Sundays at Rotunda: Beef Club or Roasts @ Home?

Not only does the Rotunda feature pretty large in our list of essential summer hangouts – its curving waterside terrace offering enviable views over the bobbing narrow boats – it’s also something of a go-to at the weekend.

Why? Because despite its central King’s Cross location, it always feels a secret, tucked away from the madding crowds of Granary Square. And with its big windows, and outside garden, it’s the perfect calm space to tuck into Sunday Beef Club, a leisurely four-course daytime feast paired with easygoing drinks. Better still, if you prefer, you can also have your roast delivered to your home (see box-out below).

As has been the case since it opened over a decade ago, meat is sourced from the restaurant’s own Corneyside Farm in Northumberland. While meat-free options exist on the menu, the emphasis is – and has long been – quite firmly on all things butchery.

If you participate in Sunday Beef Club, over four courses you can tuck into the best of sea and land, from amuse bouches with a fiery Bloody Mary (or a glass of fizz, if you prefer) to a sharing platter of seafood with sourdough: there’s Bow-based H.Forman’s smoked salmon, a crab shell stuffed with both brown and white meat and big, fleshy Atlantic prawns in tangy marie rose sauce.

The centrepiece is, of course, sensational roast sirloin (as with the Roasts @ Home, see below): slabs of ruddy meat with a whole heap of mouthwatering duck fat potatoes, carrots, mange tout charred al dente and outsize, pillowy Yorkshire puds. A jug of umami-packed dark gravy brings the whole damn thing together.

And this rather awesome set menu also includes a bottle of house wine per couple, plus an after-lunch espresso martini, once you’ve tucked into light, summery desserts of, say, tiramisu or trifle.

Please note it is advisable to pre-order Beef Club, as it is served on a first come, first served basis. To guarantee your membership to the club, select Beef Club when making your booking. Better still, throughout August, Rotunda is knocking £10 off the price per person. More details here.

Get it delivered: Roasts @ Home

Maybe you still don’t feel comfortable dining out? Or you just want the feast brought to you to serve in the shadiest spot in your garden? The good news is that whether it’s for two, or you have the whole family visiting, you can now pre-order everything you need for your Sunday roast at home, lovingly pre-prepared by Rotunda chefs.

Choose from either free-range chicken, Texel lamb or beef from the restaurant’s Corneyside Farm, all complete with the same wonderful potatoes, roasted root vegetables, seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding, chef’s gravy and sauces we mentioned above.

Orders also include your choice of a bottle of red, Ai Galera, Poetico, or white Pecorino Vinicola Carassanese, Linea Miru’. And because you always need something sweet after Sunday lunch, they’ll chuck in some chocolate bites made by the on-site baker.

All you need to do is follow the heating instructions to enjoy restaurant quality food from the comfort of your own home – the best of both worlds, surely?

Roasts @ Home costs from £39 for 2 with selected wine. Free delivery within a 2-mile radius of the restaurant or collection. £5 delivery charge within the rest of London. Order by 10am Saturday for delivery before midday on Sunday. Order your Roast @ Home today by clicking here and selecting Roasts @ Home from the dropdown menu.