Heather & Jason's house - Beckenham

Date: Sunday 9th August, 2009

Choice: Heather

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan & Jason.

Heather & Jason moved in together last month so rather than go out to a pub Heather decided to have everyone around to their new abode and cook for us. She made an amazing vegetarian lasagne with a yummy salad with feta and loads of garlic bread. A big jug of Pimms was shared and after lunch we went for a walk through the local park which seemed a popular choice with locals, we got ice creams from the van in the park and walk around the park.

Cat & Mutton E8 4QJ

Date: Sunday 5th July, 2009

Choice: Angel

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan & Jason.

Guest:

This is an ultra-cool gastro pub right next to London Fields. Full of members of the unwashed tight jeans brigade, it's a very cool place to hang out and it looks like a place to be seen.

We couldn't book so we tried to get here nice and early, 12.30. There were loads of free tables inside but the few tables out the front were occupied by arty-student types. 6 of the 8 of us were there on time but Heather and Jason had missed a train so they were running a little late so we ordered anyway, then about 10 mins later Heather and Jason turned up and asked if they could order now but were told that the chef is stressed and they have too many food orders so they would have to wait to order. Considering we could see all the sides of beef and pork cooked and sitting on the heating tray we thought this was a bit odd.

We ordered the Roast Beef, the Pork and the Vegetarian option - Spinach and Ricotta Wellington.

The veggie option was great, it came with a tasty leek sauce and for a pub veggie option it was very interesting and inventive.

The beef was tender and the Pork succulent served with excellent crackling.

Potatoes were a bit chewy, not really the best in London. The Yorkshire puddings were pretty standard too.

We have to mention the Horseradish as it was AMAZING, unfortunately we did not ask if it was home made, the menu did not state it.

When the food came out there was pretty much silence, so that is a good sign of the food.

The only complaint would have been the staff, the aforementioned ordering issue and the staff seemed to be more interested in socialising with each other and looking cool than serving customers. For the couple of hours we were there the 2 blokes behind the bar just chatted to each other and we never saw them serve anyone, they just left it to the girl - who seemed new.

All in all a really nice Sunday Roast, just the small staffing issue.

Mains: £13.50 for the Beef

Desserts: none had, but looked very good!

website: catandmutton.co.uk

Bookings: not on Sunday

Phone: 020 254 5599

The Water Poet E1 6BX

Date: Sunday 10th May, 2009

Choice: Ellen

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan & Jason.

Overpriced, with measly servings of meat and 'outside' was in a 2-walled enclosure (with a roof) with football fans smoking and screaming at the television. Not really the setting for a relaxing Sunday roast.
The menu stated the roast chicken would be 1/2 a chicken and it was lucky to be a 1/4 or it was a very small chicken. We think they under-catered.
The roast beef consisted of 2 very small slices of beef (Justin said he has had slices of bacon thicker than these were), with a large Yorkshire pudding and both meals came with large unsliced baked vegetables. Imagine if you will a leek cut in half and shallow boiled, a cabbage cut in quarters and a carrot sliced in half. It was like they could not be arsed cutting up the vegetables, or (more likely) were trying to be achingly cool. The potatoes looked and tasted like they were roasted yesterday and then microwaved.
We did not bother with dessert in the fear of being disappointed again.
Needless to say we would not be back for the food here and do not recommend it.

Mains: £13.95 for the Beef!

Desserts: none had, mains were bad enough.

website: www.waterpoet.com

Bookings: yes

Phone: 020 7426 0495

Jolly Gardeners SW15 1NT

Date: Sunday 9th March, 2009

Choice: Justin

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan & Jason.

The pub is not that much to look at from the outside, there is a small beer garden at the front and we hear there is one out the back but it was so cosy inside we did not go and look. Inside there are board games and comfy sofas with eclectic furniture (our table was wonky).
The Roast Beef was tender but very fatty, the Chicken was really nice and fell off the bone, the Pork was tough, and unfortunately the Lamb was overcooked and tough, but on the plus side there was lots of gravy. The Nut Roast was exceptional (but could have been warmer) and all the vegetables were perfectly cooked - the mash was fantastic. All the meals came with massive yorkshire puds which look like they have been made in a big rectangular dish and cut up.

There is quite an impressive Lager selection here, and the Coonawarra Cab Sav particularly took Claire's fancy.
The ladies room was interesting, the girls came back telling us of the Victorian pornography wallpaper.
The highlight of the lunch were the sock monkeys, for £2.50 you get a paper bag filled with a pair of socks, needle and thread, sissors, 2 buttons and instructions on how to make your own sock monkey. We made 5 between us, it was a nice way to while the afternoon away, and the £2.50 goes to charity (childrens hospital).

Mains: £8.90 for the Beef, Chicken and Lamb.

Desserts: £3.50 each

website: www.thejollygardenerssw15.co.uk

Bookings: yes

Phone: 020 8789 2539

The Fat Badger. W10 5SY

Date: Sunday 18th January, 2009

Choice: Nate

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Siobhan & Nate.

The service was a bit slow, but the food was great. There is a very cool eclectic bar downstairs and upstairs is a cosy dining room with miss-matched dining tables, there is also art on the walls you can buy.

We had the Confit of Duck served with lentils and spinach, it was really well cooked, Heather said it 'fell off the bone'.

The beef was well cooked but there was no where near enough gravy, especially with such a huge yorkshire pud!

Mutton was served with cabbage and bacon and was good.

The vegetarian option was a nice change and an interesting offering, Pancakes with mushrooms.

The potatoes were lovely and crispy and the new potatoes were perfectly cooked.

Claire did say she misses her mums cooking, but we think that was more a sign that the food here was so good.

Mains: £14.50 for the Beef

Desserts: didn't have them the mains were so filling

website: www.thefatbadger.com

Bookings: yes

Phone: 020 8969 4500

Paradise, By way of Kensal Green W10 4AE

Date: Sunday 16th November, 2008

Choice: Heather's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Nate & Siobhan.

Guests: Taryn.

A 5 minute walk far from Kensal Green station is this gem of a gastropub. The interior is very ornate including curtains, a snug and several statues.

We had the bowls of olives but despite a tempting entree menu we went straight to the mains.

We tried the Lamb, Beef and the Pork, and the Wild Mushroom and Pumpkin Gnocchi. All were lovely, the meat was perfectly cooked. The red cabbage was great and the Yorkshire puddings were some of the best we have ever had. The potatoes were perfectly cooked in goose fat, and they had a vegetarian option for roast potatoes too.

Nate salivated over the Pork, he loved it and said the crackling was 'awesome'.

Deserts we ate were: Knickerbocker Glory (excellent), Pecan and Chocolate Tart (moist and perfect) and the Chocolate Pudding with Ice Cream (the pudding was unfortunately dry in the middle).

The staff were very friendly and efficient.

Celebrity spotting: Sophie Dahl and Jamie Cullum were spotted in the restaurant.

Mains: £14.50 for Roast Beef

Desserts: £5.75 (approx)

website: www.theparadise.co.uk

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 8969 0098

The Priory Arms SW8 2PB

Date: Sunday 12th October 2008

Choice: Claire's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Nate & Siobhan.

Guests: Sandie.

Just around the corner from Stockwell tube is this 'games pub'. There are loads of board games all piled up on a bookcase.

We tried the Roast Lamb & Roast Beef and the vegetarian option. The roasts were great and there was loads of food, they served the gravy on the side in gravy boats which was a really nice touch. They even had vegetarian gravy!

Deserts we ate were: Creme Brulee (ok) and Treacle pudding (yum!)

The staff seemed new so the service was really random and it took a while to get served (there were not a lot of people either). But the ambience of the place was perfect, there are loads of things to look at and the bar is surrounded by beer pump tags. We stayed on for hours drinking and playing Scrabble. The drinks were really reasonable, though that may just have been the new slow staff member.

Website: No
Bookings: No

Phone: 020 7622 1884

The Mayflower SE16 4NF

Date: Sunday 12th September, 2008

Choice: Siobhan's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel, Justin, Nate & Siobhan.

Guest: Steve

Right on the Thames, apparently near where the Pilgrims set off for the New World in 1620, this gorgeous looking rustic pub rebuilt in the 18th century is in the perfect setting for a Sunday Roast.
It was a bit posher than our usual pubs - ie. there were tablecloths! The floorboards squeeked and there were quotes painted on the walls.
The menu was extensive with loads of specials - mostly seafood. They also served springbok and kangaroo (which were both tried and were very good) and also the traditional Sunday Roast (about £12) and a couple of vegetarian options, but they were very average.

For an entree a couple of us tried the deep fried camembert with cranberry sauce (about £5) which was brilliant. They served an assortment of bread and we had olives.

The mussels were not great, the bangers and mash serving was massive, the portions generally were very large.

The bloke that took our orders really did not want to be there, he seemed a bit jaded and was not particularly helpful. The other waiters were not much better but the food was great.

The staff were very friendly and efficient.
Apparently the steak and cheese pie is brilliant (a couple of our group had been before and tried it).

Website: themayflowerpub.co.uk

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 7237 4088

Angel & Ellen's house, SE15

Date: Sunday 27th July, 2008

Choice: Angel's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Angel & Ellen.

Guests: Sandie, Mat, Suzie & Buster.

For a change to the routine we decided to have a BBQ at Angel & Ellen's new flat in Nunhead. It was a perfect summers day (which are so very rare in London!). Just chilling out in the garden (another rare thing in London) drinking beers, Pimms and some lovely BBQ food.

Mains: £very reasonable

Website: No

Bookings: No

Phone: now, that would be telling!

The Queen's Head, W6 7BL

Date: Sunday 18th May 2008

Choice: Justin's

Who was there: Heather, Claire, Justin, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan and Nate.

Guests: Steve.

The Queen's head has a wonderful beer garden out the back and lots of little nooks to explore. You order your food at the bar and they bring it out to you. It was a little bit cool the day we went but inside was busy and we scored a table in the sunshine.
Most of us had mains and desserts, and not everyone had the roast, which was not very good. A couple of us had burgers. We ordered a plate of roast vegetables as there was no vegetarian option and even asking if the gravy was meat and saying we didn't want it, they covered the vegetables with the meat gravy!

There were specials on desserts!!!

It's certainly a summer pub. But not one of the best on our journey.

Website: No
Bookings: No

Phone: 020 7603 3174

The Garrison SE1 3XB

Date: Sunday 20th April, 2008
Choice: Heather's

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Heather, Angel, Ellen, Nate & Siobhan.

Really cool gastropub on Bermondsey street! The service was great, the food perfect, we had a table where we sat on stools in the middle of the pub, there was such a great atmosphere. It felt like being in someones living room.
There was a great roast selection, and a vegetarian roast option.

Definitely a favourite, but quite expensive.

Mains: about £20

Desserts: about £6

Website: thegarrison.co.uk

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 7089 9355 (reservations)

The Roebuck, SE1 4YG

Date: Sunday 18th November, 2007

Choice: Siobhan's

Who was there: Siobhan Angel Ellen Claire Justin and Heather.

Not too far from Borough Market, this pub is very welcoming, especially since it was teeming with rain the day we went. The tables and chairs are all miss-matched, it seems to be a trend.

The roasts were amazing: Pork, Beef, Lamb and a Nut roast! They only had roasts, and the wines were really lovely.

Mains: £very reasonable

Website: theroebuck.net

Bookings: Yes

Phone: 020 7357 7324

The Settle Inn SW11 3AE

Date: Sunday 29th July, 2007

Choice: Claire's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Justin, Angel, Ellen and Siobhan.

Guests: Sally, Laura and Tarryn

Not too far from Battersea Bridge and the 'glasss house' is this big pub with a great beer garden and rustic tables and benches.
The food was nice, tasty deserts and not too many people when we first got here but the place soon filled up.
It was Claire's birthday so we had 2 venues this month. We didn't come here for a roast, just as well as they did not have one, just typical pub food.

Bookings: Apparently it's now closed, and it has a new name

The Greyhound TW9 3AP

Date: Sunday 15th July, 2007

Choice: Ellen's

Who was there: Angel, Ellen, Claire & Justin

The place was pretty quiet for a Sunday. It was pretty drab too, not much atmosphere. It was raining, and for a Summer day, quite cold, and it was quite cold in the pub - it has really high ceilings which probably does not help trying to keep it warm.

There was a garden out the back which looks like it would be lovely on a (sunny) Summers day.

The food was really good, Ellen said it was one of the best roasts she has had so far! Unfortunately they did not have a vegetarian gravy option so a very dry plate of veggies was had.

Website: no

Bookings: not that we know of

Phone: 020 8940 0071

The Old Ship W6 9TD

Date: Sunday 13th May, 2007

Choice:

Who was there: Claire, Angel, Ellen, Siobhan, Heather.

Guest: Felicity

This has always been a favorite. It's a bit of a walk from Hammersmith tube, but it's a lovely walk along the Thames.

The roast servings are always delicious and generous, 3 types of potatoes, lots of veg and several large slices of beef, and yorkshire puddings - plus the option to buy more! Angel has been coming here for years.

If you are lucky enough to get a table on a Sunday outside on a sunny summers day, it is the most perfect place to while away the afternoon with friends.

There is usually a veggie option but they get a but flustered when you ask for just the vegetables as your main (instead of the veggie option).

Website: www.oldshipw6.com

Bookings: Yes at the restaurant

Phone: 020 8748 2593

Village East, SE1 3UW

Date: Sunday 1st April 2007

Choice: Heather's

Who was there: Claire, Justin, Angel, Ellen and Heather

A bit pricier than the usual place we go to. We wanted to go to the Garrison but it was booked out and we did not think to book. The food was not particularly memorable.

It's more a restaurant than a pub, not warm and cosy, quite clinical and sterile. We wished we had booked the Garrison.
Ellen lost her earrings afterwards which was upsetitng as they were her birthday present.

Website: villageeast.co.uk
Bookings: Yes

Phone:0207 537 6082

Lockside Lounge NW1 8AF

Date: Sunday 25th February, 2007

Choice: Justin's

Who was there: Angel, Claire, Justin, Heather, Siobhan.

This pub/restaraunt is upstairs above the market just near the Canal in Camden. Above the hustle and bustle of the market, this place did a mean burger. It's more a pub than a bar.
Ellen was away on a skiing trip and the day before Angel had bought the engagement ring and told all the group that he was going to ask Ellen when he took her away for her birthday in March.


Website: lockside lounge

Bookings: No
Phone: 0207 248 0007

The Pigs Ear, SW3 5BS

Date: Sunday 12th November, 2006

Choice: Claire's

Who was there: Angel, Ellen, Claire & Heather.
Guest: Nanna

This was a nice find by Claire. Tucked back in the streets of Chelsea, we had a bit of hassle getting a table (get here early) but Ellen managed to meet someone she used to share a flat with and we scored their table when they left.
The menu was simple and great, mains around £12. It seemed very popular among the locals too.
They have a restaraunt too.

Website: the pigs ear
Bookings: Not in the bar.

Phone: 020 7352 2908

The Old Ship (Richmond) TW9 1ND

Date: Sunday 1st October, 2006

Choice: Ellen's

Who was there: Claire, Heather, Justin, Angel & Ellen.

This is a small pub in Richmond, Ellen actually thought it was a different pub when she chose it. It was a cold and wet day and the pub was very cosy and the food was pretty standard for a chain pub.

website: No

Bookings: No

Phone: 020 8940 3461

The Phoenix, SW1E 5JA

Date: Sunday 15th August, 2006

Choice: Claire's

Who was there: Heather, Claire, Justin, Angel & Ellen.

Guests: Tania and Paul.

It's a lovely looking pub, very cosy and wood panelled walls.
The food is overpriced but nice, though not for the price. We had a nice big table and there is table service. On a Sunday it is quiet, and enjoyable.
The staff were a little snobby and there were no vegetarian options!
It's part of the same group that owns the Builders Arms.

Website: thephoenix
Bookings: Yes, via their website.

Phone: