Roast Restaurant Review
Crisp white table clothes, smartly dressed waiters, sky high ceilings, it felt like we were walking into a fine dining experience. Not usually the kind of restaurant I would choose unless I was with the parents, I felt conscious of our scruffy trainers and t-shirt dresses. I instantly relaxed when I sat down and had a chance to look around. Although the venue looked high end, the vibe was relaxed, with friendly waiting staff and a mix of clientele that had either come here for a fancy dinner or simply stumbled across Roast whilst passing through Borough Market.
We were here to try something I was particularly excited about, a 6-course tasting menu paired with beer. I’m sure this wasn’t the first time this has been done but it was certainly the first time I heard of it and it was right up my street, beer brings a lot of sunshine to my life. The food menu was pretty seafood and meat heavy, but thankfully the chef’s at Roast managed to pull together my own special vegi version so I could give the experience a try.
The beer selection was a solid selection. It started with a few safe choices, popular beers; Brewdog Elvis Juice, Beavertown Neck Oil IPA, Camden Town Gentleman’s Wit, before moving on to some more interesting ones; Fourpure Shapshifter IPS, Meantime Raspberry Wheat and Small Beer Dark Larger.
I began with chilled pea soup, apple and mint, whilst me guest received oysters, served in the most epic silver gothic squid bowl. Paired with the grapefruit IPA, this first course was mild but refreshing and light, acting as a kind of tasting pallet cleanser. Moving on to Tender stem broccoli, friggitelli peppers and Romesco (the meat option was venison carpaccio with beer picked onion, parsnip and baby beats), I was instantly hit with a plate of flavour and textures. The strong taste of the peppers and Romesco was balanced out by the smoothness of the neck oil, and we both commented that the actual colour of the tomato’s matched the golden neck oil exactly.
The next course was one that, on paper, looked like I had lucked out on. Whilst the meat eaters got the option of seared scallops, sweetcorn puree and Bloody Mary relish, us plant eaters got a garden salad. But this was not a simple garden salad; lettuce, tomatoes, baby carrots, baby beetroots, peas and edamame beans with a delicious dressing, topped with half an avocado, this was pretty much as exotic as a garden salad got. The Camden Towns Gentleman’s weird lager is one I have drunk many times before, crisp with a mild flavour, it’s what I consider a summer time drink, matching the garden theme of the salad.
The final savoury was my absolute favourite, gnocchi with artichoke, courgette, olives and fennel (pork belly with mashed potato for the meat eaters). Supper creamy with fresh veg, it was packed full of flavour and super moreish. Served with another IPA, Four pure Shape Shifter. Both the meal and the drink boasted loads of complimenting flavours to create something truly flavoursome.
Desserts aren’t usually what I consider the best part of the meal, but the next beer paired with the dessert, was by far the greatest of the selection, potentially because it’s so far from what I usually drink. The Meantime Raspberry Wheat. Not what would be out into the ‘sour’ beer category, but with a lovely incredibly tart bite. The sweetness of the Raspberry but with a proper kick behind it, this one had an extreme personality. Paired with hot chocolate pudding with stout ice cream and cocoa nib wafer, the raspberry matched with the hot chocolate perfectly. The best paired dish from the whole menu in my opinion.
By this point we’d kind of got to that point where we were so full it was starting to get a little painful to eat, but I consider it basically impossible to turn down a cheese course, so we persisted. A selection of 5 cheeses served with Woodbridge pear chutney and a Small Beer Dark Lager, this was enough to finish us off. We necked a couple of coffees to try and keep us awake enough for the journey home, heading off with a friendly smile and farewell from every member of staff we passed.
A great concept, Roast’s tasting menu is perfect for beer lovers who enjoy fine food. A good selection of both food and drink, this 6-course tasting menu will give you the opportunity to sample some safe favourites and more unusual beers, expertly paired with food prepared by Roast’s skillful chefs.
Website: www.roast-restaurant.com
Address: The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, London SE1 1TL
Written by Jordan Crowley
