The Blurb
There’s little that can beat a Sunday roast; Crispy potatoes, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, tender, succulent meat, perfectly cooked vegetables, and the whole thing slathered in gravy. Most Londoners spend their Sundays searching for the best roast in the city. Well, I can officially call the search off, because I’ve found it at Macellaio – an Italian restaurant in Fitzrovia (as well as five other locations in London). With a focus on high-quality meat, artisan breads, pasta and pizza, they’ve put an undeniably mouthwatering twist on the British classic and have now launched a roast dinner offer, where you can get the full roast works (Yorkshire pudding included) and two glasses of wine for just £28!
The Style
To put the roast to the test, I visited the Fitzrovia restaurant, just off Tottenham Court Road. The restaurants all have a similar style, with an open butchers displaying the meat, bright red chairs and a black and white zig-zag patterned floor – it almost felt like an upmarket Italian/American diner. I even noticed a Scalextric race track on the ceiling – I forgot to ask why it was there. We sat at the far end of the restaurant, near the big open windows, but if you’re by the bar, you can see into the kitchen and watch the chefs at work. On my way to the bathrooms, I even noticed an open wine cellar and being very much into my wines, I couldn’t help but take a peak!
The Crowd
For dining on a Sunday in the city, it wasn’t too busy, although we did have our lunch at 3pm (post cycle so we could work up a big appetite). Alongside us were a few couples, as well as groups of friends. Although, I can imagine that during the week this is a hot spot for business meetings too.
The Food
The Sunday roast special is what we came for, so that is what we had… although having dined before at the Northcote Road restaurant, I knew the steak tartare was out of this world, and my partner ‘just had to try’ the truffle and parmesan fries, so we snuck in a few starters before getting down to the main event. And I’m so glad we did. The steak tartare was so tender and seasoned perfectly. It wasn’t too saucy, like some can be, and was served with thin crisp bread. Apparently, the fries were ‘the best I’ve ever had’, according to my partner. They were pretty delicious; fluffy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. We enjoyed these with a glass of complimentary Prosecco, which comes with the £28 roast offer.
Just before our roast arrived, the waitress brought us a glass of red wine (a Merlot), to accompany our roast – also included in the offer. The chef brought over the roast himself, talking us through each component on the plate: the roasted carrots and parsnips, crispy potatoes, fresh homemade horseradish cream sauce, buttery sprouts, giant Yorkshire pudding, succulent, rare (to our preference) beef, all brought together with a drop of gravy. I’m usually someone that likes to drown their roast dinner in gravy but this meat was so fresh and tender that with a touch of that fiery horseradish cream, I was in heaven with every bite. While the meat is clearly the star of the show, I’m someone who values veggies as much as I do meat, so it was really nice to have a proper portion alongside the meat too. To finish things off we shared a homemade tiramisu, spiked with Amaretto and topped with an amaretti biscuit. It was incredibly creamy and absolutely delicious. Just what we needed to complete the meal.
In a Nutshell
I had big expectations for the Macellaio roast dinner, having dined there before on a few occasions, and it certainly didn’t disappoint. The roast offer is of incredible value – £28 for exceptional quality ingredients and cooking, plus two glasses of wine (Prosecco or red). You really don’t need the starters, the roast is certainly big enough, but we wanted to treat ourselves – it isn’t often we go to a restaurant like Macellaio.
I think people can sometimes be put off when they know a restaurant is a ‘chain’. But I wouldn’t think of Macellaio like this, I’d liken it to the Big Mamma Group: An Italian restaurant group that knows how to make a dining experience truly special and memorable – from the food to the service – and it’s so good, one restaurant simply isn’t enough.
The Details
The Sunday roast offer is available between 12pm and 5pm at Macellaio RC, Battersea, Macellaio RC Union Street, and Macellaio RC Fitzrovia.
www.macellaiorc.com
+44 (0)20 3848 7230
fitzrovia@macellaiorc.com
6 Store Street, Fitzrovia, London WC1E 7DQ
