Chelsea has long stood as one of London’s most desirable neighbourhoods and whilst small in size, this affluent London enclave is home to some of the best drinking dens in the capital. Away from the glitzy crowds of Soho or Shoreditch, Chelsea’s bar scene leans into sophistication, a touch of eccentricity and, at its best, a genuinely excellent understanding of what makes a great drink a great room. This sense of confidence is reflected across venues that prioritise longevity and familiarity.
In this guide, we walk through some of the best bars in Chelsea.
Beaufort House Chelsea
Spread over three floors, Beaufort House is something of a Chelsea social hub and a place guests return to over the years rather than once or twice. Beneath its elegant exterior, the venue houses several distinct spaces, a ground-floor bar and brasserie that settle into a comfortable buzz by early evening, alongside Albert’s Champagne Bar, a quieter room focused on champagne and classic drinks. It is more contained than the main bar areas and tends to suit smaller groups and lower-key evenings, particularly during the week.
The upper floors are home to Albert’s private members’ club, which includes a Champagne Penthouse, a members’ bar and restaurant and a club room used for private dining, meetings and screenings. These spaces operate separately from the public areas and are used primarily for events and member access, maintaining a sense of separation.
The drinks list across the venue is largely classic in structure, relying on familiar cocktails made with quality spirits. The approach is straightforward, with an emphasis on consistency and competent service rather than novelty or overt experimentation.
Barts
If Beaufort House is Chelsea’s social lounge, Barts occupies a different niche altogether — that of the clandestine cocktail den. Tucked behind an unassuming façade, this speakeasy-style bar plays with the idea of secrecy and discovery in a knowingly theatrical way.
A discreet door in a chi-chi Sloane Avenue block of flats leads inside. Behind the tiny vestibule wallpapered in comic strips is a vaguely Edwardian parlour-esque space bedecked with taxidermied animal heads and sabotaged paintings. The cocktails are punchy and expertly made and you might even spot friends of the royals among the party-goers.
Its ethos feels as though it was lifted from a different era, with a secret password required to enter, dim lighting and theatrical presentations of drinks that are as playful as they are well made.
Callooh Callay
Callooh Callay has opened a Chelsea outpost on King’s Road, expanding beyond its original Shoreditch location. The bar was founded by Richard Wynne and first opened in East London in 2008, where it developed a reputation for inventive cocktails and an informal, approachable style of service.
The name is taken from Lewis Carroll’s Jabberwocky, a reference that has long informed the bar’s visual identity and menu structure, though the focus remains on drink quality rather than theme. Over the past decade, Callooh Callay has received consistent industry recognition, including multiple appearances in international bar rankings and UK best-of lists.
The Chelsea opening adapts elements from earlier iterations of the bar rather than attempting a full reinvention. A selection of previous signature drinks appears alongside new additions on a concise cocktail list. The approach mirrors that of the original venue: technically sound cocktails, a willingness to experiment within limits and a setting that avoids formality without feeling casual or overly staged.
The Chelsea Bar at 11 Cadogan Gardens
Housed within a refined hotel property just off Sloane Square, The Chelsea Bar is a more intimate proposition. It trades on quiet luxury — think moody interiors, well-paced service and cocktails designed to be savoured rather than shouted over. In a neighbourhood that prizes understatement, this bar fits snugly into that aesthetic and feels appropriately discreet.
Champagne-led serves and signature creations find their home here, often enjoyed by well-turned-out locals or visitors keen to experience something a touch more polished than the average hotel lounge.
Wild Corner
For those who prefer their evenings with a glass of wine rather than a cocktail shaker’s flourish, Wild Corner stands out. Nestled away on Elystan Street, this wine bar has developed a reputation for an excellent cellar and a sincere attention to detail over time. The room itself is unpretentious but carefully curated — a place where the quality of the bottle matters as much as the company around you.
Chelsea’s residents often tout wine bars as the antidote to over-labourious mixology: here, the drinks speak for themselves and the focus remains on balance, provenance and a thoughtful pour. It’s precisely the sort of place where you might arrive for one glass and find yourself still there hours later.
Little Lines by Black Lines
Little Lines by Black Lines operates from the RIXO flagship store on King’s Road, Chelsea. Founded in 2017, the space offers a concise drinks menu including signature cocktails, wine, beer and soft drinks, positioned as an extension of Black Lines’ pre-batched cocktail model rather than a traditional bar setup.
Unlike conventional cocktail bars, Little Lines serves drinks that are prepared in advance rather than mixed in front of guests. Cocktails are delivered from bottle or tap, using established recipes and techniques adapted for consistency and speed. The drinks programme draws on classic and contemporary cocktails, made using spirits from independent British distilleries and fresh ingredients sourced from UK suppliers.
Beyond its Chelsea location, Black Lines supplies pre-batched cocktails to venues across the UK, including hotels, restaurants and bars. The production process is central to the operation, with recipes tested and refined before being scaled through controlled batching and filtration to maintain consistency and reliability.
Chelsea’s appeal has always rested on discretion rather than display, and its bars follow suit. In a part of London that has little to prove, the best drinking spots favour confidence, continuity and an understanding of their audience. The result is a scene that feels settled, assured and entirely at ease with itself.
