86 High St, Wouldham, Rochester, Kent ME1 1JY
Telephone: 01634 847776
Website: Click Here
Cost for a Sunday lunch: Roast Beef, Roast Lamb, Roast Pork – £8.95
I was looking for a nice restaurant for Sunday lunch in Rochester and found The Atrium. Pricing seemed good, so I booked for 3 people and a baby.
Entering the restaurant, we were met straight away and shown to our table in the window. A high chair was brought out for John William. We needed it to feed him, but I have to say the fabric straps were not very clean.
The venue was small, perhaps only 6 tables in the room we were in (and a few tables in the room next door). Table was laid out, with a thick, white linen table cloth. There was exposed black (tudor-ish) beams with white walls. Overall, I felt I was in quite a nice, well-to-do restaurant. The toilets were clean and fresh, always a good sign that they care.
A drinks order was taken – sparkling water for Claire, a lager for Tony and a diet coke for me.
Our food order was taken. Tony and Claire both went for the Mushroom Spring Roll for a starter. Claire chose the Roast Pork for main, and Tony asked Roast Beef. I ordered pate to start with the Roast Lamb to follow.
Our first course came out quickly. Claire and Tony were a bit surprised with the mushroom spring roll. They thought it was going to be all encased, when in fact the spring roll was on top of the wild / foraged mushrooms. They both enjoyed it though. My pate was very nice, served in a small dish with (I think) solidified fat on top. The bread was also good – I didn’t try the chutney.
Our main courses were brought out quite quickly after finishing the mains. We each had 3-4 slices of meat, with 3 roast potatoes, a yorkshire pudding, vegetables and a dish of sauce (mint, horseradish or apple). They then did something unprecedented. They brought us out a gravy boat each!! Now, whether this was beef / lamb / pork gravy, I couldn’t say, but it was something I appreciated.
Tucking in, my lamb was a bit overdone – I prefer tenderness with my meat. Tony felt the same with the beef, definitely well-done. The roast potatoes were cooked quite nicely, fairly crunchy and with some seasoning.
The vegetables consisted of carrots, broccoli and cauliflower. Each was cooked to al-dente, so with a little bite. All were enjoyable, but I would have liked something extra, such as savoy cabbage or cauliflower cheese. Not something they would be marked down on though.
The yorkshire pudding was pretty standard – it wasn’t a fluffy example, but tasted fresh enough. Lastly, the gravy – very good! Definitely home-made and complimented the meal perfectly.
After that, I just had to order a dessert :-) Tony went for the Apple Crumble, I ordered the Chocolate Truffle Torte. Again, it was served quickly. I liked the presentation of the torte, a pretty dish. It tasted excellent, a nice silky texture with a strong chocolate flavour (shocking, that!). Tony also liked the apple crumble.
So, what score? The service was attentive and polite, always near-by when needed. The high-chair straps were disgusting and I hope they change these as soon as possible (perhaps a wooden chair which doesn’t need fabric straps?). I didn’t have any issues with an other part of the restaurant cleanliness. The mushroom spring roll was odd for a Sunday lunch starter, but the classic pate was good. The lamb and beef were well-done, so not to either of our tastes (didn’t stop us from eating it all!). The gravy was excellent, and I liked the fact we each had our own boats. The desserts were tasty and enjoyable. Also, excellent value at £8.95 for a main course. I noticed as we were leaving that The Gourmet Society Dining Card was accepted (doh!).
So, with this all in mind, The Atrium in Rochester scores a very respectable 3.5 out of 5 plates!
John
Rating: 
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