Booze, Burgers And A Brand New Bar At Big Easy On King's Road

Big Easy, King's Road ★★★★☆

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 65 months ago
Booze, Burgers And A Brand New Bar At Big Easy On King's Road Big Easy, King's Road 4
Big Easy King's Road Chelsea restaurant review

When two adults are handed plastic bibs as a result of their menu choices, you can rest assured that things are about to get messy.

Big Easy in Chelsea isn't new, but it has had a revamp. Its bar is now bigger, both in floor space and in menu length, meaning more cocktails for us to slurp our way through as we fill up on that much-loved American comfort food.

The starter menu is thorough, with 16(!) different dishes to choose from ranging from popcorn shrimp to bbq chicken wings to lobster claws. Pretty early on, we're grateful for those plastic bibs as the moreish sauce from the voodoo chicken wings slops over our faces, and down our arms. There's no standing on ceremony here. And yet, we've no regrets about our order, the generous portions of both voodoo and blue cheese sauces setting each other off perfectly, the voodoo sauce toeing the line between tasty and tangy, the chicken cooked to tender perfection.

Big Easy King's Road Chelsea restaurant review

Following that pitch perfect starter, our main has a lot to live up to. The bacon double cheeseburger is exactly what it should be — well cooked patties, melted cheese, and extremely crispy bacon. The only dud note is the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. The crispy chicken breast, so large it overspills its bun by some way, is somewhat dry, as if overcooked.

For a restaurant with such a reputation, it isn't a large space, but stays on the side of cosy rather than claustrophobic — the casual and subtle American decor setting the tone as a casual neighbourhood diner rather than a tourist hotspot (that's what the Covent Garden and Canary Wharf branches are for). It's so far down King's Road, you're unlikely to stumble across it by accident.

Big Easy King's Road Chelsea restaurant review

Oh, and that cocktail menu? Of course we had a crack at it, landing firmly on the strawberry daiquiri as a favourite. In fact, we'd go as far as to say it's the best strawberry daiquiri we've tracked down in London (believe us, we've tried a few), with the strawberry, rum and lime flavours all singing through, rather than fighting to drown each other out. Booze swervers are well catered for, with milkshakes that don't fall into the usual trap of filling you up with their thickness.

The cocktails are very reasonably priced — particularly when you consider we're in Chelsea, darling — starting at £5.90. None of them break the £10 barrier, and that's before taking advantage of happy hour (two for one cocktails all day Monday, and 4pm-7.30pm Tuesday-Friday — available at the bar only). Fair to say we'll be heading all the way back down King's Road again soon.

Big Easy, 332-334 King's Road, Chelsea SW3 5UR (with other branches in Covent Garden and Canary Wharf).

Last Updated 19 October 2018