British food, warm service, great ambience and a cracking wine list. Just a few of the things Rotunda promise to offer according to their website. It’s my second time here now, with my last visit being back in 2015 and it’s changed so much since then. With a gorgeous outdoor terrace on the Regent’s Canal, Rotunda is a hidden gem in the heart of Kings Cross.
The restaurant has recently undergone a massive renovation, now unrecognisable from its previous guise and it’s looking fantastic. Lots of gold, rich oranges, marble and slick copper finished dining tables. With its own farm in the Northumberland countryside, where all its beef and lamb is exclusively sourced – Rotunda know exactly what they’re doing when it comes to meat, or anything else for that matter.
Of course every weekend lunch deserves a good start and so we ordered a couple of cocktails – for research purposes of course. The barrel aged old-fashioned was I’m told by my other half, too good to want just a single one glass of. Whilst my Bloody Mary addiction continues and hand on heart I can say this is one the best I’ve had all year. It looked so fresh and it tasted just as much, with a good helping of spicy to tingle the palate.
Two of my favourite dishes were the very first ones to arrive. Salt smoked heritage beetroot, torched goats cheese, pomegranate, balsamic, molasses and hazelnuts. It was such an incredibly satisfying plate of food – absolutely packed with flavour and textures. The wild mushrooms with snails, served on beef dripping toast was like biting into a piece of heaven. Rich, decadent, juicy. To put it bluntly – absolutely delicious. If there was one thing you shouldn’t miss out on here, it’s the starters.
Another weekend must order? An epic Sunday roast of course. Following the restaurants gate to plate ethos, when the beef and lamb arrives from their farm – it is then hung and butchered on site before being prepared by the chefs. There aren’t many restaurant in London that source from their very own farm. The roast topside of Corneyside Farm beef really was cooked beautifully and it comes served with roast potatoes (these needed a little work), roasted white onion, whole confit carrot and seasonal greens. The jus is utterly divine.
If there was ever one thing Rotunda know how to execute perfectly, it’s a good quality piece of 280g sirloin steak. Rotunda’s dedication to food starts in their Corneyside Farm in Matfen, Northumberland – from where as I mentioned they source all of their beef and lamb. The béarnaise is excellent for dipping that meat in to and if you really want to take this dish to new heights, order a side of the charred hispi cabbage, salsa verde and toasted hazelnuts. It might well change your weekend.
We barely had any room left for dessert, but all in the name of research we gave them our best efforts. A delightfully rich and decadent triple toffee apple trifle, topped with a baby toffee apple for garnish. Flavour wise it was a delicious dessert, but it wasn’t quite set and needed a bit more structure to become a favourite.
Better still was the coconut and pistachio tart with citrus and white chocolate. The flavours here were spot on, visually it was stunning to look at and with an espresso to finish it was a real treat. If I had to make one change it would be those grapefruit segments turned into a sauce or gel instead, but it was still a fabulous ending to what was a delicious meal.
It was so great to be back at Rotunda and whilst it’s always been a staple to the King’s Cross dining scene, it’s really cemented itself again in what is an ever-changing and competitive area of London. They’ve done a fantastic job on the refurb making the room look almost unrecognisable and the food has been given a fresh new update – but the same impeccable service still remains. I love Rotunda and if you’ve not been, you should soon.
NB: My meal was complimentary. All views are as always, my own. My views are not influenced by anyone other than my own palate and slightly poor eyesight.
That steak and Sunday roast both looks fantastic! I would definitely order the coconut and pistachio tart!