Discussing the best restaurants in Chelsea can cause as many eye rolls and grimaces as it can nods of approval. The average Londoner doesn’t choose to dine in these leafy suburbs lightly. Some of the restaurant covers are highly sought-after, requiring forward-thinking, while bills can total considerably more than in many other London areas.
However, there are plenty of gems among the pomp and pageantry some establishments put on. It’s a place where you’ll stumble across exceptional Indian cuisine in charming Georgian townhouses, sip sparkling aperitifs before Italian feasts in light-flooded glasshouses, and rediscover the joy of convivial dining in a courtyard that feels a million miles away from the rush hour chaos of Sloane Square. One newer opening will even make you feel like you’ve jetted off to the Costas as paella is theatrically dished out tableside and ice cubes crack in jugs of punchy sangria.
This is our tried and tested guide to Chelsea’s bucket list establishments – knives and forks at the ready. Daphne's is an established favourite among its smart clientele in a quiet row of boutiques and restaurants off Sloane Avenue. It has been serving authentic Italian dishes close to bustling Sloane Square since 1964.
Ideal for people-watching, the establishment attracts ladies-who-lunch (with chairs assigned for their designer bags), smartly dressed families and diners with something to celebrate. In the summer, the small roadside terrace opens, while the cons.