Foodepedia just dined at a great spot for Sunday roast, which you should visit too. And here is why.
The Sunday roast hotspot is called Smith’s Bar and Grill, located right on the canal a few meters away from Paddington station.
Its floor to ceiling windows overlooking the canal, plenty of straw lamp shades and flower baskets suspended in the ceiling make it a relaxing and warming setting. As well as highly Instagramable.
The menu offers a great selection of dishes to please all tastes. I was particularly excited to find so many raw fish and seafood dishes at a restaurant that also serves the British classic – Sunday roast.
Obviously I couldn’t miss all the raw fish so we ordered tuna tartare, trio of raw fish and octopus carpaccio. Trio of fish is a striking a large bowl filled with ice, served with wasabi and mooli vermicelli. It looked and tasted just like one in a Japanese restaurant.
The tuna tartare was on the smaller side but very freshly delectable. It disappeared off the plate in no time. My guest and I even stopped chatting as we were too busy pushing the tuna cubes onto the thin crisp with our folks. Before we knew it, it was gone.
The carpaccio was simple yet flawless, you really don’t need many spices for a well prepared octopus. Its texture and slightly sweet delicate flavour speaks for itself, paired well with virgin olive oil and fresh black pepper.
We paired our starters with dry martini for my guest and a refreshing piña colada for me. When we just arrived I walked past a bar, which had just prepared two piña coladas.
They sat on the bar proud in gin like glasses with intricate design before the bartender promptly took them to a nearby table. I think I even smelled the coconut as I passed by. So my drink choice was made for me way before I even opened the drinks menu.
My cocktail expectations were met, the piña colada was on the refreshing side with plenty of zesty pineapple and just a dash of creamy coconut milk.
Our mains followed shortly after, which were 28-days matured chateaubriand for my guest and 35- days matured picanha for me. Picanha is more known as a rump or sirloin cap here, first became popular in Brazil and later Portugal.
Our dinner was flowing well just like the boats on the Paddington canal, but if I must find one flaw in our visit then it’ll be the Yorkshire puddings. With restaurant Yorkshires I always expect a bit of eccentric homemade shapes but these were rather uniform and reserved.
Shape does not matter as such, but the flavour-wise they were not the best I’ve tried either, somehow they were a bit too savoury and even vinegary.
But the rest of the mains I cannot fault, each vegetable was prepped to its cooking requirements. The honey glazed carrots had those nice slightly burnt roasted edges. While spring broccoli was steamed sustaining its crunchy texture and bright green colour.
And the potatoes were creamy inside, but with just the right finish. I tent to be the pickiest with potatoes and I don’t know why but potatoes often fall a victim of overdrying in roasts. These weren’t.
Finally the meat was remarkable. I do love grass fed beef, you can really taste the difference in the meat and both cuts arrived medium rare as requested.
We found the dishes at Smith’s Bar and Grill are quite reserved leaving space for dessert. The highlight without doubt was basque cheesecake. It was sweet and creamy with almost like crème brulee notes. It comes toped with fresh zingy passion fruit and mango.
Although priced at £12, and on the smaller side, it’s worth the price, the cheesecake alone justifies the journey. I would recommend almond pie too though with its crumbly yet moist texture, just like in Spain.
Smith’s Bar and Grill runs a bottomless red wine offering for the Sunday roast. Choose between Cintila Red 2020 Peninsula De Setubal for £15pp or Malbec, Cincos Finca, Mendoza £25pp for 90 minutes. They also offer roasts to share including whole free range poussin, pork belly, lamb leg, picanha and of course chateaubriand.
Smith’s Bar and Grill, 25 Sheldon Square, London W2 6EP