Peter Morrell finds the ideal spot to relax and eat after a fascinating tour of the Houses of Parliament
My wife and I recently organised a party of people from a local affinity group to visit the Houses of Parliament guided by our local MP, Colonel Bob Stewart. The tour was scheduled to finish around lunchtime so we knew that we would have 10+ footsore and hungry people to feed.
We didn’t want to walk them very far but surprisingly there aren’t many places near Parliament that sit between a cafe and a fine dining restaurant. We were recommended to the Blue Boar in Tothill Street, less than a 10 minute walk away from the House.
So after two hours of being awed by 1000 years of history we were soon settled in to the restaurant. The lunch menu was quite straightforward with a range of interesting starters, for example chicken liver pate, potted Scottish salmon and soup of the day. There are light bites of salads and sandwiches and classics including burgers, steaks, fish and chips, a pie of the day and the UK’s favourite dish chicken tikka masala.
I chose the Blue Boar burger with bacon, West Country ogleshield cheddar and skinny fries. This was an excellent choice, the kitchen has a high temperature Josper Grill that can sear the outside of food while keeping the inside moist and full of flavour. My wife had the lighter avocado and Cornish crab salad with baby gem lettuce, spinach, croutons, maroc olives and a French dressing which was also good.
Our party had chosen a range of different dishes, one had the daily special, chicken and chorizo pie, three had fish and chips. The person who had selected the chicken tikka masala with saffron pilau rice, naan bread, poppadom, chutney and raita was particularly pleased.
The drinks list was very comprehensive with a good list of Meantime and other craft beers both draught and bottled. Gins and vodkas were well represented. There were bubbles if you are celebrating and red, white and rose wines from both the old and new worlds.
The food prices were reasonable with mains at £12-£15 but the wine was a little more expensive with an entry point of £27 for a bottle.
The atmosphere was upbeat and the service friendly and efficient. We were all interested in the wall art and the models in cases of political characters like Boris on his bike and Blair with wads of cash in his pocket.
This had been a good choice of venue that everyone in the party was comfortable with. It was very convenient, not just for Parliament but Buckingham Palace if you are sightseeing. If you have got a large group then booking is highly recommended.
The Blue Boar Restaurant and Bar
45 Tothill Street, Westminster, London, SW1H 9LQ
Tel: +44 (0) 20 3301 1400
Reservations: reservations@blueboarlondon.com
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