[Updated 28/11/12 with opening date]
It's pretty rare that a major new opening almost slips past us, but we have to admit to almost missing the opening of a super-luxury hotel in Westminster, complete with interesting restaurant.
The InterContinental London Westminster will open its doors at the end of November - it's a luxury hotel with 256 rooms, slap bang in the heart of London within sight of Westminster Abbey. And while we always look forward to trying out a swanky new hotel bar, it's actually the restaurant that's the most interesting thing about it.
The Blue Boar Smokehouse and Bar says it'll "take inspiration from the best American pit masters but with a distinctly British influence" using authentic smoke house techniques. They'll have charcoal and smoking ovens in the kitchen turning out such dishes as Blue Boar barbecued baby back ribs, pulled rare breed lamb, English mustard glazed rare breed pork belly and (for those not of a carnivore persuasion) stuffed fillet of sustainable sea bass with preserved lemon, samphire and fennel.
The drink offering also sounds as if someone's been paying close attention to the evolution of London's drinking scene - apparently it'll be a sophisticated pub serving cask ales. beers and lagers from London microbreweries and vintage gins.
The executive chef is Jon Ingram who arrives here via The Grove and the Burj Al Arab in Dubai. And he's come with fighting talk for London's other BBQ restaurants; "I am thrilled to bring authentic smoking techniques to Intercontinental London Westminster. There are very few restaurants of this style in London and certainly even less doing it well.” We presume he'll be defending those words at the next Grillstock.
The Blue Boar Smokehouse opens on 27 November 2012 at 22-28 Broadway, London SW1H 9JS. For more information, see their website.
For more new restaurant openings go to our Coming Soon page.
