Sunday Roast Heaven at Hemisphere, West Bridgford
I bloody love Sundays, and I love being British, because what two things go even better together than love and marriage or a horse and carriage: any guesses? Yep, that’s right; the iconic British Sunday Roast. I love all kinds of cuisines, but there’s none finer than a proper British Roast dinner…wherever you go in the world!
This particular Sunday saw The Man Bird and I return to a West Bridgford venue that we fell in love with when we previously sampled the evening a la carte menu: Hemisphere. Last time, we nearly walked past the door as our eyes were blinded from the bright ‘Iceland’ store frontage, but this time around, there was a beautiful, twinkling curtain of Christmassy fairy lights adorning the Hemisphere door and making it so much more visible.
As we made our way up the stairs, I admired the festive decorations that twined their way up the hand-rail and the stylish tree at the restaurant entrance. The same mesh lights that were in the doorway downstairs were illuminating the large windows, pairing very nicely with the LED Halo pendants. Paul and Rachel briefly said ‘hello’ before making their way out to watch the football, leaving us in the capable hands of Roselyn and the serving team. Drinks were swiftly sorted: large glass of Pinot Noir for me, pint of Peroni for His Maj, and some table water. One thing I will say about Hemisphere is that there is an absolutely phenomenal selection of tipples, whether it be grape- or grain- based, and the cocktail selection is superb. Drivers, teetotallers and children can choose from a vast array of softs or mocktails, too, so no-one gets left behind.
We rocked up mid-way in the Sunday roast service (Noon-5pm), though you can dine later for Tapas and a la carte if you want to go out later in the evening and eke out the very last hours of the weekend. There was a great buzz in the venue and Chef was busy at it in the open kitchen – it was lovely to see a venue being supported and enjoyed. Whilst we waited for our starters to arrive (Cod Tempura for me (£13) and Hot Corn Cakes (for The Man, £10) I did my usual thing of having a good gawp around at the décor.
A beautiful festive garland prettied up the top of the velvety, monochrome camo-esque banquette that stretches the entire length of the back wall, and its subtler counterpart was placed opposite the bar. The walls in Hemisphere are a fairly neutral tone, echoed by the pale floor and the seat-pads of both the banquette and free-standing, mid-back chairs. The tables are a slightly deeper tone, but gently faded so as not to be too stark in contrast, and I loved the dinky, faux Trees that decorated each table.
Roselyn soon brought out our starters and asked if we needed any extra condiments before leaving us to tuck in. His Nibs had ordered the Hot [sweet]Corn Cakes, and these are served with Shredded Mooli/Daikon Radish and a spicy Green Chilli Aioli – how fab do they sound? Turns out, they taste every bit as amazing! The crunchy outers revealed super-sweet, juicy kernels that burst on the tongue, and their flavour was paired brilliantly with the mild pepperiness of the Mooli and the feisty, but creamy-textured, Aioli. A relatively simple dish, but one that gave main character energy on the palate.
I chose the [two-bite size] Cod Tempura, and the batter was whisper-light and super crisp to the bite, contrasting with the soft, succulent Cod. Cod has a great all-round versality; its mild, sweet taste provides the perfect base for a multitude of other elements. Here at Hemisphere in West Bridgford, the peppery-but-sweet Daikon was combined with a richly complex Black Garlic Miso that brought a tantalising combination of sweet, tangy and umami notes to the table. For an additional blast of sharp tanginess, there was the pretty pink Shallot to savour; its finely sliced rings bouncing over my tongue like they were at a Prodigy gig! Marvellous.
Roselyn was mightily happy to be taking clean plates and platters back to the kitchen, and it wasn’t many minutes until she was returning, with a colleague, with our mains, extra gravy, and the bowl of Cauliflower Cheese we’d ordered as a side (£6). I had chosen the 28 day, dry-aged Derbyshire Rump of Beef (served pink, £24) for my main, whilst The Man went rogue and had the Roast Chicken (£21). All the roasts come with Carrots, Honey and Tarragon-zhuzhed Parsnips, Roasties, Mash, and Seasonal Greens. Oh, and that extra gravy, (which is rather lush I have to say) – pass the bread to mop it up!
My Beef was magnificent; there’s no other word for it. The pair of thick, large slices were that flirty rose pink in the centre and the flesh just melted on my tongue, making me sigh happily as the rich taste lingered pleasingly in my mouth. Duffed-up, roughed-up spuds were roasted to sublimely crunchy perfection, and the inners? Ridiculously soft and flourily moreish. The glass-smooth Mash was wonderfully seasoned to enhance the potato; I particularly liked how the super-soft mash contrasted with the squeaky crunch of the Fine Green Beans and the Shredded Cabbage.
Whole carrots were served sliced in half and had been roasted to soften them gently and caramelise their sugars, intensifying their flavour. Fragrant Parsnips were also halved, and these had been pimped with the anise tones of Tarragon and irresistible Honey – if Carlsberg did veggies… Actually, if Carlsberg did veggies, they’d most certainly do the Cauliflower Cheese! The strings of molten cheese stretched, and stretched, and stretched as I dug the spoon into the middle of the bowl; honestly, I twirled it better than a majorette, but it just kept coming and coming! Chef ramps up the flavour of this classic dish by giving it an injection of Mustard; not too much to make you sneeze or tingle, but enough to feel that familiar, comforting warmth at the back of your throat. Where the Cheese sauce was silky and smooth, the Cauliflower florets were still nicely firm to the bite. This dish certainly gives you all the foodie feels - an absolute must-have.
The Man Bird was equally happy with his Roast Chicken and, having snaffled a bit to try, it was easy to see why. Chef had sliced the sizeable breast for presentation purposes, and there was a subtle roasted-gold hint at its periphery. This chicken was beautifully moist and soft in the mouth, with a flavour that had most definitely got a ‘glow-up’ from being roasted. People sometimes think that poultry plays second-fiddle to Beef: not at Hemisphere it doesn’t.
A lovely young lady came to clear away our multitude of crockery, cutlery and napkins and, upon returning, asked if we’d like to try the Sunday Crumble (£9); you bet we would, thank you. I had initially spied the Black Cherry and Almond pudding, with Amaretti Crumble and Velvety Cream, but was more than happy to forego this and share a big bowl of the Sunday Crumble; a fab concoction of Apple, Apricots, toasted Almonds and Brown Butter Custard.
As soon as I clapped eyes on it, I knew that the Sunday Crumble would have me under its spell…and it did! I defy anyone, though, not to fall for its many charms. The bottommost layer was one of gorgeously softened Apple that had been simmered with spices; this was delicious as was, but then there was the snug blanket of crumble that had pieces of gooey Apricot and toasted, flaked Almonds scattered over it. Thanks to Chef not overly sweetening the fruit with sugar, the natural flavours shone through – a welcome pleasure at the beginning of winter.
Brown Butter Custard is a bolder, richer cousin of the classic type. Due to the butter caramelising, your palate is treated to a sweeter, deeper morsel that carries a gently nutty hint to it. This particular crumble went dazzlingly well with the custard; so well in fact, that His Nibs and I scraped the bowl clean - I mean, it’s not like we’d just eaten enough food to feed the entire King’s Army or anything! As far as food goes, this treasure is worthy of its own tag-line: #comeforthecrumble. The Sunday Menu can be enjoyed as a single course (individual prices on menu), as a two-course offer for £30pp, or go all-out and have 3 courses for £37pp.
Hemisphere’s owners, Paul and Rachel are very much family-orientated and, as such, are acutely aware of the demands on our budgets in the post-Christmas period. To that end, you can enjoy a whopping 40% off the indulgence menu from January 2026 until February 5th 2026; to claim this, you need to pre-book a table and quote “40% Indulgence” at the time of booking. The whole table must partake of the menu to qualify. To book a table call 0115 648 0061.
Hot Wings very happily given to this tremendous West Bridgford restaurant. Hemisphere is closed on Monday, but open Tues-Saturday 10am-11pm. Breakfast is served 10am-Noon, lunch Noon-6pm, and Dinner 5pm-11pm. Head to www.hemispherewb.co.uk to see all the scrummy dishes and drinks currently on offer.
All Prices Correct At The Time Of Publishing
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