The Boulevard has been hidden away on Queen’s Road for a while now. We’d gone past it a bunch of times, but never got the chance to have a bite. We finally dropped in, and all we can say is that we regret not having gone there earlier.
Food
The theme at Boulevard is a cross between a cafe and a fine dining restaurant. Now I know that doesn’t make much sense but bear with me here. Their main menu is a quite similar to ones that you’ll find at contemporary fine dining restaurants, with mostly western and continental dishes with some Asian ones in the mix as well. All of which is priced between Rs. 1200 – Rs. 3000. That’s not too bad all things considered, but if that’s not the price range you’re looking for they’ve also got a “”Cafe Menu””, with stuff like burgers and burritos priced between Rs. 300 – Rs. 600, which we think is pretty awesome.
We ordered the feta cheese salad (Rs. 550), beef fillet steak (Rs. 1500) and mushroom stuffed chicken (Rs. 1200). We also tried their Oreo shake (Rs. 300) which was very creamy and had a good amount of Oreo crushed in. We were expecting a relatively small plate of salad, but what we got was just the opposite. The veges were fresh and had light mayo dressing which added a nice flavour but wasn’t overpowering. The complimentary bread basket was also very impressive. There was an assortment of buns, bread sticks and cheese toast, which were all fresh and baked perfectly.
The beef steak was served with mashed potatoes, grilled veges and a red wine sauce. The steak was cooked medium rare and was seasoned just right. Now I like my red meats cooked medium rare, so I was quite happy, but the only issue here was that they didn’t ask us what temperature we’d like it at. Besides that the entire dish came together quite nicely with the mash and the veges adding some nicely contrasting textures.
The Chicken was also cooked well, with the mushroom and cheese stuffing further enhancing the flavour. The salad that came with this dish had a bit too much mayo for our liking. We did however manage to tweak it a bit by adding a bit of the chardonnay sauce to the salad.
Service & Ambience
Boulevard is another restaurant that falls in the semi-fine dining category. It’s not super pricey, yet you get to experience food and service on par with fine dining restaurants. The service was brilliant, arguably better than most higher-end places. The staff was friendly, courteous and had a good knowledge of the items on the menu. They also do little things that leave a good impression like bringing in new cutlery with each course.
The restaurant is essentially a homage to the 60s and 70s, with pictures of Marilyn Monroe, Ray Charles, Elvis and a bunch of old movie posters. The interior is painted crimson which is easy on the eyes, and works well with the soft yellow lighting. It’s a very unique and welcomed change from the norm.
Conclusion
We think the Boulevard deserves far more attention than it’s currently getting. Whether it’s a quick bite to eat or even a three course meal that you’re looking for, this is without a doubt one of the best deals in town with good food, great service, flexible prices and a cool theme.
