Reviews Boulestin

Name: Boulestin
Address: 5 St. James's Street, London, United Kingdom, I-SW1A 1EF
Telephone: +44 20 7930 2030
Rating: 85

Livin The Good Life

+3.5

My wife and I really enjoyed eating breakfast here. She had the fruit and yogurt, while I had the Full English Breakfast. My portion was huge, but it was very good and filling. Best place we found to eat that was close to our hotel

Jun 30, 2016

Catfish

+4.5

Tres bon. A very good experience.
merci

Nov 25, 2014

Emma Louise Layla

There's a fantastic French restaurant in St James's called Boulestin , which opened last year - if you haven't already been, December is a good opportunity to visit as head chef Andrew Woodford has devised a Christmas menu including all sorts of winter treats from quail, duck, oysters, steak, cassoulet to foie gras and truffles. It's as indulgent and delicious as it sounds.

Dec 05, 2014

Maria Kuehn

+4.5

I’d wanted to return to Boulestin ever since my premier visit in August and, when an invitation arrived to try their Festive menu, I could barely contain myself with excitement; with trembling anticipation I counted the number of sleeps to the evening and arrived early with wide eyed excitement. I was not to be disappointed.

Once again Chef Andrew Woodford’s imaginative menu didn’t fail to impress. For starters I had no hesitation in going straight for the ½ dozen Duchy of Cornwall native 2 Oysters (£22) The Duchy of Cornwall Oyster Farm, situated on the Helford River in South West Cornwall, is an ancient private fishery, part of the private estate of the Duke of Cornwall, HRH The Prince of Wales and managed by Wright Brothers. Plump, juicy with that alluring fragrance of the sea, I just added a squeeze of lemon, a drop of Tabasco and half a spoon of raspberry vinegar with finely chopped shallots, a slight chew and down they went. Stunning.

Other delightful dishes on offer included pan fried snails served with bacon in a bone marrow red wine sauce (£13.50), scallops (£17.50) and that French Christmas staple pan fried foie gras with roasted quince (£18.50).

Choosing a main took a considerable amount of internal and external deliberation with such an amazing array of dishes on offer. I finally settled on the saddle of venison with roasted beetroot and sherry jus (£27.50) my fellow diner went for the poached lobster, red mullet & mussels with saffron broth (£32.50). The venison was perfectly pink and juicy with a slight crunch to the edges, the beetroot and sherry jus was simply exquisite.

Alternative tempting offerings included roasted pigeon with curly kale and lardons in a Madeira jus (£29.50), duck breast with cherry jus (£29.50) and my second choice Grilled Calf’s Liver (£22.50). My sides were crunchy green beans (£4.75) and pommes Anna (£5.50), a classic French dish of sliced, layered potatoes cooked in a very large amount of melted butter - simply delicious.

This was all washed down with copious amounts of a fine Italian red, Visconti della Rocca Etichetta Oro Primitivo, Puglia, served with great enthusiasm by Italian Sommelier, Alessandro. High in both alcohol and tannins, intensely flavoured and deeply coloured this was the perfect pairing with the rich gamey venison.

Not being a big lover of sweet desserts I opted for three cheese board served with quince jelly (£13.75). The boardwalk star was the Mothais a la Feuille, a French goat’s cheese originating in the Poitou-Charentes region of western France, named after the town of Mothe-Saint-Héray where the cheese has been made and sold since the 19th century as a soft, runny almost liquid texture. Alessandro bought a shot of Rum, La Hechicera from Barranquilla, Colombia, a novel and imaginative pairing that worked surprisingly well.

A close second was Berwick Edge, named after the local ridge, forming the eastern edge of the Glendale valley. This hard cheese is from Doddington Dairy and is often described as strong and fruity. It is smooth in texture and captures a variety of flavours, most notably fresh pineapple with a citrus tang. A cheese for those who appreciate strong flavours and perfect with port.

Last on the board was Fourme d'Ambert one of France's oldest cheeses, and dates from as far back as Roman times. It is made from raw cow's milk from the Auvergne region of France, with a distinct, narrow cylindrical shape. The semi-hard cheese is inoculated with Penicillium roqueforti spores and aged for at least 28 days, again perfect with port.

I finished up with a shot of Sambucca recommended by Alessandro - who was I to argue?

I’ve said it before, everything about Boulestin is perfect; the lighting, the ambiance, the decor, excellent service and, of course, the food. It’s not cheap, but this is French dining at its finest and I urge you all you to give yourselves a treat; it is, without doubt, my restaurant of the year.

Follow their Facebook and Twitter feeds for special offers, and menu developments. They also have a large basement room for private dining, ideal for Christmas parties.

Boulestin

5 St James's Street

London

SW1A 1EF

0207 930 2030

Feb 11, 2015

Agirlhastoeat

Last week I attended a bloggers’ dinner at the lovely Boulestin restaurant, an impressively chic French establishment on St James St in the heart of Mayfair. The restaurant comfortably seats around 40 and is elegant and inviting. There are leather banquettes, frosted glass screens and soft lighting, all coming together to create a sense of conviviality and warmth.

The inspiration for Boulestin Restaurant was the renowned chef and food writer, Xavier Marcel Boulestin. His cookery books did much to popularise French cooking in the English-speaking world. In 1927 he opened the original Restaurant Boulestin, which at the time was the most expensive restaurant in London. The success of the restaurant and the popularity of his writing made Boulestin famous. And so it is that the Boulestin of today is devoted to celebrating many of the French classics that he helped to make so well-known.

For my starter I had the pan-fried duck liver (£18.50), which was deliciously fatty, beautifully cooked, and which went nicely with the roasted quince. But the portion size was tiny, and I thought a little ungenerous for the price.

To the mains, and a dish of poached lobster with red mullet, mussels and a saffron broth (£32.50) was delicious. Each of the seafood elements of the dish had been wonderfully cooked, particularly the tasty red mullet. The broth was also wonderful and rich with the flavour of a good seafood stock. I also tried the roasted cod with fennel puree and tapenade (£22.50) which was nicely cooked.

I loved the pear and almond tart (£8.75) with Jersey cream. The pastry was heavenly and precisely executed. It was incredibly light, extremely thin and best of all, fabulously short. The filling was also delicious, particularly the nutty frangipane which sat alongside the slivers of pear.

The bake on the chocolate fondant (£9.50) was also excellent, resulting in a pudding that was delicious and lusciously runny in the centre. However a tarte légère aux pommes (a simple apple tart – £9.50) was almost too simple as it didn’t have enough caramelisation to make it interesting or very inviting.

Boulestin showed off some accomplished French cooking that would have made Boulestin himself proud. The food was really enjoyable, the result of some fabulous ingredients being combined with the best of classical French techniques. Boulestin are offering a variety of set Christmas menus starting from just £50.00 per head, all of which will be inclusive of filter coffee and petit fours from now until 24th December.
Summary Information:

Food rating: 3.75/5
Prices: £31 to £62 for three courses from the a la carte menu. Excludes drinks and service.

Feb 05, 2015

SilverSpoon London

+3.5

Though SilverSpoon London is first and foremost a food blog, my focus is nearly alway restaurants and dining out... unlike my other lifestyle blogging buddies, a never include recipes or cookery among my posts. My friends may find this a little odd as I've always loved cooking for other people and entertaining in my flat but I decided not to feature any of my recipes in my blog... I am still a keen cook and I really enjoy watching cookery shows and and reading recipe books for inspiration.

For this reason Boulestin in St James' struck a chord of interest for me. The restaurant is inspired by Xavier Marcel Boulestin, a French chef and author of cookery books, famous for introducing French cuisine to the English home. He previously owned a restaurant on Covent Garden which opened in 1927 and closed in1994, and was turned into one of the many fast food restaurant's dominating Leicester Square. The current Boulestin in St James' is very much influenced by his classic cookery.

We settled down into the our buttery soft leather seats and ordered a glass of champers to kick things off..

The interior of the restaurant was certainly beautiful; art deco style with a checkerboard floor, quirky mirrors and pictures and green chairs adding a pop of colour.

Outside was a pretty terrace that certainly looked more Champs Elysees than Bond Street.

Though as you can see, there was one thing missing...other people. Perhaps it was that we'd come for a late lunch (it was 2.45 by the time we arrived) or maybe it was because it was the weekend but it seemed a shame that the pretty restaurant was practically empty and sadly lacking in atmosphere.

However, the food certainly made up for it.

I chose an artichoke salad with fennel, rocket, capers and lemon. The salad was dressed lightly with a touch of seasoning. The perfect summery starter.

Mr S opposed my Summery choice with a hearty fish soup served with garlic mayo, gruyere and croutons. Total comfort food, delicious and creamy.

My main course was a roast cod with a tomato broth, artichokes (yes, more artichokes) and samphire.

Mr Silver went with my usual favourite, sea bass with haricot beans and chorizo. Both pieces of fishes were cooked totally perfectly and the accompaniments complimented them perfectly.

I had a simple tomato salad on the side while Mr S had a pommes Anna, which was a slightly more calorie friendly version of potato dauphinoise. That's minus any cream and less butter...

I'm sad to say the Boulestin was a little disappointing, while food was excellent, service great and the room gorgeous, a restaurant really only works when it's alive with people. I'd love to see the place at a more busy time.

The waitress offered us the dessert menu, but I was really craving a bar with a little life so we headed off round the corner to the Le Meridien Hotel. I'd seen some pics on twitter of the fab Moet and Chandon Terrace at the hotel and I was keen to get a piece of the action.

And under a rather cloudy sky we enjoyed a big white glass of Moet and Chandon Ice Imperial with our choice of accompaniments...

Sorry, the terrace is now closed but let's hope it pops up again next year!!

Sep 08, 2014

Lucy Boler

Boulestin started outstandingly with a starter of Oeuf en Meurette, a red wine poached egg with lardons, mushroom and an oozingly delicious red wine jus soaked crostini. One of the best meurettes I’ve tried. A tender squid grilled with haricot beans and peppers also pleased, alongside decent enough scallops with capers and tomatoes.
Mains included a deep, tasty boudin noir with apple and pomme purée, and roast pigeon, girolles, lardons and kale. Both tasty, though both (plus the starters) needing salt. Desserts, like the scallops, were good enough with the exception of a truly first rate sauternes custard, served with Armagnac prunes. This melted almost dirtily with a creamy centre of warm, alcoholic, egg-rich goodness. There was more than a modicum of groaning involved in eating it...

Read more:
http://www.foodgoblin.com/london-dining/boulestin

Jun 06, 2014

Andy Hayler

+3.5

Soon after I came to London in 1983 I visited Boulestin, which was located in a basement just off the Covent Garden piazza and dated back to 1927. It had been quite the thing in its day, with Marcel Boulestin appearing as a TV chef as far back as 1937 on the BBC. By the time I went it was merely pleasant, and it eventually it closed its doors in 1994. Now the name at least is back, with chef Andrew Woodford (previously head chef of Colbert, and sous chef at The Wolseley and The Delaunay) cooking in Mayfair premises, opening in September 2013. Boulestin is owned by Joel Kissin, who was Terence Conran’s original restaurant manager from 1987, in the glory days of Bibendum, through to 2001.

The dining room is very pretty, all banquettes, mirrors, tiled floor and a promise of luxury. The menu was printed on a large card, with starters £7.50 to £14.75, main courses £11.50 to £37, side dishes £3.75 to £5, with desserts £6.50 to £8.50. The wine list had selections such as Artero Tempranillo 2011 at £24 for a wine that you can find in the high street for £7, Qupe Viognier/Chardonnay 2011 at £49 for a wine that retails at £18, and Fichet Auxey Duresses 2011 at £79 for a wine that will set you back £23 in a shop. More prestigious wines are available, such as Thomas Morey 2009 at £250 for a wine that retails at £120.

Bread was from Millers: lacklustre baguettes, served warm. A starter of herring with potatoes (£9.75) could have perhaps benefitted with a garnish for colour if nothing else, but the herring was very good, the Charlotte potatoes carefully cooked (14/20). Scallops with tomatoes, capers and rocket (£14.75) was prettier, and the tomatoes had good flavour, but the scallops themselves, though properly cooked, lacked sweetness (13/20).

Grilled sea bass with fennel (£27.50) was accurately timed, the fish of reasonable quality, the fennel with it pleasant, though this was hardly a bargain for a simple dish (13/20). Poussin piperade (£18.50) had French poussin served with red peppers; the chicken had reasonable flavour and was cooked carefully, served with a few turned potatoes (14/20). On the side, mash potato lacked seasoning, and green cabbage was just soggy, though cavolo nero was much better, with good texture and properly seasoned (average 12/20). For dessert, lemon tart had good pastry and a filling in balance, with enough acidity (14/20). Lemon cheesecake had a good base and reasonable lemon flavour (13/20). Coffee was fine.

Service was excellent, the waiters carefully trained, topping up wine and removing empty glasses with alacrity. The bill, with pre-dinner drinks and a modest bottle of wine, came to £93 a head, which to be honest is a lot of money for the standard of food delivered. Boulestin knows its market, and even in the second week on a Tuesday night was almost full. The room is pretty, the service silky smooth, but the bill matches the St James location.

Jan 25, 2014

Andy Glover

+4.5

Had lunch here with a client. Lovely location in St James and very chic and smart inside, they've done a lovely job. Menu just right, had double fish which was incredibly tasty .. salmon for main. Wine menu very good. Would like to try in the evening. The owner said hi which was a nice touch

Dec 01, 2013

Alina Kasparyants

It is bright, beautiful and delicious. The soothing ambience in the afternoons is very enjoyable after the noisy day. We enjoyed our early dinner and I got a wonderful surprise for my birthday.

Bart Delgado

Fine dining in a superb location. Courtyard seating with last remaining gas lamps in London, you can easily imagine being there 100 years ago.

Laurent Kssis

Great setting when you walk in. Atmosphere a bit bland and there is some tables avail outside. Good wine list. Food was good, served nicely and was enjoyable. I wouldn't say it was exquisite cuisine but ingredients were good. I had the cod, slightly different presentation and way it was cooked but was fine. Slightly expensive but worth the experience as you won't be disappointed.

James Johnston

What a great establishment; I have just had the most perfect business breakfast at Boulestin. The food and refreshments were first class and the the whole atmosphere set the tone for a most successful meeting. A massive thanks to the staff who were both attentive and discrete. A first rate experience and I will be back. And a massive thank you to the team. James Johnston, owner Transcend Change Ltd.

Sarah Emily Oades

Such good service and really delish food!

Davina Valaydon

A wonderful welcome from the charismatic owner. Fantastic ambience spilling out onto a lovely & discreet courtyard. Great menu, accommodating staff, the yummiest cheese puffs and tuna tartare/avocado mousse! Thank you for a Superb Evening!

Daniel Rogers

I have never had anything other than incredible food at Boulestin. It is sophisticated, traditional French cuisine at a remarkable price (considering the location). The courtyard is beautiful and calm on Summer evenings and the wine list is superb without being outrageously priced. I really cannot praise this restaurant highly enough.

Simon Waddington

Boulestin is a very upmarket place specialising in fish dishes. The presentation is superb and the flavours are divine. The restaurant is large and airy. The staff are attentive but do not fuss.

Russell Bowes

The main dining room is elegantly decorated with just enough of a classic 'French' feel for it not to be too in your face. The tables are set up in such a way that you don't feel enclosed or crammed in, something which can be all to common in a London restaurant. The graceful presentation of the dishes is only outdone by the wonderful taste of the food itself. For dessert I chose the Crème brûlée, a wise choice though the selection of cheeses also looked excellently balanced and the chocolate pudding is lovely too. Highly recommended!

silvia brambilla

I had a very good brunch here, lovely

James Kimpton

Came here for brunch and had an amazing time. The food was incredible, I recommend the eggs supreme with smoked salmon, banana pancakes and French toast. The staff are attentative and very polite!

Vincent Palita

We had breakfast at Boulestin and it was perfect: perfect eggs, presentation, coffee with a great taste, same for the orange juice. The staff was friendly. Really, was the best breakfast we had in London during our trip.

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