Blue Boar, Westminster, SW1

Steak house and gastro grub with a line of keg taps with some undestiguished craft beers.Drink around the bar or on bar stools but hardly a pub atmosphere.No need to return.

No real ale and table service, which I didn't expect. Meantime keg ales of which I had Cali Pale Ale. Very plush in its layout but not one to return to.

Official site of Conrad London St James hotel (Blue Boar page) - conradhotels3.hilton.com

Official site of Conrad London St James hotel (Blue Boar page) - conradhotels3.hilton.com

The Blue Boar advertises itself as a “smokehouse and bar”, but I thought that the menu was more upmarket gastro. I only spotted the availability of two steak dishes and the rest of the menu contained dishes such as fish & chips or Aubergine, cherry tomato & mozzarella bake. I decided against sampling the food when I saw that the burger and chips was £16.50 off the pub menu. Heaven knows what the prices are in the large restaurant found behind the bar area. I suppose that the prices are to be expected because this is part of the Intercontinental Westminster Hotel. The bar is L shaped and lined with bar stools so my fears before entering that this was more restaurant than bar were misplaced. The floor to ceiling windows around the exterior walls are lined with lounge furniture, most of which were taken up by groups drinking tea and coffee during my lunchtime visit on Tuesday. To the right of the bar area is a dimly lit seating area that leads to the toilets and aforementioned restaurant. There was some low background music playing, but there are no other distractions such as televisions. There is no real ale. The six fonts supported by the bar were dispensing Meantime Brewery’s London Lager (x2) and Yakima Red alongside Adnams’ Spindrift, Black Isle’s Organic and Hogan’s Cider. I went for a pint of London Lager which set me back £4.70. I must admit that a new one to me was the availability of “craft beer cocktails”. Apparently the Tothill Street Martyr consists of fraise des bois, cherry heering, lemon juice, raspberry puree and Meantime London Lager. Rather you than me son! I prefer a traditional pub so I’ll be giving this place a miss in future.

Official site of Blue Boar - www.blueboarlondon.com

Official site of Blue Boar - www.blueboarlondon.com