Le Boudin Blanc

Le Boudin Blanc is a lovely restaurant, been there many times and I've always enjoyed myself and the meal even more so. The starters, mains and deserts are stunningly delicious and the atmosphere is lovely. I'd recommend the beef tartar, foie gras and any of their meat dishes which are quality cut!
However one thing ruined the evening – After one of the people in our party received her coat after the meal it was missing a fur cuff. Immediately, the general manager was defensive and rude (despite us being very calm to begin with), refusing to go double check if it dropped on the floor while retrieving it. His rudeness just escalated, just because he refused to believe he may have dropped it. The problem was no longer about the lost piece of clothing, which had he apologized for or simply said we could call back in the morning and settle the problem, we would have left feeling somewhat sad but still have good feelings towards the restaurant. However his attitude towards us was atrocious, and quite frankly uncalled for.
So much for the customer is always right? The manager is my only complaint about this lovely restaurant. Sadly, I don't see us ever returning until he sincerely apologises or (preferably) gets sacked/demoted.
So if you don't mind being talked down to, then great! The food is superb! Customer service once you've paid the hefty bill however… not so great.

A firm favourite of ours for great French food in London. The quality is superbly consistent and good value for money. The service could be improved, but I always look forward to visiting Le Boudin Blanc.

I have been here twice before in the evening and during the day. Normally great authentic french food and attentative staff even when busy. Can be noisy upstairs but this can add to atmosphere.

Sadly today was not up to their usual standards. The waiter didnt even know what the specials were, they thought it was something like pears and Haddock!!! and he looked disgruntled. Didint come back to ask if everything was ok, got the starters wrong. Brought water and no glasses. Of course this happens time to time, but when a restuarant is charging premium prices for good food a la carte, they should certainly ensure their staff are up to speed and understand their own menu and what the dishes contain.

There are too many other good restuarants to risk going back and having another poor experience. We paid for bill and service.

I think I must have been at Boudin Blanc on the same night as the previous reviewer who was bothered all night by a noisy table of 10 people playing drinking games. It rather spoiled everyone's evening on the first floor which was a pity as this was the first time I had visited the restaurant, having heard from friends about the great food and fun atmosphere and indeed, the meal itself was extremely good. In Shepherd Market one expects to pay a certain price but surely one also expects an equivalent standard to be maintained and certainly to be able to carry on conversation without having people whooping and screaming on a nearby table as if they are on the last day of a sales conference. The manager did little to sort the problem out other than appear late in the evening to ask if the noisy diners had been a problem and no compensation or gesture of apology was made – this was such a mistake as it would have been so easy to do. We all understand than controlling large numbers of rowdy guests is not easy but this was just not a civilised dining experience and I very much doubt I will be going back.

yes I know it's a Bistro and yes I know it's not a library, but our dinner for two there last night was completely ruined by a table of about ten drunken hooray-henrys and henriettas, braying and screaming, and at one point starting a grunting football chant. I have always been delighted with the BB – expensive, but great food and top wine, and the bustly Bistro-style atmosphere is always enjoyable. But last night we may as well have been in TGI Fridays or on the football terraces. Conversation was utterly impossible for anyone on the 1st floor, we were all forced to spend our evening listening to this table of drunken jerks shouting and roaring their heads off.
Comment to the waiting staff was met with bemused smiles. Towards the end of the evening some more senior manager came across to our tables and neighbours and asked if the very noisy table had bothered us. we all assured him that our evenings had been perfectly ruined, so he went over to ask them to be quiet. By then they were all so drunk that we had 5 minutes of exaggerated “SSSShh”- ing and very loud laughter, just to round it all off. When the bill came (£129.77 for two, including full service charge), I was half expecting a small glass of something in recognition of our spoiled evening, but nothing.
So – whilst for many years I have enjoyed the BB for its superb food and wine, I won't be going there again. In my view, the bistro atmosphere crossed the line over into drunken boorish and objectionable behaviour. if the manager had anything about him he would have told them pipe down or leave much earlier in the evening. But then they wouldn't have spent several hundred pounds on all the brandies as they carried on ruining everyone elses evening.

They are welcome to it, it's not what I pay £130 for.

I was so upset by our experience at this restaurant last night, having been here before we were looking forward to returning again. I have always over looked the cramped tables and over attentive staff as the food has always outweighed these issues, however, last night the food was awful. The night began with 2 waitresses asking us for our drinks order in the first 5 seconds of taking our seats, however when we told them that we needed time, it took them over 30 mins to come back and take our order!
The Food: Our risottos were crunchy and under cooked, with a slight charcoal flavour to them owing to the fact that someone had burnt the mushrooms. The main course was substandard, and I was very unnerved about how quickly my desert was delivered straight after just having ordered it (nothing can be made fresh that quickly).

However, all this could have been overlooked, as I used to love this place. But we were seated behind a couple who kept insisting on smoking between mouthfuls of food, and as a consequence the gentleman would get up and elbow me over and over agin as our tables were extremely close together. To remedy my discomfort my partner moved our table back a number of times only to have the maitre'd move them closer together…this dance was done several times, until we finished our meal and paid for the awful and over priced meal.
As we were leaving (peacefully) the maitre'd asked whether we had a good time and my partner said no and listed the reason. His response was not apologetic at all, he continued to follow us out of the restaurant making a scene and telling us that this is what you get in a bistro!!!

never going there again…for the same money I can go to Paris and not have to be told that crap food and idiots are what you get in bistros!

My friend and I went there for lunch at 1pm. We had their 3-course lunch menu for £14.95. The food was good and excellent value for money (8 out of 10). They were understandable very busy at lunch time but the waiters were attentive and friendly toward us nevertheless.

As the restaurant was getting more and more busy through the lunch hour, the noise level escalated so we had to speak quite loud in order to hear each other. The only criticism I have is that the tables are a bit too close to each other; we can clearly over-heard the conversation of our fellow dinners on the next table (and probably vice versa where they can over heard our conversation too).

We will definitely visit and dine there again soon.

I eat out a lot. Mostly because I don’t cook but also because I socialize a lot.
I am not particularly fond of French cuisine, although I have recently had a magnificent evening at Alain Ducasse.
However, since my parents don’t like the pomp of Michelin restaurants, I was looking for something more low-key. Still good food, but just less… Park Lane. A friend suggested Le Boudin Blanc- allegedly, just what I have been looking for. I read some reviews, checked the ambiente and found it quite perfect- cozy, unpretentious and promising.

I am not going to write a 1000 word review. In fact, I never wrote reviews before and I am only doing it now in blind hope it will give me peace. Had I been American, I would have gone shooting. Being European- I write a review.

Le Boudin Blanc is a great gastronomic experience, the food really is very good. The sommelier —impeccable, so is the wine.

The waiter made me understand what Wellington must have felt on the eve of Waterloo. Watch any Hollywood comedy that has got a scene in a French restaurant and you are there. Impatient, rude and arrogant- maybe he was just having a bad day (Saturday, 1 May, 20:30). Maybe he has just been dumped, bitten by a tourist or fired- what do I care? As a matter of fact, if he hasn’t been fired yet, I can see an opportunity for Le Boudin to become much better.

One of London’s hidden little treasures, Le Boudin Blanc never fails to deliver a wonderful night out and is my all time first choice for any celebration!
With French classics such as French Onion Soup, Escargots and Foie Gras alongside more contemporary daily specials and coupled with a most impressive wine list, this restaurant offers something for everyone.
The staff always delightful and unpretentious, the atmosphere always buzzing; every visit is just guaranteed to be an absolute treat – highly recommended.

Recently went to Le Boudin Blanc and had an absolutely fantastic night. The staff (who are actually French) were so helpful and explained every dish to me. The food was incredible. The atmosphere was fab too. It was very, very busy but we were looked after like we were the only table there. I can't fault it on any level. I have already booked the private room for a party. You won't be disappointed.

I recently took my girlfriend to Le Boudin Blanc for her birthday. I phoned the staff in advance to arrange a few surprises, such as Champagne on arrival and flowers delivered to the table. They couldn't have been more accommodating.
On the night everything went like clockwork thanks to the efficient and discreet staff. The food was exceptional. The menu is thoughtfully put together, offering a good range of great French classics without pretention or hype. Great flavours and simple composition made each course delicious. The crab starter and lamb main being particularly pleasing.
A definite hit with the girlfriend and somewhere I'd certainly recommend – you won't be disappointed.

Le Boudin Blanc is a charming little place and I'm a big fan of the food – good quality french classics. The staff are indifferent at best; requests for drinks/condiments are met with a huffy sigh and they are distinctly slow. However, if you can see past that it's a great restaurant for a chatty business lunch. It's very noisy but the upside is that the other tables can't hear what you're saying as there's such much hubbub.

We have visited before and decided to take some family friends for a night out, but unfortunately tonight was a disaster. The dining room was very loud, the lights flicked on and off and worst of all was the service. We waited 40 minutes to order food & wine, the wine wasn't provided until after we were half way through the first course, 30 minutes later… disinterest prevailed. Food was good but not spectacular, and when we objected about the service to the manager at the end of the meal (after waiting for 20 mins to pay), he frankly expressed disdain, shrugged and stated that ‘most other customers are satisfied, and we try our best’. There was no apology or recognition of why we might be dissatisfied. We're not the sort that complain often, and were shocked by the display of arrogance. Disappointing experience and we will be unlikely to return.

This place is over-rated in the extreme! My colleague and I were hassled three times in two minutes to place our order, within the first ten minutes of sitting down! I had ordered water and not yet opened the menu. Easing into a lunch meeting at your pace was clearly not permitted! The captain was speaking to someone across the courtyard while pouring our wine, and when I arrived , it took about ten seconds for him and his staff to clear the entrance so I could enter the restaurant to be greeted! A typical “You're lucky to be here” London Restaurant. Fine at Wagamamas, but at £125 for lunch, I expect more. To top it off the £49 Sancerre was crap and my monkfish was in a watery, tasteless sauce spoted with eaqually tasteless cubed veggies. This is exactly why London gets a bad name for restaurants on the global stage. Toilets stank, no hot water in hand sinks…My guest's sausage and lentils was apparently very good, but nonetheless…never again!

For a Saturday night with a quartet of really good friends this is a diamond. Go for a table in the main room and just enjoy the rollercoaster. Interact with the staff, try your hand at a bit of French, and it flows.
Geoff K