Zetland Arms — Restaurant in London

The Zetland Arms is (now) a Greene King pub close to South Kensington Underground station. I've known this pub for 15 years now; once it was (AFAICT) an independent pub, then a Taylor-Walker, now it's a Greene King. The selection of real ales is small (three, but not all three will be available at all times), of course you can get any kind of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages there, too. It's a pub steeped in history - it was once owned by Sidney Chaplin, Charlie's brother. The history is in fact more interesting than the present. Speaking of the present, it's a fairly solid traditional pub, popular with locals and tourists alike - on weekends and weekday nights it's always packed. The food is, well, streamlined, as it is at other "chain pubs" (Wetherspoon, Nicholson's etc). Drinks in the glass are allowed outside, which is a plus - and eminently necessary during peak hours. Beer prices are inflated though- but they are everywhere else in this neighbourhood, too. An alternative on offer is The Angelsea Arms, a 5-6 minute walk from this place (and farther thus from the station), which offers nice outside seating and more atmosphere.

Another visit to the Zetland Arms in August of 2023. Still a Greene King pub, but enough guest ales are available (a few on tap, but mostly kegged). The beers certainly haven't become cheaper! A pint of kegged Beavertown Gamma Ray IPA goes for UKP 7.40 now. Ouch! But this is London. Service was efficient, if not terribly friendly (it was pretty busy in the middle of the day). Had a light late lunch too, a pleasantly surprising pair of fish cakes with a mixed green salad. Rather nice, and not outrageously priced! Still a solid option near Kensington...

would have been four stars if not for the unfriendly moody and unprofessional dark haired bar maid on Tuesday . there was once a time where bar staff were warm and welcoming polite and friendly.. more and more this is not the case and she is a fine example of the latter… no please no thank-you no pleasant demeanour..

People like her need to understand they cannot get away with that sort of behaviour in a workplace especially when it is customer facing , the implications caused by bad staff attitudes for a business can be immense ..

the pub in general is well decorated, and nice enough to be in , clean and tidy and well kept..

the food , the vegan burger i have to say was one of the better offerings from a pub i have had . good portion size, well cooked and presented..

in contrast to the barmaid the guy ( quite a physical strong older guy) running the food , was a complete professional, polite , courteous and professional , returned to ask about the food and if i wanted anything twice, he deserves full marks, its been a while since i had a waiter as good as he in casual establishment..

pubs are closing left right and centre, and complain no end how tuff they have it .. if you want to thrive or survive, here is a thought , start by helping yourself by employing and managing the right staff with the right attitude to enhance your business, service and waiting are normally employed to enhance the customer experience not...

A fairly poor pub experience on my end. Service went well, but I’ve nothing better to say after that. Food portions are alright for what I paid (a staggering 25£ for a meal and a pint), but the quality is quite lacking.

Mashed potatoes have no flavor whatsoever, and are still rather chunky to boot. My steak pie was ice cold in the center, and the pastry crust was doughy as opposed to being crisp and flaky. Cabbage was soggy in plenty of areas, leading me to believe it was rushed out like everything else. If I wanted to get subpar, reheated food I’d go to a Wetherspoons location; At least then I’d be paying half of what I did here.

Morale of the story? Go to an independent chain and pay the couple extra quid to get good, homemade food as opposed to the frozen garbage you get at a Greene King pub. Or go to Wetherspoons if you’re looking...