They told me it was a three month wait for a table for London’s best Sunday Roast. I told “them” they were crazy. Who waits three months for a Sunday Roast? How can it possibly be worth it when there are dozens of places in London that serve up a mean spread for the classic British weekend treat without any wait at all past maybe waiting fifteen minutes, with a pint in hand, for the table to be set. But, “they” are usually right. And the “they” I’m referring to are my foodie friends. These are the people that really do know the food scene backwards and forwards in this city. I’m an amateur in comparison. They are the experts. So I listen, intently, when one name comes up again and again in circles as “the best”! This one wouldn’t go away. I went online, thinking I’d book ahead for a March weekend and lo and behold there was spare table going one week and one day from the day I was searching. I’ve never impulse booked faster in my life.
Off we went, last Sunday, to try the famed Sunday Roast at Blacklock. I was two parts excited, two parts skeptic. How could anything possibly live up to this hype? Our table was booked for 11:45, so we skipped breakfast and entered Blacklock with screaming tummies. We were ready to eat and eat big. For a starter we ordered Burrata on Toast. Somehow it felt more civilised ordering a starter before the meat feast started. Don’t ask me why. We just did it. We also ordered a glass of red wine and a Beefy Mary (vodka, beef jus, tomato and special spices).
The starter came and went and twenty minutes later a parade of people headed our way, with trays preciously balanced. First came the sauces – apple, mint and horseradish – and the massive portion of gravy. Then came the accompaniments in the form of cauliflower and cheese and roast chestnuts with greens. After the last little plate was laid, the main event arrived. Piled nearly eight inches off the plate was a mix of seasonal vegetables, duck fat roast potatoes, yorkshire pudding, along with slices of beef, lamb and pork. A bit of drool left my lips before I could escape the embarrassment of such an act happening at all. So this is what heaven looks like.
I have to be honest and admit that I didn’t think it would be possible to finish the entire plate between two people. I couldn’t have been more wrong, and would have gladly eaten more. The meats were perfectly cooked, tender and marinated to absolute perfection. The yorkshire pudding, potatoes and vegetables sat bathing in the most flavoursome gravy. And the desert menu taunted us after all was said and done. We admitted defeat, however, with plates practically licked clean.
It must be said that even if you aren’t a meat eater, there’s a Sunday Roast here for you too. Apparently, this is the “meat free Sunday Roast of dreams” (or so the vegetarian at the table next to me proudly proclaimed after her first bite.) I’ve attached the menu herewith so you can see for yourself. I am a little reluctant to let this gem out there for the whole world to know about it. No doubt reservations will become even more difficult to secure, but I can’t keep a secret this good all to myself. I’ve tried it now and I need to learn to share 🙂
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