The cult of flame shows no sign of cooling — and in Marylebone, it’s just found a new home. On June 17, Boxcar Bar & Grill, a long-standing local favourite with a quiet confidence, relaunches as Boxcar Fire & Wine — a reimagined dining room where wood smoke, elemental cooking, and natural wines set the tone for a decidedly grown-up experience. Think elevated neighbourhood bistro, if your neighbourhood happens to be quietly obsessed with Galician beef and low-intervention rosé.
It’s not just a rebrand — it’s a reset. A new name, a new direction, and a new chef: Zisis Gkalmpenis, whose résumé reads like a love letter to refined kitchens (Pied à Terre, Cord by Le Cordon Bleu, The Greyhound in Beaconsfield), brings a distinctly Southern European point of view to the table. The grill takes centre stage — both metaphorically and literally — and from it come plates that feel both primal and precise: Iberico pork presa lacquered with Morello cherries, wild brill served with asparagus and wild garlic, or a Brie tortelloni so soft and savoury it belongs on a tasting menu, not a Tuesday night.
Zisis puts it best: “We work with the best seasonal produce, and cook in a way that’s straightforward but deeply respectful.” It’s a kind of fine dining without the white tablecloths. And that’s exactly the point.
The wine list, too, gets its moment in the firelight. Curated from small, sustainable producers with an eye for the natural and the expressive, it’s the kind of list that rewards curiosity. There’s even an own-label rosé, Tinted Glasses, made in collaboration with Château Saint-Maur in Provence — as charming as it is intentionally Instagrammable. Crucially, many bottles are available by the glass or carafe, so you can actually try the skin-contact white and the Syrah without feeling like you’re on a tasting flight.
Behind the transformation is the Boxcar Group duo Ankur Wishart and Barry Hirst (also behind Open House London and The Italian Greyhound), who know how to build restaurants people want to return to. “This new chapter is about creating an ingredient-led destination in a warm neighbourhood setting,” says Wishart. “We’re pouring wines with personality and cooking food that lets the fire speak for itself.”
And the room speaks too. The newly renovated space blends raw wood, rustic finishes, and just the right amount of polish — the kind of restaurant where the open flame is not just a kitchen feature but part of the conversation. Tables are close enough to create a buzz but not so close that you hear your neighbour's thoughts on biodynamic fermentation. It’s intimate, but it’s not trying too hard.
Boxcar Fire & Wine opens its doors Tuesday through Sunday, with options for private hire. It's the kind of place you'll want to claim as your own — but probably won’t keep secret for long.
