London, England

[bunburyist]

Whilst I live in Hong Kong for now, home (or thereabouts) for me is London, so I thought I'd share this place as I'd imagine there's a fair few of you who will pass through on business or as tourists at some point:

Boisdale

It's quite a famous place amongst those who like traditional British food (bit like the Guinea Grill in Mayfair) but is obviously Scottish themed. The food is pretty good and the wine selection is excellent, if expensive. Later on in the evening there's a live jazz band, so ask to sit close or far away if you like that sort of thing. Bloody good, was my humble opinion.

Best bet is to book for dinner, then book another couple of hours on the cigar terrace afterwards with a bottle or two of port. They also have, as you'd expect, one of the best selections of single malts in the city. Aberlour a'bunadh cask strength and Glenfarclas 21yr old are my favourites.

The cigar choice is pretty decent, and they currently stock La Gloria Cubana Gloriosos and Por Larranaga Magnificos, both of which are UK excl. and fabulous. They also give nice big cashmere blankets to any ladies/soft foreign types who are feeling the chill.

There are lots of places to enjoy a good smoke in London, but for me this is one of the best and one worth sharing, so give it a try if you're in town. Plus London gets the best cigars outside of Cuba anyhow...

[Ryan]

I had lunch in Boisdale's last month on the day of the H&F party in London. You're right, it's a great place.

The lunch menu is very reasonable and they have the best cigar selection of any restaurant I've seen. Quite a few boxes of Punch Ninfas left too. The upstairs terrace was just the job after lunch.

The owner Ranald McDonald is a huge cigar fan, I met him briefly at the party that night. Interesting guy.

[bunburyist]

I had lunch in Boisdale's last month on the day of the H&F party in London. You're right, it's a great place.

The lunch menu is very reasonable and they have the best cigar selection of any restaurant I've seen. Quite a few boxes of Punch Ninfas left too. The upstairs terrace was just the job after lunch.

The owner Ranald McDonald is a huge cigar fan, I met him briefly at the party that night. Interesting guy.

He does seem a decent bloke - I met Ranald for a few minutes but he was busy entertaining so I didn't keep him. More importantly, the tools I was with were fairly trolleyed after dinner so probably a good thing, as the hamburger jokes would have been predictably dire...

I met the guy who runs C Gars Ltd recently, Mitchell Orchant, and he's a bit of a regular there as well so I think it's a good place to meet like-minded folk.

[mazolaman]

A couple more for the London area.

Casa Habanos in Twickenham - large humidor,good selection,well kept,Expensive!!!!Has large pleasant sampling room downstairs,but requires you to spend 25 quid to use it.....

La floridita (not the one Hemmingway sat in) Soho,

Used to be a great place to smoke a cigar with a drink or a coffee...then came the smoking ban.......now has a small sampling room,which is pleasant enough.

large humidor with extensive selection.

Usual London problem,cigars are bloody expensive...........

[bunburyist]

requires you to spend 25 quid to use it.....

what the hell man.....once this election gets underway and the smoke and mirrors are removed so everyone can see the dire situation the economy is really in, hello inflation, goodbye spending power and places like this will just run out of business.

I can't wait to come home but it's going to be one unpleasant welcome financially. 50% tax as well just to rub it in.

[mazolaman]

Sadly,it doesn't look like any of the parties(what difference) has th balls to collect the tax from the people they should be chasing(really rich,bankers etc)so the normal folk will pick up the tab.

As for the Casa Habanos,Yes I agree,to me they are all thats wrong with cigars,over hyping and trying to create some kind of added value to them.In a way it's just snobbery.I suppose any item that is the best,ie Cuban cigars,will always attract people who try to over inflate their monetary value.

Obviously,I don't really pay London prices!

[daboose]

Whilst I live in Hong Kong for now, home (or thereabouts) for me is London, so I thought I'd share this place as I'd imagine there's a fair few of you who will pass through on business or as tourists at some point:

Boisdale

It's quite a famous place amongst those who like traditional British food (bit like the Guinea Grill in Mayfair) but is obviously Scottish themed. The food is pretty good and the wine selection is excellent, if expensive. Later on in the evening there's a live jazz band, so ask to sit close or far away if you like that sort of thing. Bloody good, was my humble opinion.

Best bet is to book for dinner, then book another couple of hours on the cigar terrace afterwards with a bottle or two of port. They also have, as you'd expect, one of the best selections of single malts in the city. Aberlour a'bunadh cask strength and Glenfarclas 21yr old are my favourites.

The cigar choice is pretty decent, and they currently stock La Gloria Cubana Gloriosos and Por Larranaga Magnificos, both of which are UK excl. and fabulous. They also give nice big cashmere blankets to any ladies/soft foreign types who are feeling the chill.

There are lots of places to enjoy a good smoke in London, but for me this is one of the best and one worth sharing, so give it a try if you're in town. Plus London gets the best cigars outside of Cuba anyhow...

mazolaman ... thinking of giving this place a try my next visit. It's real close to Victoria Station so it's very convenient for me.

I take it the cigar lounge is separate from the restauruant? Do you have to make a reservation for the cigar lounge and do you have to have dinner there?

Also, is there a dress code; dinner jacket?

Thanks.

[Hash]

Planning to visit London, I would like to ask if you go to Boisdale can you have your own cigar or do you have to buy from them.What about the Garden Room at the Lansbrough Hotel is it any good. :

[daboose]

Planning to visit London, I would like to ask if you go to Boisdale can you have your own cigar or do you have to buy from them. What about the Garden Room at the Lansbrough Hotel is it any good. :

I paid them a visit a few months back. Very enjoyable. Boisdales is walking distance from Victoria Station. You can bring your own smoke and there's no cutting fee. If you become a member you pay a nominal annual fee that gets you a cigar locker at their Canary Wharf Lounge.

[peanutpete]

Sadly,it doesn't look like any of the parties(what difference) has th balls to collect the tax from the people they should be chasing(really rich,bankers etc)so the normal folk will pick up the tab.

As for the Casa Habanos,Yes I agree,to me they are all thats wrong with cigars,over hyping and trying to create some kind of added value to them.In a way it's just snobbery.I suppose any item that is the best,ie Cuban cigars,will always attract people who try to over inflate their monetary value.

Obviously,I don't really pay London prices!

If you are talking about the la casa del habanos its in teddinghton, i think you will find that Ajay the owner is one of the most welcoming hosts in the cigar world never knew about the £25.00 to use the smoking room and have paid a lot less so not sure if it is inforced but i would say if you are able to get there do so as he has a amzing collection that if he is not to busy will be happy to show you

[mazolaman]

If you are talking about the la casa del habanos its in teddinghton, i think you will find that Ajay the owner is one of the most welcoming hosts in the cigar world never knew about the £25.00 to use the smoking room and have paid a lot less so not sure if it is inforced but i would say if you are able to get there do so as he has a amzing collection that if he is not to busy will be happy to show you

No,I was referring to the supposed added value price tag that tends to go with Cuban Cigars.

LCDH in Teddington is expensive,and packed with ELs etc.I think they do overcharge slightly,as they are now the only LCDH in London,maybe even England.

I spoke to AJ and his wife recently,and both were welcoming.

The first time I went in,the £25 rule was enforced,it was a pleasant place to sit and smoke though.

Not a slight on anybody,but an exact description of what happened.

My last visit there was a lot warmer welcomed than the first visit,but the first visit was in the days when there were more "suits" spending money on expense accounts,time have changed.

Daboose,

Sorry,I didn't see your post,I havent yet been to Boisdales,but I'm pleased to hear you can take your own.

Next time my wife and I fancy a nice meal,I may suggest this,perhaps without mentioning the lounge upstairs....

I hope you enjoyed your trip.

[tmac77]

The owner Ranald McDonald is a huge cigar fan, I met him briefly at the party that night. Interesting guy.

Doesn't his cousin run a pretty big fast food burger joint out of the US?

[Guest leanderdsilva]

Planning to visit London, I would like to ask if you go to Boisdale can you have your own cigar or do you have to buy from them.What about the Garden Room at the Lansbrough Hotel is it any good. :

The Garden Room at Lanesborough is simply wonderful! Smoked a few cigars there with my dad and a friend of his last year. Very mature place. They have a fantastic selection of scotches and cognacs too. Be prepared to pay >$1500 though.

[mazolaman]

Hi All,

Jan 2nd is my wifes birthday, so off we went into the city of London again, to Tiffanys for a painfull present purchase.

We stopped in at Vintage house whiskies in Soho, where you can buy a very reasonable bottle of Macallan from 1926, for £35,000.00.

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But, the piece she desired was only available in Sloane square, so off we went.

After the painfull process was over, I offered to buy her an expensive cocktail at the Lanesborough, just round the corner...

So, as if by magic, sha had a delicious pear Belini, while I had an Old Fashioned, Garden style, in their lovely Garden room cigar lounge.

They have two humidors, one of standard production, one with the specials in.

And wow, what specials, they had a box of the original Behikes, in the shark skin mother of pearl box (not too keen on that),£2000/stick. They were now on their 3rd box of these.R and J torpedos from 1960 at £395/stick. Also those Partagas anniversary party smokes...every cigar from a jar you could wish for. I could not possibly remember or recount the number of rare cigars in there.

Giuseppe, who runs the bar was extremely knowledgable about both both cigar and drinks, of which there are also many vintages. He also took the time to show me the luxurious cigars at his disposal, which was extremely kind considering there is about £200,000 worth of cigars in that humidor.

Anyway, not having £300 plus to chuck at a cigar, I chose a cigar I had not had before, a La feurza, the quality of which was excellent.

A smooth smoke, with less spice and sweetness than the La punta. Growing steadily stronger, with a little floral/hay at the end.A 90 I'd say.

I wonder whether the likes of these hotels and H and Frankau get special treatment, as the quality at their disposal always seems to be perfect,the wrappers seem of better quality, and the smokes always perfect.

The garden room was an excellent smoking room, warm, comfortable with friendly staff. A real pleasure to relax with a well made drink, while letting the Hyde Park traffic fly by.

A pleasure to live it up for a while in one of London's poshest hotels.

After which, up to Covent Garden for Mussels and Belgian beer in Belgo centraal...also recommended, for good food at a reasonable price in London.

Tomorrow, back to reality, enough of blowing money, and back to egg and chips....

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[Vinnyc]

Whenever people start talking about Cubans in the uk they always moan about the price but the problem there is the uk tax

[mazolaman]

Tax, Tax, Tax.......wouldn't be so bad, if they didn't waste it!

[winelover]

Ten Manchester Street, Marylebone W1 http://www.tenmanchesterstreethotel.com/cigarterraceandhumidor.html

I've been here twice, once in 2009 in the Winter when I was really pleased about the whole experience. Good stock of well stored cigars, polite but not overly fussy service, and moreover a great retreat from smoking cigars in the freezing cold weather.

I went back on a Saturday afternoon a few weekends ago as a friend had booked an area for us to meet up and have a cigar. I didn't realise that there was a £25 minimum spend expectation so it started off on a sour note as you are made to think that you are an economic comodity. The cigar choice from the humidor wasn't great either, two of my friends went for PSD4s and they were totally sold out - which I can't understand at all, they should be able to manage their stock control better for such a popular stick. Also the cigar boxes were all open and the cigar wrappers generally appeared less than stellar (especially the H&F aged stock) so I wondered about their whole humidification set up. Also the choice wasn't as good as I had remembered and the prices were very high indeed - I think it was £21 for a BRC, although I went for a HdM Epi2 for about £19. The high prices would be fine if the cigars were better looked after and if I we weren't made to feel like cash cows. Also the service was over bearing, as the smartly dressed and a little stiff bow-tied suit who insisted on cutting and lighting our cigars perhaps should have asked as we can all do this ourselves and it just means we have to wait whilst he lights one by one.

I would really like to try the Boisdale next time because that sounds great. I am not against efforts to give first class service such as cutting or lighting cigars, but it's just that Ten Manchester street didn't really come across as very friendly at all an perhaps a bit up it's own **** since it gets plugged as amongst the best COSAs in London (cosy outdoor smoking areas).

[peanutpete]

Graham i agree with you regards no 10 so up there own a...its not true, was there on monday with a couple of friends we knew about the £25.00 spend its been in force for a while now, after a couple of drinks and cigar we decided to grab some food,not wanting to pay £16.50 for a burger we informed the ice madian that we were popping out for a quick bite and would be back, after paying the bill she informed us that if we went out we would have to pay another £25.00 when we came back now that my friends is really taking the p..s

[MrDowse]

Graham, that's a shame to hear as i quite fancied trying N10 Manchester St. Think i'll give it a miss now and head down to TomTom in Belgravia as soon as the sun is shining...i understand they own the coffee shop over the road and it's cigar friendly so can i enjoy my purchases in peace

[winelover]

PeanutPete - sounds just in line with my experience - really poor and a big disappointment as there was a friendly atmosphere and you were shown some respect in the period after it had first opened.

MrDowse, the TomTom coffee shop on a sunny day sounds perfect. I've passed it on a bus a number of times and always admired. I think cigars need a friendly and relaxed atmosphere and sadly that was missing when I went to Ten Manchester Street. Hope you enjoy coffee and cigar(s) in Belgravia.

[mazolaman]

I had a different experience.

Without wanting to be contrary Mary...

The staff when my wife and I went were very helpful and friendly, without being intrusive.

No enforced cutting, brought me a cutter and a lighter.

Claire and I had a great cocktail, and I had the uk ERDM, which was very good.

As for the minnimum spend and expense....It is London, which generally is a bloody rip off.

Try the Lanesborough....

[peanutpete]

I had a different experience.

Without wanting to be contrary Mary...

The staff when my wife and I went were very helpful and friendly, without being intrusive.

No enforced cutting, brought me a cutter and a lighter.

Claire and I had a great cocktail, and I had the uk ERDM, which was very good.

As for the minnimum spend and expense....It is London, which generally is a bloody rip off.

Try the Lanesborough....

No problem with the minimum spend but to have to pay it again when you just pop out for 40 minutes is more than a bloody rip off,i would say that i have been there lots of times and always had great expeiences but there does seem to have been a see change,i did hear that it has new owners? maybe diffrent policy ect

[mazolaman]

No problem with the minimum spend but to have to pay it again when you just pop out for 40 minutes is more than a bloody rip off,i would say that i have been there lots of times and always had great expeiences but there does seem to have been a see change,i did hear that it has new owners? maybe diffrent policy ect

Wouldn't be surprised...sad if so.

Kind of get used to being fleeced in London...

[Justmi]

My experience with cigars in London (so far); if you buy cigars online in the UK, you're paying the highest prices (and tax) in Europe. If you buy cigars in a store (using JJ Fox as an example) you pay a 50% mark up on the online price. Fair enough, they have to maintain the staff and pay the rent. Also, the stores and online websites differ tremendously in price. If you go to a cigar bar like Boisdale, you are paying a 50% mark-up on the store price. Using a bit of approximation, a stick outside the UK costing £5 will cost £10 in the UK online, £15 in the UK store and finally £20 in a cigar bar like Boisdales. Mega mark-up.

Have you guys experienced the same thing?

[winelover]

My experience with cigars in London (so far); if you buy cigars online in the UK, you're paying the highest prices (and tax) in Europe. If you buy cigars in a store (using JJ Fox as an example) you pay a 50% mark up on the online price. Fair enough, they have to maintain the staff and pay the rent. Also, the stores and online websites differ tremendously in price. If you go to a cigar bar like Boisdale, you are paying a 50% mark-up on the store price. Using a bit of approximation, a stick outside the UK costing £5 will cost £10 in the UK online, £15 in the UK store and finally £20 in a cigar bar like Boisdales. Mega mark-up.

Have you guys experienced the same thing?

Bingo. Except during the winter, I'd prefer to smoke my own stock in pub beer gardens, street coffee houses etc. In the winter or if the weather is dire, this is where the COSA's (Cosy Outdoor Smoking Areas) come into their own, as warm and dry recluses - or otherwise a good idea to "sample" in a cigar shop.

On the positive side, which is often ignored, the high prices mean there is plenty of well aged stock and LE/RE's that you cannot otherwise find virtually anywhere. Also same goes if you are orderring online from a major UK merchant as I had a PLPC single that was out of this world and seemed welll matured.