September may have been a scorcher, but now autumn is blowing in, and thoughts turn to darker evenings, Heath walks and pub roasts.

Ever since reopening in March, The Parakeet has garnered plaudits from the likes of Giles Coren, Jay Rayner and Fay Maschler for its bold flavours and great ingredients cooked in a wood-fired oven or smoked over coals.

The old Oxford Arms acquired a new name and brighter plumage, transformed from a slightly dour Victorian boozer to trendy but welcoming pub by the North London duo behind The Jazz Cafe and Blues Kitchen.Ham & High: The dining room at The Parakeet features stained glass, panelling, original artwork and a window into the kitchen where chefs cook over coal and wood firesThe dining room at The Parakeet features stained glass, panelling, original artwork and a window into the kitchen where chefs cook over coal and wood fires (Image: Rob Jones)

The rear dining room is regularly packed with locals enjoying the menu of ex-BRAT chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings. Adding their twist to the traditional roast dinner seemed a logical step for the successful enterprise, and so it has proved, with the upstairs private dining room also heaving with hungry Kentishtowners on our visit.

Luckly they haven't meddled too much with a winning formula, but instead put their own wood fired burnish on it.

You can start with a selection from their regular menu. Salty whipped butter on warm potato bread (£5) with a smoky, charcoal dark crust takes bread and butter to an extra dimension. A dense, subtly spiced, slow-smoked mutton sausage (£6) also boosts the humble banger to the next level. Diamonds of delicate mackerel fillet served with pickled cucumber and a citrus and dill dressing (£11) are a refreshing precursor to the hearty roast that follows.Ham & High: Whether you choose hay smoked chicken or like us a roasted topside of beef it comes with all the trimmings including potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, spring greens and roasted vegWhether you choose hay smoked chicken or like us a roasted topside of beef it comes with all the trimmings including potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, spring greens and roasted veg (Image: Justin De Souza)

A word of warning, you may be tempted by a late lunch but if you arrive too late you might miss out on the popular lamb rump. Luckily the roast topside of beef (£25.50) didn't disappoint; generous rippling slices of medium rare meat served with a perfectly turned out Yorkshire pudding, the crispiest of roast potatoes, spring greens, well cooked (ie underdone) carrots, and swede puree.

We dolloped on homemade horseradish and got stuck in.

If red meat doesn't float your boat, there's Hay smoked roast chicken (£24.50) or celeriac wellington. (£20) The chefs pay as much attention to veg as to meat so the latter is likely to be excellent.

Desserts include a chocolate torte, but there's nothing like a dense, date-rich sticky toffee pudding to help you insulate for the coming winter.Ham & High: Veggies at The Parakeet are treated with respect and here a leek gratin or a celeriac wellington will please non meat eatersVeggies at The Parakeet are treated with respect and here a leek gratin or a celeriac wellington will please non meat eaters (Image: Justin De Souza)

Cheeses are by the portion, and an 'ingot' of punchy goat's cheese with home-made crackers was just the ticket for £4.50.

So many hostelries let themselves down with penny-pinchingly thin house wines, but The Parakeet's entry level reds; a bold smoky Monastrell from Murcia, and a muscular Argentinian Malbec both pair excellently with the intense flavours at this neighbourhood gem.

Sunday lunch runs 12pm to 6pm at The Parakeet, Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town.