Bacchus review – Roasts with the most

To all you gravy-loving Yorkshire pudding fetishists, here’s a place that’s sure to appeal. Bacchus Sundays is a new kitchen in Hoxton where the only thing on the menu is a roast dinner.

Apart from the food, there are two reasons I like it. The first is that they do one thing and they do it really well. The second is that it’s sticking around.

I love the creativity of the pop-up bar, and the restaurant model, but it sometimes feels like a competition in Instagrammable gimmickry that credits style over substance, so it’s good to see these guys run with their convictions.

We eased into the afternoon with a couple of exotic-looking champagne Pimms cocktails on the sunny pavement outside. Stuffed with vivid green mint leaves and ruby red strawberries, they tasted as good as they looked.

To start with we had a fresh and zingy mid-Atlantic prawn cocktail and some succulent ham hock terrine cut through nicely with sharp cornichons slices.

For mains you simply pick from beef, lamb, chicken, pork or nut roast, and there’s even a ‘bit of everything’ option for the indecisive.

We went with the pork belly and the Angus beef, both of which were really good as were the roast beetroot and glazed carrots, which make a pleasant variation.

The gravy was perfect and the stuffing for the pork was deficient only in there not being more of it.

The restaurant is an off-shoot from the Bacchus Pub & Kitchen, formerly a boxing club that interestingly took its name from nearby Bacchus Walk rather than the Greek god of wine.

Apparently the street used to connect Hoxton High Street to Pimlico Gardens – the late 17th century botanical gardens that were swallowed up during the industrialisation of the East End.

History lessons aside, if roasts are your thing then this is your place. Take the papers, see off the hangover with a Mug of Mary cocktail and tuck into some excellent grub this Sunday.

Bacchus Sundays
12-18 Hoxton Street, N1 6NG
bacchuspubandkitchen.com