The Champion in Kensington and Chelsea

Edit - went back April 2025, still just as good. This place is a good way to get the whole pub experience and eat at the same time. We had Chicken Schnitzel and Fried Hake, both were good. And of course so was the draft beer. It is a pub which serves food, but has no separate dining room/area, so make reservations and eat early-ish to avoid issues with people who come just to drink, using all the tables. This is a common issue with similar pubs if they get crowded.

Nice pub, we had fish and roast beef. Generous portions. Nice time

Stopped off here mid-afternoon on the way to our hotel nearby. Chose to try it because of the Google Maps description but were pleasantly surprised by the very friendly and knowledgeable barman. An added special bonus was coming downstairs and finding out about the strong connection to Freddy Mercury and Queen, my wife’s favorite band. Very special. We did not eat and there were not many patrons around, hence the low-ish scores.

Great Sunday lunch. The sharing lunch is huge, tasty and excellent value!

El personal era muy acogedor y cerveza (Wainwrights Cumbrian amber ale) y comida slooow pastel cocido con la mejor corteza de Inglaterra fabuloso

Good Food? Ermmmmm....CHECK Good Beer? Ummmm....DOUBLE CHECK Great Service from Diva and co? Hmmmmm....TRIPLE CHECK COMPLETE

Hello, first evening of our 5 day stay in London, I went to this pub last Friday as a family with my wife and two children. Unfortunately, having barely sat down for 5 minutes, I saw two men come in and sit down behind me. On vacation, our attention is less and given the neighborhood, we are not too suspicious. Think again! Even having left my bag at my feet, I had put my bag with all my papers (passports, etc.), nothing in the pockets of my jacket, I am used to it but I had not closed my backpack on the ground. I then felt movement behind. It happened very quickly. I had the intuition to look in my bag and my bag was no longer there. I quickly turned my head and saw these two men rushing out. I quickly chased them and stopped them. They had just taken a street on the left. One of them appeared to be hiding an object under his jacket. I lifted his jacket and my bag was there. Having my left hand already fractured with a splint, I just snatched my bag with a threatening look. His sidekick held my arm but must have understood that I was ready to fight and break my other hand if necessary! If I hadn't been injured, I would have kicked their butts... They didn't have time to search inside, fortunately! I returned to the restaurant and found my family with my 9 year old son in tears shocked by the situation. I could have ended up in the news section the next day if things had turned out differently. I turned the situation for my 17-year-old son and daughter into a learning and lesson, telling them that this was the best possible ending. The restaurant can't do anything about it but I think it's important to keep that in mind. London is like all big cities, beware. A Londoner told me that it was like our home in Paris, or even worse in terms of snatching or trickery. The waiter took care of me and I thank him. He was very friendly and asked me if I wanted a beer. If it had been offered after all these emotions, it would have been appreciated. Otherwise the meal was good, the burger tasted succulent. I was so happy to have found my bag and that everything finally ended well that it's strangely not a bad memory for me. For my children, it's something else, even though we've talked about it, we're not ready to forget this story. I chose not to call the police so as not to ruin the evening further. This is why I didn't give the atmosphere 5 stars because I would have liked either a security guard at the entrance like there is everywhere or more attention from the staff who seem accustomed to this type of thing. Given the price of the service which is added at the end of the bill, this would be a lesser evil. This could have happened elsewhere... or not. We'll never know, but all's well that ends well!

¡Qué lugar tan bonito! Fuimos a cenar (se recomienda reservar) , estaba lleno, ruidoso - un pub adecuado! La comida es de calidad de restaurante, mi marido dijo que su pastel y papilla eran los mejores que había tenido!

Just pitched up for a soft drink Lovely atmosphere inside - was served straight away

This is a great place to have lunch or dinner while you're in the area. Their Fish and Chips were cooked well and their Steak and Ale Pie was delicious. Their indoor space is very spacious and they even have a decently sized garden area you can eat and drink in.

Five stars for The Champion – and ten for Rosie! One thing I’ll say about The Champion: it certainly lives up to its name. From the moment we walked in, Rosie was an absolute champion – the kind of person who makes you feel like a regular even if it’s your first time. Friendly, fast, and effortlessly cool, she made our night with top-notch service and a smile that could pour a perfect pint. If you’re looking for a pub that feels like home and staff who treat you like royalty, this is your place. Long live The Champion – and long may Rosie reign!

Great pub with great atmosphere. Food was excellent and our service from Rosie was especially great. Will be coming back soon!

I liked a lot the atmosphere and the service

I am a regular guest from about 1 year , I’m very disappointed about the kitchen , been few times in the last week , steak was never available and also scotch egg and cesar salad , luckily I could enjoy the beers and the lovely the atmosphere in the pub but I’m m not sure I will comeback for food

Excellent service, very good food and appropriate price, very good

Salimos al Campeón como parada para salir de la lluvia durante la exploración de Londres. Grandes platos pequeños, Calamari y papas fritas Halloumi eran deliciosos, además de una gran variedad de cervezas en el grifo. Además, el fuego iba tan se sentía muy acogedor, relajado, un pub por excelencia británico. El personal era muy amable y acogedor también. Sin duda volvería por una pinta y más comida.

This is the best pub around Hyde park! It also has one of the best Sunday roast and has a wide selection of drinks. The staff is super friendly, professional and accommodating. During the colder months it also has a fireplace 😊.

Very nice staff, good service, enjoying the pub quiz, delicious food and Drinks, great evening!

Completely overcharged me for 2 lager Shandy £16.20. I would have stayed for a 2nd round but felt this city is getting out of control on prices.

Named after the band Queen who wrote "We are the Champions" at this pub. Very good food and service

Delicious negroni cocktail sitting on the terrace.It's a great people watching place

Came in whilst visiting the area for a week. The staff were wonderful, food was fanstastic and the atmosphere was even better. Luke was such a great bartender with his quick and speedy service. Will DEFINITELY be coming back.

Saved us from the storm 😁😁 2 floors garden, large selection of beer and drinks. My hamburger was a bit cold

We ate really well for London, in a pub.

Meravigliosa esperienza! Cibo e birre ottime! Un posticino davvero delizioso! Personale molto cordiale torneremo volentieri

When passing through Notting Hill, this pub is perfect for having a drink and eating good food in a calm or festive atmosphere. The staff is very friendly. Little extra: Freddie Mercury and Queen wrote We Are The Champions in this place.. ;)

A perfect Veggie burger in a really British feeling pub, food was exceptional, staff brilliant, thank you!

Dolly was great, looked after us

Pasó aquí con la familia después de un paseo por el parque y estoy tan contento de que lo hicimos! La comida era fantástica, el mayor y yo tuvimos el plato de compartir asado y puedo decir con confianza que fue la mejor cena de asado pub que he tenido. ¡Y he comido no pocos, absolutamente deliciosos!

Really good atmosphere in this pub, the staff was very nice, unfortunately the food wasn't the best, something on our sunday roast to share was not that warm while something else like the sausages were literally burned. Although the beer was really nice

A pub that gets the balance right. A great atmosphere, especially Fridays and Saturdays. Friendly staff. Good beer.

I just visited The Champion Restaurant and tried their Chicken & Bacon Burger. The dish came with a generous portion of fries, the chicken breast was cooked to perfection—juicy and tender, while the bacon was crispy and flavorful. Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience, and I would highly recommend this burger to anyone looking for a satisfying and delicious meal. The service was incredibly friendly, and the atmosphere and music were perfect.

I just visited The Champion Restaurant and tried their Chicken & Bacon Burger. The dish came with a generous portion of fries, the chicken breast was cooked to perfection—juicy and tender, while the bacon was crispy and flavorful. Overall, it was a fantastic dining experience, and I would highly recommend this burger to anyone looking for a satisfying and delicious meal. The service was incredibly friendly, and the atmosphere and music were perfect.

Made a reservation via Google. Got confirmation emails from Google and the pub. Arrived at the pub and met by a rude waiter informing us they had no tables, that the reservation system does not work and he had no answer why they use it. No apology nothing. So, don’t assume because you have a confirmed reservation that you will actually be able to eat here.

Champions is a lovely pub. We went in the day time for a pint or two to get in for the rain. The atmosphere is great and staff are lovely and accommodating. Overall experience great :) Jacob and Brad were nice - we had an amazing time!!!

I wanted to write a review about my experience at The Champion - I came here today for lunch and have to say Damion is an asset to the company, always friendly, welcoming and very professional! Made our visit great! Will certainly return!

Fun pub run by staff that are courteous and efficient. Nice buzz to the place and comfy surroundings.

"The Champion" is the best pub in London. The food is absolutely delicious, the staff are lovely and friendly, the bathrooms are spotlessly clean (with scented soap and cream dispensers!). It was like a second home while we visited London. Thank you so much! 💞

We spent 4 days in London and we went to this place 3 times. The service was excellent, the food was delicious and the beer was great. The place has a great atmosphere and I would definitely come here again.

The opening 6 Nations game was on and there was plenty of atmosphere here, although not much from the Welsh fans. We plonked ourselves down with a half pint each and watched the last few minutes of a one-sided match.

Nice place…friendly staff, great beers and good food!

A kitchen of 10, a premises of 10 and a staff of 20🙂. Thank you!!

The place is very nice. Great and cozy interior. The drinks are good, but the food is not the best.

Great traditional pub by Notting Hill Gate. Perfect for a relaxing pint.

Great place for a Sunday roast. The vegetarian nut roast was lovely! All the staff were super friendly and welcoming. Very well organised, would highly recommend booking! Good vibes with Freddie Mercury history if you’re a fan! Pet friendly too so expect to see some furry friends :)

Excellent pub. Good choice of beer and tasty and varied dishes. Smiling and attentive waitress. A good pub without hesitation. Ins ta: tof_caro_en_voyage

Nice bar in Notting Hill . Funny and active ambient

Visiting from the U.S. and received great customer service. The atmosphere was very welcoming. The food was delightful. I would visit this restaurant again when I travel to London.

Quintessential English pub, amazing food, beer and atmosphere. The Ale and steak pie is great!

I cannot recommend this place enough .. Fantastic atmosphere the staff were so attentive and welcoming. Unfortunately we didn't dine in but have to say the foods presentation look spot on . I'm looking forward to returning and will be trying out their food .. Thank you so much to the Champions staff .

A lovely pub serving a great selection of food and drinks by a great team of bar staff, the Sunday lunch was delicious 😋 I look forward to my next visit

Ambiente fabuloso, música y el manager Bradley era acogedor como un viejo amigo Me encantan las velas reales encendidas en cada mesa y en las ventanas Paseo rápido desde la parada de tren Nottingham Hill

Le fameux pub mythique de Queen. En tant que fans de Queen nous étions obligés d’aller jusqu’à ce pub lors de notre voyage à Londres. Le pub est magnifique de l’intérieur comme de l’extérieur. Le Mercury Lounge est magnifique, nous avions presque les larmes aux yeux en voyant les photos et en imaginant Freddie Mercury ici. Nous n’avons malheureusement pas pu y manger mais nous avons quand même bu un coup en l’honneur de Freddie.

Two evenings spent here in London, excellent typical food, excellent service, special thanks to Rai kumar naik, he served us and was very kind. The atmosphere is enchanting, especially during these Christmas holidays with the various decorations. We will definitely be back when we return to London!

The staff is attentive, we tried fish & chips at another restaurant two days ago, although we paid more there, this place is more affordable and more delicious, the atmosphere complements the taste. I recommend…

The staff were super nice, friendly and helpful. The Sunday roasts, porkbelly, nut roast and roast chicken were all excellent. Potatoes very nice, veg were well prepared not over cooked and nice gravy. The only sub-par thing was the fish and chips, the fish itself was a thin and a little dry. Overall had a very pleasant Sunday lunch, would definitely recommend.

The ambiance and food were great as was the service. We are from the USA, but lived around the corner beginning in 1978 when The Champion was a gay pub. We passed by The Champion daily and never thought to go in. We have come back to London many times and last year for the first time we stopped in for lunch. It was delicious and so we returned again this year and were not disappointed: everyone loved their meal. We leave for home soon but are coming back before we go for one more lunch. It is my favorite place in London for a reasonable and delicious meal.

Very typical English pub. Perfect for a drink.

Very nice pub where we had a very pleasant time. Our fish and chips were very good, the waitress gave good advice and was very friendly, in short, nothing to complain about!

Great vibe inside, the Christmas decorations were lovely and the food was very tasty!

Dolly, the hostess, was awesome! On a Friday night when reservations were overwhelming the pub, she was the cool head under fire and massively graciously. Very British indeed. Wonderful pub grub and wonderful service. Thank you again Dolly. Memorable!

Jesse is a top barmen, made me and my group feel very welcome.

Gorgeous pub. Amazing to sit where Queen sat to write 'We are the champions'

As we were staying with friends who live in Notting Hill we popped in for a drink in this pub Sunday lunchtime. At 12pm it was really busy. We saw the roast dinners coming out which looked amazing, especially the huge Yorkshire puddings! It was extremely well run. There were four staff working who seemed to work very well together and happy! We are now going to return in a couple of weeks to try out the food, which all that was coming out, looked amazing. Also, they serve the best Bloody Mary ever! All made from scratch!

Traditional English pub with different typical dishes! Quiet atmosphere on floor - 1.

What a great friendly pub with pleasant professional service. So nice to come across a real pub a pleasant atmosphere. The beer garden an extra bonus for us die hard smokers too. Only criticism was that they no longer served south African chenin blanc but the sav blanc was just as nice. Thank you boys (sorry but I am an old git lol)

We visited on a Saturday night, having booked in the afternoon. The Champion had a very good atmosphere with first-class service. We enjoyed a lovely dinner and would recommend this venue for a night out.

Amazing food and service! Shoutout to Jamie for the hospitality and service he provided

The food was great and we enjoyed it. The vibe was great too and maybe the music can be a bit loud but we liked the overall experience. Staff were particularly friendly (the lady server especially) and you guys made my day.

Bel pub con un'atmosfera tipica inglese, personale cordiale e cibo davvero buono. A pochi passi da Hyde Park e Bayswater. Consigliatissimo!!

Excellent, friendly staff. The Sunday roasts were superb. A great place.

Everything we ordered was amazing. The atmosphere is lively and charming. Can’t wait to visit again.

Really nice place, initially it seems like your average smart pub but the downstairs reveals a really cool little beer garden and a basement bar area. Service friendly and helpful. Prices average London prices. Overall a really nice place that obviously loves Queen.

This is an amazing place to eat, the staff were lovely and they have an amazing gin selection. I’d be sure to visit anytime I’m in the area. P.S Best Fish and Chips in the Area.

A nice place this cozy pub. This pub is not from a franchise organization with an authentic style. It is opposite the kensington palace. We had a nice beer here. The nice thing about this pub is that all ages come here. There were mothers with babies, students, tourists, locals and older people. A nice mix. Friendly staff.

Nice atmosphere, reasonable prices. Our server was Kerry. Very polite & friendly will definitely recommend to friends

Great atmosphere and food, staff were great and GM was very welcoming, chatting to us and very friendly!

Great location and the pub has a large open space with additional dining downstairs. Pork belly was excellent, the linguine was good, and Jamie was on point! We will be back.

Sunday roast it was coming quickly and big quantity beef roast very testey . Asian fridge chicken was very crispy .

Great selection of beers on tap and a good vibe

Basement area is very cozy with nice music and artwork. Server Diva was very helpful! Loved my time here getting the Sunday Roast.

We had a lovely meal with a great atmosphere we had a very attentive waitress who was extremely polite & courteous nit rushing us to finish our meal like some places.Kerry lee our waitress was our waitress plz let her know that she made our experience even more enjoyable & we will definetely be back.

Had a dinner on Halloween, amazing open mic, food, ambience and service. delicious dishes recommendations and service by Devangi. Gonna visit soon again. Highly recommend.

Ein toller Pub mit freundlichem Service, ausgezeichneten Burgern in netter Atmosphäre… und das Quiz gab es gratis dazu!

This Pub is awesome! We visited 7 times during our holiday. If you are lucky enough to get served by Jessie you have hit the jackpot! Great food, fantastic atmosphere, you truly can't go wrong!

Saw a little mouse trot across the lounge floor... 3 minutes later the bar guy with the Oasis hair cut stamped on it behind the bar and put it in the bin, somewhat saddened our visit. Plus hubby rang up an hour earlier to check London Pride beer was on, told yes, but upon pouring the pint found it was at the end of its life and cloudy. Prices for our drinks here were the dearest of our day. Hmmm prob won't put in a visit again.

Saw a sweet mouse cross across the lounge floor... 3 minutes later the bar owner stamped on it behind the bar and put it in the bin, somewhat saddened our visit. Plus hubby rang up to check London Pride was on, told yes, but upon pouring the pint found it was at the end of its life and cloudy. Hmmm prob won't put this in a visit list again.

Good roast but Yorkshire puddings reheated and chewy

From an older Americans point of view it was very noisy. Have been other times when this didn't happen.

After nearly 15 years of living in the UK, I can wholeheartedly say this was the worst experience I have ever had in a pub. I booked a table for 5, as I had family friends visiting from the US. I specifically requested a corner booth/area of the restaurant that was tucked away so that we could have a decent conversation after not seeing them for nearly 12 years. Instead, I walk in, and we're placed at a rickety round table directly in front of the door. It is loud and chaotic. I sit down, and am not even offered a menu. After quickly greeting my guests a waitress comes over not less than 90 seconds after I arrived and just asks us what we want. Obviously we did not have time to look at the menu, so she leaves. I'm still barely taking my coat off & putting my umbrella away before the server is back, asking again if we're ready to order. No, we're not. We give her some drink orders. She comes back for now the third time in a span of about 5 minutes to ask us what we want. I was in the middle of explaining to my guests what a Sunday Roast was, as of course they'd never had one before. One of my guests asks the server for her recommendation, and she stares at him blankly and responds quite shortly: "We have beef, chicken, or pork." Yes - that we are capable of reading. His question was what is your recommendation, what are you KNOWN for? She looked quite annoyed and finally said beef. I then heard her say something about ordering a side, which confused me as a SR comes with sides. When I asked her about this, she admitted it does, so she was clearly just trying to upsell on my unknowing guests. Keep in mind - five adults were already in the process of ordering mains, so I have no idea why we were being so rushed and hassled to hurry up and order. Yes the place was busy, but there was no queue and we came at 3:30pm, so nowhere near kitchen closing time. Finally, she takes our orders. A different male server then arrives and he places the plates down so fast he sloshes gravy literally into the lap / all over one of the other guests. He is apologetic, and this was a genuine mistake, but given the rushed & rude treatment from the other server and our horrible table placement that I'd explicitly requested NOT to be placed in such a situation, it was yet another insult to injury. No offer or tiny gesture of goodwill from the server to make up for ruining her jumper with gravy. The food when it arrived was served nearly stone cold. This has been mentioned in many, many reviews of The Champion, and no doubt the pub will reply with the same non-reply of "we will learn from this mistake" etc without offering any compensation or a real step towards improving, because clearly they have NOT listened to the many reviews complaining about food being served cold. If I were on my own or with a local friend, I would have sent it back. But we were cold (thanks to our table placed right in front of the door) and some of us covered in gravy so we ate. The food itself was the worst roast I have ever had. The Yorkshire pudding was rock hard and the consistency of a dried tortilla. No additional gravy was given. The meat was not medium rare as promised but super well done and rubbery on the outside and only pink in the very middle. We paid the bill in full, including service. My guests even decided to add an additional £20 in tip because they worked in the service industry in the US and they felt they needed to support our sub par servers. Since I didn't want to complain in front of them, I let him, but they absolutely did not deserve it. Of course, once they gave the server the tip she became magically very friendly despite clearly showing her impatience and frustration for - I'm not sure what - being American tourists? - from the very beginning. Guess what folks - your establishment is in the heart of the tourist area. I lived in Paddington for 5 years & have seen many other establishments handle tourists much more gracefully than you did. Shame on you - I hope others will not visit based off this review.

Bar man was friendly and helpful. They do one of my favourite wines, Le Bijou. A generally good atmosphere.

We ate in the Mercury room downstairs where Freddie Mercury wrote "We Are the Champions"!

Amazing place food was okay but the service was excellent. Brad was really good. Went over and beyond for our service. Do you recommend to go when he’s working there? Thank you Brad for for the great service that you gave us

Great Sunday dinner and the staff were excellent on what was a very busy Sunday.

Diva was Great and so was the Food and Drinks! She needs a Double Raise!

The food was good but not worth the prices and the quantities leave you wanting more. Service was so slow and felt like we had been forgotten even though it wasn’t that busy. Disappointed given the rating it currently has

the hairy bartender Jakob really served. pints. Great selection of things and nice atmosphere. Hairy bartender was the star of the show though, he really puts the champ in champion. Have never ever seen a pint so perfect.

As a tourist this place felt super vibey and I really enjoyed my fish sandwich! The lunch special was great!

The fish and chips were amazing!

It was an amazing experience, the arancini and croquettes hits the spot. The fish and chips and also the steak pie is one that’s worth the try.