Chef Jon Ingram of the Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar at the Intercontinental Westminster has done a bang up job taking a (barbe)cue from foodie trends around town and refining them to a five star standard while making sure to keep his menu fun and yummy. Indulging in the Blue Boar’s Sunday only luxury brunch is an excellent way to taste what I’m talking about.
At £45 per adult and £15 per child, brunch at the Blue Boar is indeed a luxury. But if you come hungry and hankering a drink (or two), you should find the experience to offer exceptionally good value for an especially great meal. The ‘price of admission’ gets you unlimited bloody Marys (they’re tasty too!) and Bucks Fizz; access to a ginormous “feasting table” with salad bar, seafood bar, butcher’s board and dessert table; choice of main course with sides or the Sunday roast with all the trimmings; coffee and petite fours.
I loved a lot of what I ate during my brunch. The feasting table choices all but blew me away. Smoked feta cheese with shaved fennel, pomegranate and toasted pistachios salad was particularly tasty (and worthy of a repeat visit to the bar). So was the smoked chicken salad with Granny Smith apple. As for the seafood, I could have stayed all day downing more than my share of gorgeous poached king prawns with the restaurant’s own spicy rub. Venison pastrami, from the butcher’s board, wowed my appreciative palate as well.
Mains were impressive too (or at least my selection pleased me). I wholeheartedly enjoyed my serving of pulled pork with thyme baked rolls, home made pickles, coleslaw and smoky bacon baked bean. It was a properly down home spread … but served on its own pretty little silver tray. I didn’t have much room for dessert (and was more keen about the savouries anyway), but I like what I nibbled: a small piece of carrot cake and a green tea macaron. There were plenty more options available to appease any variety of sweet tooth desires.
Service was efficient and friendly. There was live music (dude singing and playing an acoustic guitar, stuff like Easy by the Commodores). Everything about the brunch was pleasant and relaxing.
The space at the Blue Boar is comfy, despite the restaurant being incredibly massive. It’s a manly dark tones and leather sort of setting. There’s this whole other bar area separate to the main dining area too. While looking for the loo, I kinda got lost in a world of green Chesterfield sofas nestled in evocatively lit nooks with quirky artwork here and there (there’s a bit of a political theme going on – well, this is Westminster) along with all sorts of cosy little areas ideal for discreet catch ups. I had fun exploring the Blue Boar and hope to make it back there soon for a drink (there’s an awesome line up of craft beers) at the bar.
This was my first peek at the new Intercontinental Westminster too. Nice digs. And I got a real kick out of the cheeky Parliament installation by Evil Robot Designs in the lobby.
Blue Boar Smokehouse & Bar is located inside the Intercontinental Westminster hotel at 45 Tothill Street, SW1H 9LQ. Find out more at blueboarlondon.com.
