Have you been to The Troubadour recently?

AnnaEating, Entertainment, Featured, Music, Nightlife3 Comments

We’re sure that many of you – locals and visitors alike – have been to the wonderful Troubadour on Old Brompton Road, SW5. Having opened almost sixty years ago and going strong ever since then, it’s definitely one of the area’s most iconic and famous spots to visit and is often also mentioned as one of the best coffee houses to visit in London.

I revisited the venue recently as, although it’s been listed on this site since the beginning (of the site, not of venue, of course!) it has undergone some expansion in recent years. This has served to both provide extra capacity as well as add some additional elements (some of which you may be pleasantly surprised to learn about – I certainly was!) that although relatively new, have really kept true to the spirit of The Troubadour.

For those of you that perhaps don’t know it, what is The Troubadour? Well, it’s something of a historic venue in Kensington and Chelsea; having opened in as far back as 1954. In that and the subsequent decade, it wasn’t just known as a cafe – its basement club attracted a number of very famous names from the rock ‘n’ roll world, including Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Charlie Watts (pre-Rolling Stones), and Robert Plant and Jimmy Page from Led Zepplin.

Today, the Troubadour still very much plays host to live bands in its basement room which has been expanded to more than double the previous capacity and can now fit 120 people. The basement room curves right round on itself, so you can sit (or stand!) yourself right in the thick of the action, or tuck yourself away somewhere a little quieter – including in the two private little alcoves towards the back. When you head down to the basement, do also take a look at the artwork hand-drawn right onto the walls that depicts some artists that have previously played here.

The Troubadour

Image by @studio 1 Park Royal, www.studio1parkroyal.com

What else goes on at The Trouabour these days? There is of course still the coffee house and restaurant on the main ground floor (also with an expanded capacity) that has retained so much of its original vibe with its unique decor – take a look at the assorted wonderful items hanging from the walls and ceiling, and definitely check out the beautiful wood-carved, brightly coloured front door.

There is a separate wine shop, Troubadour Wines, that sells a very fine selection of wines from across the world and which holds frequent wine tasting events. It also has its own wine bar – separate to the main part of the Troubadour cafe, perfect for a relaxed glass or two.

Wine Tasting at The Troubadour

Image by @studio 1 Park Royal, www.studio1parkroyal.com

The Gallery on the first floor is a spacious room that’s available for private hire (exhibitions, parties, dinner events, seminars) and which also hosts a range of classes and events, such as yoga every Monday.

One thing I was surprise to learn about was the serviced apartment for rent – The Garret – that’s on the second floor of the building, and what surely must be a great little accommodation find for London.

Another great surprise is The Troubadour’s hidden garden at the back, which very much feels like the garden of a private residence – there are no garish gas heaters and overly bright spotlights here! Instead, there are cosy little nooks and crannies and assorted seating amongst the luscious flowers and plants. On my visit, it was a dreadfully dreary day (thanks to the crazy April showers we’ve been having recently) but I can imagine the garden would be an absolutely fantastic place to come for a drink and a bite to eat in the height of summer.

The Troubadour Garden

Image by @studio 1 Park Royal, www.studio1parkroyal.com

If you haven’t ever been to The Troubadour or it’s been a while since your last visit, I would highly recommend that you swing by soon to re-acquaint (or acquaint!) yourself with one of the area’s – and London’s – most famous venues and find out what it has to offer these days.

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