Sunday Lunch at The Marina Fountain
MEL HUGHES
On an unusually warm and bright October Sunday, with the hum and sight of drones and hang gliders over St Leonards Gardens, I wended my way to The Marina Fountain on my continuing quest to find the best local roast lunch.
I was greeted warmly upon entering, and nothing was too much trouble. We asked to move tables to avoid the direct sunlight beaming into my friend’s eyes. We were offered a cosy booth, but a minimal shift to the nearby table sufficed. My straw became blocked while I was drinking my aperitif and was quickly swapped for a new one. This Bloody Mary was spicy, in a tumbler garnished with crushed chilli flakes and a slice of lemon, not drowning in ice and, at £6.50, more reasonably priced than many venues. A slight change to the vegetable selection for my friend was also accommodated with a smile. JJ is truly ‘Master of the House’.
The roast menu offered a great selection, including a vegetarian Butternut Squash, Feta and Spinach Wellington and a vegan option, at £16. We opted for chicken and beef (the latter was promised to be ‘banging’ and it was). Both were beautifully presented, piled high, and accompanied by a medley of roast vegetables (carrots, parsnips, beetroot, potatoes), a substantial Yorkshire Pudding and red wine gravy on the side. Stuffing (sausage meat cubes) was optional at £2.00. Everything was deliciously flavoursome: my chicken was tender with a nice crisp, and the beef was ample and well sliced. My only moderate disappointment – not a huge problem – was that my stuffing was not quite hot enough and I found the lardons in the cabbage a tad salty. However, nothing warranted leaving any on the plate!
We weren’t offered a wine list but, to be fair, I was still savouring my Bloody Mary. Swiftly rectified, once mentioned, JJ listed the dry white wine offered by the glass and the chosen French Chardonnay was the perfect crisp accompaniment.
Another pleasing accompaniment was the fantastic musical soundtrack – not too loud – including vintage Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World and Billie (Lady Day) Holiday’s All of Me.
From the front of the pub, we had a bird’s eye view of lunch service and appreciated that each guest was welcomed by the friendly new landlords, JJ and Paulina Wintle. I think I’ve found the best Sunday Roast and will be returning soon. And, though personally I never think about the ‘end of year C word’ until the beginning of December, I made sure to take a copy of their festive lunch menu too!”
For more information and bookings, see marinafountain.com
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