The mere mention of a chilled out Sunday lunch might conjure up images of cosy country pubs with crackling log fires or simply a roast being carved on the dining table at home, but what it probably doesn’t evoke is a meal in the foyer of a busy city centre theatre.
But that’s what makes Sunday lunch at the Bristol Old Vic all the more interesting. You simply don’t expect to find roast beef and all the trimmings being dished up next to the box office of the most famous UK theatre outside London.
Surrounded by the exposed brickwork of the original theatre façade, which dates back to the Georgian period, the aptly named 1766 Bar & Kitchen restaurant makes for a unique setting for a meal and it has gained something of a following in recent months.
‘If we stopped doing Sunday roasts there might be riots in the streets,’ joked one member of staff when I mentioned the fact I had heard a false rumour that they were stopping them for the summer. Fat chance.
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In fact, so popular is the restaurant on Sunday afternoons that bookings are now pretty much essential. When I booked online on the previous Monday, the only slot I could secure was for midday as every other time was taken.
When we arrived just before noon, the place was already filling up, mostly with large tables of families, groups of child-free millennials and a notable number of tourists.
As well as the roasts, the kitchen offers a few tapas-size starters and my chicken and apricot terrine (£3.75) was moist, well-made and accompanied by some fruity onion jam and crunchy pickles.
There are four options when it comes to the main event. For the vegetarians, there’s a sweet potato, lentil, parsley and mushroom roast with salsa verde.
Meat eaters can order maple-glazed confit belly of pork or roast topside of 28-day dry-aged Hereford beef. All roasts are served with vegetables, rapeseed oil and garlic roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and ‘bottomless’ gravy.
We went for the 14-hour overnight slow roast shoulder of lamb with mint sauce (£15.95) and it really was faultless.
The roast carrots and parsnips were sweet and had retained their bite, as had the shredded, squeaky cabbage. The potatoes were crunchy and garlicky, the Yorkshire pudding light and voluminous, and the jug of rich, meaty gravy as dark as treacle.
The thick round of rolled lamb shoulder had been finished in the pan to crisp up and caramelise on the outside, the centre falling apart into a juicy tangle of meat with a proper depth of flavour (apparently the kitchen uses Winterbourne butcher Buxton’s).
We also ordered the cauliflower and leek gratin (£3.95) - a creamy, cheesy side dish with large florets of cauliflower and finely sliced leeks.
Belt straining and face flushed from a couple of large glasses of Tempranillo, I didn’t really need dessert but I wouldn’t be doing my job properly if I ignored the red wine poached pear, blackcurrant sorbet and coconut crumb (£6.25) which was nicely executed, the pear being perfectly ripe and the tart sorbet providing a refreshing end to the meal.
Across the table, a light and fluffy chocolate mousse (£6.25) with layers of salted caramel, vanilla cream, crunchy honeycomb and biscuit disappeared so fast that I didn’t get a look in.
‘You probably don’t like to admit it, dad, but that was better than your roasts wasn’t it?’ came the devastating verdict from across the table.
Until that point, my daughter was doing pretty well but suddenly any extra Easter holiday pocket money was starting to look questionable.
Through gritted teeth, I had to concede that the 12-year-old had made a strong point and one I couldn’t really argue with.
The verdict:
As befits a Sunday lunch in such theatrical surroundings, this roast was a spotlight-hogging showstopper and one of the best I’ve had in Bristol for a long time.
Ratings:
Overall: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambience: 5
Value: 5
Where? 1766 Bar & Kitchen at Bristol Old Vic, King Street, Bristol, BS1 4ED. Tel: 0117 9072682.
