We loved our experience at The Chandos. We were looking for a pre-show meal and this was the place to do it! We got some appetizers to share and some dessert. A nice easy central restaurant! read more

The Chandos - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Best pub in the heart of London. Would come here after work for drinks - cheapest beers around the area. Service is no frills, but quick. They only have Samuel Smith ales, so if you're looking for others, probably not the spot for you. Will always come back for another! read more

The Chandos - Cider and a Taddy Lager - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Conveniently located to West End shows. Lots of table space upstairs, if you're craving a quick pub meal. Decent quality too. Steak Pie: A really tasty meat pie with a golden flaky crust all around and a nice thick gravy filling. The meat chunks were hearty and stew like. For even more gravy, there is a nice gravy boat on the the side so you can cover your creamy mash. The carrots were nice too, for veggies, a tender texture. Sticky Toffee Pudding: It's not quite what I was expecting. Had frosting rather than soaked in a light toffee sauce. But it was still delicious. Ice cream was a nice pairing too. read more

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Decided to have a true English meal on our last night in London. We were not disappointed at Chandos considering we found it by chance. The Servers were friendly and let us choose our seats. She said we cannot go wrong with any of our orders and she was right. They were delicious! We arrived early and the place was not busy. The second floor is where they serve food and it was a big area. The pub side is on the ground level. The place was quiet. We thought it would be nice if there was background music. We did close the window because of everyone that were smoking outside downstairs. The smoke bothered us upstairs. All in all, not bad! Thank you! read more

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This is our go to place for fish and chips when in London. I love the authentic English pub vibe, all the staff are great and they have a good selection of beers, wines, and ciders. read more

The Chandos - London Fish and Chips are delicious - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

If I could give negative stars I would. My bag was stolen and the staff were useless. According to the local police station bag theft is regular in this place. Firstly the bar has two entrances which makes it easy for thieves to pop in and leave within a few seconds. The staff does absolutely nothing to prevent or help deal with any thefts that have happened. Clearly the police told them to do something about it because the was a small sign near the floor hidden by a table out of eye sight. This just proves the management don't care or maybe even are working with the thieves. read more

Cute pub at an intersection. We stopped in for a drink on a windy day. Service was quick and friendly. We got two pimms cups (they were off brand "pimms" but we didn't care). The glass was dashed with berries for some flair. The place was busy but we got lucky and found a high top table right away. The booths were all packed. There is an upstairs and side room but we just stayed first floor main room. read more

Reinforcing bad stereotypes about English food. Utterly horrible. The only thing saving it from 1 star was one of the servers was very nice and welcoming (the other was the complete opposite). This set a new low in pub food and it causes me to question ever using yelp as a reference again. read more

Our experience at this place was TERRIBLE. A local guy drinking a beer at the bar said it was a tourist trap. Starting with food which is of most importance, fish's and chips were tasteless and chicken appears to have been microwaved. Just awful. The poor waiter was the only one working hard, was running his ass off. He deserves to work in a much better place. Bartender was useless and the manager was little better. On to getting seated. We had reservations. Bar maid told us no tables were available as THEY DON'T CHECK ON ANY RESERVATIONS MADE AFTER MID-DAY despite their website accepting them. Her response was "too bad, nothing I can do". Called up mgr who tried the same line, but caved when we showed him the confirmation. With good pubs closing every day in London, how does this place survive?? read more

I had the best meat pie here that I had in my whole English trip this go around. Classic pub vibes with food being served upstairs. Only 1 person working at the time and it was rather busy so there was a bit of a wait, but still we were served and got our food and drinks pretty quickly after ordering. Great location near the portrait gallery and the square read more

We came here after a long day of tourism ( over 10 miles of walking.) We were headed to the Harp....but it was packed, small, a no way were we getting g a seat of sitting at a table. Booted up Yelp and here we are!!! Cleaner, bigger, nicer and sat by a fireplace in sways with back support. Food.was above average Pub faire. Fish n Chips. Quinoa veggie burger, nachos, tomato soup. A very enjoyable time and great. read more

The Chandos - Found the Harp down the street was too crowded. This looks nicer. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

If you find yourself in London, I recommend the fish and chips at Chandos. A large portion was served and don't forget to add vinegar to your chips (or as us Yanks say, fries.). The staff were efficient and the restaurant was very clean. I recommend. read more

The Chandos - The Chandos restaurant - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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***3.5 Stars*** Had my first beer and my first meal in London at the Chandos! Yep! And, what did I get? Well, fish and chips of course! Had to bring in my first meal with a bang. So, was it a home run? I wouldn't exactly call it a home run, but it was a nice way to start off the London Feasting. The Chandos is conveniently located just a block away from Trafalgar Square. That's actually how I ended up here. Saw that they had fish and chips and went right on in. The pub consists of two floors; the bottom floor is for beer only and the top floor aka the "opera room" is where you can lounge and have food. That opera room is so adorbs! Super vintage pub-like with a very mellow atmosphere. It was surprisingly pretty slow when I arrived. The kitchen closes during certain hours of the day, so I'd check at the bar first to make sure that the Kitchen is open if you want to order food. You order at the bar and they'll bring your food to you. The kitchen was still closed when I first got there, so I decided to have some beer while I waited. The beertender was super sweet and she helped me find a beer that I really liked. She recommended a Samuel Smith organic wheat beer was right up my alley! It was crispy and light, something that I prefer to the standard hoppy IPA's. When the kitchen finally opened, I put an order in for fish and chips. Prices are pretty reasonable here considering the area. They had some really good specials ranging from £5-£17. But, I had my heart set on those fish and chips. They gave me a piece of fish that was larger than my damn hand! Yep! It was huge! You better have an appetite if you plan to eat here. The fish itself was good. Lightly battered, flaky, and crispy as it should be. The batter didn't hold much flavor though, so that was kind of a letdown. Luckily the tarter sauce helped with this. The chips were a little dry but the peas were outstanding which is weird because I've never been a huge fan of peas. It was good but nothing great. It hit the spot though, and it went well with my beer so I wasn't really trippin' too much. As the evening went on, this place filled up! Even though it's smack dab in a touristy area, a lot of locals come to this place too. For my first London Pub experience, I was pretty satisfied. I would come back again for the beer for sure and maybe try something different off of the menu. read more

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I love Chandos! It was sooo sooo good. We were walking back from St. James Park and decided to grab dinner here after looking at Yelp. I was not disappointed. By the time we arrived around 8:30, it wasn't too busy. It was a pretty cute restaurant located upstairs. The wait staff were really nice. The waiter checked twice if the two items that we ordered had any allergens that we were concerned about. He didn't take our orders until he checked with the kitchen. I really enjoyed what we ordered. I got the fish and chips and my husband got the meat pie. Both items were soooooo good. The fish and chips was perfectly flavored and pretty gigantic. The meal came with a side of peas. The meat pie was also equally good. I couldn't stop eating both. Everything at the restaurant was pretty clean. The bathroom facilities were nice. This was my first fish and chips meal in London and I was very pleased. read more

The food was fine. The upstairs service on Christmas Eve was not. I asked the bartender for something to wipe the only available table and it never came, so when the waitress brought my dinner, I asked again. She went off in seeming annoyance and came back with a cloth. Instead of wiping the table, she just stood over it glaring at me. I finally realized she wanted me to pick up the plate, but seemed aggravated my mindreading skills aren't instantaneous. She was visibly annoyed to be there at all. She was angrily (and loudly) clearing the other tables and didn't bother to ask if I was done before taking my plate. She spoke to me for the first time only after I asked her not to remove my drink while I briefly left the table to order dessert, saying I couldn't as the kitchen was closed. The bartender had told me I had until 8:00 to order dessert, but when I returned at 7:45 to do so, he confirmed that the kitchen was closed. When I had ordered dinner an hour before, I specifically asked if I needed to order dessert then or had time, which is when he said I had until 8. A simple mistake is forgivable, but when I pointed out he told me 8:00, he tried to gaslight me by saying he never said that. Between being gaslit and the waitress' hostile attitude over the course of the evening, this was not the relaxing Christmas Eve dinner I had hoped for. I asked for the contact information for the owner and was refused. I was told "it's Christmas Eve" by the staff and another customer, which is supposed to negate being treated poorly, I guess. I left as my own attitude was taking a nosedive and I didn't want my inner Karen anymore awakened than this experience had already done. I don't want anyone to catch heat, but I do think some customer service training is in order. No one should be spending money somewhere to be treated as an annoyance for wanting to have a good experience, which I did not. I would give the place another try if I could rely on being treated as if they valued their customers. read more

Stopped in on a rainy Wednesday evening, around 4:00. A group of five of us just wanting to grab a pint and a bite. Two other patrons in the entire pub. Bartender was ubrupt and rude right off the get go. "Who's next" was her first interaction with us. When I asked a question she got short and snappy. We turned around and walked straight out the door. Found a fantastic, inviting pub just up the street. Won't be frequenting Chandos every again. Word of advice, pass this one by and go to Salisbury up the street. read more

Really good pub! In London for a sort stint and really enjoyed our dinner. I had the steak pie and my wife the fish & chips both dos not disappoint. The staff was friendly and helpful!! Just a great experience. read more

Service was very slow. Food was mediocre. I was overcharged on my credit card. I notified them to correct the charge but I got no response.

The beer, steak pie and burger were good. Bangers overcooked with cold gravy. Steak came out 10 min after everyone else's food and was well done and dry (medium was requested when they asked on ordering). Peppercorn gravy was cold. And waitress was angry that we wanted our dirty table wiped down before she delivered our food. We had asked 3 times for a rag to wipe down ourselves since the pub was more of a self-service vibe. The bartender was nice and salvaged the 2 stars. Wouldn't recommend. read more

Not a neighborhood pub I spend my time in The ground floor is cold with no warmth in the atmosphere or temperature Order up at the bar then stand around or try to find a seat at the few tables and high tops The beer was good but I would expect that The guests were a mix of locals and a higher number of tourists I did not order the food along with the majority of the other patrons. Looks like this is a place for drinking and visiting before going out rather than a destination for eating throughout the night. With options so close, The Chandos pub does not feel like home to me. I'll move on. read more

Should have ordered the fish & chips but it looked intimidatingly large. The schnitzel chicken was as expected. The big catch had delicious chips (fried potatoes) read more

A great pub with delicious food and beer and amazing location! It's located right across the street from the National Portrait Gallery, about a 10-15 minute walk from National Gallery/Trafalgar Square, and about a 5 minute walk from Covent Garden. We came here mainly for food after a day of touring, and we were craving fish & chips. We managed to find this place on Yelp and decided to settle here due to the nice atmosphere and decor. (Note: The dining part of the pub is located upstairs.) The place's very cozy and spacious, and you get to pick your own table and seats. The staff members there were very friendly and conversational, willing to provide recommendations on both beer and food. We ordered the fish & chips and the meat & kidney pie. Both were very delicious and the portion sizes were generous. We also ordered a dessert (forgot what it was called, it was cinnamon ice cream with caramel cake, photo attached), and it was very flavorful as well. We also got a couple pints of beer based on staff's recommendations. It was an amazing experience overall and a definite recommend from me for pub food and beer. read more

The Chandos - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Great Fish & chips in a great location. Really recommend it::) You May go few blocks away after that to New Row street for great desserts from different countries:) read more

Fish was limp, bland and just not good. Atmosphere was nice and cozy but the food simply couldn't add to the experience at all. read more

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Excellent variety of Sam Smith brews and many whiskey choices. Booths are very cool and the lunch menu is yummy and quality driven. Nice London location near Piccadilly Square ! read more

The Chandos - Leicester Square, wonderfully renovated Sam Smith pub with very friendly folks in all aspects... the brews are amazing... cheers! - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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The Chandos seems to cater to the tourist crowd, and they do it very well. Friendly staff, solidly good food, and the Samuel Smith on tap. I do want to recommend a veggie burger, which much to my surprise turned out to make my Top 10 list for veggie burgers worldwide. Served on a soft bun, it's a quinoa patty, fried perhaps with panko coating to give it some crunch, and with a discrete number of edamame beans thrown in. Excellent! The upstairs Opera Room, complete with with a variety of diva-themed posters and photos, is a pleasant enough space. If you've been walking all over the National Gallery across the street, this is a good place to stop in for a pint and quick lunch or a snack. As another Yelper put it, there's really nothing to complain about here. read more

Smooth atmosphere, nice staff. A little too much light, especially on the first floor. You can have a beer, cider and basic drinks. No selection of gin. No selection of wine. Disappointing. There is food to order (at the bar) upstairs. Fish and chips, etc. read more

The Chandos - Menu - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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We were walking around looking for a place with great fish and chips and stumbled upon the chandos right as their kitchen was opening. The dining area is upstairs, we walked up and the staff was very polite and friendly. We ordered at the bar, fish and chips of course and the nachos to share. The dining area is very cozy and we grabbed a table in the back. The food was really good! The fish was perfectly crispy as were the chips, and the side of pees was delicious as well. By far the best fish and chips I have ever had! The nachos were good too and overall you get a large portion of food. I would definitely come back for the food again! read more

The Chandos - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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This place is great! Very friendly, good beers, great atmosphere, snappy service, and the food was amazing... So much so that I came back for more the very next day... Try the fish and chips and an IPA! read more

Wonderful employees. Great vibes in the place. Only had the fish and chips with calamari. The whole peppercorns on the calamari were a bit much, but everything else was great read more

Walked in, no sign to seat yourself, and finally sat at a table. I then sat at the table for 5-10 minutes before a waitress tells me I need to order at the bar. (Mind you no one else has gotten up, so there was no trend to follow). When I walked up to the bar, the first waitress looked at me then walked to the back room. The other 2 servers also walk past me once or twice before one of them tales my order. I decide to order a "Homemade Scotch egg" and a beer to start, then come back for mains. Beer is pour into a glass already under the tap that had some beer in it already (gross). Sat down with my beer and I overhear the first waitress complaining that she is "too tired to work today". After 10 minutes my scotch egg arrives. It looks ugly, and you can see it is well past overcooked (hard yolks). The meat was applied irregularly and it was totally imbalanced. Taste was okay, but it did not go over well as my food was served COLD. I did not bother getting mains since the trend was on a downward trajectory. This is the first time I have ever walked about before a main at any restaurant. I really wanted this place to be good, as all the reviews got my hopes up. I hope for their sake this was an off night, but I will never be back considering the poor service and food. On the plus, the ambiance was excellent and well fitting a pub atmosphere. Its a shame the food and service could not match it! read more

The Chandos - "Homemade" Scotch Egg, served 30 seconds prior to this picture (Overcooked and already cold) - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Good fish and chips. Light and fluffy fish for a good price. The fish is huge!! The place has a nice pub feel to it. Overall I would definitely come back. read more

The Chandos - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

Fish and chips were Amazing!!!! It was soooo good. Crispy and buttery I definitely recommend this pub to my friends! Waitress were super nice and pretty! Thank you for great time in London. Will come back and try other Menue. read more

The Chandos - I had soup, salad and Fish and Chips. - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

We checked around particularly for a good fish and chips place and all roads pointed back to here. The fish and chips hit the spot, and I'd highly recommend the dish to all lovers of fried fish. My girlfriend and I each ordered the fish and chips, and both were lightly fried, crispy, tender and fluffy on the inside, and served with fries and peas. We also ordered a side of chili nachos that were very satisfying and almost as good as the nachos that we have back in the states (partially joking). read more

The Chandos - Fish and chips - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Great pub. I have been going there for years. Food is good. However, I spotted a mouse running under the booth while I was eating. It was a bit unnerving, but the waitress seemed to take it in stride. I guess he's a regular since she even knew his name. read more

One of the great London metropolitan pubs, just across from the National Portrait Gallery. Every visit of mine to London will inevitably result in at least half a dozen stints at this fine pub - and a dozen or more pints from their great range of Samuel Smith beers (and you can only get beers here from this brewery!). In recent years (after 2012) prices for beer in London have gone up rather sharply, so expect to pay UKP 4.90 for a pint of their signature lager, Pure Brewed Organic Lager - which is still cheaper than what an inferior lager will go for at other pubs in the area. Cheaper alternatives (like the Double-Brewed Lager or the Alpine and Taddy lagers) are available, but they are just not quite as good. A good, inexpensive option is the oak cask-aged Old Brewery Bitter, which is rather aromatic and costs below UKP 4. Various fruit beers are also available (Cherry, Strawberry, Raspberry & Apricot), but only from the bottle - they're good but don't come cheap at 5.70 for 355ml. Also, Samuel Smith makes one of the very few authentic German wheat beers, the Organic Wheat, in all of England - many have tried, but few have succeeded. It's also UKP 4.90/pint and on tap (as of August 2018). Other beers from their range - all of them from the bottle - that I can safely recommend are the Imperial Russian Stout, the Nut Brown Ale, the Oatmeal Stout, and the Taddy Porter. Nothing has changed décor-wise over the 14 years I've been frequenting The Chandos during my annual summer holidays (and several other trips to London): Particularly attractive, and correspondingly in demand, are the cute alcoves you can sit in, with their decorated stained glass windows and the large tables and comparatively comfortable benches. During peak hours you might as well forget about securing a place for you there. But the whole pub is rather comely, with its dark wooden furniture and the classy, old fashioned bar. They did however renovate the toilets (to be found in the basement) in recent years, and boy, was it necessary. I remember trying to find my way through the gents' loo with the flashlight of my smart phone when the lights were out - and the picture wasn't great. In August of 2018, I can happily report that the facilities I found were both neat and clean. On the upper level you will find the restaurant area (though you can also have meals on the ground floor), and that's the one quibble I have with their self-perception: The pub grub here is certainly competitive in price, but, personally, I wouldn't use the term "excellent" for it. I've had lunch there on a few occasions, and what I got was only standard pub food. Maybe they have improved in the past 5 years. The bar staff (mostly young men in their twenties) are very friendly indeed, and they're certainly doing their best trying to keep up with the queue of punters that will flood the place after office hours. So the best time to visit for a relaxed pint, sitting in an alcove, will be sometime soon after 12 a.m. - maybe after a visit to the National Gallery or National Portrait Gallery. read more

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Lovely setting, and such a peaceful respite from the crowds just below. I expected it to be a lovely, atmospheric pub. But, I did NOT expect for the food to be as good as it was. Mind, the vegetables had been nuked to be re-heated (as was my entree, likely). But, it was still tasty and affordable, and a far cry above what you could get from nearby eatery, Pret. TIPS for Americans: if you are eating food, head upstairs and grab a table. Your table should have a number on it. Place your order at the bar, pay, and give them the number - they'll bring the food to you. read more

Best for me so far: Samuel Smith bitter on cask for £3.40, takes cards no problem, unbeatable location next to national gallery and the colosseum (where I was out for a show), clean inside, even a designer sink with soap and lotion pumps - nothing to complain of whatsoever. read more

You wouldn't think that a place so close to the hustle and bustle of Trafalgar Square would have the charm of your local neighbourhood pub, but there you go. After a day of sightseeing and shopping, I was absolutely starving, and dead set on having one good pub meal. I knew I was in a real, honest-to-God pub when I opened up the menu and saw, among the steak-and-kidney pies and sticky toffee pudding, chicken tikka masala and Thai curry. Fabulous. My red pepper and feta quiche (pictured) came with the most delicious salad, so much so that I almost wish that it were the entree. (Although the quiche was pretty darn fabulous, too.) It was also great not to have to ask for vinegar to go with the chips (which were unfortunately a mite soggy). Honestly, though, what made this place was the ambiance, from the cheery server who kept calling me "luv", to the babble of different accents (read: tourist vs. local), to the quintessential Britishness of it all. Long live the pub. read more

The Chandos - Red pepper and feta quiche with salad and chips (and vinegar!) - Pubs Near Me - London, XGL

A great place to unwind after a busy week! A very good location combined with bustling ambiance and friendly staff. I've never been to the second floor where they serve food as all the fun is downstairs at the ground floor where there are decent cheese toasts and a humble selection of crisps and peanuts you can nibble while enjoying your drinks. There is a good selection of beers of which my boyfriend is a fan and I like the cocktails and wines they offer. This time I tried the white Zinfandel and I liked it. Hadn't I seen the rolls of toilet paper being stored on the bathroom floor, I would have given this place 5 stars... but I guess the more you drink, the less you start to care each time you go to the toilet and see these. Anyway, I love this place and will keep on going there because I always have a good time. read more