of light off the leather-clad tables. There’s a real leather and smoked glass theme going on, which stops short of being naff by the striking black and white chequered floor. Plasma screens dot the walls, offering diners an array of muted sports channels.

The Atmosphere
Timing is all important when you’re dining in the grounds of a Premiership club. Come on a match day and the air turns blue and white and it’s busier than an umbrella-seller at Wimbledon. Non-match days seem to attract the awestruck adoration of dedicated Chelsea fans and their bored but loyal girlfriends. The flicker of plasma on every wall explains the noticeable lack of conversation on some tables. Thankfully, the chilled jazz which emanates from somewhere fills in the gaps of minimal conversation. The staff are on the more formal side of friendly, but quick, efficient and more than happy to describe or recommend a favourite dish.

The Food
Both the menu and the food are as straight-talking as Mr White himself. A handful of starters (all at £5.95) include a delicious chicory, pear, walnut and gorgonzola salad. Served as an unpretentious mound of beige, this more-than generous dish had exactly the right mix of ingredients to guarantee a rounded taste in every bite. Soft, creamy gorgonzola and fresh pear go well with the crunchy chicory and slight bitterness of walnut. Other dishes are just as simple: the Prosciutto di Parma with figs is just that, a smallish plate is filled with the silky ripple of cured ham and topped with fleshy quarters from a plump fig. Each dish arrives refreshingly simple and without the need for excessive bouquets of curly parsley or elaborate crocus-inspired radish carvings.

The main course options are split into different categories; Frankie’s Pasta, Pizza, Burgers, Meat and Fish. The pricing is simple, for example all pizzas are £8.50. In fact, the prices are remarkably reasonable considering the names involved. Burgers are a smidge under a tenner and come with the choice of Americano, blue cheese or cheese and onion toppings and a stack of French fries. The pizzas are generous and authentically Italian, the Frankie’s pizza is topped with Prosciutto, fresh rocket leaves and shaved parmesan, and although tasty, is a little dry with the shaved parmesan not quite making up for the lack of mozzarella. The Chicken Milanese (£12.50) is a Frisbee of a dish. A large, heart-shaped breaded escalope of chicken is topped with a small vine of roasted tomatoes and accompanied by a green salad, a well cooked (albeit a little plain) dish.

The desserts, if you can fit them in, aren’t as generous as the rest of the menu, but at £4.50 each they’re well worth a taste. The chocolate mousse arrives in a small martini glass with a squidge of cream on the side. Although smooth and chocolatey, it is however, wholly reminiscent of Angel Delight. The New York cheesecake, on the other hand, has a fresh, home-baked taste and is topped with the tart seeds of a fresh passion fruit.

The Drink
The long, shiny bar is well-stocked and not excessively overpriced (£3.50 for a gin and tonic is very reasonable for SW6). The wine menu is again unfussy with a nice selection of wines in various price ranges, a growing trend in which the customer less likely to be swayed by price. The house white (£13.95), an Italian Bianco Veneto, is fresh and dry and perfectly drinkable. At the other end of the range is a good value Pouilly Fuisse at £32.50.

The Last Word
With it’s good quality, no fuss food at reasonable prices, Frankies Sports Bar and Grill at Chelsea FC is a great place for families and sports fans alike, just leave the red and white scarf at home!

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