Roast's picture-perfect pitch

As a foodie's paradise, awash with fresh British produce, there can't be many better locations than Borough Market for a restaurant that champions British food.

And it's not just all the fresh fish and organic meat and veg on the doorstep that makes it such an ideal venue - the building itself takes some beating. It looms impressively over the market from the upper deck of the Floral Hall, with its lofty ceilings and tall, arched windows, from which diners can catch a glimpse of St Paul's in the distance.

All-in-all it sounds very hard for Roast to fail. But the brainchild of Cinnamon Club owner Iqbal Wahhab has had a few teething problems and some rather mixed reviews.

Firstly, the interior is a bit of an anomaly. You can't help but be impressed by its sheer size and the airy, light space provides a grand backdrop but the overall design is rather corporate and seems at odds with the market scene below.

Then there's the menu. Wahhab wanted to attract both market traders and City traders alike and has created a menu that reflects the market’s produce. Meat comes from the Ginger Pig below and the fish from Furness whose pitch is opposite. Sillfield Farm supplies bacon for the breakfasts and Turnips deliver the required quota of fresh vegetables.

The dishes created from these quality ingredients sound as fabulous as they should. Starters include mulligatawny with Neal's Yard Yoghurt, potted shrimps, Scotch broth and shredded black pig with red onion marmalade and toast. Fish features heavily in the main courses, with organic salmon, grilled sea bass, smoked haddock and monkfish with sea beet all making an appearance alongside grilled rare ox hearts, 28-day aged Scotch beef and Tamworth pork chops.

But the transfer from menu to the plate has been made with varying success. Our Cornish crab cake was substantial and filling but needed the added zing of the dressing on the accompanying chickweed salad. The grilled pumpkin was a pleasing mix of al dente slices and soft, diced chunks but the large dollop of goat's curd it was served with could have done with more flavour to avoid tasting like crème fraiche.

For main course, the baked smoked haddock on a bed of spinach was full of flavour, though a little dry, whilst the deliciously tender roasted Banham chicken fell off the bone and was accompanied by a juicy spiral of Ayrshire bacon and a generous pot of thick bread sauce.

The desserts, all sounding temptingly stodgy, were again a mixed affair. Our egg custard tart with rhubarb slices could have come from any high street bakery but the sticky date pudding was thick and rich with a wonderfully sweet butterscotch sauce.

With a meal for two costing around £100, it might be a bit unrealistic to think that Roast can draw in the market traders and City folk in equal measure but it's an interesting venue and will hopefully be a success. Perhaps, with a softening of the atmosphere and tweaking of the prices, traders from both quarters can dine in harmony - the sort of harmony befitting such a picture perfect view.

Roast
Stoney Street, London, SE1 1TL