Andy Mossack eats Sunday lunch at the Boxcar Bar and Grill. Marble Arch’s neighbourhood restaurant.
The Marble Arch area is a corner of London that’s always been a little hard to name. This leafy enclave squeezed between the northern end of Oxford Street and the Edgware Road could be monikered Tyburnia, or perhaps Marylebone or even Fitzrovia at a stretch. But whatever you might want to call it there’s no doubting its identity. It lacks the style of Mayfair yet has a sniff of village affluence about it. The perfect place then for a comfy and reliable neighbourhood restaurant for locals and tourists alike.
Cue the Boxcar Bar and Grill, a real gem of a place tucked away on New Quebec Street. It is the sibling of two other eateries nearby – Boxcar Bakery and Deli, and the latest addition, Boxcar Bread and Wine.
Boxcar Bar and Grill has been something of a local staple for over six years, a bijou place set over two floors with a small atrium. It reminded me of a Spanish bodega with a homely rustic interior and copper-topped tables. However, the fare on offer is distinctly British farm to fork, with a charcoal grill front and centre and a firm commitment to locally sourced meats and produce.
Its signature Sunday lunch has always been a local favourite, and with the launch of a refreshed Sunday roast menu and a new rotating monthly special, I was keen to try it out.
Just a 5-minute walk from Marble Arch tube, the quiet leafy streets behind are a world away from bustling Oxford Street. 2pm and Boxcar Bar and Grill was busy doing plenty of Sunday lunch business. Our table was in the back atrium, a lovely airy place with a ceiling window that sadly pointed up at a grey wet sky. Perhaps then, it was a perfect day for a comforting Sunday roast with all the trimmings?
At the starter’s pistol
Knowing we were in for mighty main courses, we deliberately chose what we thought were sparing starters; a chicken, pistachio & apricot terrine with blood orange ketchup for me (£9) and crispy monkfish with preserved lemon & herb salsa (£13) for Mrs M. Both turned out to be far from sparing. A generous slab of fresh and meaty monkfish coated in deep fried crispness pared perfectly with the citrusy salsa. Plenty of impressive eyebrow lifting from Mrs. M. My terrine fully lived up to the billing; tangy and tasty with fresh pieces of apricot and orange ketchup providing a fresh fruity kick. Two terrific starters that set us up for the fabled Sunday roasts.
Carnivore Heaven
The Boxcar Bar and Grill has a slimmed down menu on Sundays as the roast is headline act, but there is still enough alternatives to please non roasters including plant-based vegetarian options. We, on the other hand, were on a mission. We wanted to dive head-first into the revered roasts and see what all the fuss is about.
Each roast can be served as a single or for two people to share, but either way come with hispi cabbage, roasted carrots, truffled cauliflower cheese with thyme crumb, beef fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and red wine jus. Hereford beef sirloin (£29/53), free range chicken with sage apricot stuffing (£24/42) and the newly launched monthly special which, on this Sunday, was Porchetta—a succulent pork belly slow-roasted for 12 hours (£27/51)
Naturally we had to try the pork belly, so we opted for two single roasts, the pork belly and the Hereford sirloin.
The pork came as one thick tender slice embraced in a band of super crispy crackling, the sirloin beautifully tender and pink. Star of the show for the vegetables were the beef dripping coated roast potatoes. I’m immensely fussy with my roasties, they simply have to be fully cooked on each side and crispy all over. Nothing less will do. These were epically crispy and a bull’s eye for me. The charred hisbi cabbage was satisfyingly crunchy, as was the Yorkshire.
Washing these works of art down with two delightfully tasty glasses of wine – a Montagne St. Emilion (£17) for me and a light and fruity Picpoul de Pinet for Mrs. M. was the icing on the cake.
It was such an epic meal we had no possible way to accommodate a pudding, even though there were only two choices: a dark chocolate ganache with poached clementine and candied pecans (£7) or sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and vanilla bean ice cream (£8)
However, I did spot a couple on a neighbouring table devour their two plates of heaped sticky toffee pudding like it was a race against time. Point made.
The Boxcar Bar and Grill is one of those rare places in central London where you can get top quality fare and drinks at prices that won’t make you weep. It’s also very dog friendly. The perfect example of a neighbourhood favourite. But which neighbourhood? High time they gave it a proper name!
The Return of the Quick Lunch Set Menu
Back by popular demand, the £22 Quick Lunch Menu at Boxcar Bar & Grill offers a two-course meal designed to fit seamlessly into any schedule. Available Tuesday to Friday, from 12pm to 3pm, guests can enjoy a starter and main, with an optional dessert for just £5 extra. Whether for a business meeting or a leisurely midday break, this menu promises high-quality dining without compromising on quality or flavour.
External and all food images (C) Andy Mossack
Tell Me more about Boxcar Bar and Grill
Boxcar Bar and Grill, 23 New Quebec St, W1H 7SD
T: 020 3006 7000 E: info@boxcar.co.uk
Opening Hours: Tues – Sat 12pm – 11pm, Sun 12pm – 9pm
Bookings, walk-ins and dogs welcome.
