Roast

Tom Brett tests out Roast, a restaurant priding itself on Sunday dinner.

The British roast’s a brave meal to replicate in the world of fine cuisine. Long established as the pinnacle of Sunday lunch, fluffy roast potatoes, succulent, gravy-laden meat and vegetables steamed to splendour played a big part in my culinary upbringing. Located in Borough Market, Roast’s open-plan design reveals a distinctly friendly feel: not as pretentious as many West End offerings, the staff seemed genuinely attentive and sincere. It’s a far cry from the family dinner table but not too far from the concept of a traditional hearty meal.

We opted for the Lorne sausage Scotch egg with piccalilli starter and were slightly disappointed to discover the roast of the day, a roast rib of Welsh black beef, was no longer available. That said, there was more than enough on the well-balanced menu to tickle my fancy and the starter’s meaty undertones and sweet piccalilli set a high standard for the rest of the meal.

My 14oz Shorthorn rib-eye steak — the meat de resistance, you could say — didn’t disappoint. Depth of flavour in a succulent, medium-rare slab of prime beef is the least I’d expect of a £30 course, but I’d recommend it. Accompanied by scrumptious chips that more than matched my favoured roast potatoes, I came to the conclusion that it was hard to fault a dish so simple and yet so refined.

To finish, I conceded to a camomile and clementine-infused liquid dessert with a slice of Dorset Blue Vinny cheese on the side. Fruity and refreshing, it epitomised the thought put into the detailed menu at Roast, a restaurant I’m keen to revisit — if not for dinner then perhaps for lunch, as they also have a luxury sandwich stall on the market below.