Guide Review: Roast
Forget the Wolseley. Roast is the top breakfast spot.
Quick hit: Superb breakfast near London Bridge & Waterloo. Wander Borough Market before the Tik Tok hordes arrive.
Details: Booking advised. Borough Market. £££
Restaurant website. More on Instagram.
Find it on Google Maps. The Floral Hall, Borough Market, Stoney St., SE1 1TL.
The toughest thing about Roast may be finding the door.
For the uninitiated, Borough Market can feel like a bit of a maze. And the entrance to Roast is quite hidden amongst its passages.
Here’s my tip: Walk down Stoney Street. Then find the Market Porter pub or the Monmouth coffee. Face away from them. Walk into the passage you see leading into the market. Just past the fruit & veg vendor on the left, you’ll find the stairs (and lift) up to Roast, which is on the first floor overlooking the action in the market below.
You will be glad to have made the effort.
Borough Market these days is full of great restaurants. Camille, Oma, Café Francois, Kolae, Akara, and Pastor are all among London’s best places. Wright Brothers is a stand-by for great fish. Applebees has just rebooted itself.
Given the nearby competition, I am hard-pressed to think of a situation where I would have lunch or dinner at Roast. The a la carte and Sunday roast menus are fine and pleasantly meaty. But it’s all a bit pricey, and the standard is better at all of those other places.
Except for breakfast.
When it comes to breakfast, Roast comes out on top.
Here are my requirements for a great professional breakfast place:
Must have a great “full” option which includes black pudding.
Must offer some obscure, out of fashion, classic things like kippers.
Must have at least one really good “Benedict.”
Must have something like a bacon roll for combating a hang over.
Must have some healthy, lighter options.
Must have good coffee.
Must have good orange juice.
Must be possible to have a discreet conversation / job interview without being overheard by neighbours or seated at a table next to your boss. (This requirement disqualifies the Delaunay.)
Must have attentive service that will bring the bill swiftly and enable rapid payment in case I have to rush off to the office. (This requirement disqualifies the Holborn Dining Room.)
Roast satisfies all of these requirements.
Oh, and they have a fantastic tea selection.
Look, let’s be honest: Making scrambled eggs and bacon does not constitute higher-order cheffing.
But the food on my most recent visit was excellent. The vibe was perfect. The space was appealing. The view was great. And the conversation flowed freely.
I’d much rather have breakfast in Roast than any of the more famous West End places like The Wolseley or the Delaunay.
Thanks for reading this review. Enjoy your breakfast!