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There’s something about New Quebec Street in the evening that never ceases to amaze. Happening upon the brightly lit, bustling shops, bars and cafés in this otherwise peaceful residential area just north of Marble Arch usually induces a ‘Whoa! What’s this?’ moment. And, nestled within this part of ‘Portman Village’ is part butcher-to-the-neighbourhood and part restaurant-to-the-capital, Boxcar.
Downstairs there’s a view of the kitchen as they grill your chosen cuts. Upstairs, if you don’t choose the window or the cosy back area, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in the middle of a butcher’s shop with a deli counter. Because you are: fridges of meat line both walls.
The menu was pretty minimal but (expensive) daily specials extended it slightly. At £15 the Boxcar steak (a sirloin) turned out to be a bit of a bargain and was very good. A fillet, twice the price and half the size, wasn’t so much value for money, and sides (including over-salty fries) were an additional £4 per item. Either side of the mains, a potted chicken liver parfait failed to arrive with the advertised Yorkshire pudding, thus scuppering any meaningful comparison to Hawksmoor; though a sticky toffee pudding swimming in butterscotch sauce was sublime.
Bottles of wine start at around £35, but if you go for individual drinks, miss out the starters and stick to the regular menu, you’ll get a well-cooked meal at a fair price. Hindsight, you see, is a wonderful thing.