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Boisdale of Belgravia
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We’ve never met Boisdale’s owner, Ranald McDonald, but we imagine him to be an ebullient likeable fellow. Certainly, his imprimatur is all over this agreeably preposterous operation. Occupying a labyrinthine Belgravia townhouse, it’s a triumph of one man’s old-fashioned self-assurance over modern-day focus-group fudgery. The Scottish theme includes haggis on the menu, ‘McCondoms’ in the gents, and tartan virtually everywhere. Unexpectedly, McDonald supplements all this Highlandia with laid-back jazz (the musicians performing on a corner stage), and a range of Cuban cigars (available on a heated cigar terrace). Given the sheer force of the rooms’ personality, it’d be easy for the kitchen to lapse into redundance, but the food is pretty impressive. From the flowery menu, we particularly enjoyed a starter of three tender scallops served on saffron mash with delicate roast haggis, and some beautifully tender roast lamb. The steaks are also very good, as of course is the list of whiskies. Indeed, the only off note was some stale-tasting bread. It’s all monstrously expensive, but the clientele of exiled Scots, Belgravian toffs, curious Americans and fat-walleted business-folk don’t seem to mind.
Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009
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See also
- Best Burns Night restaurants
Time Out reviews restaurants anonymously and pays for meals. Of course, we cannot guarantee the accuracy or independence of user reviews.
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Details
- 13-15 Eccleston Street, Victoria, SW1W 9LX
- Area: Victoria
- Tel: 020 7730 6922
- www.boisdale.co.uk
- Book online
- Category: British
- Travel: Victoria tube/rail
- Times: Bar Open noon-1am Mon-Fri. Restaurant Lunch served noon-2.30pm Mon-Fri. Dinner served 7-11.15pm Mon-Sat
- Price: Restaurant Main courses £15-£49. Set meal £18.70 2 courses
- Credit cards: AmEx, DC, MC, V
- Services:
- Child facilities: Children over 10 yrs admitted
- Dress code: smart casual
- Entertainment: jazz 10pm Mon-Sat
- Function room: Separate rooms for parties, seating 16-34
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bobsprinkle
I'm outgoing, always up for a laugh, but also love a good lazy Sunday reading the paper. I love seeing friends, going to concerts and plays, and...
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The food was excellent. We had the MacSween haggis to start and the Boisdale burger (cooked medium as I asked) for main course and both were delicious and presented very nicely. The Bloody Mary sauce was very tasty. The price of the food was very reasonable and we felt that we got good value for money.
The ambience was a little stuffy for my tastes I would have liked it to be a little more relaxed. I think this is the type of restaurant that doesn’t see many Scottish people through its door. In fact when I called to book a table I had to spell my name 4 times, despite the fact that a) it is an easy Scottish name, b) it was an English person on the phone who should have known how to spell the name and when he read it back to me he pronounced it completely incorrectly. I could have forgiven someone who was French or something but coming from someone who was English was ridiculous. And when I got to the restaurant I was listed as a ‘Mr’.
I was soooo disappointed that they didn’t sell any Scottish beer or larger and the waiter didn’t even know what Irn Bru is, never mind have any! Hardly Scottish!
The table service was OK, but when they were not at the table the service staff spent far too much time standing around chatting amongst themselves which would explain why they didn’t know our table number, and if I want to see a waiter juggling a tray whilst walking between tables and customers, I would have gone to the circus.
As is so common, the food saved the restaurant.