I’m not usually much of a breakfast person. It’s not that I don’t get hungry in the mornings, it’s just that the sort of food traditionally eaten for breakfast in England doesn’t really appeal to me. It may be hard for some people to understand, but a fry up just doesn’t do it for me. Neither does toast. And I hardly ever willingly eat cereal.
I make an exception, however, for a lazy, indulgent weekend breakfast or brunch. I love to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning just relaxing and enjoying some good food. Which is exactly what the boyfriend and I did last Saturday at Roast in Borough Market.
Roast is situated in a fantastic position at the top of the market, affording wonderful views over the stalls. The restaurant is reached by an outside lift, which put me a bit in mind of Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator, because, although not made of glass, it does look like it is about to shoot off up in to the sky. However, contrary to appearances, the lift did deliver us to the reception of Roast, and we were able to take in its attractive interior for the first time.
The restaurant is surprisingly large and spacious, and very light owing to large wall-to-wall windows and a partially glass roof. There is a long bar in the middle which separates off the drinking area from the restaurant area, and would be an elegant place to have a cocktail (more on those in a bit). Overall the restaurant had a sophisticated air to it, although I did think the open kitchen looked a bit out of place amidst the polish of the rest of it.
In the evenings, the menu at Roast centres on, well, funnily enough, roasts. In the morning, however, the restaurant offers a range of traditional breakfasts, including a full English, grilled Orkney kippers and eggs Benedict. Dishes are prepared using fresh ingredients from the market below.
Breakfast at Roast isn’t the cheapest going (the ‘full Borough’, which is their full English, costs £15) but as a once in a while treat it is definitely worth it. My boyfriend enthused in particular over his black pudding (I squeamishly took his word for it). I was feeling particularly indulgent and ordered the ‘Breakfast Sparkle’: smoked trout and scrambled egg with a glass of Buck’s Fizz. Now, that’s the kind of breakfast food I’m on board with.
Having established that breakfast at Roast was an event to be bookmarked for the future, I turned my mind to cocktails (for reconnaissance purposes, not because I was about to start drinking like a trooper at 11 o clock). And it turns out they have some interesting, if a little bizarre cocktails on the menu. I could not be more intrigued by some of their ‘liquid main course’ cocktails – one of them contained pea shoots, was topped up with wine and finished off with a garnish of trout. I will definitely be going back for a testing session soon – well, it would be rude not to, don’t you think?
If you fancy breakfast, a liquid main course or even a Roast roast, you can find out more about this restaurant here.
by Angharad
Image via london-se1.co.uk
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