Something for the weekend – a right, proper good roast!
By Lee-J Walker, joint managing director of TheBusinessDesk.com
As an adopted Yorkshireman and big-time food lover, I take a Sunday lunch or dinner quite seriously.
Equally, as a convert to a semi-rural lifestyle, I also take the Dales type pub very seriously too. Let’s just say, it’s my favourite day of the week and all down to the scoff I love to consume on the day of rest.
My wife and I are quite the seasoned Yorkshire pub aficionados, regularly dining out at places like The Craven Arms in Appletreewick, The Fountaine Inn in Linton, The George in Hubberholme and the Red Lion in Burnsall – all exceedingly good Yorkshire pubs that I’m sure most readers have frequented at one time or another.
If you’ve not, why not? We also have the fortune of living close to Haworth where the Hawthorne has won many awards for good Yorkshire bistro grub and the vast array of pubs there are superb too. It is one of the places I think has benefited from the staycation post pandemic.
With all this in mind, it stands to reason that I don’t often venture to Leeds on a Sunday and neither do I do roast beef and Yorkshire pudding in town, ever! I obviously have other places to visit.
Well, it seems I’ve been seriously missing out and need to get to Leeds more often for a Sunday roast as Harvey Nichols Fourth Floor Brasserie certainly hits the spot. I often visit here and review their seasonal menus. They’ve just started the winter al a carte menu, so I was invited to have a crack at the Sunday lunch.
Roast Sirloin of beef with the perfect Yorkshire pudding accompanied by garlic and rosemary-soaked roast potatoes and winter vegetables. The roasties left a warm taste of garlic in my mouth that was comforting, the Yorkshire pudding was annoyingly good, and the slices of thick cut Sirloin were like nice steaks. It was complimented by a delicate creme fresh style horseradish accompaniment which was subtle and not overpowering.
The lunch was up there with any place of Yorkshire lunch notoriety, and I challenge anyone to visit here and dispute that with me!Something The portion was not overly sized however but I had filled up with a starter of pressed ham hock terrine and piccalilli. Zoe, my good lady, went for the same main but had roast tenderstem broccoli and mixed seed pancake as a starter, which she adored.
For puddings, Zoe went for the milk chocolate ganache and I, of course, did the cheese to accompany the bottle of Harvey Nichols own brand Chianti. Well, the waitress was Italian and Zoe can’t do heavy reds.
I always say this is a great brasserie and I’ve never had one bad meal here. I often quote it as Leeds most underrated restaurant too, and I still feel the same. But I was very much surprised by the quality of the Sunday lunch, so give it a whirl and, if you disagree, let me know!
