Phene Arms
The place has been shut for months, so I have no idea why it’s making headlines now. (Antoine and I spent a couple of hours on our first ever night out together in the Phene, but George Best wasn’t there that particular night. He was around a lot, though, usually with a very young blonde.)
What interests me is that one of my favourite restaurants in London, the Cheyne Walk Brasserie - which Adriana introduced me to - is the freeholder of the pub. It will no doubt be a nice restaurant if they decide to convert it, but it’s also a great shame that there are not many decent pubs within stumbling distance of Samizdata HQ. The Phene even has a superb, large, bright room upstairs that they’d let you use for free (which Adriana, Perry and I did back in 2004 for an event we organised). That room would make an excellent salon for a restaurant - without the prime view that Cheyne Walk Brasserie’s has - but I’d rather have the pub back, thanks.
Filed under: Life
In a previous life I had a pint with George Best in there.
He was a total gentleman on the night and even signed a beermat for me.
Guess it will become someone’s ” Gastropub”
There is a fantastic pub (with a more than decent restaurant at the back) called Cross-keys, which we looked at for the event you mention too. It’s only a street away from CWB and I always wish I go there more often. Quirky, charming, local but not cheap. But that’s Chelsea, alas.
Typical that I should learn what happens in my backyard from Jackie’s blog. :)