At the start of the year, you may have seen me post about the Cigar Club LDN event that I attended at Boisdales in Canary Wharf, London. Well, that night, I didn’t get the chance to visit the Boisdale’s walk-in cigar humidor, as it was so goddamn busy!
A month later, I found myself back there. This time it was a lot quieter, and I got the chance to look around and picked up a cigar to smoke on the cigar terrace.
On their website, Boisdale states that they are the best British restaurants in Central London with traditional British food, whiskey bars, and cigar terraces, all with live jazz. There appear to be three venues, the first opened in Belgravia, London, in 1989 by owner Ranald Macdonald. The other venues are based in Bishopsgate, London and Canary Wharf, London.
You may recognise Boisdale’s on the back of their annual Cigar Smoker of the Year awards, which Arnold Schwarzenegger rocked up to a couple of years ago.
My experience:
Booking was slightly confusing as it’s not clear on Bosidale’s website how you secure a seat in the ‘cigar terrace’ specifically. I wanted to dine there too, so I booked the First Floor Terrace.
I was blown away by how big and grand the venue looked outside when I arrived. It is in Canary Wharf, London, so it is usually a bustling place surrounded by business types. I tried to dress a little smarter than my usual attire for the occasion.
It actually sits on top of the Canary Wharf Shopping Mall, so you need to get a lift up to the venue to get in. I saw the words ‘Cigar Library’ and went straight to the first floor, although if you have any belongings that you want to store in the cloak room, maybe head up to the second floor first, then to the first floor.
A waiter immediately welcomed me into the venue, and I was taken to my seat on the first floor, inside the venue, where dinner was served. I ordered a burger and chips, nothing too fancy. The speedy service was delightful, but my entire focus was on cigar time! 🙌
After the food, my waiter showed me the ‘Cigar Library’ direction, which was just a little walk from the food area, past the bar area.
The room is painted in dark red, covered with cigar references, decked out with a load of wooden leather chairs and tables. It would be great to smoke in there at some point. In the corner was a cigar sommelier who took me through the frosted glass door and into the walk-in cigar humidor.
There was a mix of both Cuban and Non-Cuban cigars. I remember being surprised to see two prices on the cigars, one if you were smoking at the venue and one if you were taking the cigar away. You can see the complete list of cigars in the Cigar Menu on Bosidale’s website, which I’ve linked here.
I immediately forgot what my tactic was going to be when choosing my cigar, I stated that I love a full bodied cigar, but I was keen to try a brand I had not tried before. Then I spotted the My Father Le Bijou 1922 Torpedo which I smoked last year during my cigar challenge. I remember really enjoying that cigar and decided to make a purchase.
There was also a huge range of different whiskey’s. I didn’t know what to try, so stuck with what I know. I paired this cigar with a 50ml Glenfarclas 10yr whiskey which I tried before at a Robert Graham Cigar & Whisky – Virtual Tasting event👌
It was then I was ushered onto the cigar terrace, which was separated into two sections, a members-only part and non-members only part. You can find more details about membership here.
I cut the cap of my cigar. As it was a torpedo, I cut it at an angle, thanks to a recommendation from someone on my social media accounts. I lit the cigar and smoked it for a good hour or so. I’m not going to lie, it was a bit chilly outside mid-February, but they have outdoor heaters that you can switch on.
Overall a fantastic experience. I’m keen to try both the Belgravia and Bishopgate venues next. I won’t review the cigar as I’ve already done that here – but it still remains a 9 out of 10, a top-quality cigar 👏👏👏
My rating for the venue: 8 out of 10
You can visit Boisdale of Canary Wharf at Cabot Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 4QT.
Website: https://www.boisdale.co.uk/canary-wharf/the-venue/the-cigar-terrace/.
Telephone 020 7715 5818
Email reservations@boisdale-cw.co.uk
You can also do an online 360 tour of the cigar terrace https://tour.boisdale.co.uk/canary-wharf
Check out my other reviews of Cigar bars, terraces and smoking lounges.
London Cigar Smoker 