BOY OH BOYD’S!
IF GRANDIOSE SETTINGS ARE YOUR THING AND YOU ENJOY GOOD QUALITY CHOW BUT PREFER TO EXPERIENCE IT AT A REASONABLE EXPENSE – DON’T WE ALL – THEN BOYD’S BRASSERIE MAY JUST BE YOUR THING.
The restaurant is situated at the newly opened Northumberland Hotel within sight of Trafalgar Square, and I think it would be fair to say the large traditional entrance epitomises all one would expect from an historic London hotel – overstated, lavishly decorated and downright impressive.
The hotel’s reception opens out to a lobby that flows into a central bar, and beyond the bar is Boyd’s. In a sense, it’s a sea of marble – floors, pillars, walls, well just about everywhere. Different colours of stone are used to create accents of various features and the ornate, vaulted ceilings are certainly something to be admired. It’s a place in which you could quite possible feel there is almost too much to take in – perhaps a reason therefore to visit on a number of occasions.
But let’s get back to the centrally situated bar, the hub and perhaps focal point of the restaurant. It’s a very different story to the rest of the room – stainless steel, square and simple – a real juxtaposition to its surroundings. It evokes images of interesting individuals sitting propping it up while sipping something on the rocks from heavy tumblers. And, I’m sure in the evenings this is the case, but as we visited on a sunny Saturday afternoon, those drink swillers may well have been somewhere else basking in the rays, only to fill the place up later that evening.
There is a real air of class in this room, not only because of the marble and decorative ceilings, but the heavy, mustard-coloured curtains and solid, comfortable chairs, adorned with thick, decadent fabric. Leather booths also sweep round the room providing little cubbyholes for romantic dinners or those just wishing to be inconspicuous in the large, open setting. However although the hall would appear on first glance to be filled with echoed voices and an impersonal vibe, I really didn’t find this at all. Goodness knows how they’ve done it, but the acoustics are tweaked perfectly, without too much noise drifting from other tables, and also making sure the background music – which had a cool and calm indie feel – was agreeably audible.
What was my favourite feature at Boyd’s though? As a lass whose eye is attracted to anything which glistens, it had to be the wonderfully over-the-top chandeliers. On entering the lobby, they’re huge and round, with lots of dangling crystal strings, and in the main restaurant it’s all about traditional sweeping gold frames housing decadent, glass lamps. I was spoilt for choice on which of them to take in first.
‘Yes, but what about the food?’ I hear you cry. Well I’m getting to that. The menu we chose from this Saturday lunchtime was as plentiful and varied as any you’d expect to see in an evening sitting, and for quite an impressive monetary value too. The Little 8s section is a wonderful idea – hailed as Boyd’s tapas, there are eight small dishes to pick and chose from, all of which are just £2.50, and they include delicious treats such as London cure smoked salmon, lemon and shallot salad; fried snapper, fennel and tomato ketchup; glazed goats cheese, beetroot and balsamic; and duck hash, white onion and thyme puree.
But my partner and I decided to dig into the starters and main courses. I had a delightful chunky fish soup, rouille – for just £9 – which was hearty and extremely tasty. I would say it was a little too large for a starter if I wasn’t such a glutton when it comes to food. Also on offer for starters are egg and bacon salad (£7) and chicken liver and fois gras pate with fig chutney ad toasted brioche (£9).
On to the main courses and I was pleased to see a grill section with various cuts of Scotch beef steak priced from £20, as well as impressive gourmet burgers, from what I could see on other diners’ plates. As for the rest of the main dishes, gammon knuckle and parsley (£17), various gnocchi concoctions (£14) and other reasonably prices dishes were available, with a selection of appetising side orders to go with them.
Most desserts are £7 and all seemed to be beautifully presented, which in fact all the dishes were. This is a restaurant that really focuses on presentation both in the surroundings and the food.
If you’re looking for an all important theatre deal, Boyd’s Brasserie offer some excellent prices for this, and they even have a breakfast and brunch special if you’re nursing a sore head the morning after and fancy a bit of luxury.
All in all Boyd’s Brasserie gave me everything I could ask for in a dining experience, and the fact it was a warm day outside, meant we had much of the restaurant – and fantastic waitress – to ourselves. I can only imagine how this beautiful place must buzz of a night time. Certainly somewhere I shall be returning to in the not-so-distant future.
The Northumberland, 8 Northumberland Avenue, London, WC2N 5BY
Words Emma Zücker
I love it!