Roast Dinners in London

Last week I said I’d be back with complaining about Argentina cheating, FIFA corruption, rain, shit beer and roast potatoes cooked a week ago. Well, here’s a review of The Union Tavern in Clerkenwell, and…

Nothing to see here, perfectly good tackle by FIFA’s princess.

Messi: FIFA's new poster child for fair play. 🏆⚽️Just picturing how fast Haaland would've raced to Bellingham's defense if he'd been there. 🆘️ 👀

— Melissa Nadia Viviana 🐸 (@resistrebelrevolt.net) 2026-07-16T04:39:06.133Z

Totally fine:

Argentina were furious after nothing was called on Elliot Anderson’s challenge on Messi. Seconds later, Enzo Fernández fouled Anderson.Things are already getting chippy 👀

— ESPN FC (@espnfc-m.bsky.social) 2026-07-15T14:12:09-05:00

So, of course Germany need to take their fair share of the blame for England going out of another World Cup, yet Argentina were dirty, fouling bastards, only occasionally pulled up on it by the referee, complained that England were bad losers, and then the ArgentFIFA players held up a political flag at the end of the game, which apparently is totally fine despite breaking FIFA’s laws.

Except when England players wanted to make a point about everyone being welcome at football, and not just heterosexual men, FIFA clamped down on it and threatened the players.

Threats to invade some islands? Fine. LGBT supporters? Whoa, absolutely not.

Corrupt as FIFA.

National Union Of Roast Potatoes

Have I ever mentioned before that I love España?

Sunday felt like those of us not in the corrupt, far-right arc of things got some justice.

In football. Not in roast potatoes.

Did I mention before than I love España?

Hmmm, after more research I think she’s Ukrainian, but she kind of looks Spanish. Red skirt, si?

This woman must be Spanish as the website is selling sexy flamenco dresses:

“Make a dramatic entrance at fancy dress parties with the allure and passion of a Spanish Senorita”. Oh yeah. Might need to arrange a fancy dress party. In Spain. Maybe hire an Airbnb in Barcelona and put some posters on the local streets inviting guests.

Guess I’m going to be followed around the internet with that now I’ve clicked on it.

Then again, ever since I wrote “Fuck Argentina” on Facebook the other day, they decided I wanted this:

Gravy Union Congress

OK OK, roast dinners. So we have unusual family logistics at the moment between myself and my regular accomplice, which is meaning late roast dinners, and roast dinners within an easy distance to the train from Hull are going to be more regular than would otherwise be.

My suspicion of late roast dinners is that everything has been hanging around all day, but the one late one so far, The George in Fitzrovia, was banging.

New theory – maybe early roast dinners are the food cooked the night before, and late roast dinners were cooked the same day? Sample size of one. Recently anyway, until The Union Tavern.

The Union Tavern wasn’t on the to-do list, but was located usefully and we’d be able to get to our table to watch England in the World Cup…boo the cheating Argentinians together and feel some catharsis.

And hey, they had a European beer list:

Like Carlsberg, Moretti and San Miguel. Is Argentina that bad a place?

That’s the moaning about beer ticked off, though I did have a pale ale from a brewery I’ve never heard of – too malty for my tastes, but better than their European beer list.

General, Municipal, Yorkshire Puddings

Otherwise The Union Tavern was pretty unremarkable – dining to the left, pub to the right, bar in the middle. Toilets a bit cramped though at least they weren’t as grim as the ones in a Croydon park that I used the other day. No, I wasn’t wearing the halter chain necklace.

On the menu was sirloin of beef at £24.95, pork belly at £23.95, 1/2 chicken with a pig in blanket for £22.95, a vegetarian wellington at £22.95 – and I think a lamb roast on the specials board, might have been £26.95 but don’t remember for sure.

I went for the pork belly because I love pork belly, but also I had lamb last Sunday and I don’t eat beef post-Japan…and fuck steak after Argentina’s cheating. Has anyone smashed up Gaucho yet?

Starting with the carrots which were pretty nice – soft and buttery.

Savoy cabbage was pretty decent also, not much to it – just cabbage but pleasant.

Alas the parsnips were undercooked, and felt very July-ish – carrots always seem a bit ambitious to be trying in peak summer to me.

Royal College Of Carrots

The roast potatoes kind of were on the right track – there were some crispy sides, alas they were notably dry inside.

The Yorkshire pudding was cold, obviously cooked earlier (as I said, I was eating in the evening) – I think it would have been pretty good earlier in the day, as it was small and well-structured, if very, very plain.

I’m not sure I have a view which shows just how dry the pork belly was – you think it’s dry outside with our longest spell without rain since the 1990’s? Well, this pork belly was drier.

At first I thought it was just exceptionally crunchy as I struggled to cut it with the basic cutlery provided (two sets the same each, why?). And at first there was still a bit of the usual gooey gorgeousness of pork belly done nicely…a bit. But the more I went on, the drier and harder the pork got, plus some bits were burnt, and tasted burnt. Might this have been better earlier in the day? Possibly, but I’d still suggest it was overcooked, and it still had some burnt patches.

My accomplice had the beef, and said it tasted of water – though one slice was tender.

Finally, the gravy. Suspiciously dark, though I quite liked it at first. As I went on, I grew to dislike it, perhaps it was the dryness of the pork that was pissing me off, but also the gravy did seem to have an odd taste to it the more you ate it, maybe marmite, maybe soy sauce.

The Union Tavern

Well…as predicted. Apparently it might even rain a tad this coming weekend.

What did I enjoy? Some of the vegetables, the carrots were nice.

And what was delivered by Argentina? Dry insides of roast potatoes, a cold Yorkshire pudding, gravy that got a bit yacky and super dry pork belly.

Oh and why was bread and butter served with the roast dinner? With it, not as a opener.

You could argue it’s unfair to review this in the early evening when most of my reviews are from lunchtime, but I’d argue that a pub/restaurant should provide a reasonably consistent standard all day. This may well have had a higher score had I reviewed at at 1pm, and others may well have had lower scores had they been reviewed at 6pm. But also…The George in Fitzrovia was excellent at 6pm. I’m confident that Blacklock would be, and most of those I’ve rated highly would be.

My accomplice scored her watery beef a 5.90, and I’m scoring my super-dry pork a 5.91 out of 10.

No plan for this coming Sunday yet, but I’ll tell you, honestly, I will love it if is the best roast dinner ever. Love it.