Chandos in City of London, Westminster

The Chandos, London — A Pre-Theatre Classic With a G&T Twist Tucked just off Trafalgar Square and a gin-soaked stone’s throw from the London Coliseum, The Chandos isn’t just a bar — it’s a ritual. A well-timed tonic. A cultural interlude before the curtain rises.This legendary London watering hole blends the charm of a traditional British pub with just enough theatrical flair to set the stage for an unforgettable evening. Think Victorian woodwork, frosted glass, and a buzz of pre-show anticipation thick enough to taste.The G&T here? Classic, crisp, and served with confidence. No muddled over-mixology or pretentious garnishes — just a clean, cold pour that reminds you why this drink has stood the test of time. Their gin selection leans traditional, with just enough modern intrigue for the adventurous sipper. The crowd is a lively mix of opera lovers, tourists who’ve stumbled into something authentic, and locals who know this spot hits the sweet spot between pub and performance. So whether you’re heading to Tosca or just want a dash of culture with your cocktail, The Chandos is your overture. Raise a glass, sip slow, and let the show begin.

Great old pub, mahogany booths, nice wine cool and quiet. It would good on a hot day. had chicken Caesar sandwiches which were ok. Chips good salad very sad

On the 3rd May we came to the Chandos bar and my friend Alex was "barred" for being drunk. He has cerebal palsey and we are extremely offended at how he was treated. He was not drunk and has a slight limp. Train your staff better. Discriminating for a false reason is not acceptable

Worst pub in the area don’t waste your time, go round the corner

I was looking for a quiet spot for meal and a cold pint after a day spent walking around London. I happened upon The Chandos outside of Covent Garden. I stopped in and was directed upstairs to the dining room. I had exceptional service from the bartender, Riley, who was quick with my drinks and very good company. The space is lovely, the food is delicious and when you need a little respite from the crowds and chaos, go here. You’ll be so glad you did! The fish and chips are wonderful and the organic wheat beer from Sam Adam’s hit the spot!

Dylan’s service is exceptional and we can’t imagine a better server than him! Marathon Day was very busy but he served us with a smile and care!

Decent place, the food was hit or miss. The fish and chips was on point, the burger was not. The fountain cola was way watered down.

Food was great, service from Dylan was exceptional.

Dylan made me feel so at home, being a fellow aussie in london. 10/10 guy and amazing service

Had heard mix reviews about sam smith pubs, but dylans service and expertise left me with only positive things to say

Nice building, but Sam Smith's beers are awful and not even cheap any more.

Had a lovely meal and some drinks upstairs at the Chandos. The restaurant was beautiful, and had a traditional charm we appreciated as it was our first time in London. Service was great, and there wasn’t a long wait for food. I definitely recommend trying the sausages and mash, and a pint of the traditional cask ale! Would love to come back one day.

This was our Go To pub while we were on our UK trip! Amazing beer, great service and a wonderful ambiente make this an easy recommendation.

Nice pub, been here many times but won't be coming back.Medium house red ,pint bitter small bag of crisps £17.00. That's outrageous even for central London!!

Apareció después de ir a ver un espectáculo. No el mejor. Servicio bien. Tuve que pedir leche para acompañar el té inglés. Las comidas salieron muy escalonadas. No es ideal cuando sales a una excursión familiar. Chicas haciendo todo lo posible, pero realmente no disfrutamos de nuestra experiencia. No volveré.

Good atmosphere, amazing beers and great people! Cheers!

typical querky Sammy Smiths pub in the heart of Lindon. Beer and service good. upstairs bar and dinning area quiet will Los of tables. Food looked good but but did not order

Lovely upstairs area that is quieter but wow they don't offer much heat and the old building has single pane windows. They could do with more heat in the winter.

Pub muy oscuro y triste. Esperó 35 minutos para un sándwich y un pastel de cerdo, que eran ambos no comestibles, pub tenía alrededor de 6 / 8 clientes en línea. Ciertamente no volvería a comer aquí. Vale para una copa rápida pero llévate un abrigo, muy frío incluso en un día soleado.

We just drank beer, it was very tasty, with a good atmosphere. Maybe a little loud.

Paramos allí para almorzar. Pedimos pescado con papas fritas y cerveza para beber. Las cervezas eran buenas y no tan caras por estar en Londres, el pescado era bueno también, pero las patatas fritas eran las típicas patatas fritas escarchadas delgadas que se obtienen en un lugar de vacaciones en el sur de Europa. Esperábamos patatas fritas de verdad como en las fotos, pero no fue el caso, también sabían un poco extraño, pero nada que no se podía arreglar con la salsa que se sirve con ese plato. Ambiente agradable, pub inglés real y personal agradable que hacen todo lo posible para que te sientas bienvenido. Otra cosa que siento que debo comentar es que tuvieron el primer inodoro limpio que vi ese día después de llegar a Londres y han estado caminando durante unas horas!

Sooo I went on a Thursday and it was very packed so we sit upstairs. I ordered a dish that was sold out, then I ordered something else that was quite pricey for the quality of the food (£17 for a burger with chips..?) I asked the waiter if I can have half pint of Coca Cola and after repeating 3 times my order (he was very annoyed, like it was my fault he couldn’t understand me) he forgot completely about the drink, didn’t charged for it either but I gave up on reminding him again since it was pointless. The place is very nice, there is also a fireplace upstairs, but I wasn’t really happy with the service.

Cool pub with lots of booth seating areas. However £2.50 for a packet of crisps is very expensive!

Good pub near Trafalgar Square, the place looks very nice with wooden tables and lounges. Ideal for taking a break and resting. There are many types of beer, you get them yourself at the counter and bring them to your table. Great place

Classic pub. Correct but without particular appeal. Any kitchen.

8 quid a pint! Literally the worlds most expensive Sam Smith pub. Absolutely taking the p!£s out of their customers. Used to be a regular meeting spot - never again.

Very nice pub with small compartments that allow you to isolate yourself a little.

Nice pub. Beer has become expensive in London😱

£8 is an awful lot for a pint, but it ia central London, but I do object to it being served in a disposable plastic cup.

Try the Samuel Smith Organic Lager.

Qué horror. £ 16 por una pinta de cerveza y un g&t. Este es Sam Smiths FFS. Porciones de comida diminutas y caras. Cervezas servidas bajo una pinta, pedir una recarga. . . Aún no está lleno. . . Pide otra recarga... Aún no está lleno. Inodoros de señoras sin rollo de inodoro. . . Cuando se mencionó esto se le dijo 'vamos a echar un vistazo cuando lleguemos a ella' Australiano detrás de la barra no tenía ni idea de a quién le tocaba ser servido a continuación... Tienes un trabajo... Sirve como un baño público gratuito para Trafalgar Square, de lo contrario, este vertedero es básicamente solo una costosa Wetherspoons... Y ese es el punto... Si estás contento de ir a un lugar sin ambiente, sin personal, mesas sucias, etc. ahorra dinero y ve a Wetherspoons. . . Este lugar es horrible.

Sadly not quite the perfect pint…

Friendly and helpful staff, ideal location for a drink before a show

A pub with the possibility of dining upstairs. Typical atmosphere and neat decor. Just order at the bar and pay then sit down wherever we want. Delicious and typical Pie and Mash. Service a little cold and rushed but it is true that we arrived 15 minutes before the kitchen closed.

¡Fue la peor experiencia gastronómica de pub que se recuerde! El bar no tenía ensalada, así que tres de nuestra fiesta de seis que habían pedido comida con ensalada y un extra de patatas fritas se dieron patatas fritas y patatas fritas / patatas dulces fritas? En serio, ¿quién en la cocina hizo esa llamada en lugar de cancelar los laterales? La mayor parte era pan con algo seco en el medio y luego papas fritas. Que estaban fríos. Comida beige, fría, insípida. Deberíamos haber pedido un reembolso, pero solo tuvimos un tiempo limitado juntos como amigos que no se han visto en décadas, así que decidimos centrarnos en nuestro tiempo. ¿Pero volveré? Definitivamente no. Era la peor comida imaginable. Solo había una opción vegetariana que era un pan plano con una pila de tomates cuarteados y unas hebras de Burrata... sin aderezo ni salsa. Parecía que un niño había puesto la comida en los platos. Impactante para un pub del centro de Londres cobrando en consecuencia.

Nice pub with upstairs room. There was even a fireplace to warm us up.

Good pub. I like the little booths, very nice and accessible for people hard of hearing.

Came to the pub on a quiet Sunday with a very good friend, for a place to rest our tired bodies and a quick bite to eat and drink. The atmosphere was quite nice, no real complaints there. Issues began when ordering the drinks, as we had to request lime cordial in a lime + soda, after it wasn't added initially. They just sort of tried to fob us off with soda water and a cut up lime in the drink? We also specifically asked for a diet coke/cola (they advised it was their own speciality made cola for the pub itself). After taking a sip, it was clear to me it wasn't sugar-free or really a diet drink. It was made with real sugar... which is an issue as I'm type 1 diabetic, so I need to know if there's sugar in there so I can at least medicate for it in advance. So I asked the bar staff again, changing my wording... "Is this a sugar free drink?" To which they again reassured me it was. So I kept an eye on my blood sugar levels, and funnily enough... after half a pint and a little while later, my blood sugars shot up like a rocket ship! We asked the staff if they could confirm with the manager what the situation was with this drink, to which we got a silly answer of "It uses plant based sugar.". They may as well of said water is wet... and it just confirmed our suspicions that they didn't really know and were just peddling misinformation. Which I don't think they quite understood the severity of the situation. So that was that! On top of all that, we ordered chips + onion rings, which took a while to arrive, and when they did, they were cold... the place wasn't busy so I couldn't understand why. So not great, for a place that seemed to promise a lot. It turned out to be more style over substance.

Great beers, had nachos and they were great. The Korean burger was really disappointing though.

Terrible. Avoid. No bread for sandwiches , no ale available, had to check if they had milk for coffee and this at 12.00 lunchtime. Two glasses of rose and a small plate of natchos £34.

A very good fish & chips and the bar is nice and well located. The attention of the waiters to ask to leave the upper floor left a lot to be desired. The rest OK

We popped in for a drink but downstairs was absolutely freezing and lots of people wearing jackets so we went upstairs which was pleasant enough with lots of seating. We took a beer which was nice but the selection of wine wasn't great at all. Nice enough place to pop into though.

Great location food and drinks but the poor chap at the bar was alone for well the hour we were present. He did a freat job despite of this. Badly managed franchise.

Awesome place ! Great atmosphere ! Friendly staff ! Very social !

Ubicado en el corazón de la tierra del teatro, apreciará que su clientela será aquellos con un poco más de poder de gasto que su calle principal promedio y, en consecuencia, tendrá que servirlos con un grado de clase y estilo. Quedarse totalmente sin vino blanco, tener toda la cerveza bombeada y cerveza lager totalmente agotadas y tener clientes que necesitan enviar su comida de vuelta porque estaba fría es tan totalmente inaceptable que es ofensivo. Pague a sus proveedores o salga de este negocio. Sí, sé que estuvimos allí un lunes por la noche, pero eres un negocio. El único tipo tratando de ayudar a la gente en el bar de arriba parecía tan totalmente agotado que era difícil decirle nada, no fue su culpa. Esto fue culpa de la dirección. He cenado aquí antes, aunque hace un par de años, y lo recuerdo como aceptable, no especial, pero aceptable. Ha ido cuesta abajo ahora. Si usted está leyendo esto y pensando en incluso tomar una copa aquí mi sugerencia es IR A OTRO LUGAR ir a cualquier lugar. Lo pasarás mejor.

Awful pub food, straight from the freezer. Do yourself a favour and eat anywhere else.

Quite expensive at £25 for a pint and a short

Longstanding independent brewery. Great selection of their own delicious beers including low- and alcohol-free and cider. Good snacks and nice staff.

Nice pub on Trafalgar Square, all draft beers from Samuel Smiths, classic atmosphere

Great place to visit, one of my favorites. It is quieter than other taverns in London. Good atmosphere. More than friendly staff

The fish and chips are very, very good! Good products and the quantity is perfect! The atmosphere is great because on the ground floor it’s a real pub vibe and on the 1st floor it’s calmer with tables for eating and having a drink.

After a really good evening in the Crypt listening to the Fallen Heroes we decided to call into The Chandos for a glass of wine. The white wine was OK but the glass of red I was served was terrible; it left an unpleasant taste in the mouth after each sip. I have been drinking red wine for over 40 years and the only issue has been the occasional corked bottle. This was a screw top and was just awful. It was so bad I asked the barman to just take it away. I gave feedback to the barman but his attitude is best summed up as “couldn’t care less”. He simply said that there was nothing he could do about it. A dreadful end to our night out.

Lamento decir que esta fue una de las peores experiencias de pub que he tenido en mucho tiempo. El entorno estaba a solo un paso de un Weatherspoons y el servicio era impactante. Ni cerca del bar/espacio de servicio requerido para un local de este tamaño. 2 empleados sirviendo a lo que probablemente era alrededor de 80 clientes y 1 de ellos parecía que ella quería estar en otro lugar. No podría haber estado más desencajada si lo hubiera intentado. El otro, que supongo que estaba a cargo, lo estaba haciendo mejor pero era claramente el único con alguna idea de lo que estaba haciendo o tenía algún interés en ello y tenía que seguir desapareciendo para arreglar y reemplazar una cosa u otra. El resultado fue una fila constante de una docena de personas esperando ser atendidas. Y luego, cuando finalmente tomamos una copa, fue realmente promedio. Hay un montón de pubs en la zona y elegimos este porque había al menos un poco de espacio para respirar allí... fue un sábado muy ocupado por la noche. Toda la energía del lugar era baja y no volveremos.

Very good pub, with lots of after-work type atmosphere, good and reasonable prices considering the location.

I had a great time in this pub in London. The setting is pretty, slightly dimmed lights, a warm atmosphere and careful decoration which makes the place very pleasant, it feels a bit like a movie. We had fish and chips and a the big catch, it was good, maybe not enough in terms of quantity. I recommend this pub for an outing with friends or a meal with family since it is possible to eat there, you just have to take the stairs which overlook the street. The bottom floor is for drinking only.

Was very crowded on the Saturday I dropped in. It's a good old fashioned pub with some booths. It does good as well as drink. I just had a dark mild (good) and a whisky (adequate). It's a Sam Smith's pub and is well situated. Opposite The Portrait Gallery, near Trafalgar Square on the way towards Covent Garden.

I highly recommend a visit. They offer a delightful classic pub menu, exceptional service, and a welcoming atmosphere, along with a wide beer selection.

Had my handbag stolen from the relatively quiet restaurant Monday evening and was told by staff that it happened in there "all the time". They refused to look at the CCTV footage. There should have been a sign up to be wary of thieves. I didn't even leave my table!

I have lived in London for 6 years and I can honestly say this is the worst burger I have eaten since moving here. Dry, cold chips, I had to reorder twice as the items on the menu were so limited/ out of stock. Dry bun- I could go on. I was eating for the sake of curing my own hunger, which is the last thing you want when you're paying for lunch in central London. Pros: the Australian woman behind the bar was ace, great service and clearly was running the show- if she isn't already a manager it seemed she was. The house made Diet Coke is alright.

Great pub ! Lovely to drink a beer in London that's brewed down the road from us in Tadcaster. Fantastic.

Beware: thieves and pickpockets ! Been there in 2023. My bag was stolen from under the table while we were having dinner UPSTAIRS ! The meal was okay but there is a risk that you will come out stolen and distraught like me.

Great pub in a very central location. Loved the staff, very helpful and friendly. Especially Ollie.

Very slow service and the food arrive by stages. It was warm and not hot. I had to ask not once but twice to chase the food. The first time, we waited for 30 minutes, and then another 30. I saw other tables getting the food before us. Even when we arrived, it was not busy (another 3 tables eating). I can't recommend the place for food. But only drink. So far, I have cancelled the order, and when I asked for the refund, I had no apologies or anything. It's such a shame. Because of this, it damaged the whole lunch. It's not the same place as it used to be.

Very disappointed with this restaurant. We were a table of four people, and as soon as we ordered, we had to pay immediately. Luckily for them, because otherwise we would have left the table. We waited an hour to receive our dishes: a simple burger, two sausages and a fish & chips. The meals arrived cold, and the burger steak was charred! We really regret our visit.

Très déçus par ce restaurant. Nous étions une table de quatre personnes, et dès que nous avons passé commande, il a fallu payer immédiatement. Heureusement pour eux, car sinon nous aurions quitté la table. Nous avons attendu une heure pour recevoir nos plats : un simple burger, deux saucisses purée et un fish & chips. Les repas sont arrivés froids, et le steak du burger était carbonisé ! Nous regrettons vraiment notre passage.

A fine old meeting place, with the most excellent non-industrial beers. No machines or screens, perfect location.

Nice looking pub, quick service, only there fir a drink.

A very traditional old pub with a nice atmosphere, a wide selection of drinks to suit every taste. There is a restaurant upstairs (we didn't use this so cannot comment on it). Also perfectly placed for access to all the spots in and around covent Garden, Trafalger & Leicester Sq. Well worth a visit.

Come on y'all!!. From Texas here. This place was bumping during the festive season. My mate (read Bud) and I hit it after a Charlton game. Easy access from Embankment station. Great atmosphere from the theater crowd. Love the set back alcoves, tables to create an ambiance not to be missed.

Perfect fish & chips :) I recommend

I've been going here for decades and it never disappoints: the usual Sam Smith's beers, (great) service and (good) value.

Durante un período de tres décadas hemos visitado The Chandos en varias ocasiones. Nuestra visita más reciente fue en noviembre de 2024 , y mi esposa y yo tuvimos un almuerzo agradable allí. El Steak and Ale Pie con puré de papas y zanahorias al vapor, bañado con un par de pintas de cerveza, sin duda satisfizo nuestras necesidades. El servicio era amable y el ambiente del pub era acogedor.

Left an overly fussy bar with terrible service to look for a straightforward proper pub, and found it in The Chandos - relief! Thanks for the excellent, cheerful bar service and amazing range of drinks. Love the snugs (though there wasn't one free). Will come back, now I know it's there.

Me detuve aquí para mirar alrededor. Me gustan los pubs viejos y este es viejo. Hace bastante frío por dentro y me gustó el trabajo por fuera también.

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.

Nuestro lugar de comida habitual de Londres, pero ya no. Ahora el servicio de mesa en cambio ordena en el bar. Pedimos 2 pasteles de bistec y pedimos patatas fritas en lugar de puré , ya que la mayoría de los pubs intercambiará opción. El personal nos dijo que no podíamos intercambiar, pero tendríamos que pagar extra por la porción lateral de patatas fritas. Nos levantamos y votamos con los pies para no volver, otras críticas recientes indican que el pub ya no es lo que solía ser.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.