The ultimate sunday roast
Words: Honor Scott
It is a rarely disputed truth in Britain that everyone’s mum cooks the best Sunday roast. You might be forgiven for assuming that a Russian and English restaurant in Soho, for all its lavish reputation, wouldn’t be the most likely setting to challenge this symbol of home comfort. How mistaken you would be.
Inspired by the Orient Express, the flamboyant décor of the blue main dining room sets the scene for a Sunday lunchtime that can only be described as a truly decadent experience. From the warm welcome received upon walking through the door, to the semi-private feel lent by tables set out in intimate booths and screening from the outside world of everyday London life, the atmosphere is one that simply makes you feel well-treated. A surprisingly influential touch is the light pink of the uniforms, menus and of course the famous ‘Press for Champagne’ button, light-heartedly balancing the intense blue and gold tones which characterise the room.
The menu isn’t overly long, but is packed with British and Russian classics. Any more would probably be superfluous; all that is needed is displayed in-front of you (and if you follow in my footsteps and go for the roast, a menu is hardly necessary at all). Deciding on what to eat, so often an experience which increases in difficulty as a venue does in quality, was made a smooth and effortless process thanks to knowledgeable and enthusiastic service.
And on to the most important part: the food itself. The recommended Seabass Ceviche and Baked Oysters Brezhnev did not disappoint, and serve as a more cultural preparation for the classically British extravaganza to follow. There should never be anything delicate about a Sunday roast; yet at the same time there has to be something that firmly places it in a league above an average weekday meal. Arguably, this is achieved just by the arrival of the food: first a plate with slow roast potato, carrots and parsnips roasted in beef dripping with honey and thyme, and a Yorkshire pudding good enough to satisfy even someone who has spent the majority of the last 7 years in the county itself; then the truffle gravy; horseradish cream; crushed minted peas; and at the end of this wonderful procession, a board adorned with the beautifully pink rump cap of Arkansas beef. And it tastes just as good as the sight of the various components surrounding you on the table looks. If after all that you still have room for dessert, it will be well worth your while. Each is as extravagant and indulgent as the next.
A balance of comfort and luxury is achieved in the design, the atmosphere and of course the food. With that intangible but unmistakeable air of special occasion, Bob Bob Ricard can’t fail to disappoint anyone in search of a treat. If the reputation of pouring the most champagne of any restaurant in the United Kingdom isn’t enough to tempt you, then let the Sunday roast be what leads you to Upper James Street.
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