Outside Chalk Freehouse - the white facade is now a great improvement from its dark look as The Butcher's Tap.
What can you tell us about Chalk Freehouse?
This is chef Tom Kerridge's second go at opening a pub in Chelsea.
The second go?
Yes, the first attempt, The Butcher's Tap, didn't really break through in the way that you'd expect from a top chef like Kerridge, particularly when one of his other pubs is the only one in the country with two Michelin stars. Based on a pub of his in Marlow, The Butcher's Tap was a slightly unrefined, old-school approach. At a time when the pubs in London which are really breaking through have innovative menus, this didn't seem to be quite the right take. Kerridge clearly realised this and after closing for just two weeks, the pub relaunched as The Chalk Freehouse.
And how different is this from the pub before it?
The outside is very different, with a white paint job to go with the name and, frankly, it looks much better than the previous dark facade. Inside (looking at photos from its previous incarnation), they haven't done all that much to the interiors.
The food, however, is where the biggest changes have taken place.
So what's the change to the food?
A new chef has been brought in, Tom De Keyser, who was head chef at The Hand and Flowers and has worked with Kerridge for 12 years and has shifted the food more in the direction of Kerridge's signature fare. He's also brought with him some staff from Marlow to help with the shift towards a more food-focused pub.
Of course, you can still pop in just for a drink, and there's quite a scene outside the front of the pub (for Chelsea anyway, we're not quite talking Devonshire levels).
A look through the pub - on the left part of the downstairs dining room, which looks into the kitchen. Top right is the airy raised front area (the best space in our opinion) and below that, a view of the pub's drinking space.
And where is it?
The pub is just a few steps off The King's Road and about a 10-minute walk from Sloane Square station. When you're there, we'd probably say the best seats are upstairs in the raised part by the window. However, the basement (where the kitchen is) seems to cater much better for groups and it was pretty packed down there on the evening we visited.
And, as it's a pub, it is dog-friendly, of course.
Back to the food then. What can we expect?
This is definitely not a small plates restaurant. It's a classic three-course affair that's a significant step up from the previous menu. It's the kind of food that London is expecting from a pub these days - comfort food, but a little elevated and with decent-sized portions. It's a template, for instance, that nearby Chelsea pub The Pig's Ear also follows, so it feels like a much better fit for the area.
There are a few snacks that you should be heading straight for:
‘Nduja & smoked mozzarella sausage roll (£3.00) and cheese & onion scone with mustard & herb butter (£3.00) - both excellent, particularly that sausage roll. If you were just coming in for a pint, that would be a must-have.
After this, it was onto the main event
The big nod back to Kerridge's main restaurant is The Hand and Flowers chicken & duck liver parfait ‘churned to order’ with poultry jelly, apricot chutney and toasted brioche (£18.50). Pricey, but it's a truly great parfait, and they will give you more brioche if you ask nicely.
Welsh leeks with Veronique butter sauce (£11.50) - of all the dishes on the night, this was the one that didn't quite hit the mark, with us looking for a little more tenderness from the leeks. Very much a nearly-there though, as the sauce was a great fit.
Pork chop schnitzel with smoked bacon & pickled cabbage and fried duck egg (£27.50) - schnitzel seems to be making something of a comeback on London menus of late - this juicy chop version was a particularly good example.
Confit duck leg with braised lentils, castel franco and fresh figs (£24.50)
And don't miss this side:
Chelsea spud with green garlic butter (£9)
Anything else to highlight?
There are only a few vegetarian dishes, including ricotta dumplings with summer vegetables and Parmesan (£23.50) so bear that in mind. There's also a fish of the day, and a baby chicken roasted in curried butter that sounds very tempting. They also have a very good value weekday set lunch at £18.50 for two courses or £25 for three. At the time of writing, there's no information on a Sunday lunch, but we'll assume that's coming.
There's also a blackboard menu of daily steak specials, with a bavette and fillet on offer when we visited.
What about dessert?
If you're only going for one dessert, make it the first one below:
“Chelsea Bun” with cold vanilla custard, boozy fruits and praline (£11.00). This was a wonderful adaptation of a classic Chelsea bun and up there with some of our favourite desserts of late.
Chocolate tart with smoked sea salt, pistachio and crème fraîche (£12.50) - an extremely good tart, but unfortunately missing the crème fraîche, which it really needed to combat the richness of the tart.
What about drinks?
Obviously, there is plenty of beer, which also includes the beers from his Marlow pubs, like The Hand and Flowers Best Bitter. There's a short selection of house cocktails at £15 each, like a Cherry Scotch Sour. On the non-alcoholic front, there's a decent showing of non-alcoholic cocktails, Guinness 0% and Lucky Saint's IPA (a better alternative to their lager, in our opinion).
Overall thoughts
In all honesty, when The Butcher's Tap was first announced, we thought it was a shame that the pub didn't lean more towards the menus of Kerridge's more prominent pubs like The Hand and Flowers or The Coach. Now that the change in direction is here with The Chalk, it feels like both a much better fit for Chelsea, but also more in keeping with the types of new pubs that are successes in London these days. It's still a proper pub, but the menu is much more compelling with some excellent touches along the way. There may be a few rough corners to smooth out, but this is already clearly the right direction for the pub and a welcome addition (albeit a revamp) to the area.
More about The Chalk Freehouse
Where is it? 25-27 Tryon Street, Chelsea, London SW3 3LG
How to book: Book online or call 0203 958 4444.
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @thechalkfreehouse
Hot Dinners dined as guests of The Chalk Freehouse. Prices correct at time of publication.
Subscribe to be the first to get the news from Hot Dinners
