A traditional English Sunday roast at London’s Oblix
When it comes to British meals, you really can’t get more traditional than a Sunday roast. Rounding out the weekend with the smell of roasting meats and rising Yorkshire pudding in the oven, wafting through the kitchen, is all part of the weekend ritual, and it’s something that, unfortunately, not many tourists get to experience on their travels to London.
But restaurant Oblix allows visitors to London (and locals alike) to experience this great British rite of passage. The only difference is, instead of sitting down at a modest kitchen table on a suburban street, you’re dining with one of the greatest views of London. Located on the 32nd floor of London’s iconic Shard, Oblix has, without any question, an unparalleled view of the city. It’s an absolutely breathtaking panorama of the city, and no diner leaves without taking a moment (or several) to soak in the view.
As appetizing as this view is, I came here for the food, and sitting at my window-side table on a Sunday afternoon, I’m ready to experience executive chef Marcus Eave’s weekend fare. Seasonal Bellinis are the only fitting way to start. A flatbread, with truffle, pancetta, and ricotta., is utterly luxurious but unpretentious. The crisp flatbread has a wonderfully developed base, with the perfect crunch, and is firm without being too dense. It’s dressed with a wonderfully smooth and creamy ricotta, heightened by just the right amount of rich truffle, and accentuated with a salty pancetta. It all combines to create one of the most intense, yet delicately flavored, flatbreads I’ve ever tasted. I’d return for this starter alone.
With the Sunday Roast option, select from a variety of main courses, including a rotisserie duck with honey and clove, free-range chicken smothered in freshly shaved truffle with charred leeks, and suckling pig with sliced apple, sage, and cider sauce. A wonderfully succulent Cornish lamb shank is seasoned with wild garlic and rosemary, and you’re guaranteed to strip it down to the bone. Likewise, the bone-in rib of beef comes to the table with a hearty serving of red wine gravy, demanding a complete bathing in this rich sauce, heightening its delightfully warming flavors.
Eaves aims to elevate this traditional British meal. “I wanted to offer those big flavors associated with the Sunday Roast but at the same time ensure it was something different,” he explains to me. His Sunday Roast dishes are cooked on either the Josper grill or rotisserie. The wood-fired oven, charcoal grill, and spit roast are the heart and soul of the kitchen. When cooked in a Josper oven, the meats’ juices are retain moisture and natural flavors. “Using the Josper and the rotisserie is an awesome way of creating these [elevated] flavors. For example, Oblix’s roast potatoes are roasted in dry-aged beef fat, which adds a depth of flavour, and, our take on roast pork is rotisserie suckling pig with spiced apple and sage. All of our Sunday Roast dishes are based on the classics but with an Oblix twist.”
The traditional Yorkshire pudding, an essential accompaniment to any British meal, is light and golden, but I almost yearn for a more traditional and rustic version of this perfectly presented bread, as visually finished as it is. The accompanying gravy servings will be drained as you’ll want to pour lashings of it on your meats and drench your Yorkshire pudding, and you will find yourself wishing for more. The various roasted vegetables are cooked well, but the real champions of this meal are the perfectly executed and perfectly cooked meats - rightfully taking center stage after leaving the Josper, grill, or spit roast in the hustling open kitchen.
A delicious array of desserts includes a modern spin on the Eton mess. While superbly presented and a visual fantasy for any food Instagrammer, it doesn’t quite deliver on the harmonious marriage of fruit and cream flavors that a lover of a traditional Eton mess would hope for. Instead, my personal suggestion is to opt for the pecan nut and chocolate bar. Although not strictly traditional, it is a brilliantly rich, wonderful concoction of sweet textures. Served with a crunchy bourbon ice cream that’s creamy and invigorating, it’s a happily satisfying end to the biggest of chocolate fans.
It’s my personal opinion that no gourmand truly wanting to experience traditional London fare can leave the city without experiencing a real British Sunday roast. Oblige provides both visitors and locals with an memorable opportunity to experience this wonderful dining tradition, in one of the most visually magnificent settings you’ll find in London.
Sunday roast is just one a British royal family food tradition. Find the rest here.
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