A Northerner and Southerner go in search of a decent roast in London and what do we find…

The Jolly Gardeners and what a jolly good afternoon we had. Not only did it win the approval of my guest, the most discerning Northerner who is for sure the judge and jury when it comes to a decent roast, but they also make a damn good Bloody Mary, have a pretty decent schedule of entertainment and is by far one of the most pristine, welcoming pubs i’ve ever visited in my life!

If you live South of the river, you must pay them a visit. Just moments away from Vauxhall and tucked down a sleepy Lambeth side street you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you happen upon The Jolly Gardener’s. This place is bright and airy, full of foliage, just how I like it. A far cry from the pub which lay here before and perhaps more noticeably known as ‘The Drowning Trout’ from Snatch. Well let me tell you the transformation is epic. As soon as you step inside you’re met with a serene atmosphere, one of relaxation, of family and friends gathering around, big groups enjoying a pint and punters soaking up the joys of a Sunday. It has to be said, i’ve not frequented a pub for a long time mainly because I’m not massively keen on going back to the old ways of queuing up at the bar for hours on end, sticky floors and stale beer but this is certainly not that kind of joint. I’m actually a little bit in love with this place because it offers up all the joys of a pub without all the annoying bits and it’s no surprise really if you look at how this place came about. 

The Jolly Gardeners was the brainchild of five childhood pals who spent their lockdown coming up with their ideal boozer. Jon Kaye, one of the founders quotes, “Having the chance to open the pub with my friends has been the dream for so long. We all grew up in pubs and for most of us was our very first job. It’s great to go back to our roots and build a proper local pub. Supporting other independent businesses is important to us, we have also had so many nice people from the surrounding area helping us build and fix the pub.” Unsurprisingly, a decent meal was the central focus as well as making it welcoming, honest and a great place to enjoy a proper pint with mates. I can vouch for all of those things and trust me if I did live South sides I would be making this place my new local!  

I did mention the roast but let me mention it in depth because this really is one of the best pub/restaurant roasts i’ve had. My guest even went as far to say, “tastes like a family roast”, praise indeed! The attention here really is on the quality of the produce and the kitchen work closely with Lyons Hill Farm in Dorset for high grade meat. We tried both the ‘iron age pork loin’ and the ‘retired dairy cow silverside’ with both tasting as epic as their names. The roast comes with a host of sides including cauliflower cheese, greens, Yorkshires, sweet potato mash to mention but a few and the potatoes….oh the potatoes. The most luxurious but traditional roast potato you’ll get your chops round. Melt in your mouth, pleasure. What I really loved about the beef roast was how thin the meat was cut, i’m not a fan of shoving hunks of meat in my mouth at the best of times but this was just sliced to perfection, slightly reminiscent of how you felt after a school roast… schooliness aside… Please – I’m not doing it enough justice, you’ll have to try it out for yourself. Aside from these offerings there are also a couple of plant based options and a fish dish to try out too. Something for everyone even if you’re just digging into the sides alone – because they were a plenty. 

If a roast doesn’t tickle your fancy or if you’re planning on visiting in the week, they offer a weekly changing menu bringing you the best of what’s around the local area. Notable mention must go to their bread supplier… Alby’s Bakery who are also based in Vauxhall. They specialise in sourdough and was also developed in lockdown by some bread loving mates. I must confess, I haven’t touched the stuff this whole year but when this warm bundle of joy arrived on our table with lashings of butter it would have been rude not to especially seeing as Alby’s have nailed the crust to pillowy dough ratio. Lesson learned ALWAYS try the bread. The sharing plates are also something to marvel at and whilst the dishes may look similar to what you’d find on a pub menu their sharing plates are more reminiscent of tapas coming out of a decent restaurant than a pub and I guess that’s where you see the main attraction of The Jolly Gardeners. 

The food is of the highest quality in both presentation and taste, the place is visually stunning and they had a decent band on too, what a civilised Sunday ! But what makes a decent pub…? we all know it’s a cracking selection of booze. With house-pints for a fiver you might even be convinced you’re not in London anymore but when you check out their exhaustive list of what else is on offer there’ll be something to float everyone’s boat. With local offerings on draught, a whole bunch of speciality bottled beers, a pretty comprehensive list of wines including natural wines and of course a mouth watering selection of cocktails there’s no need to visit a bar or a restaurant because this place really does have it all. Did we mention they also have a secret garden?

So why do we love it? Well… need I say more? The Jolly Gardener’s is family and dog friendly, caters for a restaurant go-er, has the booze of a decent bar and still has the spirit of a good old pub. All that’s left to ask is, how fast can you open one North of the river?

The Jolly Gardener’s is open Tue-Sun and located at;

49-51 Black Prince Rd, London SE11 6AB