MY PUB: The Trafalgar, Chelsea, west London

A few hundred metres to the west of Sloane Square underground station and a similar distance north of the River Thames, the Trafalgar is in a lovely spot in the south-west of the capital.

Here to tell The Morning Advertiser about the pub is Three Cheers pubco director Tom Peake.

The pub

We first heard in 2024 a venue on the King’s Road in Chelsea was coming to market.

A month or two later, it transpired that it was a hard-shell opportunity on the site of the old NatWest bank on the corner of Chelsea Manor Street, opposite the Old Town Hall.

A fabulous location and a beautiful grade II-listed building, however, a pretty monumental challenge financially and logistically.

Aside from the beautiful old banking hall, which has extraordinary festoon plasterwork and a deep coffered five-metre-high ceiling, the rest of the building was just concrete and brick. There wasn’t even drainage.

However, [landlord] Cadogan Estate proved keen to build a partnership with us and months of negotiations resulted in us taking the lease. Cadogan has prioritised bringing creativity and performance arts back to Chelsea so our experience in hosting live entertainment such as comedy and music at the Bedford and the Tommyfield meant we were a good fit for this first new pub in Chelsea in more than 100 years. The Havannah Room has live music, comedy, open mic nights, piano sessions and more on a weekly basis.

The publican

I am Tom Peake, a director of the Three Cheers pub company.

General manager at the Trafalgar is Ethan Glackin-McColgan, who grew up in a small rural village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, where pubs sit at the heart of community life.

He began his hospitality career as a bar back at 15 and is now in his 14th year with Three Cheers, having relocated to London after university. Prior to moving to the Trafalgar, Ethan has previously managed the Rosendale in West Dulwich and the Bedford in Balham.

With a genuine passion for pubs and the role they play in bringing people together, he is now enjoying settling into the Trafalgar on the King’s Road. If you’re stopping by, he recommends the ham and cheese toastie paired with a pint of Jubel.

The trade

The King’s Road is known by some as the ‘High Street’ due to its centrality and prominence in Chelsea. It’s essentially played that role over the centuries. It can be an advantage for pubs to be off a main road – for that cosier vibe – but the Trafalgar leans into its high street location.

The King’s Road is a thriving street, full of shops and businesses. A great pub is welcoming to all and The Trafalgar has been well received across the community.

The one question everyone was asking prior to opening was ‘will it be a proper pub?’. The answer has always been a resounding yes. Well-conditioned ales, a great wine selection, food options that run the gamut from brilliant bar snacks through pub classics to some elevated dishes. It’s very important to us that people are just as comfortable nursing a pint with a Scotch egg and dog at their feet as they are coming for a great night out with a finer dining experience.

The team

We have 26 front-of-house staff and 12 working back of house.

The drink

It’s a premium, modern British pub drinks list. Craft beers and real ales obviously lie at the heart of things, with a keenly priced wine list and good choice of classic and modern cocktails ensuring we’ve got all bases covered.

Timothy Taylor’s Landlord has been our house ale for many years while Hugo Spritz, Negronis and Margaritas are ever popular.

The food

Our menus champion the best of British produce, with elevated options to inspire guests to either pop in for a pint, grab a glass of English sparkling, order half a dozen oysters, tuck into a classic cheese and ham toastie, or feast on a Sunday roast to share, including Irish wagyu beef, Suffolk Red pork belly or The Trafalgar signature – ale-braised Thor’s hammer for sharing.

The events

Events are something we really excel at as we have the dedicated downstairs Havannah Room, which has weekly live music with Prime Time Sessions, award-winning ABC Comedy on Thursdays, Piano Sessions every Sunday and the all-important Monday night pub quiz.

In addition, the Trafalgar is a fantastic option for wedding receptions, offering a dining room for exclusive hire, which looks out onto Cheslea Town Hall, as well as everything you could need for a private party downstairs in the Havannah Room. This great space features a staged area framed with velvet curtains, a high-spec audio visual system and a hidden bar with draught beer for up to 100 guests.

The future

We’re only six months in so obviously we’re still focused on all the basics and building for the long term. Our focus is on that, and the rest of the group, rather than any expansion right now.