There are no disappointments here; they’re proper puddings with a fancy twist and in my case—Rum Baba—lit at the table, and poured over moist baba, with lemon-honey Chantilly melting into the caramelly rum flambé sauce… READ MORE
All in Sunday Roast
Upstairs at Grace + James
Our bread crumb topped, brown crusted broccoli and cauliflower cheese to share has my excitement tumbling like a Chinese acrobatic circus with its clotted cream-like sauce intensifying the cheese hit, bouncing past the extra vintage setting… READ MORE
Smoke at Hampton Manor
My two thick slices of tender strip loin are cooked pink with a crunchy, gnarly Yorkshire pudding, with plentiful bone marrow and Madeira sauce. As Sunday roasts go it’s flawless and reduces my hangover to just pleasant memories of last night’s shenanigans… READ MORE
1000 Trades
My roasted saddle of Gower salt marsh lamb is a wonderfully tender, thick slice of delicately sweet-grassy and samphire-salty, rolled loin cooked perfectly pink. There’s nothing on the plate that’s not contributing to a full massage of the palate both in terms of flavour or texture… READ MORE
The Bell
Two slices of well done lamb sit on new- and mini-roast potatoes with date stuffing that’s gorgeously sweet and light caramel. There’s a very drinkable minted gravy and I’m self congratulating myself on my choice when the Yorkshire puddings land, sending me into a spin. They are pure Aunt Bessie … READ MORE
The Oyster Club
Our only conversation is to marvel at impeccably crunchy and fluffy in the middle roast potatoes; perfectly gnarly Yorkshires, beef that’s every bit the pink, tender fillet you’d expect; subtle sweetness from the roasted roots; and gravy that’s bolder than a drunken stag party… READ MORE
The Old Crown
The plate glows with deliciously pink, thick slab of sirloin; a perfectly crisp and gnarly Yorkshire; glazed, caramelised and roasted carrots; crunchy roast potatoes; and buttered greens with leeks. The cauliflower retains bite, in a sparse but cheesy sauce with a crust that cranks up the cheesiness to the required level… READ MORE
The High Field
The waitress returns with a large serving tray of extra Yorkshires and roasties; these are absolutely spot on, with a thick golden crunch, scraped off the bottom of the roasting dish. The fresh batch of Yorkshires is as textbook as the first… READ MORE
The Dark Horse
The brisket is sat centre stage, ingot-sized, if not looking anything like so appealing. But tucking in, it breaks into beautifully moist meaty shreds in the ‘pulled style’… a Jenga-style pile of roasted parsnips and carrots, shredded collard greens… READ MORE
Baked In Brick
The food arrives to save us from the noise, the burrata isn’t remotely smoked and is without tapenade. The cheesy garlic bread is a disappointment too; lacking probably the most essential ingredient you’d expect… garlic… READ MORE
The Red Lion
I’ve been eating for what seems like fifteen minutes before discovering everything on my plate. There’s mash, roast potatoes, crushed swede, carrots, peas, kale and red cabbage that has a lovely tangy crunch to it and none of the usual mulled spices that tend to overpower it… READ MORE
The Physician
The beef is completely well done despite having ordered it rare, it’s got freezer pack, pre-cooked Yorkshire pudding written all over it and I suspect it’s a similar story with the potatoes (all suspiciously the same size and shape)… READ MORE