Chef Sally Abé and Conrad London St James to open brand new Blue Boar Pub this month

This May, renowned chef Sally Abé will be breaking ground with the very first of her four new openings at Conrad London St James, Blue Boar Pub. Located in the heart of the iconic Westminster village, the venue is set to be a modern take on the classic London pub. Abé is already a much-loved local favourite with longstanding political links, and here she will be bringing a wealth of experience from her time as head chef at The Harwood Arms (and as Estrella Damm’s Gastropub Chef of the Year 2020) to refine and elevate the pub menus, whilst retaining the nostalgia and quintessential Britishness we’ve come to love at our local.

Abé, consultant chef at Conrad London St James, has created a menu after her own heart: “I’m cooking the food I want to eat when I go to a pub, so my menu is a traditional pub menu but with my own contemporary twist on much-loved classics. It’s all about quintessentially British dishes – done to their absolute best with a lot of love and care. The Sunday roast is going to be amazing; I’ve spent a lot of time working on it so I can’t wait for our first Sunday! I’m really focusing on attention to detail, using the very best British produce available, and just making sure the Blue Boar becomes one of the best pubs for food in London.”

The menu

Abé’s menu is a real celebration of seasonal produce found in the UK, used in creative ways to make her version of authentic London pub food favourites with a twist. Expect bar snacks such as Coronation Chicken Scotch Egg with Golden Raisin Chutney, Devilled Whitebait and Pork Scratching with Bramley Apple Sauce. Sally’s starters feature the likes of Potted Cornish Crab with Cucumber Jelly and Grilled Sourdough and Corned Beef and Mustard Croquettes and are followed by a series of deliciously tempting salads, sandwiches and main courses that constitute classic pub food, but not as you know it. Think Fallow Deer Burger with Celeriac and Bone Marrow Remoulade; Bread and Butter Pickles; and Onion Rings (naturally, from the Queen of Game), alongside favourites like Beer-Battered Cornish Cod, Thick-Cut Chips, Mushy Peas and Chip Shop Curry Sauce and Aged Shorthorn rib Eye with Triple-Cooked Chips, Grilled Mushrooms and Bois Boudran Sauce.

There’s also an impressive array of vegetarian and vegan options, including Mushroom Sausage Roll with Pickled Walnut Ketchup, a vegan BLT, London Particular Soup and a Lentil Shepherd’s Pie with Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Black Garlic Gravy.

To finish, guests can expect a sensational line-up of sweet treats to round off their meal, including Earl Grey and Chocolate Mousse with Salted Caramel, Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Mint and Apple and Almond Tartlet.

In Abé’s opinion, there’s nothing quite like a Sunday pub roast, which is why she’s determined the Blue Boar’s will become a London favourite and has spent the past few months crafting the ultimate Sunday roast. Available every Sunday from 12pm – 6pm, Sally and the team will be serving a selection of Lake District Farmers meats, perfectly cooked and paired with all the trimmings and a selection of bloody Mary cocktails.

It’s not just the menus that have had an overhaul – the venue has undergone an interiors revamp inspired by local landmarks like Big Ben’s clocktower, including a striking new bar. The space has been redesigned to feel warm, welcoming and characterful, with plenty of bustling spaces for leisurely eating and drinking; lots of comfy sofas and cosy corners; and hidden spots for more intimate conversations. The new Blue Boar is the perfect space to sip on a pint of house draught from Meantime Brewery, or perhaps one of the selection of craft and guest international beers, wines, and iconic gins.

The editorial unit

To book a table at the Blue Boar Pub, Conrad London St James 22-28 Broadway Westminster London SW1H 0BH, call 020 3301 8080 or visit their website here.