Eat Here: Roast Restaurant, Borough MarketBy Alicia Grimshaw
A Sunday roast is hard to beat; goose fat roast potatoes, pillow-like Yorkshires and rich gravy are some of life’s greatest pleasures. A good roast should be celebrated, shouted from the roof tops, and talked about until you’re blue in the face. Because let’s be honest, there’s nothing better than a cracking roast, right? I grew up in a household where my mum would religiously cook a Sunday lunch ever week. In the baking heat of summer, and on the cold dark evenings in winter, my mum would be furiously basting the meat, preparing the roasties and steaming the veg to ensure her roast was top quality. It’s fair to say my mum set the bar pretty high, so much so that we never dined out for our Sunday roast – that was blasphemy in Di G’s books.
Since flying the nest, I haven’t scraped the surface on London’s Sunday roast offerings, until I visited Roast Restaurant a few weeks ago. Sorry mum, but I think I’ve found a roast that beats yours – here’s what you need to know:
Roast Restaurant: The Vibe
On entering the restaurant, a small child who must’ve been about six proclaimed to his mother ‘what a lovely restaurant, in a horrid part of town’ – I really felt like this child was my spirit animal. Because, I don’t like Borough Market either. Shoulder to shoulder with the thongs of tourists, elbowing to get your hands on freshly baked doughnuts, and jars of condiments is far too much effort for me. If I wanted to feel like that, I would’ve bought a ticket to an Oasis concert. But Roast Restaurant is a calm saviour in chock-a-block Borough Market. And since Borough Market is closed on Sundays, you don’t have to dodge anoraks and umbrella handles to find the entrance.
Roast restaurant is beautiful; light, airy, and super stylish – the kind of place perfect for everything from dates, to group dinners, and taking your mum. There’s an open kitchen, a large central bar and vast windows which offer amazing views over the Thames, Shard and the Southbank. If you can, grab a table by the window so you can soak it all in. Just by the water, it’s perfect for a Sunday stroll and exploring the weekend markets of the Southbank.
Roast Restaurant: The Food
Roast Restaurant champions the farm to fork philosophy. The restaurant uses produce from British farmers and producers, with many of the ingredients used by Head Chef Stuart Cauldwell from Borough Market’s very own stalls. And you can tell – the food is super fresh and packed full of wonderful flavours.
If you’re visiting Roast, you have to do it properly. And by properly, I mean going the whole nine yards, and going full wack with three courses. Because no one likes food regret. The starter selection is enough to induce a serious case of fomo. Because all the dishes sound great. And I’m talking about good, solid British fare. The Scotch egg encased in a chorizo blanket is too good for words. The smokey chorizo, and the tangy piccailli was next level. And the yolk, oh the yolk. Bight orange, and runny. If you’re struggling to choose – go for the Scotch egg.
Another mention should also go to the beef carpaccio with beetroot – the earthy, autumnal flavour of the beetroot and the rich meat balanced nicely with the heat of the horseradish. If you’re not ordering beef for main, definitely order the beef for starter.
Having Roast as your restaurant name and not delivering on a roast would be a real shit show. Good news, however, as the roasts here are sublime. I always feel ordering chicken on a roast as a bit of a cop out – it’s one of those meats that you can easily replicate at home. But the free-range chicken coated in lemon and thyme is juicy, and world’s away from anything I could rustle up in my kitchen. The smoked bacon and the chicken, along with the thick and creamy bread sauce was belting. The chicken, had this crispy skin which was amazing doused in the rich gravy.
I’ll be honest here; red meat is my vice. And when there’s roast beef on the menu, it’s already decided for me. The roast beef was cooked beautifully – pink in the middle, tender, it literally melts in the mouth. And that homemade horseradish seriously packed a punch.
Alongside the roast, seasonal veggies were served – think cabbage, carrots and dripping roasties. If I’m being picky, I would’ve liked some parsnips and broccoli, and maybe some green beans. God love them greens. But the Yorkshires; the Yorkshires were dreamy. And with the amount of gravy I pour over my roast, these beauties withstood the onslaught of gravy, like true Yorkshires should. The gravy was superb, and contained all the fantastic meat juices. The only problem was, I wanted more of it. Jugs of it.
Loosen your belt, and dive head first into desserts. It may not be on the Sunday lunch menu, but ask for the sticky date and toffee pudding. It’s a real show stopper of a dessert; light-as-air sponge with lashing of sweet and sticky toffee sauce. It’s on the rich side, but you can’t help but going back for more. And the dessert is served with clotted cream. It’s a proper British pud, and a good one takes some beating. If there’s one thing to travel across town for, it’s for this dessert.
Roast Restaurant: The Verdict
If you’re after a roast that delivers on exceptional quality and taste, then look no further than Roast Restaurant. Sleek service, proper white linen table cloths and amazing food to boot – give Roast a whirl next time you have a hankering for roasties and gravy.
Roast Restaurant, The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, London SE1 1TL. Visit the website here for more details.
