Grenadier

Hidden away in an exclusive cul-de-sac behind Belgrave Square, this small mews pub was built in 1843 and called the New Grenadier until 1885. Even though the pub is small, the two doors suggest two different class-segmented drinking areas at one time. The two rear rooms have been brought into use in relatively recent times and are usually reserved for diners. A notice outside states that the licensee is only allowed to serve customers who arrive by taxi or on foot. The so called historical connections, that the pub was used as a billet for the officers of the Duke of Wellington and that it is haunted by the ghost of a disgraced officer caught cheating at cards, apply not to this building but to another earlier tavern called the Horse Grenadier (renamed the Grenadier in 1800) which stood a short distance to the north and closed by the 1830s. There were, in fact, three taverns called the Grenadier in Belgravia at one time or other in the 19th century. A haven for its regulars, it has no TVs or music but welcomes visiting Morris dancers. Note the messages from customers written on banknotes and stuck on the ceiling! The wood panelled walls are not surprisingly decorated with prints depicting the history of the Grenadier Guards. In spite of its hidden location, this is quite a well-known pub and can become crowded at times.