There's a Sunday Roast and then there's a Sunday Roast. Islington's 12:51, the signature restaurant from Scottish Caribbean chef James Cochran, elevates the humble roast far beyond what any pub grub could hope to achieve.
Perfecting his craft through a career spanning Wheeler’s Oyster Bar in his hometown of Whitstable through the Michelin-starred likes of The Ledbury and The Harwood Arms, 12:51 opened its doors in 2018, the same year he won the BBC’s Great British Menu. His tasting menu is one of the most affordable around, showcasing his innovative dishes combining his culinary heritage, but it's the Sunday Roast we're really interested in.
If you haven't tried it, book yourself a table sharpish; at just £28 a head it's probably the best we've ever tried. Start with one of their zingy chilli laced Bloody Marys to wake you up. You won't regret it. 42 day aged sirloin of belted Galloway beef is accompanied with all the trimmings, and then some. Beef dripping roast potatoes are so crispy you can practically hear the crack in Highbury. Truffled cauliflower cheese is comofrtingly gooey and dangerously moreish. A chargrilled hispi cabbage provides a dash of green boasting far more flavour that cabbage ought to, while a roasted Roscoff onion, drizzled in onion gravy, adds a bittersweet tang. Throw in a giant Yorkshire pudding and an astonishigly good horseradish cream, not to mention the bone marrow gravy, and we're on to a winner. Oh, and we forgot to mention the extra little dish of beef brisket, because why not throw in some melt in the mouth flakes of tender beef to an already pretty perfect roast.
Needless to say, that plate was wolfed down and seconds would not have been declined. A spectacular Sunday feast we're definitely returning soon to replicate.
