Join Harden's Platinum Club for Member's Benefits - save 60% with our soft launch offer!
RestaurantsLondonBelgraviaSW1
13-15 Eccleston Street, London, SW1W 9LX

survey result

Summary

£116
£££££
2
Average
3
Good
4
Very Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“Simply a great night every time” – “a wonderfully club-like, somewhat masculine environment” characterises Ranald Macdonald’s red-walled Belgravian stalwart, which he started as a young man in 1986 shortly after a stint in the wine trade. The decorative theme is Scottish – the owner is after all the 24th chief and captain of Clanranald – and the menu features “top steaks” alongside haggis, lobster and burgers; plus a wide large variety of other, predominantly British dishes. Regular live music is a feature, as is “a great cocktail bar and lovely cigar terrace”. “Okay, the food’s nothing to write home about, but there’s nothing wrong with it either”.

Summary

£111
£££££
2
Average
3
Good
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

The Scottish roots of Ranald Macdonald (the eldest son of the 24th chief and captain of Clanranald) help explain the approach of this Belgravian stalwart, which – since 1986 – has majored in a menu of Scottish-sourced beef and burgers (plus lobster and a few other dishes); backed up by an ‘old school’ wine list informed by Ranald’s original career in the wine trade; and topped off with a huge range of whiskies. “Live music helps make it fun” and there’s also a cigar terrace. On the downside, although harsh critiques are absent, its overall rating suggests it is fully priced. (For traditional expense-accounters, though, it’s tailor-made.)

Summary

£85
 ££££
2
Average
2
Average
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

“With its excellent exterior cigar terrace, range of whiskies and food usually with a Scottish twist – there’s always a fun evening” (often buoyed by live jazz too) at Ranald Macdonald’s Scottish-themed Belgravia stalwart, a short walk from Victoria station. Eldest son of the 24th chief and captain of Clanranald, his wine-trade background is evident in a strong list, while the selection of steaks and venison reveal him as an early champion of British ingredients. Critics say the food is only “average”, but for a red-blooded business meeting it’s tailor made for the purpose.

Summary

£84
 ££££
2
Average
2
Average
3
Good
* Based on a three course dinner, half a bottle of wine, coffee, cover charge, service and VAT.

Ranald MacDonald’s clubby Scottish-themed Belgravian has been around for decades and was an early exponent of carefully sourced British ingredients, particularly steaks and other meaty fare (Aberdeenshire beef, Highland venison, …). It also has the virtue of an unusually strong wine list and one of London’s best selection of whiskies, not to mention a terrace dedicated to smoking Cuban cigars. Unsurprisingly, it’s most recommended as a business location for clubbable males, but the Courtyard garden and regular live jazz help broaden its appeal. Complaints are few, other than that a meal here can prove “expensive”.

For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).

Have you eaten at Boisdale of Belgravia?

Owner's description

Located in a beautiful Georgian townhouse, Boisdale is a unique restaurant and bar that offers a truly unforgettable dining experience.

The lively restaurant in Belgravia has been creating memories since 1989 with a secret Negroni bar, hidden cigar terrace, extensive whisky & wine lists, private dining rooms and daily live music. The interior features leather chairs, plush tartan carpets and an impressive collection of original artwork and memorabilia.

With a focus on Scottish cuisine, Boisdale serves traditional British dishes and superb hand-crafted cocktails in an intimate and relaxed yet sophisticated setting.

Whether you're seeking a romantic evening, a gathering with friends, or simply a moment of escape from the ordinary, Boisdale promises to deliver an authentic taste of Scotland, leaving you longing to return time and time again

What the Newspaper Critics are saying

The Times

With the holiday season in full swing, there was no sign of Giles Coren or Chitra Ramaswami this week, so we had to make do with Charlotte Ivers enjoying a boozy lunch at “a parcel of an imagined past” – a traditional British (for which read Scottish) restaurant beloved by “social conservatives” (“Nigel Farage had his 60th birthday party at the Canary Wharf offshoot earlier this year”).

Charlotte was annoyed at the sexual innuendo of her starter, listed as a “ménage à quatre” and consisting of four types of preserved fish including “peat-smoked salmon which tastes like a waft of cigarette smoke across a pub garden on a sunny day… If that doesn’t sound appealing, Boisdale probably isn’t the place for you.”

Next came a “cannonball” of roast haggis served with traditional neeps and tatties – with no fripperies, “just crumbly, peppery goodness, a big pile of innards so much greater than the sum of its hideous parts and a lovely smooth mash”. Dessert was a bottle of New Zealand pinot noir on the cigar terrace, and that was that.

Charlotte Ivers - 2024-08-04

Prices

Availability 2 courses 3 courses coffee included service included
Lunch £35.00 £42.00
Pretheatre £35.00 £42.00
SundayLunch   £35.00

Traditional European menu

Starter Main Veggies Pudding
£20.00 £32.00 £8.50 £12.50
Drinks  
Wine per bottle £40.00
Filter Coffee £4.25
Extras  
Bread £4.95
Service 13.50%

Current menus

Restaurant details

Yes
20, 20, 46, 26
No dress code
120
14

Private dining

JACOBITE ROOM

The Jacobite Room, located on the first floor is an elegant room with a distinctive design of deep reds and greens and rich mahogany panelling, embellished with a dash of Macdonald tartan. It offers complete privacy and is ideal for hosting birthdays, anniversaries and parties for up to 20 guests seated.

NEGRONI BAR

The Negroni Bar, located on the ground floor in the mews cottage behind the restaurant and overlooking the Courtyard Garden, is an informal room reminiscent of a traditional country pub. It is a cosy and welcoming refuge from the bustle of Belgravia. The room can hold a maximum of 26 guests for a sit down dinner or 40 for a drinks reception.

COURTYARD GARDEN

The Courtyard Garden is planted with scented blooms all year round and offers a perfect location for alfresco dining in the summer as it has a retractable roof and, being centrally heated, for candlelit dinners in winter. The Courtyard Garden offers a degree of privacy without being cut off from the atmosphere of the main restaurant. It can sit a maximum of 20 guests.

AULD RESTAURANT

The Auld Restaurant is an elegant and spacious dining room adorned with oil paintings and family heirlooms available for sit down dinners for up to 46. This room has its own bar and therefore it is suitable for champagne and cocktail receptions for up to 60.

 

13-15 Eccleston Street, London, SW1W 9LX
Opening hours
Monday5 pm‑1 am
Tuesday12 pm‑1 am
Wednesday12 pm‑1 am
Thursday12 pm‑1 am
Friday12 pm‑1 am
Saturday5 pm‑1 am
Sunday12 pm‑4 pm

Restaurant news

View more ›

NEWS
Welsh produce gets Italian treatment at new Cardiff spot

NEWS
Review of the Reviews

NEWS
Ferry no longer crossing the Mersey is Liverpool's latest venue

The 2025 Harden's Guide

2025 Hardens London Restaurant Guide

"User friendly in price, size and outlook"

Financial Times