Roast Dinners in London

It was the first officially sanctioned Sunday Funday of 2026, and we laboured our way to a booking at The Prince Arthur near London Fields.

And do you know who else had a fun day this week?

oh this image is "funny" to you is it. grow up

— cones (@cones.bsky.social) 2026-04-01T12:26:01.912Z

Yep, Kristi Noem, dog-killer and previously part of the Trump crime family’s protection scheme, her husband managed to introduce a new sexual fetish to me, and much of the world.

Not personally, of course. My only fetish involves Spanish women (or Margaret Thatcher) and a swimming pool of gravy. Large bathtub perhaps acceptable.

BIMBOIFICATION.

Not even seen it on my Pornhub days before Nadine Dorries stopped us using it. Though it did give me inspiration for my outfit on Sunday.

Worryingly, I actually used to have those sunglasses. In my Ibiza party days. Worrying as in how does Google know this, not as in worrying style-wise.

I only wanted a nice roast dinner, Pauline

So I was looking for somewhere for a Sunday Funday at Easter weekend, and my regular accomplice had stumbled across The Prince Arthur one midweek, and been impressed by their short rib of beef, if I recall the meat correctly.

Unexpectedly, everyone I asked was around at Easter weekend so suddenly the table for 4 that I had booked became a table for 8, then 12, then 10.

And then The Prince Arthur wanted pre-orders. Fair enough request I guess with a large table, though I much prefer deciding on the day, often after staring at other people’s food. But nobody knows I’m staring at them as I have pink sparkly sunglasses on. And balloons under my tight vest top.

Worryingly, I actually used to have that miniskirt. In my Bracknell party days. And yes, my head does look like a gravy jug. Please tell me you are not turned on.

Anyway, we arrived at The Prince Arthur. Oh, I should probably finish my story about ordering first, otherwise the next sentence won’t make any sense. Not that not making sense is entirely a new thing for this blog, or even this blog post. Damn that husband of Kristi Noem really needs a Hitler moustache to go with that outfit. I actually once nearly grew a Hitler moustache for a laugh, back in the days when being a Nazi wasn’t even cool in the Republican Party.

Anyway. Can you tell I’m hungover? So they asked us to order from a list of beef, chicken, pork, hogget or vegetarian. Which is great, but I thought we needed a tad more detail.

So, the options were beef topside, chicken, pork belly, pork neck, hogget or artichoke. Soooo glad I’m not a veggie.

You wait all week for a bit of beef, and what do you get? One roast potato and a whacking from a saucepan

Anyway, so, anyway, so (WHEN AM I GOING TO BE NOMINATED FOR A LITERACY AWARD THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER), we get to The Prince Arthur and the pork belly a few of us had ordered wasn’t an option, and hogget was leg of lamb – we think.

There was a menu but in all the excitement of actually drinking in a pub again, I forgot to photograph it. But I’m pretty sure it said leg of lamb. Plus there seemed to be specials on the board but we’d pre-ordered. I’m moaning more than I want to.

I ended up changing my pork belly order to hogget or leg of lamb. I think it was priced at £25.00 but there is no evidence to back this up. Jeez…one fucking beer and I totally forget how to do a roast dinner review.

It was one of those plate it up yourself options on a plate that was far too small, though charmingly cute. And I didn’t take a photograph of the vegetables on the sharing plate.

Let’s talk about starting with the basics: the carrot. It was perfectly soft, roasted to perfection with just a strategic speck of pepper. It’s a reminder that even the smallest details – like a hint of seasoning – can elevate the entire experience. 🚀 Success isn’t always about the complex ingredients; it’s about how you execute the simple ones. #FineDining #AttentionToDetail #GrowthMindset #CulinaryExcellence #Leadership

The parsnip experience was a study in contrasts! 🥕✨ While the texture was a bit too “al dente” – providing a real challenge for the palate – the flavour profile was absolutely next-level on the flip side. 📈🔥 It’s all about finding that balance between texture and taste. Sometimes the hardest things to chew through offer the most rewarding results! 🙌 #FoodieInsights #QualityMatters #FlavourFirst #Resilience

I work hard all week on the allotment, and on a Sunday I’d quite like me Yorkshire pudding to rise, that’s all I’m saying, Pauline

Thrilled to share my latest culinary experience! 🥗✨ The spring greens were a masterclass in flavour profile—perfectly buttery with a sophisticated touch of cream and a hint of lemon zest. 🍋 While I personally lean towards a softer finish, the “crunch” factor sparked a great debate at the table. It’s a powerful reminder that in both dining and business, it’s all about “horses for courses.” Different stakeholders, different preferences! 🐎📈 Grateful for the opportunity to explore such diverse textures. What’s your take on the perfect vegetable prep? Let’s discuss below! 👇 #FineDining #CustomerExperience #Perspective #Foodie #Networking #Innovation

The roast potatoes were likely a masterclass in culinary execution when they first left the oven. 🚀 However, the timing of the delivery lifecycle seemed misaligned (and if they were fresh, we seriously need to re-evaluate the process). They possessed a level of crunch that even the most loyal stakeholders – my dog (not my dog) – declined to engage with. While the interior maintained a fluffy texture, it was overshadowed by significant dryness and a clear lack of freshness. It raises a critical question: what was the original deployment date for these potatoes? 🥔📉 #ProcessImprovement #QualityControl #CustomerExperience

Fucking hell, I need to come out of LinkedIn mode to properly describe these then.

SHITE.

The roast potatoes were probably close to perfect when they were cooked. But they hadn’t been cooked the same day (if they had, then fuck me what had happened to them?). They were so crunchy that the dog didn’t want to know, plus dry albeit fluffy inside and with a fair staleness to them. But what day had they been cooked?

I’ve had better but definitely worse Yorkshire puddings. Again, ideally it would have been made closer to presentation time, it was drier than ideal, and also tasted burnt to top – but also it was eggier and somewhat fluffy inside.

The leg of lamb was pretty tender, a little fatty (a compliment in my eyes, not everyone’s though), on the rare side too.

And finally the gravy was actually really good. A good consistency, pretty hearty and of a meat-stock variety. It certainly couldn’t rescue the roast potatoes, but it was a roast-improving gravy. Alas, if you are vegetarian…there is no gravy. Aha.

The Prince Arthur

A real mixed bag from The Prince Arthur, and a real variety of scores around the table.

Some things were very good – the lamb was tender, the gravy savoury and thick, plus the vegetables were broadly good. There was quality here…there is someone (or some people) who can cook.

But those roast potatoes were pretty shocking.

Plus some other things were annoying – the mix up with the pre-orders, the vegetarian roast not coming with gravy (and with those dry potatoes), the volume of the hand dryer in the toilets interrupted conversation at the table, the knives were pretty shabby – certainly not cut out for slicing those crunchy roast potatoes, the plates were small (though cute) and the table wobbly. It wasn’t the easiest experience.

Service was friendly throughout, often asking us if we wanted drinks, etc. Extra gravy was supplied (and charged for at £1.50 a boat) and there were some pretty decent beers from Pretty Decent. It’s a pretty damn cool local boozer really, effortlessly East London vibes, with a small seating area out the front which would be great were it not for the cold wind. I do like the place.

Scores are a bit confusing as some people on the table use 5 as the average, most use a football player score ratings (as I have always done) so some of the low scores are actually average scores. And you thought pre-ordering was annoying.

The lowest score was a 4 out of 10 from the vegetarian (no gravy), there was a 5 and a 5.50, a 6.27, a 6.50, a 6.80, two 7’s and a 7.50 – the latter being from my regular accomplice who really enjoyed her beef. The roast potatoes were roundly criticised, and I think had they been decent then the scores and commentary would have been more positive.

I felt a bit more positive than most people around the table – more of the roast was worth a compliment than a complaint, with those abominable roasties really letting it down. My score is a 7.27 out of 10.

I’ll be back next week…guess I should make a plan.

By which I mean that I’m thrilled to share that I’ll be back in action next week! 🚀 Now, it’s time to dive into some strategic planning to hit the ground running. Looking forward to reconnecting with roast dinners and driving impact! 📈 #PlanningForSuccess #BackToRoasts #Strategy