The Troubadour

Really nice atmosphere with good food. Where we sat in the restaurant we were a little cramped but the service was very good and the food was very good too. Afterwards, we went into the basement for live music and drinks.

We shared a meal for two, chicken in a pot. Excellent. For dessert we had the toffee pudding, it was a special for the night and a great add to the menu. After dinner we moved downstairs to the night club and saw two bands. The first was a rock bank, Budiky. Fantastic voice. Then a bank that played country/​blues. Very enjoyable. It was a great night.

Delicious food and excellent service! Was looking for a spot to have breakfast or brunch and stumbled upon this gem. We were definitely not disappointed! The feel is eclectic and the music streaming through the restaurant adds to the unique ambiance. We enjoyed eggs royale, eggs florentine with bacon and enjoyed the French toast as dessert. The food was amazing, even tempted to return for dinner! A must visit if staying in this area.

Came for dinner with a friend and thank goodness they introduced me to this place! Friendly service, tasty food and we were lucky enough to just catch the happy hour with two for one cocktails — our old fashioneds were POTENT! But perfect when the ice melted a little :)
I made the mistake of having the SPICIEST meal (huevos rancheros) but wowzers was it tasty! it looked pretty cool too — very green — but I forgot to take a picture because first I was too hungry, and then I couldn’t concentrate because I was suffering from ‘spicy-​mouth’ haha.
My dining companion had the lamb burger on ciabatta and it was amazing. He was foodgasming all over the place — I tried some and it really was delicious!
Great atmosphere, and I will definitely be back to check out a music show downstairs as I hear they don’t ever have a dud! And in the summer there’s a lovely little beer garden.

A must go for live music and a great atmosphere. I visited here with my girlfriend and we stayed until the place closed. We had a blast.

I’m actually a fan of the Troubadour because of its fantastic decortions, great ambience, dreamy back garden, and cool concerts downstairs. But I can’t praise the food unfortunately. The sweet potato fries are yummy but they don’t really count. I’ve tried a disappointing veggie lasagna, a mediocre veggie sausage and mash, an ok veggie burger, and a rediculous raw veggie platter. Maybe they’re better at meaty dishes but that doesn’t make up for it.
Anyways, the drinks are good and the place is just so cool that I’ll defenitely go again and again — just maybe not for a big meal.

Sadly had a bad experience here with both wine and food. Was steered by a very nice waiter to the house sauvignon blanc at £29 … how could we go wrong … it was very acidic! We both thought so. No offer of replacement! then we were served a very generous plate of grilled tasteless grilled chicken and green vegetables. Nice but pretty tasteless. I have been to the troubadour over the years many times. And it has been pretty consistent. Good food, good wine, great music. It was’nt up to its usual standards any more sadly, it was a Friday night.

This was a tough call… As a foodie to my core I usually let the food do the talking but. Dare i say it… It isn’t the only thing that matters! Atmosphere here is great, lots of nooks and crannies and an amazing garden out the back that rivals Burnett. The staff are really nice, very genuine and laid back cool which pays tribute to the history of the venue. The food is good it earned 3 of my 4 stars. The stir fry and tempura veg was actually really good. The hummus was basic but tasty & fresh… The charcuterie lacked. The lack of consistency is a bit frustrating as it makes the menu hit and miss… That said i still find myself wanting to return!

I’ve popped in a few times for a drink or dessert. Usually busy, thought I’ve always been able to find a table upstairs on week nights. Comfort and service are not really part of the experience. The staff is perfunctory but not attentive; if you need anything you’ll have to flag them down.

I love, love, LOVE this place! I’ve gone twice for breakfast and once for lunch, and I plan to return! The atmosphere is interesting and fun, the staff are friendly, the music is a great selection (and loud enough to be heard but quiet enough not to interfere with conversation), and the food is very tasty! It’s especially nice if you’re a vegetarian, or someone who doesn’t want to eat meat all the time. They have a bunch of vegetarian options, including a vegetarian version of the English Breakfast that is delicious…
WELL worth at least one visit, if not several.

I’ve heard a lot about the Troubadour and glad I finally got around to visiting this place. Highly recommend making reservations in advance as it gets quite busy. We were initially planning to just have drinks and ended up having dinner there. The place is great for drinks — relaxed almost quirky atmosphere and a good range of selection of cocktails as well as beer and wine. Really like it!
Dinner is more of a 3 star affair — tables are way too small to have enough space for all of the plates if everyone orders a dish. I ordered the veggie burger with sweet potato fries and it was just okay. A little bit on the underwhelming side. My bf ordered the beef stew which was okay but still probably not the best dinner choice — but pre or post dinner drinks!

A friend suggested live music for Friday night entertainment and we ended up heading to The Troubadour.
Our plan was simple: chat over a glass of wine and then head downstairs for some live music.
However a few things didn’t go as smoothly as we hoped:
1. Finding a table. I walked in and was told that there’s no table available currently. The waitress didn’t tell me if I should wait inside or outside or don’t even bother to wait, so I ended up standing awkwardly at one end of this crowded café waiting for someone else to rescue me. Luckily a table opened up shortly and I claimed it with lightning speed.
2. Slow service. We just wanted to get a glass of wine, but it took 15 minutes to get a menu. The large glass of red wine is indeed very large (I’m pretty sure I was more than tipsy when I finished it). I forgot what kind of wine we got because my French friend was in charge, and he told me it wasn’t good. So I took his word for it.
3. The bands. I think we just went on a very unfortunate evening and the bands were not good. First there was a very cheesy English pop band that performed some nice song but the vocalist wasn’t that good at singing. Then a French band came to perform dancy/​clubby music (in English), and that was horrendous. The vocalist kept trying to get everyone to dance or clap their hands, and mumbled something like «it’s all about clubbing~»… SO AWKWARD. We sat through 2 songs out of politeness and then fled…
4. The live music ticket was cash only.
I would probably give this place a 2^nd chance but I’d check the genre of the bands before coming (and bring cash!).

Having grown up in Earls Court,
I wish I went to this place more often and it is only within the last few years that I have spent any considerable time here.
You can pretty much find something in the Troubadour for any occasion at any time in the day… Breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks, club and live music! Lots to choose from and a good experience at many of these times will bring you back for more.
There is an excellent menu available all hours of the day, some good vegetarian options too and they always welcome mixing and matching.
Whilst the upstairs restaurant does get busy on a weekend (and they do recommend booking) the staff, who are very welcoming and friendly, if a little scatty at times, will do their utmost to accommodate you, even if it is in the wine bar next door.
The atmosphere is always warm and welcoming and the décor is full of music memorabilia, local area history and artefacts! Do not be afraid of getting cosy if it is busy but the hubbub will def add to your experience.
If you are up for a night of live music and or music (?!) the downstairs club is worth a visit and you may well be lucky enough to catch a guitar legend on a rare occasion. The booze runs and the music plays and your evening will be enjoyed by all!
Price wise, food is good for the price but not cheap. £10-£13 for a main but your plate will be piled high and well worth it. Drinks again vary in price depending what you want but I genuinely have a really nice time wherever I am in the building and I would recommend it to anyone.
Xyz

It was a very nice surprise at dinner time.
Even with a 4-​year old daughter we found this to be very warm and enjoyable to pass some time.
The angus steak was very good, the music was even better.
Will come back, for sure.

Ambience and service were lovely! We sat in the garden in the back for lunch and had the whole place to ourselves. We ordered some cocktails and, being that this was our first meal in London, the fish and chips. The cocktails were well priced and generous. The fish and chips were OK but according to other reviews, they have other dishes that are much better and probably less touristy. I would have loved to see live music here! The décor at this place is awesome.

My wife and I were on vacation in England for two weeks. When we were in London we came here and had a really good time. It’s a very happy, quirky place. The music playing in the restaurant was really great too. They seemed to be playing a lot of the music of famous artists who have performed there.
The food was very good. I wouldn’t go here for the food specifically, but the combination of good food, drink and atmosphere is well worth it. I hope we can come back sometime for dinner and then listen to the live music in the basement.
Oh, and dress super hip!

Quirky, fun, and quintessentially cool… to me, that’s what the Troubadour is all about.
I was introduced to this place by a colleague a couple of years ago and couldn’t believe that after living in the UK for almost four years that I’d never been there! When you look around and remember the names of the folks who have played in the tiny club downstairs (Dylan, Hendrix, Paul Simon, etc) the place just resonates with history.
The upstairs is a very eclectic traditional coffeehouse (think Vienna in the 40s and 50s, not Starbucks) which also serves great beers and food. There is an outstanding garden in back which reflects the age of the establishment in that it is sort of overgrown, but very cosy and comfortable — a fabulous place to sit with friends and unwind during or after a busy day.
The food is good, but not spectacular, which is the only reason I wouldn’t give this place 5 stars. With the advent of so many gastropubs in London, the standard of the food for a five star rating has risen markedly. On a recent visit, I had the mussels, which were good, but not extraordinary. They also have a somewhat limited, but standard selection of pub-​type food (fish & chips, roast, etc). However, this isn’t a place you go purely to eat. It’s a place you go to relax and enjoy.
Overall, if you’re near Earls Court, you owe it to yourself to stop by this place. It is just one of the most authentic, unpretentious cool places you can go to relax… most places have to try hard to be cool… but the Troubadour is an example of a place that looks at its history and can have the self confidence that it doesn’t have to try to impress — it’s comfortable in its own skin.

Franchement super sympa et typique ! Dans une ambiance rock anglais !
Nous avons bien manger, simple et abordable !
Je vous invite à né pas hésiter à y passer si vous êtes dans le secteur !

Nous y sommes allés pour notre première soirée Londonienne et nous n’avons pas regretté ! Le pub est superbement décoré, il y a plein de choses à regarder. L’ambiance est tamisée et agréable, quoiqu’un peu bruyante quand il y a du monde. Nous avons pris le burger à l’agneau qui était original et très bon. En somme, un bon moment typiquement londonien !

I stopped by for dinner, it didn’t seem too crowded and had gotten above-​average reviews from fellow Unilocalers. However, sadly, I was a bit disappointed:
* Fish and chips were very greasy. Dripping with grease. Small portion of fish too.
* Only one waiter for the front area, he was nice but totally overwhelmed. Thus, what should have been a quick dinner turned into a 75 minute project.
* Smokers stood at the front foor– and since the front door was propped open to let in the «fresh» air, I choked in cigarette smoke all through dinner.
* Dessert was outstanding.

So… if you gave this place a 3, I could get it.
When my friends told me about a place for live music, I was interested. We grabbed a drink upstairs, no food, and it was definitely a bit quirky decoration wise. Beers were a little above average price but the vodka drinks were a good deal (though service hiked it up).
The live music comes with a charge of £10 per person. Not a terrible deal for live music BUT we heard one song and then they were done. Our entire group definitely felt a bit cheated…
The place was packed for that one song (and presumably for the entire set). And gee it’s hot down there. There is a £10 credit card minimum also. Unlike in the US where they keep a tab open for you (I just moved from there), the bartender told me to pay then for two beers, only take one beer, and come back later for the second beer. Slightly interesting.
My friend was approached by a man who looked 70 years old and asked her for blow (seriously). But then we also met some guys more our age who were quite friendly.
I’ll be back. But next time I’ll go earlier than 10:15 to ensure I get my £10 worth of music. Maybe I’ll even find out how to reserve a table downstairs!

Troubadour is a really strange place — I went by thinking I could pick up some antique hand-​tools, but soon realized they sell alcohol rather than shlock. Thankfully, I didn’t actually want to buy old crap, and very much wanted to drink until I was overflowing with Czech beer.
And overflow I did.
The service is fast and friendly, the beer is great, and the atmosphere is very cool; its a far cry from most of the bars in Kensington & Chelsea which tend to be either overly shi-​shi, shit, or both!
I used to go ages ago and completely forgot about it, but have recently revisited the old Troubadour and found it hasn’t changed at all; a good thing when bars in London tend to last only a few years!
Dunno ab food or whatever, but always looks good walking by.

Wir waren bei unserem London-​Wochenende gleich zweimal im Troubadour.
Die Atmosphäre hier ist urig, im einen Fenster stehen ganz viele verschiedene Krüge, im anderen Raum hängen verschiedenste Gegenstände von der Decke.
Im Keller ist manchmal Live-​Musik, das, was bei unserem Besuch lief, war gut!
Der Service war bemüht, und freundlich.
Wir waren abends da und hatten den Salatteller und das Bruschetta, war beides gut!
Wenn man ins Troubadour geht, macht man keinen Fehler!

…jeden Tag aufs neue die Jagd nach einem netten Frühstück. Was ein englisches Frühstück angeht ist bei uns das typische Klischee angesagt = meine Freundin bekommt Porridge mit Früchten und ich natürlich das «full englisch» mit allem was Männer gern haben und unsere Arterien möglichst bald verkalken lässt. Zu meiner Entlastung muss ich allerdings sagen, das Frühstück reicht mir dann auch bis zum Abend aus. Das Troubadour ist uns von einem Freund empfohlen worden und wir haben dies auch an unserem letzten Tag hier gern ausprobiert.
Von aussen noch eher unspektakulär ist das Restaurant innen mit jeder Menge Kleinkram und alten Schildern liebevoll bis kitschig dekoriert. Der einzige Mann im Service kümmert sich sofort und freundlich um die eigentlich recht zahlreichen Gäste und schafft dies auch ohne große Probleme. Café, Tee, Säfte und Smoothies kommen schnell und sind gut. Das Frühstück wird sofort nach Bestellung produziert und lt. Karte artgerecht und regional (Fleisch) sowie Bio (Eier, Porridge, Obst). Beide Frühstücke erhaten wir pünktlich und in wirklich guter Qualität.
Das Troubadour hat einen Keller in dem Abends z.T. Live Music gespielt wird. Die Gerichte sind traditionell und auch hier wird bei der Qialität der Grundprodukte wohl ein hohes Maß angelegt. Aus diesem Grund liegt das Troubadour leider auch ein wenig preislich über dem Schnitt. Wobei allerdings die Getränkepreise eher ortsübliches Niveau haben.