Boisdale of Canary Wharf

I’ve been to quite a few places for lunch in the Wharf and I have to say that this may have been my favorite thus far. I could imagine the ambiance here at night being much nicer and kind of wish there was jazz music playing mid-​day, but alas, there was none. I had the scallops and black pudding starter, which was divine! For an entrée I had the poached halibut, which was nice, but I felt it was a little too creamy and heavy for such a light fish. I probably should have read the description better — since it does say it is in a creamy butter sauce. I wish I just went with the steak as my colleagues did (it looked so good). Service was attentive and relatively quick. I would love to come back (and luckily it’s a stone’s throw away from my office, so I probably will).

What an amazing place! From the food to the service to the over 1,000 whiskey choices. I drank a very hard to find Buffalo trace antique collection bourbon.
We went for a drink and quick lunch. The hummus platter and fish and chips were amazing.
The clientel is higher end, but they are not snooty at all. We are American and walked in with jeans and a button up shirt and were fine. Mostly business men and woman talking shop.
Next time I am in London I will definitely make this a must visit again. I will absolutely go for dinner and sit upstairs.

A decent restaurant. The atmosphere was fantastic. I had the chicken (which was moist & tasty) with «inferno» sauce — definitely not. My drink (old fashioned) was perfect. My only reason for not rating higher was out took forever to order, get our food, etc. We ended up passing on dessert because it took so long.
If you are lucky to hear some live music, extra special treat. The gentlemen performing for us were smashing!

Lovely place for live music! The cigar bar is also great! I love haggis and Scottish steak there, it is a very Scottish place anyway so you shouldn’t miss it:) also a decent place to invite your client for business lunch. Btw, I really like the bread there :) lol

Probably the best whisky selection I’ve seen in London. However the steak not only did not impress me, but I was close to returning it for being though and chewy, which for its price shouldn’t be at all. I’d consider coming back but for drinks & nibbles, the burger option looked like it would be worth a try

Have been here a few times with colleagues, although never eaten in the restaurant proper.
Pros: great views of Cabot Square, not as packed as some of the other bars in Canary Wharf after work, decent outside terrace
Cons: food is just okay (from the bar menu), overpriced (non-​whisky) drinks, can be a bit stuffy

A wonderful restaurant with wonderful views! This large open space restaurant has charming staff and delicious food! I would recommend the haggis, rib eye and the indulgent sticky toffee pudding! My boyfriend had the oysters which he said were great! The restaurant has an extensive wine list and whiskey list!
Great musical entertainment also! A fab and enjoyable evening!

The menu at Boisdale’s said that the haggis in its starter form would be a mini haggis. It was not. My starter was an enormous portion of magnificent haggis (with neeps and tatties) wafting calories into the air. There’s nothing like haggis to exude energy. If it hadn’t been that you have to put the energy into it in the first place, by feeding a sheep for some years and then boiling it’s innards for a further year, I’d suggest it as an alternative to nuclear power. It’s like a red hot coal fire in a plate. The traditionally served dish hit the mark– a little more fulsomely than intended. Even better was the…
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I love the original Boisdale.
But after stepping into this yuppie wet dream of a place… I would never, ever consider dining here again. It was lacking ANY of the charm and personality that the original restaurant has.
I cannot moan about the service. It was great. I cannot moan about food. It was really well done. I just felt cheated that this place is trading on the Boisdale moniker.
I must say, the drinks were great here. The wine was exceptionally good, and even reflected fairly good value for money. Had a few cocktails and those were terrific, indeed. I am a huge fan of Old Fashioneds. It is similar to my obsession with calamari — wherever I go, if I see it on the menu. I have to try it to see how this place will do it, and whether they will ultimately make me a very happy man, or disappoint me! It is a real litmus test.
Obviously one of the big charms of the Boisdale is the cigar link. I must say I am a big fan of a cigar, but I did not indulge on my visit here so I cannot comment.
As a professional musician, I always support places that have live music and the Boisdale should be commended for both the calibre of bands that they hire to play, and indeed for making this very much part of the experience. It really does add to the ambience of the place.
I will definitely make a return… Just not to this terrible location with overly drunk overly egotistical punters surrounding me while yapping loudly and being thoroughly detestable human beings!

I love myself a bit of Boisdale during the week.
Quality scotch whisky — check
Cigar bar — check
Occasional jazzband — check
Steak — CHECK!
Now I admit that Boisdale may seem a fatcat banker venue, full of pinstripes and arrogance but actually I’ve not found that, although… I may be in the fatcat banker venn diagram d’oh.
I’ve now been 4 times. Let’s go through them.
a) Whisky-​time
I brought a friend here for his bday. As he is a scotch aficionado I knew this was the place where I could get him some rare aqua vita which wouldn’t be ‘cheap’ but one he would definitely enjoy and soak in the atmosphere out on their cigar terrace (though we didnt actually have a cigar this time!). Boisdale’s whisky range is mahussive and the menu appropriately multi-​paged. I settled on Lagavullin 16 which I now class as my favourite :) In the summer, Boisdale’s terrace is where you shall find me, soaking in the flavours and the mild evening.
b) Jazz-​time
A friend of mine’s jazz and blues band has a regular spot at Boisdale so I got myself some tickets and sat at the bar waiting for them to start playing, ordering myself a Lagavullin 16, my new favourite ;) The band were excellent, great vibe, wonderful sounds, getting the crowd animated and being able to read them quite efficiently. I’ve always preferred jazz but actually it was great to hear some blues and rock’n’roll for a change. They played until midnight in the upstairs bar where I hadn’t been before. Staff were a little slow in their attentiveness, which was a little stressful as I needed to get last tube home!
c) Cigar-​time
I was out with work a few weeks ago, I think it was my boss’s birthday, and since we’d been out since 2pm he’d just left before someone suggested going to Boisdale. Now I didn’t particularly fancy drinking anymore but when someone said the c-​word, that was it, we were going.
Boisdale’s cigar room complete with humidor is a wonderful place to be.
When I walk into that humidity and temperature controlled room, with the sweet earthy, chocolate and woody aromas, greeted by the sight of rows and rows of sexy boxes neatly stacked tessellating perfectly with rows and rows of beautiful cigars sitting next to each other, there is nowhere else I’d rather be.
You can talk to the guy who will recommend something depending on your experience, how much time you have, and of course, your budget.
Once that’s all done, feel free to relax in one of the comfy chairs, chatting to your neighbour (if youre alone), with your friends (if youre not), or just enjoying the entire experience.
d) Steak-​tiiiiiime
The girls in my team, I swear, are obsessed with steak. If we’re out, a few hours later, someone will suggest ‘lets get a steak at Boisdale’, and that’s it.
Now, inexpensive it is not. But QUALITY it is.
Boisdale is where I know I can get a perfectly cooked steak, the right amount of burn on the outside, a great size, wonderful sides, and when I go with these girls, we all know they won’t finish it… which is where I swoop in — wooh!
I got the 10oz NY strip — it was f’kin’ bootiful!
Now I should mention that they also do a 2-​course weekday offer, though atm I cant find the exact details!!!
Im going back as soon as I can.

Food was excellent — personally I had the mackerel fillets (highly recommended) but a friend had the 9oz rib eye which was perfectly cooked.
Atmosphere is great, obviously given the location it was full of people who work at the Wharf.
Live jazz every night and the cigar bar make it a great place to come with colleagues or friends.

There is no universe where Boisdale is cheap, but that’s okay. They have an outstanding selection of whiskies, from the «reasonable» (£10 for 50ml) to the insane (£500+ for 50 ml). There’s live jazz and blues most nights in the upstairs bar. For those who like cigars, you’ll have plenty to choose from.
The food isn’t bad either, with selections for meat eaters and meat eaters alike ;). The cheese and baguette sharing board was a little sparse at £22, though.
Good place to go if you want to impress your date.

I love the idea of Boisdale. I dislike the actual place.
We come here for work drinks pretty often, and I’ve been also here for dinner a couple times on the weekend. Every time I come here for drinks, it’s absolutely packed, and impossible to get service. Not that different from any other CW bar, except the bar area is very small and awkwardly designed. Since it gets too packed around the bar, you have to cut around the back, up and down the stairs the servers use to access the dining room (or, alternatively, walk right through the rear of the bar).
I am a huge single malt fan, and Boisdale’s selection of single malts is the only positive quality I can think of.
If you’re looking for a place in the Wharf to have steaks on the weekend and Goodman is fully booked, leave the Wharf. Leave. Do not substitute with Boisdale.
Both times I ordered a rib eye steak, medium rare, and both times it came out close to well done. Prices aren’t much different from a REAL steakhouse, and they are definitely lacking in terms of service and quality. The sides are also very small and unsharable.

This is the place to go for a posh drink with a mate. I’m talking dark suits, thick cigars, and a whiskey that’s old enough to drink in the US. It just has that feel of power, prestige, and yes, money. Yet despite all that, if you rock up in jeans and a backpack they don’t really mind (as long as you look decent — I’m not walking around in Lycra) which is refreshing, particularly for the Wharf.
Obviously, I love the bar, particularly given the level of care the bartender took in selecting the right bourbon then the exacting process to prepare my Old Fashioned. Those of you that have been following me know that I take my whiskey drinks seriously, particularly the Old Fashioned and Sazerac. Both are very simple drinks to make in theory, but, as Nava N and I discovered last weekend, can be very easily screwed up if you don’t know what you are doing.
The ground floor is dominated by the centre bar with a sprinkling of tables scattered around. Tucked away to the side is a cigar room. Yes, that’s right, an entire room devoted to cigars that includes a section with very comfortable leather armchairs where you can sit and puff away. The humidor is naturally a walk-​in and you’ll never see a larger collection of Cubans outside of Havana than in here.
Upstairs there is a full restaurant with one of the largest bar displays you’ll ever see — and of particular interest to me was the massive whiskey selection. Of more interest to my friends was the cheese table — not content with your standard cheese tray, the Boisdale has a full glass domed behemoth on wheels with more cheese than I could count. In fact, I think we’re going back specifically to allow them to try the cheese.
They have live music every night, and I hear on the weekends it gets quite popular for the dancing crowd. That is, proper dancing, not the usual dry humping in a crowd. I wouldn’t have expected to find something this relaxed yet classy in CW, but it’s definitely an appealing prospect. Dinner at Goodman’s beforehand anyone?

I have just been reading some reviews for fellow Unilocalers for Boisdale. I am shocked to see so many good reviews. These reviewers must have been drunk when they wrote these reviews.
We got there slightly early and were seated promptly. However, everything went downhill from there. We were given the menu’s and asked if we wanted any drinks. We said, we’d like to look at the drinks menu first. So the waiter went away. The waiter did not return to our table to take the order for another ½ hour. We were minutes away from walking out at this stage. So the waiter took our food and drinks order. Strangely, the food arrived first before the drinks. I don’t know how they operate at this venue, but we normally like to have the drinks with the food. The drinks did not arrive for another ½ hour.
We ordered the 8oz steaks with chips and peppercorn sauce. Although, the steak was reasonable, but the chips were overcooked and tasted like something that I get at my work canteen. Their website seems to suggest that they offer steaks of highest quality, but I have to say I was bitterly disappointed. But there’s no excuse for such horrible chips at a venue such as this.
The service received from the waiters were terrible.
When we eventually got our bill to pay, we noticed that they had the audacity to charge us for the «service» we received. I was seething at this stage and informed the waitress that the service was poor and the food was horrible. She just shrugged her shoulders and took off the service charges. Nobody else bothered to ask us why we were disappointed until we were walking out and some chap obviously sensed our disappointment and anger and asked about what happened.
We have recently moved to Canary Wharf and we are in the process of trying out all that our new locality has to offer. I have to say, this restaurant is the worst I have encountered for a very long time, not just in Canary Wharf itself.
The service, the food, it all leaves a lot to be desired and a bitter taste in my mouth, especially for a venue such as Boisdale at the location such as Canary Wharf. They should be ashamed of themselves.
I did write an email to complain and they did offer us a free dinner for two, but we have passed on their offer.

This establishment is outstanding all the way around. The décor has a Scottish feel to it, with rough honed wooden floors, deep colors and most of the waitstaff wearing kilts. The hostess are very friendly and will check in your coats and bags. As you walk into the restaurant your eyes are either drawn to what seems likes hundreds of whiskey bottles at the bar, or to the picturesque view. Also, look out for the awesome looking cheese trolley which you’ll get a close up come dessert time.
This is a full bar service and prices rage from reasonable to the insane and seem to cater to just about every ones taste. I personally kept to the beer and the bartender gave me several samples thus permitting me to choose a beer to my liking.
Once seated, and looking through the menu I was pleased at all the offerings. A nice starter menu, which has a lot of items not familiar with to the typical American, but certainly items which will peak your interest. I had the haggis with a shot of whiskey (to pour on top) which came highly recommended by a colleague of mine… thanks Tom… as this had to be the best haggis that I’ve experienced.
On to the main meal, you can select from steaks, fowl, sea food, and a limited vegetarian selections. I kept to the steak and boy of boy I was not disappointed! It was an outstanding cut and came out at the desired doneness and I was indeed pleased.
For dessert I had the sticky toffee and this is something I usually wouldn’t order, but it was noted by a fellow Unilocaler and thus I gave it a try and again. I was really happy with the selection.
At 9pm a band does start up and if your sitting at the table eating dinner, they will automatically charge you 15 pounds. We elected to leave just before 9, but did hear the first song played and I must say, several of us in the group debated on paying the 15 pounds and listening in for a bit more, but the long day, combined with a full and satisfied belly ruled the decision and thus we headed back to the hotel.
We all left very content and thinking on the next round (for we will surely be coming back) will stay for the music.
Granted, this place is pricey, but probably not much more expensive than the cost of a dinner at any of the hotels you’ll stay at here on the wharf. If your looking for a great atmosphere, top end service, a large selection of drinks, outstanding food, topped off with some cool music. then this is the place to come!

Interesting place. Had dinner here in the Oyster bar on the terrace, really nice place to sit outside. Everything looks really cool and nice, kinda modern yet homely.
Service was outstanding, we had several waiters helping us out, never had to wait more than 5 seconds. They weren’t very full but still, service that’s quick and efficient yet super-​friendly is great.
The food was average. The starters were a mixed bag: we had scotch eggs (amazing) and whitebait (slightly tasteless, very underseasoned). For main we had the truffle burger, which was awesome, albeit very small — like a quarter pounder at McDonalds, perhaps smaller even. Full of taste. Chips were also very very good, just right and without an oily aftertaste. Dessert was crumble, and it failed completely. they had simply forgotten the sugar it seems — it wasn’t even remotely sweet! And since it was gooseberry (very very sour berries) and apple, they needed the sugar!
Prices for mains were definitely fair and good value, but the starters were very overpriced, just not worth it. I may come back on a sunny day or to grab a quick lunch main, but the place is probably better for drinks than food.

Seems to have been a mixed reception for the beautiful art decot location but having had a meal there on Friday I thought it delivered everything I could have asked for.
The service — attentive and frequent — first waiter seemed to lack an understanding of the menu but I get the feeling he may have just started. No matter he was soon replaced.
The wine — great wine book with a price range of £19 to £1900, reflective of its location I would say. We went for a red — cab sav — round the £30 mark and it was ideal.
The food — well it was superb. I would be interested to know what the moaners before me ordered but a menu that includes fois gras & truffel terrine as well a fruit de mer is to me anything but boring.
This place is a osyster bar & grill — deviate from these options and you have to accept that the rest of the food is to satisfy joe public.
My girlfriend and I ordered the said terrine and fruit de mers and all I can saw is wow.
The terrine was just like normal fois gras but with veins of truffel exploding on your palat. Served with plentiful brioche this made for a great starter.
The fruit de mers — well it came upon two huge ice platters towered up. On the upper deck were 6 oysters natural with all the trimmings and the tray garnished with fresh seaweed.
On the lower deck — a whole crab — 8 massive langoustines, numerous shrimp, clams, mussels and garnish! Just magnificent. The langoustine were as good as I have tasted and all in all it was a show stopper.
I finished my evening with my favourite malt, a 12 yr old double oaked Balvenie. Cue big smile on my face.
Jd = very happy man!

Boisdale is a jazz venue and its opening in Canary Wharf offered a different experience to its diners.
Decked out in a hue of deep red, it lends a charmed richness. The place is huge and spans over two levels.
I would say that you don’t come to Boisdale expecting excellent food. What you come for is solid food even if it is a tad boring, to have a good time and to listen to bands playing. A worthy note goes to the oysters, excellent they were, clean and fresh. Definitely refreshing. Food is a little on the £££ side and whether it conveys a value for money would be up to the diner.
Conversations will need to be either a shouting match when the band is playing as the volume is just way too loud to be able to hold a gentle conversation or temporary silence.
I’ll say come here when there is a band or jazz singer that you’re interested to listen to.

To be perfectly honest, I have mixed feelings about Boisdales. In fact, I will probably never go back. Thats mostly due to the bad taste that was left in my mouth when we recieved the bill — they charged us 10 pounds per person because they had a band playing. Considering what we paid for our dinners, the 40 pound charge seemed to be very excessive. I went with three friends and we had gone to enjoy each others company and catch up, not to yell at each other across the table because the band was so loud we could barely hear one another.
The food was ok, bordering on good. I had the 10 oz prime rib and it was extremly tender if a little under seasoned. However the side of whipped potatoes I ordered were beyond bland and didnt seem to contain even a hint of butter or salt.
I wish I could give them 2.5 stars as I think 2 is slightly harsh and 3 is too generous. I guess I’m feeling nice today.