Chandos in City of London, Westminster

Came here the other day for a friend's birthday. Atmosphere was nice, not too crowded for central London. Good price for drinks. Someone needed to be removed from the venue which I flagged to staff and they acted on straight away. Thanks.

A good old fashioned pub in the centre of London, plenty seats and good service.

This pub in Leicester Square is near Trafalgar Square and the theatre area. It's opposite the National Gallery. It's a Sam Smith pub. So, they serve Samuel Smiths beer, which is the only brand available. There's stout, bitter, organic lager Follow here and the IG link in profile for more travel and food and drink tips, ideas and reviews!

It's quiet as expected. Good vibe pub. However £6.90 for a Taddy is outrageous. Staff really friendly.

1 person on shift ,waited ages to be served Overpriced drinks

I’ve been using the Chandon since the 90s I love these London Samuel smith pubs so much character. I stopped drinking in London due to rude staff and bad beer, however I visited the Chandon last week, and how wrong I’ve been. The 3 staff members were so friendly and helpful, and will make me a frequent visitor to London again, I’m disabled and my vining friend was hungry, not being able to make the stairs to the restaurant, without having to ask, 1 brought us menus down, the other took our order, was handed the buzzer, as soon as it was off another staff member appeared took it upstairs and returned with our food. They made it so easy, no patronising treating me like I was a normal person so rare these days. Thank you all 3 my friend was very impressed.

Being coming for a long time. Love having a drink here. Beautiful place located just off Trafalgar Square. Came for some food. Told we had to go upstairs for food, as opposed to previous visits where we'd eaten downstairs, but fair enough. Service very good. Good was good but a little small considering how much it costs. Went for fish and chips, had 10 chips. Wasn't great, especially for the price which was high. Slightly disappointed.

Our usual London food place but not anymore . Now table service instead ordering at the bar. We asked for 2 Steak pies and asked for Chips instead of mash , as most pubs will swap option. Staff told us we couldn't swap but would have to pay extra for side portion of chips. We got up and voted with our feet never to return, other recent reviews on here indicate the pub is not what it used to be.

Absolutely disgraceful, shocking, rude, obnoxious and arrogant service from the bar man. I ordered 4 x Gin and tonics Was delivered 4 x gin and 6 tonics He took it upon himself to fill each glass up to the rim with tonic Thus defeating the object of having any gin in the glass Also this tasted like a large glass of tonic water. Here’s a lesson for you I choose how much tonic water I want with my gin - not you He was defiant when questioned. Also he insisted that his method was company policy. Once he had done the above he then charged me £38 for the 4 drinks and then had the audacity to give me the spare tonic that he couldn’t fit in the glasses and promptly charged me for the honour.

We have always used The Chandos when we go to London but due to PRICING & Gratuities they have now lost our custom. The main course was £17.95 each which is a reasonable London cost, However, £5.25 for 1 portion of skinny chips (1 potato) and £8 service charge is nothing short of a RIP OFF! The staff are exceptionally friendly and helpful, but sadly they have lost our custom.

Pretty busy pub. The SS stout is actually very nice.

Good old fashioned pub always busy and difficult to get a seat.

Had a nice quiet meal upstairs in the Opera Room during our trip to London. Food was tasty and portion size was adequate, small selection of beers. Service was fine. We saw a very small mouse run along the bottom of the wall towards the end of our meal, it was cute however.

Nice food, but no soft drinks were available or ketchup. Not the best for kids

Absolutely awful! 1 person serving a restaurant of 25 tables, after 20 minutes came to the section to see if anyone wanted to order, when I said yes, was told to wait a minute, while the table beside us then asked to order drinks to which he took an order. Ridiculous establishment with a serious review of management needed.

Popped in for a meal and drink, both enjoyable. Service was friendly and what you would expect. However surprised that a service charge is now added! Not something I have come across in a pub. So two pie and chips with two beers £55. We like this place and have been before but would rather tip than feel pressured into a service charge.

Oh my goodness! The Chandos was always somewhere you could visit and know that prices were fair and the atmosphere was good. Not any more! Horrified to be charged £17 for a pint of Sam Smiths and a glass of wine. Won’t be coming back to our once-regular haunt 🥲

Nice pub, but very busy. As a Sam Smiths it has their extensive selection of own beers, so don't expect things like Carling or Guinness.

Good decent pub food, good selection of Samuel smith beers!

I wrote the review below eight years ago. The descent into couldn't care less, bad pubbery is now complete. I'm sitting upstairs in The Chandos now. Table service only (slow and surly). £20 for a cheese and bacon burger with cold chips and a bowl of coleslaw that looked like it had been under a heat lamp for a couple of days. Avoid. ============== I've been coming to the Chandos since the early 1980s with my friends, maybe 3 or 4 times a year. It has always been a home from home, warm, friendly and inviting with good (and relatively cheap) beer and a decent selection of well presented and prepared food of the "pub grub" variety. Prices were reasonable and the wait was short. Alas, from our experience at the weekend something has changed. I suspect a new and aspirational chef in the kitchen. Choices narrowed, prices raised, wait trebled and portions shrunk. Not good, Chandos... It's sad. What was a central London oasis is on the way to becoming a barren watering hole, just like the others.

Why are prices rarely shown on the taps in pubs?! Went in The Chandos for the first time and it's expensive, two pints of cider for £15. The toilet cubicle latch is broken on one of the doors and people have left their rubbish on the sinks such as used contact lense packaging and stuff. There's no atmosphere, and people walking in begging for money with card machines. Won't be going here again.

I know it’s not unexpected to be shocked at the high prices of central London pubs but I was genuinely shocked at £17.50 for 2 single spiced rum and cokes. Especially when the brands are seemingly unrecognisable and the taste is slightly watery. The food was okay, the fish goujons I had tasted as though they were pre battered and oven baked out of a packet and the tartare sauce was unmistakably out of a jar. For the price the customer pays little details like this are important. But great service, cosy booths if a little too dark in the evening.

My daughter, granddaughters and I like eating here. It's an unpretentious pub with good, well priced food. Clean and comfortable; we always feel welcome. Love it upstairs in the Opera.

Didn't drink anything, wasn't very inviting, was relatively empty, and the crowd didn't look too inviting either

It was a pub & restaurant style place where we stopped to eat the famous Fish & Chips. The inside was beautiful and authentic. The service was fast and friendly. The fish portion was small compared to other places. The accompanying sauces and potatoes were delicious.

Didn’t buy food but had drink & used the toilets. Clean & lovely pub. Shame about graffiti on toilet walls. Excellent OBB on hand pull. Great Sam Smiths pub

I paid £18.95 for cod and chips. There were about 8 chips, an undersized cod and a portion of mushy peas that looked amd tasted like green goo in an equally ungenerous portion size. They also opened slightly late. My advice is go here if you want to be ripped off but if you want to pay less and not reward price gauges go somewhere else.

Andato a cena con famiglia. Tipico pub inglese. Per mangiare ci hanno fatto salire al piano di sopra. Birre alla spina buona. Ho provato sia la chiara e sia la scura. Per mangiare abbiamo preso hamburger. Uno degli hamburger più buoni che abbia mai mangiato. Quando tornerò a Londra sicuramente ci andrò di nuovo. Alla fine anche il rapporto qualità prezzo è buono.

Good decent pub food, expect the classics Good selection of their own Samuel smith beers

£5.10 for an Alpine Lager in Bloomsbury? AND there's a booth free? You have struck solid GOLD my son.

We had a good time dining here, the selection of beers was good and the food was pretty good too. The only nitpicks were the table service was quite slow and it was quite expensive even for zone 1 London.

Prices aren't showed on the beer card and then they charge you £15 pounds for the stingo. Even for central London standards, that's stupidly expensive.

Dropped in for a quick pint, first visit for a couple of years, still a great pub that serves great beer

Really happy with the food and drinks. Unfortunately there was no mashed potato on the evening I visited but was able to change them to other sides. If you are looking for a comfortable pub in Trafalgar, I recommend Chandos 🍻

Great atmosphere and really good food :) Thanks

Delivers what you would expect in a British pub. Pretry good fish n chips, generous amount. Good option if you want something with higher quality without breaking the bank.

We have visited this bar a number of times before and enjoyed it, which is why when we were in the area we recommended a visit to our friends. While our friends ordered my husband went to the toilet and he came back and said they were disgusting. We had ordered two cocktails and when we arrived we were shocked, they were in pint glasses, (we thought we had been very lucky) but when tasted they were shocking, both myself and my friend left the drinks after having one sip. So disappointed!!!

The best beef pie in London. True British cuisine in the most typical London pub. Highly recommended!

This is the place to go in London.Near the theatres,china town,Trafalgar square and more.

This is a very pretty pub with nice service. I wish the main meals were on more menus inside, the only menu i picked up had only small bites so i assumed thats all they did- didnt see the menu outside because i went via another entrance. I have to admit, although food was nice, the price for some chips similar to what macdonalds do was shocking! £5.50! (As pictured which i have added). Otherwise a nice spot and has toilets, just expensive!

Everything was fine except for the mice running around… nice service, decent pub food but really I have mixed feelings about eating in a room where mice are running around. They were cute though, still…

We wanted to eat, but the kitchen was already closed. Had a pint of cider and some bagged crisps and then we left. Good service and good cider. Nice atmosphere. The chips were a steal (2.5 pounds), while the cider was 7.7 pounds... This is also high, but being in the center of London it can be within that range. If you just want to drink maybe another place is better. If you want a bit of British air then this is the right place.

We had a drink in the bar before going upstairs to the restaurant. The restaurant wasn’t busy, maybe 1/3 full. On sitting at our table we were given menus & ordered another drink. We received the drink. The wait staff were coming & going. We waited at least 30min before we signalled the waitress asking if she would take our order & why the delay. She said we should have told her we were wanting to eat! Sorry, we’re in a restaurant, been given menus & we have to be proactive in ordering food?? We walked out & went to a lovely place nearby where the service was fabulous by comparison.

We came across this delightful pub on our way back from the Theatre onwards to Victoria Station. It was packed, but we had no problem ordering some and snacks. The gent behind the bar was helpful, cheery and loved the fact we were paying by cash! In fact, he was buzzing when I said I had loads of change, if he needed it! We found a table, and the chaps on another table offered their chairs. I would definitely recommend this place and will be returning! Thank you London!

Dreadful experience trying to buy some handpump bitter. Took over half an hour to change barrel. New one finally sorted but beer was cloudy and smelt off. Pipes probably not cleaned. We left with no beer, frustrated and disappointed. Very poor experience.

A typical pub downstairs, a pub dinner upstairs. Cozy, quaint, loud and with a solid selection of beers from Samuel Smith's. The non-alcoholic beer is one of the best ever. The two guys at the counter were very friendly and quick, and tried very hard to ensure that everything ran smoothly downstairs. Loaded Nuchos were delicious! Toilets clean!

Extremely friendly staff, who have a chat as you're getting served.

We stopped there for lunch after a visit of the National Gallery. Tasty food, quick and friendly service. It was on a hot day though and there was no AC and the windows were open.

Ordered two fries and a drink, after 40 min we asked how the food we ordered went, then got a portion of fries. Pointed out that we had ordered two, then told us that the kitchen was closed. Got a refund for the portion of fries we didn't get and an apology. The place was pretty much empty too, so should have gone fast.

Requested 4 Italian spritz that tasted like soda water - mentioned it to the man behind the bar and I was met with such distain and attitude. With a shrug on and in a a dismissive manner that cost £48. The food was nice and the other staff were absolutely fine, just need to work on customer services x

Possible I passed, who remembers.

Dom made wonderful recommendations for beer!

Came here for dinner this evening with my family. Just as we were finishing eating we spotted a mouse! Then a couple more! Once I mentioned this to a member of staff she replied with oh not again! They really need to get this sorted! The food was nice but obviously we couldn’t finish after this.

The service was horrendous, eating upstairs. Everything, even just to initially get a menu or drink, took at least 20 minutes for each step. Tables that sat after us were served first while we had to go to the bar after watching their interactions to implore who our server was (who disappeared after our order). We felt ignored and had to ask for the additional sides we ordered (a side salad and mushy peas). Our server also neglected to ask if we wanted a second round of drinks, leaving us parched and drinkless for the entrees sans sides. The food was all right, nothing to write home about.

Solid pub in central London. It’s quite tough to find a place to sit inside (as to be expected), and there isn’t much space to loiter outside due to the heavy foot traffic. But there is a small bar section upstairs which is handy when it gets too crowded. Drinks are fairly priced for the area.

Very pleasant pub with reasonably priced grub, excellent beer and 2/3 staff also excellent.

The food is really good and authentic British fare. Service was unfortunately slow. The building has lots of character. The beer selection is simply wonderful!

A friendly welcome. I recommend

Nice atmosphere and good selection of their own beers. Perfect location 🍻

This pub has a great location, really close to the National Gallery and just off Trafalgar Square. We were sat upstairs, and although the pub itself is quite charming the food and drink left a bit to be desired. The bitter lemon drink I ordered came in a very dirty bottle, with rust round the bottle neck. The food took a long time to arrive, considering it was three sandwiches and a salad, and when it arrived the only element that had needed cooking, the chips, were stone cold. My fish finger sandwich was fine, if quite dry. If I were to come back it'd probably just be for a pint.

Amazing place to grab a bite and enjoy a drink. Very nice experience to try something local!

Surprisingly cheap west end pub with excellent own brewery beer. Roomy and has an upstairs for food. Bar staff friendly and helpful. Unsurprisingly it’s often filled with tourists but our group has always managed to get a seat.

We stopped in here for an afternoon pint. They had a nice selection of local beers at reasonable prices.

Great service and ambience! One of the best fish and chips in the area (especially the chips). Always a big fan of Sam Smiths!

Not a bad bozzer, a bit expensive, £15 for two pint, beer is from Yorkshire and it’s their own stuff! From special water apparently, one of the only two places in the kingdom! Anyway decent

Great experience and friendly staff

I have no idea why there is no mark on the map when you searching for fish & chips. This place is great for food and drinks.

I get it. If you're only there for a drink, your money stinks and you're a second-rate customer. So it makes sense for the bored, arrogant staff to relegate you to the dark, naughty corner of the room, especially if said room is full of... oh wait, the place is EMPTY! But no, we're obviously not welcome. It also makes sense that a smug waitress insists they don't have my drink of choice when it would have taken her a split second to look inside the fridge and, hey presto, find out that they did have it. Ah, too much effort to please these second-rate customers! Oh well, these customers will take abundant custom where they feel welcome.

Found this pub as another pub we were going to go to was packed. We sat upstairs in the nice quiet seating area. Lovely food with great friendly service.

For anyone looking for a pub, with classic noisy pub atmosphere, this is it. Staff were good, but it was so busy that they didn't have much time to chat. If you're anticipating a place to have a quiet over a cocktail, this is not it. Cider was delicious. Would recommend

I remember this pub being refurbished in the early 1980's for £2m and all my colleagues visiting to see how it cost so much. The answer, exceptional quality hardwood panelling and FF&E. Well it's aged well with a busy ground floor bar and Opera room 1st floor. Sam Smiths aren't the less cost option they used to be, but the beers and range are good. The young crew upstairs did a fine job of serving swiftly and clearing down and cleaning tables. Worth a visit, but possibly not on a pre theatre time.

A good traditional style Samual Smith pub serving different draft beers which was great. Great atmosphere over two floors and reasonable prices. Busy on a Saturday afternoon but two bars available. Good old fashion booths to sit and chat. Worth a try

In London for the day, we decided to re-visit The Chandos as we used to go in here many times when visiting London. We came away feeling so disappointed. Not at all the great pub it used to be. Many tables upstairs were still cluttered with plates etc from previous guests. We did find one clear table and ordered food. It was nothing special, not the best quantity. Also, as I'd started to have my drink, I could see old lipstick marks on the glass. I did point this out to bar staff, who did offer a new drink, which I declined, so did give a refund. So sorry but we won't be returning, used to be a great pub.... not any more.

Found this place on a Friday morning whilst looking where to have breakfast and I was not disappointed by visiting The Chandos. Ordered a “Opera Breakfast” and was not disappointed, big portion and everything was so good. Would definitely come again!

Went to The Chandos Friday night for a few snacks and drinks with a group of friends and had such a great time! The hummus was smooth and tangy and the chicken starter had a lot of flavour but the chips were phenomenal definitely recommend the chips!! Served by the blonde Australian bartender I think her name was Sophie and she was absolutely lovely! All the staff were smiling and served us promptly

Came to the pub for lunch with my partner. We were served my a lovely red-headed Australian, who made us feel very welcome. The food was amazing!! We were recommended the chicken schnitzel sandwich off the new menu, which did not disappoint. The sandwich cost us 13.95£ which we felt was great value given the large portion size. We will be coming back very soon. Would definitely recommend checking this pub out if you’re ever around central London!

Came here for a pub feed on a busy Saturday before the theatre and was very impressed with how well the staff managed considering how busy it was. There were only a few staff members on and a bar full of people waiting to order, but despite some impatient customers giving them a hard time they remained so calm and polite. We were greeted and served with a smile from a friendly bartender who was very helpful with providing popular alternatives when they were out of what my husband initially wanted. The food arrived promptly and I devoured the delicious chicken burger, it was was so flavourful and left me wanting more. My husband ordered the fish and chips and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. The portion was very generous and chips cooked to perfection! Would highly recommend this place for a traditional pub experience.

Sadly, the short, Australian red-haired lady working the upstairs bar may be either a classist, or a racist. I’m sure she’s not used to people who aren’t upper class in her bar but it doesn’t mean she needs to be so rude to normal people who have been nothing but polite :). It’s really not hard to be nice.

A friend of ours took us for a classic pub experience to this place. It was packed inside. We went in and I couldn’t decide what was worse The staff The profile of customers The drinks menu The staff was mainly not smiling not engaging just walking around. The only communication we had with them was when we decided to go upstairs due to the noise at least 6 staff members stopped us to tell us that we can only sit in the middle section not to use the tables with cutlery. (Even it was 10 pm so possibly kitchen was closed) The profile of people in this pub was mainly loud ladish acting people and each table was competing to be the loudest. Upstairs was smelling like fish mongers. The only table available was full of empty glasses and bottles. We were there for an hour and noone came to collect them. Even one staff member came to the table took the menus and left. Didn’t bother to take any empties. Menu had never heard brands of drafts & berry flavour bottle of beers and they were £8.30 a bottle. So over all I wouldn’t recommend this place. London is full of pubs with charm. Noone should waste their time here.

Found this place as my girlfriend allowed me to " disappear " whilst she mooched around the shops. Only had one pint - Teddy lager - but was a lovely pint. Proper old school pub full of character. The barman was attentive and knowledgeable. Will definitely return.

Glasses brought to table were dirty, twice. Not all drinks delivered, no apology. Poor/dreadful attitude. Missed a meal on our order, no apology

Simply the WORST veggie burger (and possibly the worst fries, as well) of my life.

Bar staff friendly, We have been coming here every time we visit London. Prices have gone up alot since covid so switched a £6.50 cider to a £5.00 pint

No draught lager. End of evening the staff couldn't get customers out quick enough. Wouldn't return.

Fabulous food fabulous decor! Next to the National portrait gallery! Reasonable prices!

We only ordered beer and cider. No guys. The service was good, and the beer was also good.

Como cervecería, Fantástica!!! Una taddy lager a 3,80 la pinta... De lo más barato de Londres. Quisimos comer algo a las 18:30 de un viernes y estaba cerrada la cocina. No está escrito en ningún sitio.I Nos quedamos con las ganas. Otra vez será!!

Unser Guide hat uns das Lokal empfohlen. Es war genau wie er beschrieben hat sehr gemütlich, die Bedienung war sehr freundlich, aber leider ein bisschen krank. (die arme) Wir haben uns wohl gefühlt. hatten vor nur etwas zu trinken, dann doch noch kleine Snack bestellt. ein Pub zu weiter empfehlen. Daumen hoch.

This pub has got much worse since our last visit. One of our group found a large a piece of plastic in her coffee and the food was mediocre. Even Worse someone in our group had her bag stolen from the table. Staff were not helpful - wouldn’t check their security camera and advised we contacted the police which is useless in London.

My friend and I enjoyed a couple of nice pints here on Tuesday night.

My favourite pub in London, love a pint of Taddy's. Just off Trafalgar Square and beautifully finished inside. A real gem of a proper English pub.

Great value traditional style pub with great beer selection

Always a nice place to have a beer in central London

We never had more unfriendly service than there! The angry and unmotivated waitresses forgot to bring an ordered juice for my daughter, which was not a problem for us! But when I asked for the juice, one waitress banged it on the table in front of my 9year old daughter!

Came for a quiet drink with my partner last night and we sat upstairs in the lounge as there weren’t any available seats downstairs. We decided to sit in the corner immediately opposite the entrance, and before we could look at the menu, my boyfriend spotted a mouse under one of the benches. The mouse seemed unfazed by the visitors as it ran across the room, on one occasion towards a group of people. I’m really frightened of mice so we immediately left as soon as we could and stood outside the pub. Whilst we waited outside, we spotted someone who I can only assume was a manager/supervisor as he was closing the entrance to the upstairs lounge - we reported the incident to him but he patronised me and mocked me for my phobia, leading me to believe he is well aware of the issue and hasn’t done anything about it. I believe an establishment that sells food and drinks should not be so casual about such an issue and I would urge guests to think twice before visiting.

I ordered a ham sandwich, pork pie and chips which was all very low quality and it seems the barman charged me an extra £10 for nothing, wouldn’t recommend to my worst enemy!

An English pub. Very good meal with excellent value for money

It says Traditional Pub Food, my friend and l ordered Fish and Chips, Sausage and Mash. When they arrived l was glad l ordered the fish. The sausage had no colour, don’t know how it was cooked but it looked insipid, my friend said it was over spiced. My fish tasted lovely but the batter was full of oil that oozed as you cut it, chips and peas were just warm. Not somewhere l would recommend to anyone

Go somewhere else. Bar horrendously understaffed with just two people working the bar for a busy London pub. Was waiting 10 minutes to get served. Finally when it came my turn the young bald server who had been there two days asked who’s next and I put my hand up which he acknowledged. He immediately pivoted to a lady who had been waiting 2 minutes only. Once her drinks were made great must be my turn. Nope he goes to another lady who had only just started waiting. When I called him out he said yes I know you’re next. Sorry but no, I’m leaving this is terrible pub etiquette and lack of respect for people waiting. If you’re going to pour pints at least make an effort to look up at who’s waiting. Also what made the wait even longer is the staff chatting to mates who were at the bar, and moving at turtle speed. Chop chop it isn’t really that hard you have one job - to pour pints

It is a stunning place to eat. The wood alone is a spectacle. We went in on a Thursday lunch and it was quiet.