I visited London's luxury bottomless roast dinner and it was the ultimate decadent Sunday lunch
Limitless lobster, oysters, roasts with all the trimmings, salads and more
I've had a lot of Sunday roasts, from homemade masterpieces to questionable, mass-produced pub fare. Each had their own charm and whimsy, even the bad ones, but London's offering up an experience for those looking for the ultimate in Sunday lunchtime gastronomy.
A decadent buffet that goes far beyond the traditional roast (although it’s in plentiful supply for the Sunday purists) at The Ned hotel near Bank station.
There are two “feasts” available every Sunday, with Ned’s Feast in Millie’s Lounge and Cecconi’s Feast in the hotel’s Italian restaurant of the same name. The food selection is similar, but Cecconi’s offers an additional Italian flair with cook-to-order pasta and pizza, and a dazzling selection of regional desserts.
I paid a visit to Cecconi’s Feast to find out if this really is the ultimate Sunday lunch in the heart of London. Loosen those belts, folks...
Easing in
Step through the doors held open by the attentive staff into the banking hall of this former financial institution and you’re met with 1920s opulence. 92 verdite columns, rows of Grade I-listed walnut banking counters, and an easy-listening jazz trio on a raised central bandstand welcome you to the luxury of The Ned.
Millie’s is to your left, the Nickel Bar directly ahead, and Cecconi’s to your right, a little hidden thanks to a wooden privacy screen running the circumference of its dining area, providing a calmer, more intimate experience away from the bustling bar, without losing the soft jazz or stunning architecture.
As the host showed us to our table and we sat down, our server glided in to offer us a complimentary drink, included as part of the feast experience. We could choose from prosecco, white wine, red wine, rose wine, beer or a soft drink - we went for prosecco, which was delightfully light and served in wonderfully Art Deco glassware.
But of course we were there for the food, so there was only one thing to do. Get up, and head to the oval counter to survey the spread.
As any civilised diner about to eat their body weight in food would do, we began at the start with the salads and bites.
There were five fresh salads to try, with the creamy potato and pancetta a particular highlight, while the thinly sliced sausage roll offered a deep, meaty flavour hit. The devilled egg made for a playful amuse bouche, with the mountains of cured meats and temptingly crisp bruschetta giving us that Italian flair.
See: food
Before diving into the roast selection, there was another attraction that we needed to sample. You’re paying a premium for this feast, so you’ll want it to deliver big hits, and the seafood selection is one of them.
The salmon en croute had a light pastry, well seasoned cabbage wrap and perfectly cooked fish, while the hearty lobster mac and cheese is a dish you could easily keep going back to - but don’t fill up on one thing.
You can also pick up poached and smoked salmon, and whole prawns, but the main event is next door. Limitless lobster and oysters.
Oysters are shucked, seasoned and ready to eat, while the lobsters are halved, giving you easy access to the juicy tail meat. Your table comes pre-set with a bowl, lobster fork and shell cracker, allowing you to get to the claw meat. And once you’re done you can get up and have another. And another. And another. It’s a seafood lover's dream.
Plus, if you prefer your lobster warm, you can ask your server to bring a hot crustacean to your table.
And as we polish off our fish course and are about to rise out of our seats to head to the roasts, our server reminds us of the cook-to-order options that we’d dutifully forgotten about as we lost ourselves in the self-service buffet.
We had the choice of four pasta and two pizza options. We opted for the mushroom tagliatelle, with the sauce offering a rich, earthy, umami flavour, complementing the freshly made pasta perfectly, and topped with a generous helping of parmesan.
And we couldn’t say no to authentic Italian pizza, going for a classic margarita (the other option was spicy salami) that was thin, light and perfectly cooked.
Roasting
No Sunday lunch is complete without the traditional roast, and for those that love a well-cooked protein and all the trimmings, Cecconi’s Feast has you covered.
We start with a choice of four roasts; beef, chicken, porchetta and a vegan roast. You can choose multiple at a time, and always come back for more. Move along the dedicated counter for roasts and you’ll get an excellent variety of sides.
Crispy roast potatoes and flavourful stuffing are present and correct, pigs in blankets (because they’re excellent and shouldn’t be held just for Christmas), and there’s seasonal veggies, too. During our visit in August, there were two offerings: green beans, broccoli and courgette, and a medley of roasted roots including carrots and parsnips.
There’s exceedingly cheesy cauliflower cheese, and some absolutely enormous Yorkshire puddings. They were well cooked though, so for those who like theirs a little less crispy you might be disappointed.
And no roast is complete without gravy, available in a large warmer with a ladle. A word of warning though — it’s like a very rich red wine jus, so go easy as it can overpower the plate if you’re heavy handed with the serve.
A couple of other small, but significant touches at this ultimate Sunday lunch buffet included a sauce station with mustards, ketchup, apple sauce and more, and a cheese board and fresh fruit alongside a wide array of desserts.
I especially enjoyed the crumble station, where you get to control your own ratio of crumble to filling, and then smother it in custard. The Tiramisu was a staff favourite, while the blueberry and lemon muffin cake, battenburg, cannolis and red velvet roulade were also hits.
The staff were excellent. Attentive without being overbearing, ensuring we had fresh cutlery, water top-ups, and removing plates we had finished with. There was even one staff member constantly monitoring the buffet, with a walkie-talkie so they could radio to the kitchen when supplies looked to be running low.
In fact, we only saw one empty dish - one of the dessert options - during our time, and even that was quickly replenished before we’d finished perusing the sweets. You won’t be waiting for your favourites to be restocked here, with all the good stuff ready for you whenever you head up for more.
To get the most for your money you’ll need to be a carnivore, or pescatarian. While there is a selection of vegetarian options (and very few vegan choices), you might find the overall offering a little limiting if you’re not a meat eater.
And I encourage you to visit the restrooms. A strange recommendation, but not for the facilities themselves. They’re located in the basement, and you’ll pass the former bank’s vault, complete with a movie-like giant circular safe door. It’s open, so you can take a peek inside. It’s pretty cool.
So is this the ultimate Sunday Roast? Looking solely at the roast, this isn't the best traditional roast dinner I've ever had, but that's not the whole story. The breadth of options, the superb seafood, and the overall quality makes this feast an excellent crowd pleaser.
For a special occasion or large group, it's a spectacle, with excellent atmosphere and architecture, and so many food options you’ll wish you had a bigger appetite.
Cecconi’s Feast (and Ned’s Feast) is £120 per person and includes a welcome drink and a two hour seating, available on Sundays between 12pm and 4pm. If you’d like to include Free-flowing Champagne, it’s £190 per person. Children three and under eat for free, and it’s half-price for children aged four to 12.
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