Boisdale

Boisdale Restaurant Review:

Boisdale is a much-loved institution that has branched out to embrace the businessmen of Canary Wharf as well as the swells of Belgravia, and with good reason. Most of the meat and fish is sourced from the best estates in Scotland. This is the place for warm salad of wild roast Scottish wood pigeon, and seared Scottish scallop with Lancashire quail. Mains might be classic “Cullen Skink” fish pie with young leeks, prawns, potato and Sheep Rustler cheese crust, or a special of the day. Die-hards go for the Boisdale steaks with sides running from salsa verde to dangerously hot sauce. The long wine list is supplemented by separate rosters of hundreds of malt whiskies, of cocktails and cigars, which can be smoked at the outdoors bar to much discussion on the evils of banning smoking from true traditionalists. The main feature of the décor is the collection of paintings and prints covering every subject and period. There’s live jazz every night and the whole place is suffused with the presence of the owner, Ranald Macdonald. Also located at Swedeland Court, 202 Bishopsgate, 020-7283 1763; and Cabot Place, Canary Wharf, 020-7715 5818.