Editor Sophie Ritchie visits Sussex in Soho for a Sunday lunch session filled with hearty fare and seasonal ingredients
The fourth venture from restauranteur brothers Oliver, Richard and Gregory Gladwin, Sussex is a chic slice of the countryside found on Soho’s Frith Street.
It offers an a la carte menu for most of the week, but on Sundays, it’s all about the traditional Sunday lunch. I pay a visit, friend and fork in tow, for an afternoon of countryside-inspired cuisine.
The Venue
Inside, Sussex is a world of dark green-tinged interiors with a calming atmosphere. Petite wooden tables are paired with blue banquet seating, sleek walls and artwork by Valentino Monticello. Do I feel like I’m picnicking on the South Downs? Not quite, but it’s still a rustic, friendly space.
The Food & Drink
On Sundays, the menu becomes a ‘Sunday on the Farm’ selection, with the choice of two courses for £24 or three for a bargain £28. Other diners certainly appreciate the good value too – the restaurant is filled with guests when I arrive in the early afternoon.
On the list, foodies can choose from the likes of Monkfish Carpaccio with aubergine, lemon, chilli & toasted pine nuts as well as a South Downs Hare Ragu.
I try a Squash carpaccio – a delicate array of the sliced orange root vegetable. They almost look like hexagons, topped with fresh spinach and drizzled with toasted pine nuts
Onto the main performance – the Sunday roast, of course. All of Sussex’s roasts are served with skyscraper Yorkshire puds, seasonal vegetables & gravy to share – with a choice of beef, pork loin or a veggie wild mushroom and squash wellington. There are also a couple of meaty specials for those with a taste for venison and other game.
I order the vegetarian feast, which arrives as a beautiful mound of food – the Yorkshire pudding only looks slightly smaller than my head.
The wellington is deliciously moreish, topped with fresh cress and filled with fresh flavour from the chunks of squash and meaty mushrooms. The accompanying golden roasties are also gorgeous – perfectly crisp with cloud-like insides.
The Wordrobe Verdict
If you love seasonal fare and long Sunday lunches, you’ll love this city slice of countryside. The food is simple but flavoursome, with ingredients leading the way when it comes to the hearty menu.
A meat-driven menu means vegans are less likely to leave satisfied – but there’s still plenty for the vegetarian crowd to whet an appetite here.
Make it happen
Where: 63-64 Frith St, Soho, London W1D 3JW
How: visit sussex-restaurant.com to find out more and make a booking.
Wallet: Sunday Lunch on the Farm offers two courses for £24 or three for £28.
