What’s more British than a roast on Sundays? Apart from beans on toast, Heinz cream of tomato soup and fish finger sandwiches that is. Many establishments offer a roast, most of them are average to awful but a few are truly worth leaving the house for. Is there a worse feeling then ordering a roast, handing over the cash and realising you could have done better at home?
Thankfully anyone with a Facebook account has access to the Bristol Sunday Roast Club to help guide you away from the flashy types that promise you the earth and deliver rubbish and into the arms of the pubs that care more about what goes onto you roast than even your nan does.
Luckily The Bank Tavern know their way around a roasting tin and the value for money is outstanding. This team serve three courses of proper, home-cooked food, made to the highest standard in a cosy wee pub in the centre.
The BF and I headed over last Sunday for a good feed, with the Christmas horror now descending on us and him being a shop owner, it’s potentially the last time we could. We had to book a good week in advance because everything that’s good is hard to get, the pub seats 24 comfortably so do bear in mind that walk-ins don’t usually get that lucky.
To start I ordered the pigeon and he ordered the crayfish. Sam the landlord likes to procure as much of the meaty menu elements as he can so you will often find more exciting items than your usual pig or cow. The pigeon and crayfish were presented beautifully with a warning of shot for pigeon for those not used to eating game.
The pigeon wasn’t gamey at all thank goodness as sometimes it gets a bit too livery for my taste and was served with a myriad of punchy pear, pickled and crunchy walnut and earthy, sweet beetroot. The crayfish consomme sported samphire, cod, pancetta and surprise caviar. The small amount of consomme I tried was sweet with plenty of crayfish flavour and was very generous with the cod and pancetta. Definitely something a bit different to start a meal off.
We both had beef for main and it was served rare. The potatoes were crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle and showed no sign of being put near a deep fat fryer. It’s like some place don’t know, that we know, when they do that. There were plenty of vegetables and a huge, crispy Yorkshire pudding crowned this royalty of roasts. The cauliflower cheese puree was an absolute gamechanger and I want this on everything I ever eat in the future.
To finish I chose poorly.
The chocolate torte was rich, thick and indulgent. The buttery biscuit base was heavenly and the honeycomb on the side delightfully glued my teeth together. However, my BF’s steamed pear pudding with marshmallow and cream was knock out. How silly I was to think that anything could top a steamed pudding after a meal of pigeon and roast beef.
More fool me.
Price wise, you won’t believe it.
Starters – £4.45
Main – £9.95
Dessert – £4.45
Three courses – £15
I KNOW.
You can find the Bank Tavern website here, Facebook here, Twitter here and Instagram here.
Bedsit Bonne Vivante 
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