
Sundays at Sam’s Riverside
Our first roast of the year was a 10/10
In our opinion, Sundays are the perfect time to get out of central London explore new suburbs in the city. This was my particular goal when I ventured out to the beautiful Hammersmith, famed for its Apollo Theatre, for my first Sunday lunch of the year.
I love a roast, and am always game to travel for it. Sam’s Riverside is actually located at a super beautiful spot too. Situated right at the river, I can only imagine the exterior terrace is a sun drenched hot spot in the summer. In the winter, it’s the ultimate cosy vibe.
Staff are super friendly and attentive. I was seated at the window, with spanning views of the water, and settled in for a roast of dreams. Sam’s is quite popular for its seafood, so I’d encourage an oyster and starter course if you can manage it.
My guest was running a little late, so I decided to treat myself to a dozen Maldon Oysters, accompanied with an ultra-dirty W6 Martini – mixed with Dima’s 3 Vodka, La Quintinye Vermouth Royal, Perello Gordal Olive Brine and olives. A match made in heaven!

When my guest arrived, we moved on to our starters. Again, the seafood options are abundant and super fresh so we recommend this avenue, but there are plenty of other dishes to choose from. We opted for Citrus Cured Halibut served with Rhubarb & Pickled Ginger, Clementines and Hibiscus which was spring, summer on a plate! Perfectly fresh, zingy and vibrant, not only was this starter beautifully presented, but was perhaps one of the best I’ve had in over a year. Alongside the Roast Cornish Scallops with Celeriac Puree, Apple and Hazelnut were also divine.

Onto the main event, you could choose between Herefordshire Aged Sirloin, as well as Rare Breed Free Range Pork Belly. Whilst both looked amazing, we couldn’t resist the impressive looking crackling so both chose the pork belly. Served alongside Yorkshire Pudding, Roast Potatoes, Carrots, Cauliflower Cheese, Greens, Apple Sauce and a very rich thick gravy, this is everything and more you could possibly want from a roast. Tender pork, crispy crackling, rich and fresh flavours. It was worth the hour tube journey alone for the gravy!
There was an impressive dessert list including a Passion Fruit Souffle and Black Forest Baked Alaska. We decided to try Pineapple Crumble with Coconut Sorbet which was exotic and delicious. The wine list is robust and reasonably priced, and there are lots of cosy corners which would be ideal for a larger group gathering also.

Sam’s is the namesake of owner Sam Harrison. His career has taken him all over the world, from Australia to Canada, before bringing him back to London to open his own first businesses – Sam’s Brasserie in Chiswick and Harrison’s in Balham. Prior to this, Sam was General Manager for Rick Stein’s operations in Padstow, Cornwall, and also spent two years working in Sydney. In summer 2015, after a decade of hugely successful trading, Sam sold both of his restaurants to The Hawksmoor Group.
We can’t recommend Sam’s Riverside enough and it would also be a great dinner spot following a show at the Apollo.
Find out more > www.samsriverside.co.uk
