"We haven't spoken in about five minutes," my boyfriend said as he tucked in to a giant roast potato.
I can't say I'd noticed, I was too busy tucking in to the best Sunday dinner I've eaten since moving to Bristol two years ago.
The Bank Tavern might have the crown for the longest waiting list for a roast in Bristol, but I think I might have find a Sunday dinner which gives it a good run for its money at The Lock Up.
The Redfield restaurant regularly pops up on the Bristol Sunday Roast Club Facebook group - and believe me, do people in that group feel passionately about their roasts.
"10/10", "best roast in Bristol" and "absolutely amazing" are just some of the things people have said about The Lock Up's Sunday offering.
So, having just moved to BS5, we thought we'd give it a go.
I had the vegetarian option (£13.50), a butternut squash and portobello mushroom nutloaf with mushroom Gravy - an option the Lock Up will happily make vegan.
It was a delicious meal, the loaf had a fairly soft texture which I liked, I'm not a fan of huge nutty pieces left in a nutroast.
The meal also came piles high with vegetables, the red cabbage was a particular highlight.
But weirdly, the thing which sticks out the most was the parsnip crisps sprinkled on top of the roast - I'm not sure how they made them, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were coated in some kind of highly addictive substance.
My boyfriend went for the lamb (£14) which he said was delicious and both of our meals came with an enormous Yorkshire pudding and plenty of roast potatoes.
The roast potatoes might not have been the crispiest, but they were full of flavour making them the best I've ever had while eating out in Bristol.
We both had an extra portion of cauliflower cheese. If I was going to nit pick, I'd say this is the only area for improvement - the dish was cheesey and the cauliflower cooked perfectly, but it was a tad dry with no real white sauce.
On top of a fantastic meal, the wine was good, the beer was from Bristol Beer Factory and the atmosphere relaxed but busy.
It's not often we're silenced by a meal, but The Lock Up had the power to leave us speechless.
The verdict:
If you're looking for a roast you can't fault, The Lock Up is definitely worth a visit - tasty potatoes, scrumptious meat and lashings of gravy - what more could you want?
Check out food hygiene ratings for restaurants near you, powered by In Your Area:
Ratings:
Overall: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ambience: 5
Value: 4
182 Church Rd, Redfield, Bristol BS5 9HX. Tel: 0117 329 0707
