Vinoteca City Restaurant Review: Sleek Sunday Roast Feasting in the Bloomberg Arcade

I really do love the City of London at the weekend. Some may say it lacks atmosphere or in fact people full stop, but I see that as a perfect opportunity. Whilst everywhere else in London is so busy you can barely cross the pavement, this part of London is free to explore at snail space. An early morning coffee, afternoon shopping with practically the entire floor staff to yourself and restaurants which are slightly less busy than those of central London meaning the chefs and mixologists have more time for their customers.

Admittedly, as expected this new Vinoteca in the city was rather quiet, but by 2pm the place was filling up and so was the atmosphere. Located underneath Bloomberg’s new European headquarters, this area is becoming somewhat of a hit for restaurants. It looks absolutely gorgeous inside too, designed by CantorMasters offering an open-plan dining area with a central bar, mixed level seating and a dedicated wine shop. There’s also a private dining room and outdoor terrace.

Settled in, we started our meal with a recommended bottle of wine from the in-house sommelier to pair with our chosen dishes. A lovely Naoussa Jeunes Vignes 2015 from Greece which was light and fruity but with a solid and robust structure. Perfect for matching with both a Sunday roast and lighter starters.

Our chosen starter was this lovely looking plate of burrata, drizzled in oregano oil and served on a bed of radicchio/trevisano (even though our menu did mention caponata). The burrata was lovely and creamy, the oil had a lovely depth and the radicchio added a much welcomed bitterness. It paired perfectly with our wine too.

Once our chosen roasts started to arrive, we quickly realised that starter wasn’t needed because portion sizes are gargantuan. Big plates filled with as much Sunday roast goodness as possible. With two meat options to choose from we of course had to try both. Slow roast rump of beef came served medium and with a big dollop of creamed horseradish on the side. Roast Potatoes, chantenay carrots, purple sprouting broccoli, roast honey glazed parsnip and Yorkshire pudding – all drizzled with some truly excellent gravy. One of the best Sunday roasts I’ve had in a while.

If succulent beef isn’t quite your guilty pleasure and you’ve got room for an even bigger plate of food, you’ll love the roast Tamworth pork belly. Two large chunks of excellent quality of pork, very crispy crackling and more of that lovely gravy which I could easily have drunk a mug of.

Feeling rather full we somehow managed (just) two desserts. First out was the Venetian chocolate cake with a multitude of chocolate and coffee soils, chocolate ice cream and toffee sauce. I liked this dessert, but something about it just felt a little lacking and I couldn’t put my finger on why. Still, very satisfying none the less.

Star of the desserts was actually one we didn’t order and that the chef recommended – for good reasons it turned out. Poached Braeburn apples, walnut crumble and caramel sauce. Essentially a deconstructed apple turnover which had been made a million times better. It looked like something out of a Michelin starred restaurant too. The ‘Liquid Dessert’ pairing of three sweet wines only made for an even better (and rather boozy) dessert.

I really loved our visit to Vinoteca City and while I can’t comment on its regular daily dishes, its Sunday roast option is rather fantastic. Quality ingredients, excellent flavours, precise cooking and very good value given the size of the dishes. Wine lovers will also appreciate the excellent wine list. Next time I’m in the city and on the hunt for a good Sunday lunch, Vinoteca will be at the top of my list.