An original, independent review by :
It’s been a while since I’ve had a traditional Sunday roast, so I decided to visit AFC Bournemouth’s Champions Top Floor Restaurant to give theirs a go.
I’m immediately impressed by the modern interior – which closely follows the Cherries colour scheme – of white and black chairs and a dark red carpet. The spotlights add to the contemporary feel and offer a relaxed atmosphere for Sunday lunch.
My guest and I are seated at a table with a great view of the stadium. Alternatively, for those not so bothered by pitch-side views, there’s an outdoor balcony seating area on the opposite side of the restaurant. It would clearly be a great place to dine on a warm day or for function use – as is the case today.
The menu offers a selection of traditional roast dinners; lamb, beef and chicken, as well as the slightly more untraditional choice of sea bass or, or for the less adventurous, a good old sausage and mash meal.
I opt for the beef, whilst my guest chooses chicken, both of which come with roast potatoes, a selection of veg, cauliflower cheese and a Yorkshire pudding.
After a very short wait our lunch arrives. Now, I can be known to complain about the lack of Yorkshires on my plate (theyre the best part of a roast, surely!) but I certainly can’t on this occasion our food is served INSIDE a huge Yorkshire pudding.
It seems a shame to cut through the crispy outing and spill the meaty gravy onto my spotless plate – complete with AFC logo – but I don’t delay in tackling my greatly anticipated lunch.
Although slighty awkward to eat, due to the layering effect of the food, I’m not disappointed. My beef is cooked well, looking the perfect colour (I’m not a fan of pink meat) and with very little fat to cut off, which gives me more eating time and less time ‘tidying’ my food. The potatoes are tasty, although I’d prefer them a little crispier and the cauliflower cheese is one of the nicest I’ve tried.
My roast is deceivingly filling, despite this, I decide to check out the desserts.
The waiter appears with the menu looking very smart in a black suit and re-fills our glasses of water. The service is very good; the waiters polite and friendly, although it takes a short while for him to take my dessert order, I put this down to the crowd of guests who’ve just arrived for a 65th birthday party.
I choose the cherry crème brûlée which is put before me very quickly, considering the ongoing function.
It’s a decent size and comes with a finger-sized pistachio shortcake biscuit which tastes amazing! It crumbles beautifully as I cut into it, revealing a slightly green tinted centre containing small chunks of pistachio.
I get cracking – literally – with my crème brûlée and the crystallised caramel topping splinters nicely beneath my spoon tap to expose the custard, which is the perfect consistency, it tastes wonderfully creamy and is accompanied well by the rich cherry puree that contains large chunks of fruit.
I finish my meal with the traditional Sunday roast feeling very full and satisfied, and all for a reasonable price of around £17. Now all I need is somewhere to sit down for a nap…