ROAST SERIES: Bistro Union

In the heart of Abbeville Road, this little gem (and it truly is a gem) is the sort of place you might stumble upon and you’ll be glad you did. It’s off the beaten track of the usual Clapham high street stomping ground and you’ll probably be familiar with its sleek, Michelin-starred sister restaurant, Trinity, in Old Town. This place is filled with cosy neighbourhood charm, making it a bolt hole that is well worth a visit on a Sunday.

Ambience:

It’s chilled, quiet and family friendly. It’d be a great option if you want a roast but don’t want to be in a pub- it’s much more ‘restaurant’ than pub, but the roasts are just as good. It definitely feels elevated inside there but it’s nowhere near pretentious. It’s got what you need for a lovely, civilised Sunday.

The Food:

And speaking of the food. Everything is made in-house by Chef Andy and his team and- spoiler alert- it’s divine. We were welcomed with a slice of their home made sourdough and big dollop of their home-churned butter which was so good we couldn’t resist but ask for a second serving. For mains, we went for our classic roast beef order and, because there are no vegetarian options for roasts, for the partridge. The latter isn’t an offering we’ve seen on another Sunday menu in Clapham, so we were excited to give it a try. Each roast came with a fluffy homemade Yorkshire, a very fragrant braised red cabbage, huge sweet carrots, extra seasonal vegetables and beef fat roast potatoes that literally made us go “phwooar!”, they were that good. The beef itself was glorious. It came out perfectly pink which is just how we asked and we appreciated it being sliced thick enough to be juicy but not so thick to be overwhelming. Strongly recommend. 

The whole roast partridge was so impressive. The knife sliced right through the tender meat and the plate was a real showstopper. To finish we had the clementine and almond tart which was a real triumph. As is the theme with Bistro Union, it was made from scratch. There are no short cuts here and the proof was in the pudding; it managed to be not too sweet or sickly, but rather fresh and delicious.

Standouts:

We must mention the gravy. We were sceptical at first because it looked a little thin for our taste but how wrong we were! It’s a real labour of love from the kitchen, the beef gravy is made the day before and cooked all day at 150 degrees. On Sunday red wine is added and it is reduced and- wow- the flavour of that slow cook process really shone. It was the perfect, silky ‘glue’ for the rest of the elements on our plate.

All of the ingredients here speak for themselves. They use St Ewe eggs for the Yorkshire puddings which give them a beautiful golden hue and the fresh produce is really top notch. It means that very little, other than a few flairs from the skilled chefs, is needed to make the plate taste good and they really nailed that.

Price:

2 courses: £38pp, 3 courses: £44pp.

Considering the care and quality that turns up on your plate, we think this a really reasonable price. And you’re basically forced to have a pud! Fine by us. If you’re looking for something different and premium for your Sunday roast, come here. You won’t regret it.

THE ROAST SERIES: We are on a journey to discover some of the very best Sunday roasts in Clapham. Each will have remarks 4 categories: Ambience, The Food, Price and Standouts to make it clear what it is we loved about each one. We will aim to order similarly in every place we try to give you the clearest indication of how it compares to the rest of the neighbourhood.  Stay tuned to find your favourite.