Last Updated on October 26, 2024
A Roast to Remember
The Last Talisman on Bermondsey Street has been enticing diners with its closeup magic Saturday brunch and now they’ve added a Sunday lunch to their roster. Despite being an Asian fusion restaurant, this Sunday roast could not be more classic offering uncomplicated, well-made and hearty British classics in an elaborately decorated space. We took the short walk from London Bridge to get there, a perfectly picturesque place to spend a Sunday noon. Other than a brief detour when Google Maps led us into an industrial estate before we realised that the place, as labelled, was actually on Bermondsey Street, not behind it, our journey was effortless. Diners around us included families, meeting friends, dates and business groups, with the draw of the magic on Saturdays, I imagine the Sunday offer is a more relaxed one in comparison.
This space is reminiscent of a glitzy but industrial East Asian bar, decked out with filament lightbulbs, exposed metal work and visible air ducts, stained glass and paper umbrellas hanging from the ceiling.
We started with drinks, their signature Talisman #1 Bellini; the classic peach and prosecco combo had a little remix. With a salted goju berry rim, this drink was fruity and refreshing with a creamy vanilla end. We also tried their Ojo de Spritz, an Aperol spritz with added mezcal and pink grapefruit soda. The smoky mescal smoothed out the spikiness of the Aperol to result in a well-balanced drink. Later, we moved on to their El Lichi: Lychee, soda and St Germain, the elderflower-flavoured liqueur, topped off with a flaming sugar cube which was dramatic, the drink was mellow with a dry end. We also tried their Toxic Love (a February special), The rum and pineapple made this drink tropical and creamy watermelon front, from the watermelon liqueur.
On to the main event. The Sunday roast menu offered a choice of beef sirloin. chicken, pork belly or roasted vegetables, all accompanied by seasonal veg, roasties, gravy and a Yorkshire. We went for the beef and the pork belly.
The beef sirloin roast was tender, perfectly pink and sliced wafer thin, accompanied by a glossy and meaty gravy. The seasonal veg, a combo of carrots, parsnips and savoy cabbage made mopping up the gravy a dream, helping along also was a Yorkshire pudding: light and bubbly with lovely craggy edges to pick up all the gravy. Roast potatoes were classic pub roasties, golden and soft inside. On top of it all was a rice-paper garnish reminding you this is an Asian restaurant.
The crispy pork belly was probably the highlight of the meal, melt in your mouth, crunchy crackling and delectably salty and then punched up even higher with an apple sauce.
We also ordered two of the extra sides. Cauliflower cheese, which had a satisfying char on top, was creamy and smooth with no grainy bechamel. A real classic. A less obvious choice was the kale salad, toothsome, with a spicy and tongue-numbing, but flavour-packed, goma sauce. This addition to the menu intrigued us when the rest of it was such traditional fayre, however, as a reminder of the bombast of world flavours and the quality of the kitchen this was a welcome addition to the meal.
Offering a reliably tasty and classic Sunday Roast, The Last Talisman is an enjoyable place to get your fix for nostalgic food in a chic and modern setting.
The Last Talisman
171-173 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UW
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