SquareMeal Review
Bronze Award
Loveably old-school, Bolton’s entices customers with a below-stairs dining room that laughs in the face of fashionable restaurant tropes. The rich red carpeting, stained glass detailing and heavily dressed tables speak of a different era, while the menu talks the language of home tables in the old country. Starters of wild boar bresaola or lobster soup spiked with brandy might precede mains featuring variations on escalope of veal and fillet of beef (al pepe, alla Stilton) – the kind of dishes that have been raising smiles for generations. Pasta is trattoria-style stuff (think farfalle with salmon, vodka and cream or pappardelle Alfie with meatballs and ceps), while desserts from the restaurant’s Soho patisserie are served with an element of Anglo-Italian showmanship via a trolley. In a rushed and breathless world, Bolton’s is also the place for a little contemplation over a glass of something Tuscan.