It has been a while since the last time I visited The Pig’s Ear and a summer’s evening that we found ourselves in the area, was the right opportunity to re-visit and be the first review for my blog. It is not the ideal place for a hot summer’s evening, as it lacks outside space, but thankfully it was not packed and the high ceilings of the Victorian establishment made the place feel cool.

Although it was a relatively quiet evening the people that where in the pub created a lively atmosphere with a really mixed crowd which included Chelsea gents, socialites, builders and a couple of tourists visiting from New York that sat next to us. The interior of the pub retains most of the original features but also has a bit of a 70s vibe with various posters from the era such as Sex Pistols and Michael Caine. It is not too far from the World’s End where Vivian Westwood set up her first boutique in the 70s, so maybe that’s the influence.

As soon as we arrived and sat at our table I sent K on a little mission, she was after the loos and thought it was a good opportunity to ask her to take photos of the upstairs dining room as she always does a better job than I do!
We ordered the Scotch egg to start, which had a runny yolk and tasted just perfect! The presentation of the starter reminded us of the Sex Pistols but never mind.  

My main was fish & chips with tartare sauce and mushy peas. It was nicely presented and cooked but the soggy batter and the cold(!) mushy peas let it down a bit. Let’s be honest though, fish and chips are best from the local chippy!
K’s main was the spatchcock poussin with posh coleslaw, sweet potato fries and mustard sauce. The dish tasted much better than it looked and the plate was spotless not that long after it was brought to the table.
There was no room for pudding but there was plenty of room for a couple more drinks whilst enjoying the buzzy atmosphere and watching the world go by as people were coming and going. Since it was a school night we didn’t stay too late and made our way home as the sun was setting.
We had a really lovely evening but if I were to be uber critical of The Pig’s Ear there were some small slippages in relation to the food, but it still delivered great taste and great atmosphere. I’ve been coming here for years and I will always come back to The Pig’s Ear, whether for drinks or a meal and I will definitely choose it over any chain. Next time I must try the first floor dining room, which must be ideal for a private party as well as dining.

Good, busy, noisy, gastropub in Chelsea