The Chandos — Restaurant in London

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...

Awful treatment of a group of 5 blind people by staff in The Chandos.

I stopped to help when they were struggling in a busy street in central London, they simply wanted to find a pub to sit and have a drink but all were 100% blind, and obviously events were overwhelming them.

The Chandos was closest pub so I led them in, it was 5.30pm and busy however some lovely customers saw the situation and immediately gave up their seats. They sat down, were relieved and I went to bar with 2 of them to get drinks. It was crowded and escorting 2 blind people through a busy bar was challenging due to bags on floor, people standing in way, etc etc but things began to look better when we got drinks and I settled them back in seats. They reassured me they were now fine and I could leave. However things then went infinitely worse when I asked staff to keep an eye on them and help if they wanted another drink but the barman refused and told me “well, you brought them in here but now you want to go home and leave them for us to look after”

Awful awful awful. I didn’t want to go home - I was actually just on my way for a night out but had stopped to help a group of distressed and scared disabled people.

They couldn’t cross a busy bar by themselves. It would have taken a sighted barperson less than 20 seconds to walk across the pub to take an order, and another 20 second walk to deliver drinks, but the same process for a blind person would have been very difficult.

Sam Smiths staff in The Chandos were cruel, uncaring, unprofessional and behaved appallingly. Not a shred of human decency or compassion.

Don’t go to The Chandos, and don’t patronise Sam Smiths pubs until they get...

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...