The Troubadour in Earls Court, London

Fluid Eating's Review of The Troubadour

The Troubadour’s owners - charming Susie & husband - are a little bit Branson. They’re not content with offering just a singular type of service. Their aims are high, fingers-in-all-pies high, and the eccentric curiosities they’ve built are Virgin on the fanciful. The Troubadour is a towering bohemian monolith held together by the glue of time. It’s purpose? To undo the tangled web of frustrated London life that barks and breeds outside its door.

It’s historical. Having been born in the 1950s, it slowly leeched into the neighbouring commercial spaces at the expense, the story goes, of a Pizza Express; Beatnik Academicals - 1, Pizza Athletic - 0. The inner cells of The Troubadour are festooned with the minutiae of the past, the objet d’art of forgotten souls: a wonky tennis racket, an injured pot, a battered wall sign, a farmer’s erstwhile champion plough. Musicians, understandably, have long been enamoured with its ramshackle posturing, many even going so far as to use The Troubadour as the backdrop for their album covers (some of which can be seen mounted on the walls).

Yet, what was once just a simple bar is now a multifarious beast. Its faces are motley, and its appeal very tangible. There’s Troubadour the wine shop, proffering chiefly boutique vintages and a subterranean function bar for locals (all reminiscent of Mr Lawrence in Brockley). There’s Troubadour the cafe, boasting six street-set tables predominantly taken by smokers judging the world as it saunters by. There’s Troubadour the boutique hotel, provider of one rock star apartment at the apex of the complex. There’s Troubadour the art gallery, which is often also utilised for yoga and very important meetings (squeezable Marmite was apparently invented there).

There’s also Troubadour the club; an underground domain where the ghosts of legends such as Hendrix, Dylan, Mitchell, and Doherty linger in the shadows. They've all played here because, let’s face it, The Troubadour has been in existence since well before sound was even invented. It’s not unknown for the odd poetry reading to break out either, so emergency soliloquies are best kept at close range.

Myself and guest were quite taken with the club. We didn’t feel like we wanted to run off to Gretna Green with it, but it did convince us that Planet Earth is not shy and it does like to make friends. The private caves seats beneath the pavement, the alacritous table service, the slightly obstructed and subsequent inquisitive viewing of the stage where the double bass comes out and the banjo is probably not far behind; these all combine to help coax our languidly pleasured state. That, and the fact that the lead singer wore a tweed hat. Utterly awesome, regardless of how well they played (actually very well, to be honest. And I say that despite being tickled by the 6.5% Troubadour beer, a distant Belgian cousin of the venue, given right to adobe here in Earl’s Court).

But forget everything I’ve just said. If there need be just a singular reason for visiting The Troubadour, then it simply has to be the verdant garden. Easily one of the best al fresco dining areas in London for many good reasons: the alluring scent of honeysuckle that (mostly) manages to break through the haze of smokers’ puff (they’re everywhere); the vines; the foliage; the way in which everything seems to climb; the condiments housed in a homely bird feeder; the striped tabby cat that jumps out of a tree and bounds over the fence; the contemplative view of the brick and bright blue London sky (it exists); the over 30s in the afternoon; the under 30s later in the evening; the generous serve of peanut, pumpkin and chilli dip; the 2009 Castillo Del Moro Spanish Sauvignon Blanc; the delicious marinated beef salad (despite lacking in a tomato or two and not properly washed); the marriage of simplicity between lamb, rosemary and pasta; the proper banofee pie with mahooooosive biscuit base; the twinkling of the lights when the gloaming sets in (or are those fairies?). My two pieces of advice: two courses are plenty, and arrive before 7pm if you want such luxuries as sitting down.

So there you have it. The Troubador is a little bit Branson, only Rich in many other ways. Next stop: The Troubadour intergalactic commercial space flights. Wahhoooooo!

Reviewed by Christian Rose-Day

DESCRIPTION: The Troubadour is a proper café. The last 50's coffee house in Earls Court with a proud history as a low temperature centre of courtesy, peace and artistic energy. One review called them "the best eatery West of Big Ben", and they are pretty proud of their cafe menu, which is served from 9am untill 11pm, 7 days a week.

When the sun shines the hidden garden behind is a great place in which to relax, drink cocktails and meet up with friends. Downstairs is the Club where Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon (amongst others) all played in the '60s.

Although now a slightly bigger venue, with its great programme of live music and poetry, the club remains an intimate space where current up and coming artists give their best. The Club is also available for private parties up to 120 people. (Updated 23/06/2010)

The Troubadour Food & Drink Menus

Listed below are few sample food and drinks items available at The Troubadour. These lists are not enhaustive, but are instead designed to give you an overview of the venue's offerings and assciated prices.

The Troubadour Food menu

The Troubadour is acclaimed for its breakfasts, coming 4th in the Independent's 50 BEST LONDON BREAKFASTS, and only using English free range eggs and serving them from 9am until late. Their lunches and dinners offer the famous Brompton Burgers, generous Troubadour Omelets, fantastic Fish & Chips and an excellent variety of vegetarian dishes. Each day they serve special soups and if you are lucky they have their moules mariniere on the menu (as long as they are available fresh that morning!)

Item	Price
Brompton Burger	£9.95
Their most popular dish. A hunky 8oz beef burger, in an over large bun + sliced onion, tomato & gherkin (on top) served with generous portion of French Fries & a mixed salad + Extra cheese &/or bacon.
Full House Breakfast	£7.75
You can choose how you have your 2 free-range English eggs cooked (fried, scrambled, poached or boiled) to accompany the delicious crispy bacon, juicy sausage, grilled tomato & healthy granary toast.

The Troubadour Drink menu

The Troubadour Coffee House opened it doors in 1954 and has served excellent coffee ever since. The Mokital blend, used for the espressos, comes from Andy Angelucci and the filter coffee is supplied by Union Roasters, from their Fair Trade Guatemalan estates. The wines are specially selected by their wine expert, Atilio Falco, who has introduced excellent, good value wines from around the world, in particular from Argentina. Lastly they are renowned for great cocktails especially the Mojito.

Item	Description	Price
Hartenberg Cabernet Sauvignon / Shiraz, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2008	The Patrons Choice - a rich red wine with smooth tannins, ripe red berry nose, hints of tropicality and a long concentrated fruit finish. Excellent with a Brompton Burger, Steak or the Cote de Boeuf..	£25.00
Castillo del Moro, Airen Sauvignon Blanc, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla, Spain, 2008	An excellent aperitif or indeed accompaniment to salads, fish and chicken dishes - this Sauvignon Blanc is light, fresh and appealingly dry with lasting hints of citrus fruits..	£14.95

The Troubadour Special Offers

Happy Hour in the Cafe from 4.30pm to 7.30pm offering 2-4-1 cocktails & in the Club from 8pm to 9pm + Spend £25 per head in the Cafe for dinner Tuesdays & Wednesdays to get FREE entrance to the Club!

Title: Cocktails 2-4-1 daily
Description: Choose two cocktails for the price of one from the Troubadour excellent list. Mojitos are always the favorite with freshly squeezed lime, pummelled mint and lots of Bacardi light rum. Enjoy them al fresco in the secret garden or on the pavement or later in the Club from 8pm until 9pm.
Classification: 2 for 1
Date: 22 Jun, 2010 - 31 Dec, 2010
Days: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Time: 16:30 - 19:30

Title: FREE entry to the Club for those who have spent £25 per head in the Cafe on Tuesdays & Wednesday nights
Description: Spend £25 per head in the Cafe on dinner and you will get into the Club FREE of charge on a Tuesday or Wednesday night! See their website for their programme of events.
Classification: Food & Drink
Date: 22 Jun, 2010 - 31 Dec, 2010
Days: Tuesday, Wednesday
Time: 20:00 - 23:00

Title: Wear a HAT for dinner in the Cafe on Tuesdays & get a FREE pudding
Description: Wear a hat for dinner in the Cafe on a Tuesday night and you will receive a complimentary Troubadour Hat Dessert - free of charge!
Classification: Wining and Dining
Date: 22 Jun, 2010 - 31 Dec, 2010
Days: Tuesday
Time: 18:00 - 23:00

The Troubadour Opening Hours

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
9:00am - 12:00am	9:00am - 12:00am	9:00am - 12:00am	9:00am - 12:00am	9:00am - 12:00am	9:00am - 12:00am	9:00am - 12:00am

The Troubadour Map

• Show me a Printable map

“A breath of fresh air (unless you are sat next to the smokers in the garden - can't we ban them from outside too??!) from the run of the mill gastro pubs all over london. Brilliant garden, quirkly rooms and bar area and an underground club hosting live music everynight! Definately worth a trip west and if you get off the OTHER end of the tube and take the rear exit from Earls Court, its a very short walk from the tube.” Rating: — Bronwen Stephens, London (22 Jun 2010)

Newsletter Sign-up

Your Name
Your City	Birmingham Brighton Edinburgh London Manchester
Your e-mail
	Terms & Conditions

Complete!

You are now signed up to the Fluid Eating newsletter. You have been sent an email with details on how to verify your email address, as well as changing your newsletter preferences in the future.