Roast really does offer the very best of British. Located smack bang in the centre of Borough Market, they are ideally placed, with the highest quality ingredients available on their doorstep.
It was strange on a drizzly Saturday evening to be wandering through the empty marketplace. There was the odd lone cabbage leaf left unhappily wilting on the floor but really the place was miraculously tidy and clean considering the chaotic scenes just hours earlier.
Up a few floors, Roast overlooks the market and city, a very bright and smart, modern canteen offering a simple but exceptionally well balanced menu of classic (with a twist) dishes.
Unable to resist trying a new cocktail creation, we investigated the ‘seasonal tipples’: an ultra refreshing cucumber and kiwi martini for me and an utterly unique Bohemian Rhapsody for my brother. The martini was well mixed with Grey Goose lemon vodka and sugar although perhaps the fresh fruit could have been strained slightly more to achieve a smoother texture. The Bohemian Rhapsody was a clever combination of Amaretto liqueur, Yamazaki whisky, fresh apple juice, fresh pomegranate juice, marmalade and caramel syrup – an inventive, attractive and great tasting drink.
Every day Roast offers a special, (a pricier richer dish for hungrier guests), for Saturday dinner it was Beef Wellington. Wishing to sample the high quality meats and vegetables, we both opted for little green starters, especially after munching our way through the basket of crusty bread and wonderfully yellow freshly churned butter.
The plates of steamed Norfolk Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce and Heritage Tomatoes on Toast with Water Celery and Shaved Berkswell Cheese were both beautifully presented – really vibrant and attractive food. The Asparagus was of the highest quality and so it should be for a £12 pricetag. My bruschetta-like starter was amazing, a pile of sweet cherry tomatoes, mature cheese, and torn fresh basil, a Mediterranean delight.
For mains we realised from the sight of dishes on nearby tables, that the portions here are not for the small stomached. I tried Chargrilled Launceston Lamb Neck Fillet with an Organic Spelt, Lemon and Herb Salad and Cucumber Yoghurt. The flavours were fresh and summery, but it arrived a little chilly. It was the perfect cut of meat, highly seasoned and well cooked, crispy round the edges, soft and tender inside. The salad, although there was far too much of it, was a light and healthy accompaniment, ideal for the health conscious. The steak was ginormous. My brother ordered it rare and though it arrived far from rare, the taste was full and succulent with a lovely burnt exterior from the chargrill.
A small dish of Burnt Cream followed in a terracotta dish… the English version of Creme Brulee. A lovely light dessert to finish the meal.
With the Jubilee just gone and the London Olympics only weeks away, it seems an appropriate time to experience the highest quality British food… and you’re unlikely to find it anywhere better than Roast.
Visit the ROAST website here for more information, menus and to book.