The Chalk, Chelsea, SW3

Quite a traditional-looking pub which seems slightly out of place in this wealthy area but thankfully it has somehow managed to avoid being revamped as a fancy modern bar. Quite a mixed clientele, from taxi drivers in the front 'snug' to some more exotic types in the rear bar. This is quite spacious, and there also seemed to be another room to the side, meaning than overall the pub is rather larger than it first appears. I could only see two real ales, Pride and Doom Bar, but the first of these was decent enough (and there may have been more round the back).

This pub is set down a side street a few yards off the bustling Kings Road. It still retains a three bar format, with all three doors still in use, although the two back bars are interconnected. I sat in the smallish bar with the “Snug Bar” doors, although it was still a little too large to be regarded as a snug. I guess its nearest comparator is a public bar, as it was bare boarded whereas the other bars were carpeted. This bar had some banquette seating, normal chairs and metal-framed tables. This is a pub whose exterior is painted black, so I was predisposed to not like it. But it was better inside than I had expected. It had the high ceilings of a late Victorian pub, which is what I guessed it to be, though the interior contained none of the classic interior decoration of a Victorian pub. The worst feature for me was the overly noisy aircon/heating system, and the best feature the ornate (cuckoo?) clock over the entrances to the toilets. There was one of those faux chalkboards displaying the wine list, plus more faux chalkboards on the overly large bar gantry extolling the virtues of the food and advertising the quiz and karaoke nights. There were two real ales on in this bar (I didn’t look closely enough in the other bar to see if there were any more ales on in there); Brain’s Bread of Heaven and London Pride, the latter at £3.10 a pint. I did poke my nose in the larger bar, which I suppose might best be described as the Saloon Bar, long enough to see that it did look a bit more comfortable than the Snug Bar. Interestingly (to me anyway) it did have a small passageway leading to the inner door, the floor of which had an attractive mosaic pattern containing green shamrocks. This design reminded me of the Tipperary in Fleet St, so I conjecture whether this might also have been a Mooney’s pub at some time? The chap that I took to be the landlord didn’t know, though he speculated that it had probably been an Irish bar – which looks like a safe bet! I certainly wouldn’t go much out of my way to visit, but it’s certainly a decent enough pub to stop off for a pint or two if you’re in the vicinity.