I visited 'The Roebuck' on a blisteringly hot October afternoon specifically to try their much vaunted Sunday Roast Lunch.
I walked in at 12:30pm and approached the bar. The friendly bartender recommended I go to the back if I wanted table service.
A rather large lady said: The tables were all booked, even though I know it doesn't look like it, why not find a seat in the garden
Considering she herself had just returned from said garden you think she would have realised it was jam packed. Undaunted I returned to the pub area with the friendly guys who took my order and I went to sit down with a lager in hand.
The plate arrived surprisingly quickly and consisted of a large slice of roast beef with a lot of fat on it, some sliced carrots and cabbage leaves with a thin gravy, two large roast potato chunks, a generous dollop of horseradish sauce and a large Yorkshire pudding on top.
The beef was juicy, rare and tender enough to be cut with the regular knife they had given me. Good, but not great.
The problem was that once I had trimmed the fat off there was not really much there.
The potatoes had a nice crispy texture but were a little undercooked on the inside.
The horseradish was really hot AND creamy and suited the beef nicely.
The carrots & cabbage were nothing special and made me wonder if the plates were at least partially pre-done (?) the gravy was OK but I prefer a thicker more flavourful style.
The Yorkshire pud was lovely and probably the best component of the meal in terms of standard.
Obviously, my expectations were high as 'The Roebuck' proudly states Its official we have been voted by W4 website as having the best Sunday Roast in Chiswick! on its own webpage.
I personally found it struggling to reach OK overall.
Some years ago I found the nearby 'High Road Brasserie' served Chiswick's best Sunday Roast and nothing I have since sampled had led me to change my opinion, certainly not from here. read more