Lord Rosebery

THE GEN

At the heart of richly-diverse NR3 sits the Lord Rosebery, nestled between a bunch of chimney pots a little way up St Clements Hill. The Rosebery stands proudly half way down Rosebery Rd – no tucking itself in the corner – it’s an aesthetically imposing establishment; that is to say, it’s a bloody beautiful boozer. Under new management, it has introduced a burger and grill menu, the perfect repast to chuck down your neck with their array of real ales.

ATMOSPHERE

As we walk into the striking entrance of the Rosebery on a Friday night, stepping onto those marv Victorian tiles (am I the only one that flippin’ well loves tiles?), there’s a buzz building. It’s not so much a stand-at-the-bar boozer – there’s plenty of those in the area. The Rosebery is more slope-off-to-a-quiet-table first date material. In fact, as I scan the room, I think that might be happening, as one couple chat an inch away from each other, exchanging old breath.

THE MAIN EVENT

New Yorker Burger // Baby Back Ribs

As I’m writing this at the tail end of Veganuary, it’s worth noting that landlady Lily (who you may also know from the Golden Star), is a vegetarian and takes a responsible attitude towards the meat on offer. All the burgers are local Swannington meat and there’s veggie and vegan options to boot. As an undeniable meat eater, I picked baby back ribs, while my other half chose the New Yorker from the inventive list of burgers (Kimchi bean burger for the veggies sounded awesome). As you would expect, the burger came out Peter Crouch-tall, with a massive patty dominating the architecture. The mix of pastrami, emmental and pickle toppings transport you to the streets of Lafayette and Third. Full disclosure – I have no idea what sits on Lafayette and Third, but it sounds as New Yorkan as you could get. The handcut chips and onion rings were so close to great – a sprinkling of rock salt would’ve done it, although I know some people are heathens prefer to leave the seasoning off. I’ve realised that I’m such a meat eater that I’m not entirely sure what animal’s ribs I’m getting, even though I’ve ordered ribs about 100 times in my life. I’m an experienced rib eater, and was happy to find the meat was super tender and the sauce was lip-smacking. It was sweet, but not too sweet, smoky and had the stickiness you expect to be licking off your thumbs all evening. The meat was so tender that the bones were fragmenting, which some people might get picky about, but I’m no delicate eater. Served with corn-on-the-cob, those handcut chips and a mustardy coleslaw, it delivered what it promised.

SIDES

With my thumbs already tacky (see above), it seemed only right to further coat them. I’m always chuffed to see wings on the menu; they’re fiddly, but usually slathered in hot sauce, as these were, they pack a punch. The sauce was something like Frank’s Red Hot Original, cayenne-sharp and punchy. Accompanied with a traditional pairing of blue cheese sauce, we were a celery stick away from a genuine taste of Louisiana. A sticky journey from Broadway to Baton Rouge – not a bad ride for a Friday night.

TO DRINK

I’m disappointed in my choice, not because there was anything wrong with the Pinor Noir I opted for, but on further inspection there were all sorts of treats on offer. Lemon curd martinis, home-infused Clementine and Star Anise gin, Pale Ale on tap, bottles of craft beer. Oh well, a reason to return.

CONCLUSION

There are many taverns in NR3 to satisfy your thirst, but not as many can tick the good grub and stunning interiors boxes. Lord Rosebery is a seriously classy looking pub without pretension. They’ve got a busy calendar too, with a Valentine’s menu, weekly quiz and Sunday roasts, as well as regular pop ups. I left satisfied… and sticky. Which has got to be a good way to spend a Friday night.

Venue – 9

Fodder – 7

Value – 8

Overall – 8