The Churchill Arms opens at eleven. Its own website tells search engines it opens at midday.
The visible opening times on the pub’s page are clear enough:
Pub: Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 23:00. Sunday 12:00 to 22:30.
Food: Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 21:30. Sunday 12:00 to 21:00.
But the structured data the site publishes for search engines, checked on 6 October 2026, gives “Mo 12:00-21:30” and the same for every other weekday. Those are the kitchen’s hours, filed in the field that tells Google when the pub is open.
So a search result or a maps panel may well tell you this pub opens at midday. It opens at eleven, and that first hour is the quietest of the day in one of the busiest pubs in London.
A free car park, in Kensington
Among the pub’s listed features, and genuinely rare for W8.
Free carpark. Paid parking is also available nearby.
Kensington Church Street is a difficult road to park on at any hour, so a free car park attached to a pub two minutes from Kensington Gardens is worth more than it sounds.
The other listed features: dog friendly, assistance dogs welcome, families welcome, free wifi, and historic pub status.
The Thai kitchen is the point, not a novelty
The combination catches people out, because the exterior gives no clue.
The pub is “known for serving real ales and authentic Thai cuisine”, through a dedicated Thai Kitchen at the back.
It is one of the longest-running Thai kitchens in a British pub, and the reason the dining room is booked out when the bar is standing room only. Food runs 12:00 to 21:30, an hour and a half before the pub closes, and the last hour of the evening is drinking only.
Tables can be booked, which is the practical difference between this and most famous London pubs.
Built in 1750, and Churchill’s grandparents drank here
The name is not a marketing decision made later.
Built in 1750, the pub “was frequented by Churchill’s grandparents”, which is the connection the name commemorates rather than Churchill himself.
Inside it is “crammed with memorabilia”, and outside it is the flowers: the Churchill Arms is “dripping in flowers” and is probably the most photographed pub exterior in London.
The display changes through the year and peaks in summer, with a Christmas version of the same scale. If the flowers are the reason you are going, that is a seasonal decision.
The landlord, Gerry O’Brien, has written a book about the place, sold at the pub.
Where it is
119 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN. Telephone 020 7727 4242.
Notting Hill Gate is the nearest station, a few minutes north, with High Street Kensington to the south.
It is a Fuller’s pub, which is why the real ale list is what it is.
The position matters for a day out: Kensington Church Street runs between Notting Hill and Kensington, so the pub sits between Portobello Road Market and Kensington Gardens, roughly ten minutes from each.
How to plan it
It opens at 11am, not midday, whatever a search panel says.
Quietest hour: 11am to midday, before the kitchen opens.
Eating: book a table, and note food stops at 21:30, or 21:00 on Sunday.
Last ninety minutes are drinking only.
Driving: there is a free car park, which is rare in W8.
Coming for the flowers: summer or Christmas, when the display is at its fullest.
Bringing a dog: welcome.
The Churchill Arms
- Address
- 119 Kensington Church Street, London W8 7LN
- Nearest
- Notting Hill Gate a few minutes north, High Street Kensington to the south
- Hours
- Pub Monday to Saturday 11:00 to 23:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 22:30. Food Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 21:30 and Sunday 12:00 to 21:00
- Booking
- Tables bookable online or on 020 7727 4242. Free wifi, free car park and paid parking nearby
- Price
- Pub prices. Real ales and a Thai kitchen
- Standing
- A Fuller’s pub built in 1750, famous for a facade dripping in flowers and an interior crammed with memorabilia, serving real ale and authentic Thai food
How to get in
The pub opens at 11am but the structured data on its own website publishes the kitchen’s hours, 12:00 to 21:30, in the field search engines read as opening times, so a search panel may say midday. The first hour is the quietest of the day. Food stops at 21:30, an hour and a half before the pub closes. It has a free car park, which is unusual in Kensington, and is dog friendly. Built in 1750 and frequented by Churchill’s grandparents, which is the connection the name commemorates.
Where to go next
London’s pubs and the oldest pubs cover the rest, and the Thai restaurants page puts the kitchen in context.
Notting Hill and Kensington Gardens are each about ten minutes away.
Questions we get asked
What time does the Churchill Arms open?
11:00 Monday to Saturday and midday on Sunday, closing at 23:00 and 22:30. Note that the structured data on the pub's own website publishes its kitchen hours, 12:00 to 21:30, in the field search engines read as opening times, so a search result or maps panel may wrongly say it opens at midday.
Does the Churchill Arms serve Thai food?
Yes, it has a dedicated Thai Kitchen and is known for serving real ales alongside authentic Thai cuisine. Food is served 12:00 to 21:30 Monday to Saturday and 12:00 to 21:00 on Sunday, so the last ninety minutes of the evening are drinking only. Tables can be booked.
Is there parking at the Churchill Arms?
Yes, the pub lists a free car park among its features, with paid parking also available nearby. That is unusual for Kensington Church Street, which is difficult to park on at most hours.
How old is the Churchill Arms?
It was built in 1750 and was frequented by Winston Churchill's grandparents, which is the connection the name commemorates rather than Churchill himself. It is a Fuller's pub, crammed with memorabilia inside and covered in flowers outside.
Is the Churchill Arms dog friendly?
Yes. The pub lists dog friendly among its features, alongside assistance dogs welcome, families welcome and free wifi.
When are the Churchill Arms flowers at their best?
Summer, when the floral display across the facade is at its fullest, with a large Christmas display as the other peak. The display changes through the year, so if the flowers are the reason for the trip it is worth timing it.
Written by Robert J Wills, no. 359 in the guide.
Last checked 6 October 2026 against the venues' own published information. Nobody pays to appear here and we take no bookings.
