Last Updated on September 27, 2024
Could this be the Best Sunday Roast in London?
Blacklock’s popularity on Sundays forced us to Book a few months in advance to secure the timeslot we wanted at their Soho restaurant. All the London branches are booked up on Sundays weeks if not months in advance, although if you are in town and willing to kill time while you wait, you might well be able to grab a walk-in.
The Soho branch, the original Blacklock, seems to be the most popular and, if you are intent on checking out an iconic offer, then you should opt for that location (as we did). I can’t vouch for the quality of the other branches because, despite living in London for almost all of my adult life, I’ve never been to any of them but the offer is the same at each restaurant. There are five in total in London – and one newly opened in Manchester.
Arrive at a somewhat nondescript shabby black door in the heart of Soho and make your way downstairs to the cellar restaurant and bar that is equal parts cosy and frayed, housed in what used to be a brothel and lap-dancing club. The decor wears its history well: a bit rough around the edges, yes, but charmingly so, with an easy warmth that draws you in.
It’s busy, but not claustrophobic—a rare feat in London’s competitive dining scene, where squeezing in an extra table or two is often seen as good business sense. Thankfully, the owners resist that temptation here. The space hums with life, a steady buzz of conversation that feels upbeat without tipping into chaos, allowing you to relax in your seat without shouting across the table. It’s that delicate balance between lively and comfortable that makes the place such a success. You sense that the restaurant knows exactly what it’s doing—fostering a mood that keeps diners coming back, not just for the food, but for the atmosphere itself.
The menu for Sunday at Blacklock Soho is concise. There are two special cocktails – a ‘Beefy Mary’ (a bloody Mary with beef jus and smoke) and a Breakfast Martini – gin and lemon sweetened with orange marmalade to create a pretty, cloudy yellow drink that my companion said had an amazing zingy flavour. From the main drinks menu, there is a selection of non-alcoholic cocktails and, in anticipation of wine to come, I picked the Nogroni, a refreshing mix of bitter orange and cinnamon flavours over ice.
There are three starters on offer – crayfish cocktail, pig’s head on toast or mushrooms on toast. With more anticipation here (we’ve been drooling over Instagram pics from Blacklock ever since booking), we decided to share the mushrooms on toast. It was an excellent choice – we loved the creamy truffled mushroom topping on a big chunk of sourdough. And, I’d go so far as to say it was also a wise choice.
Sharing the ‘All In’ is absolutely the right thing to do at Blacklock Soho, unless someone in your group has a very specific preference. It is, to quote the menu ‘A heady mix of Beef, Lamb and Pork Roasts’ and will set you back £26 per person. You’ll get Yorkshire pudding of course, duck fat roast potatoes, seasonal veg and as much gravy as you can consume (the staff walk around with a thermos topping up the gravy jugs).
My companion is a sucker for cauliflower cheese and so the ‘Cauliflower & Four Cheeses’ was obligatory. Although I’m not sure it was quite a match for Mt Vesuvius, it was utterly delicious and light enough to work well with the roast with a beautifully crispy cheesy top. We also tried the braised red cabbage, newly on the menu and one of my own winter staples. Another great addition to a roast dinner.
What’s particularly impressive about the Blacklock All-in is that each one of the components is just so. The pork crackling really is crisp, the roast beef rare and full of flavour, the potatoes are crispy on the outside and meltingly soft and fluffy and the voluminous Yorkshire puds are light as a feather and perfect for mopping up the rich meaty gravy.
Definitely worth saving space for, the light creamy topping is finished with shards of white chocolate and then a dollop of seasonal berry compote.
Blacklock Soho is the kind of place where you leave feeling equal parts euphoric and a bit unbuttoned. It’s as if the heavens opened and rained down perfectly roast beef, Yorkshire puddings and rich gravy that could make you weep. There’s something unapologetically indulgent about Blacklock. You sit down ready for a feast that’s less fine dining, and more ‘why have I never had meat this good?’
The menu is simple—because why complicate perfection?— and it’s the meat that steals the show. But Blacklock isn’t just about the food; it’s about the atmosphere, that rare, buzzing alchemy of loud chatter, drinks flowing, and the clinking of plates as the staff whisk off every last morsel.
By the end, you’re hugging your stomach, promising yourself you won’t eat for a week, knowing full well you’ll be back at Blacklock. Because it’s just that good. Prices are reasonable – the indulgent ‘all in’ will set you back £26 per person and the wine list includes bottles for £28 with plenty of options in the £30-£45 price range. So, if you want an excuse NOT to cook your own Sunday roast, why not try Blacklock?