In recent months, things have slowly been on the up for Winchelsea Road in Forest Gate, following the sad closure of the Wanstead Tap back in the dark days of February.
First up is much-anticipated poultry joint Roost, the baby of three local pals — Amil Ourabah, Jake Salter and Andrew Neilson — who have reinvented the former family-friendly cafe Can Club.
Their simple focus is Algerian-spiced 24-hour brined rotisserie chicken, alongside a whole bunch of sides, cocktails, wine and East London craft beers.
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Entirely self-funded and renovated, it’s a dream-come-true situation for lifelong besties Amil and Andrew, who “have been meaning” to open their own place for 15 years. “But, you know, life obviously got in the way,” Andrew told me back in March. And to keep things cosy, the third member, BBQ maestro Jake, is even “engaged to one of our friends we grew up with.”
Earlier this week the affable trio invited me down for a tour of the space and a first taste. Little did I know that they’d pull together a whole feast of sides and sauces, as pictured above.
Find out how it all went on Substack, along with my tips on both the must-order dishes and cocktails.
Roost is at 361 Winchelsea Rd E7 0AQ, follow @roost.london
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