Bar Boulud summer terrace review: puts others in the shade

The Mandarin Oriental’s seasonal bistro Bar Boulud tends to be overshadowed – both literally and metaphorically – by the five-star London hotel’s more famous eatery, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal.
But while the bistro sits immediately beneath Blumenthal’s restaurant, it offers an experience each summer that its sibling cannot: access to the hotel’s grand garden terrace, which looks directly out over Hyde Park.
Bar Boulud styles itself as French with a dash of Americana, which translates into a menu packed with house-made pâtés, escargot and beef tartares alongside a selection of big, brash, unapologetically meaty burgers.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During a recent visit, I began with a ceviche with watermelon that was so fresh and sweet, I was tempted to just pick up the bowl and sip from it. My dining companion opted for the equally aestival grilled octopus on an almond purée, topped with a pile of rocket leaves and orange slices.
Next up, my red wine-marinated duck breast offered hints of Asian fusion, courtesy of the accompanying Hoisin-like red fruit paste and fresh cherries. On the other side of the table, the pan-fried sea trout with spicy succotash sweetcorn velouté tasted a touch too charred for my friend, but was perfectly pitched for my palate.
As the evening drew to a close, we lingered over the buttery, almond flavours of a Gâteau Basque, along with a standout vanilla mille-feuille.
The wisp-thin pastry layers and columns of crème pâtissière disappeared far more swiftly than the final rays of sunshine as the encroaching darkness (or was it the meal we had just enjoyed?) put Dinner by Heston in the shade.
Bar Boulud, 66 Knightsbridge, SW1X 7LA; barboulud.com/london
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Arion McNicoll is a freelance writer at The Week Digital and was previously the UK website’s editor. He has also held senior editorial roles at CNN, The Times and The Sunday Times. Along with his writing work, he co-hosts “Today in History with The Retrospectors”, Rethink Audio’s flagship daily podcast, and is a regular panellist (and occasional stand-in host) on “The Week Unwrapped”. He is also a judge for The Publisher Podcast Awards.
-
Delivery drivers face continuing heat danger with Trump's OSHA pick
The Explainer David Keeling is the former head of UPS and also worked at Amazon
-
Is that the buzzing sound of climate change worsening sleep apnea?
Under the radar Catching diseases, not those ever-essential Zzs
-
Crossword: July 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
-
Best Caribbean restaurants in London
The Week Recommends From bold flavours to twists on tradition, these restaurants serve up a rich tapestry of food culture from across the West Indies
-
How London fell back in love with the brasserie
The Blend From Brasserie Zédel to Café François, we sample the best bistros in town
-
The Count of Monte Cristo review: 'indecently spectacular' adaptation
The Week Recommends Dumas's classic 19th-century novel is once again given new life in this 'fast-moving' film
-
Death of England: Closing Time review – 'bold, brash reflection on racism'
The Week Recommends The final part of this trilogy deftly explores rising political tensions across the country
-
Sing Sing review: prison drama bursts with 'charm, energy and optimism'
The Week Recommends Colman Domingo plays a real-life prisoner in a performance likely to be an Oscars shoo-in
-
Kaos review: comic retelling of Greek mythology starring Jeff Goldblum
The Week Recommends The new series captures audiences as it 'never takes itself too seriously'
-
Blink Twice review: a 'stylish and savage' black comedy thriller
The Week Recommends Channing Tatum and Naomi Ackie stun in this film on the hedonistic rich directed by Zoë Kravitz
-
Shifters review: 'beautiful' new romantic comedy offers 'bittersweet tenderness'
The Week Recommends The 'inventive, emotionally astute writing' leaves audiences gripped throughout