REVIEW: The Wardrobe Bar and Kitchen

Everyone thinks that their mum's cooking is the best. I, for example, would place bets on my mum’s cookies beating Mary Berry’s; but Dan Jobsz, the owner of The Wardrobe Bar and Kitchen might actually have the best home chef in his mum, Roshana.

In a quaint St Paul’s backstreet, under an Instagrammable ceiling of pink flowers and fairy lights, The Wardrobe makes it clear that, while it might not be able to compete with the big Michelin-starred restaurants of London’s dining scene – like Brigadier just along the road – it offers an experience beyond your average pub. This eatery embraces its endearing, wholesome origins as a Covid-19 start-up, balancing finery and great culinary talent with regular punters and a comforting atmosphere (one where it doesn’t matter if you dribble gravy down your chin as you indulge in pie and mash).

While it is Roshana’s warming British recipes behind the original concept, it is young Sardinian chef, Nico Seu, who has been entrusted with bringing Roshana’s recipes to life in the kitchen – all while adding his own personal touch like serving bangers, mash, and peas inside a giant Yorkshire pudding. Although, tempted by this combination of two British staples in one dish, we opted for two pies: one, a weekly special of slow-cooked lamb, and the other, their veggie delight pie - proudly-labelled a British Pie award winner. And it was clear why; even as a meat eater, it was head and shoulders above the lamb. The filling provided all the right textures - not just a mush of vegetables - and was paired with a creamy sauce, gently spiced with cumin and coriander – giving a smoky, earthy warmth that mellows out the heaviness of the cream.

Sculpted mounds of mashed potato seemed too perfect to dig into but it is worth it to taste the faultless herby mash, so smooth it could be sucked through a straw. Quirkily-presented in a little jar, the gravy was the only component which let the dish down. While the flavour was decent enough, the consistency veered on the thin side, making the side of peas swim rather than bathe in the jus.

Of course, no British pub meal would be complete without sticky toffee pudding and this one produced audible sounds of pure foodie heaven. Beautifully fluffy, the sponge skipped the divisive addition of dates and remained a pure cake packed with the sweetness of brown sugar and rich butter. The pudding happily lounged in an exceptionally moreish coating of toffee sauce that left me wondering whether it was acceptable to lick my bowl clean.

Accompanying the pudding was Roshana’s homemade ice cream. While the scoop of blood orange and cinnamon, sold to us as “Christmas in a mouthful”, slightly missed the mark, the other flavours solidified Roshana’s skill. Showing true culinary confidence, she adds a proper punch of salt to the salted caramel flavour, often skimped on; while the rum and raisin boasted a similar faith in its alcohol content.

British food can be difficult to elevate to fine-dining level; I’ll return to my original point - nothing can beat mum’s home cooking. So, while dinner at The Wardrobe might not equal a Michelin star, it can certainly hold its own as a wholesome spot for hearty British classics.