The London restaurant which is officially home to one of the best Sunday roasts in Britain

Publish date: 2024-06-18

Roast dinners are a staple across the country, whether you’re tucking into one at home or treating yourself to one at a restaurant.

But when it comes to finding the best the country has to offer, a survey done by the Rate Good Roasts Instagram page found two of the top ten roasts can be found right here in London.

12:51 in Islington landed in second position, while The Thomas Cubitt in Belgravia came in eighth place.

READ MORE:Seven best London restaurants you need to visit next year after being named the top in the UK

Each roast dinner is marked out of ten in several different categories, including meat, veg, service, venue, and value.

The review also looks at specific items such as the quality of the potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire Puddings, and sides.

The roast is then given an overall mark out of 100% - 12:51 scored 94%.

Great British Menu winner James Cochran’s 12:51 scored full marks for their meat (beef), venue, potatoes, service, gravy, and Yorkshire puds.

The £25 per person roast includes 42 day aged sirloin of Belted Galloway Beef, horseradish cream, cauliflower cheese, carrot puree, chargrilled hispi cabbage, beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, and smoked bone marrow gravy.

12:51’s roast was pipped to the post by chef Tom Kerridge’s Bull & Bear at the Stock Exchange Hotel in Manchester, scoring 95%.

James started out at Wheeler’s Oyster Bar in his hometown of Whitstable at the age of 14, where he was swiftly promoted from the sink to the stove.

From the seafront of Kent to the city of London, James landed a trial at The Ledbury under the tutelage of Brett Graham.

He spent nine years under Brett’s mentorship, five years at The Ledbury then four years at the Michelin-starred gastropub The Harwood Arms.

After leaving The Harwood Arms in 2013, James found himself getting involved in London’s pop-up scene before opening his first restaurant James Cochran EC3, which gained rave reviews.

In 2018, after a dispute with the owners of James Cochran EC3, the chef moved onto a new adventure - starring on and winning the Great British Menu, and opening 12:51.

Found along Islington’s Upper Street, 12:51 is inspired by James Vincentian and Scottish heritage, with a penchant for scotch bonnet.

The restaurant offers its Sunday Roast menu alongside a five course Tasting Menu, which can change with new seasonal ingredients.

You’ll find a meat and veggie option at 12:51, including dishes such as its Beetroot and chicken liver parfait macaroon with cherry gel, Chestnut soup with cheese and Guinness on toast, roast onions, celeriac and apple, and Amaretto meringue with spiced apple crumble, and clementine and cardamom ice cream.

And if you really want a taste of James Cochran at home, his very own Scotch Bonnet Jam is available to buy at 12:51, where it’s a staple, or online.

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During the Covid-19 lockdown, James set up his Around the Cluck food delivery service where you could tuck into his Buttermilk Jamaican jerk chicken.

So if you’re a fan of a stellar roast dinner, or want to tuck into some fiery grub, you should keep 12:51 in mind.

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