Within a landmark London building, a culinary treat awaits. Using the finest of the country's seasonal produce, a restaurant has been created dedicated to the best of British cooking.
Using British ingredients wherever we can, placing emphasis on the sourcing and provenance of products, we intend to explore dishes and recipes that also highlight seasonality.
>From succulent spit roasts and deeply flavoured puddings cooked over days, through to organically grown salad leaves that have real taste, British cooking can rightly take its place on the international stage.
Roast
British Restaurant in Southwark
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All In London Review
A table where all profits are donated to the Princes Trust? There's a first!
Actually, we weren't up to a full blown meal although we did look at the menu - which had all the old favourites like most types of roast meat, steak, liver and bacon, chops and some fish dishes (mackeral). It all looked tasty albeit a little expensive - but no more so than any other London restaurants. Starters are priced between £6 and £12 with a fair few at £8.50. Main courses are between £18 and £24 with vegetables and sides at around £4 each.
We laughed at the "Rare breeds Monday" - surely focusing on selling rare breeds would increase their rarity! But full marks for having a serious policy of local and seasonal sourcing...
We parked ourselves in the bar which was furnished with big squidgy sofas and low tables with views out from large windows over the empty market. We were sure that the views of the market in full swing would be much more interesting than the eerie night time view - so guess that lunch times are popular.
Anyway, the staff fell over themselves to be friendly and helpful - which is a rarity these days as many restaurants emulate the French model of "insult your customers". We enjoyed glasses of fine wine, some lovely non alcoholic cocktails (rhubarb was a frequent ingredient), a bowl of chips with curry dip and some designer fish fingers. The bar menu was extremely reasonable.
Roast is famous for its lovely location - the floral room architecture is really rather stunning. And also for the famous table where the profits are donated to the Princes Trust - so you can reduce your guilt with charitable giving whilst eating great food and drinking fab wine...The clientele were mostly well-heeled and upmarket, although there were a fair few young people in there with decidedly modern (and revealing) attire.
We had a marvellous time and it was only because sitting so near those fantastically panoramic windows became a little chilly that we moved on....But it gets our thumbs up and we will return to enjoy a full meal soon...
Reviewed by KimT
Published on Jul 25, 2008
User Reviews
Squire
Oct 19, 2010
Just a quick note to say that, not even considering how good the food is here (which it was) but the service is excellent very polite and amibale, with the friendly sommelier deserving a speical mention - thanks for a great night.
Anonymous
Jan 8, 2009
I work at Guy's hospital and although I had eaten at the Roast take-away bar at ground level outside the restaurant (consistently tasty - you do pay extra for it though!) I had never been inside before. I am so glad I did! Inside, the restaurant is clean and bright and the food is rich and lovely. I was slightly disappointed by the waiting staff, however. At 25 and 27, myself and my partner were by a good ten years or so the two youngest diners - and we were somewhat treated as such. Returning with my smart, grown-up(!) parents, I found that the staff attitudes were far less patronising and the orders of expensive drinks precipitated extreme accommodation. All the same, Roast is a decent restaurant and I will make sure I go there again soon.