My wallet has been stung fairly badly by restaurants recently, so last night whilst catching up with a friend we opted for one of the special offers that many restaurants have been floating around since the credit crunch kicked in.

The promise? A 3 course meal and a Kir (which I had to look up on Wikipedia, blackcurrent liquor and wine) for £15, which is a pretty good deal in the grand scheme of things. I’ve walked past the Boulevard Dining Room on Old Compton Street many times but never really paid much attention to it, and probably won’t in future either.

Picking a starter and a main was difficult, because neither seemed particularly suited to the other, I think a lot more attention could be spent on producing a menu that flows rather only really permitting some really awkward combinations. After much deliberation I ended up having:

• Chilli with nachos
• Minute streak with fries
• Vanilla cheesecake

I have to say I wasn’t greatly impressed with the food, it was okay, but not fantastic. I realise that you get what you pay for in most places, so I really shouldn’t expect more for £15, but if the quality of the food on offer is bad, what does that say about the quality of the food on the standard menu?

In terms of atmosphere, the music was very “Soho”, and not really my thing. It felt more like a bar trying to be a restaurant trying to be a bar. It’s all a bit confusing what it’s actually meant to be.

If you’re desperately hungry and you’re short on cash, then you probably wouldn’t regret giving it a shot, but I wouldn’t bother going out of your way to dine there.