Is it even Sunday if you haven’t had a roast? While the weather is still on the cooler side, there’s no better excuse to book into one of the best Sunday roasts in London.
From sharing menus perfect for special occasions to posh pubs where the food outdoes the drinks and restaurants that source the finest British produce you’ll find in London, here are our top picks to end the weekend on a high with no washing up in sight.
The Marksman
Posh public house on Hackney Road, The Marksman, is well known for its excellent food served up by owners and chefs Tom Harris and Jon Rotheram, and interiors that sit somewhere between old East End boozer and Farrow & Ball showroom.
The pub is the place to be on a Sunday if you’re part of the East London set (if you can get a table – you’ll need to book weeks in advance) to tuck into Cured chalk stream trout, cucumber and creme fraiche to start; followed by a choice of roasts, from roast Hereford rump, Yorkshire pudding & horseradish cream to braised mallard, bread sauce and liver toast; as well as delicious fish and veggie options.
Desserts are a delight too, from brown butter & honey tart to the plum Bakewell tart with creme fraiche.
It’s without a doubt the best Sunday lunch you’ll find on the east side of the capital.
The best roast you'll find in East London.
The Marksman, 254 Hackney Road, London E2 7SJ
Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar
These guys take their roasts pretty seriously. The team sources their produce from within 150 miles of the restaurant, using Kent and Essex-based farms so you can expect top-notch quality and they use goose fat to ensure their roasties are as crispy on the outside as they are fluffy on the inside.
Plus, if you’re partial to a gin, you’re in luck as they’ve got over 100 different gins for you to take a look at.
Views of the iconic London skyline make it the perfect place to wrap up the week.
Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB
Smokehouse
In all honesty, it’s actually hard to find a roast in a restaurant or pub that’s better than your own but Smokehouse is definitely an exception to the rule. Their smokey take on the British classics, such as smoked and pulled Yorkshire lamb shoulder; smoked whole chicken; or their legendary smoked rare breed beef sirloin, are seriously good and use the best produce Britain has to offer.
Book a table inside for a buzzy feel or outside on the leafy terrace while the sun’s still shining.
Smokehouse, 63–69 Canonbury Road, Islington, London, N1 2DG
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The Pig & Butcher
From Smokehouse to their sister restaurant, The Pig and Butcher, which serves up an equally epic Sunday offering.
Start off with a spiced Bloody Mary to clear any lingering Saturday night cobwebs, before tucking into Tamworth pork loin & Bramley apple sauce; Cumbrian Herwick hogget leg or celeriac nut roast, truffle, caramelised shallot & mushroom gravy.
A shoutout must go to their sharing dishes – that’s what roasts are really all about – like the Norfolk chicken crown, truffled brioche stuffing. Yorkshire puddings, beef dripping roast potatoes, greens, carrots, and cauliflower cheese, which will also be brought to the table for a well-earned end-of-week feast.
The Pig and Butcher, 80 Liverpool Road, Islington, London N1 0QD
The Lanesborough Grill
Home to executive chef Shay Cooper, The Lanesborough Grill is the perfect spot for Sunday lunching in London. Focusing on the best seasonal modern British dishes, expect their Sunday roast to be quite the theatrical performance – expect centrepiece roasts that steal the show.
Opt for the roast sirloin of Hereford beef with horseradish and apple cream, Yorkshire pudding, and roast potatoes – you won’t regret it.
Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
Blacklock
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Entertain your inner Henry VIII as this place doesn’t do meat-filled plates by half. Their Sunday sessions are known to bring on the meat sweats, so book in, bring out your comfiest pants and tuck into a mix of 28 day aged lamb leg, 55-day-aged beef rump, and 21 day aged pork loin, all roasted over open coals and English oak and served with the usual suspects; Yorkshires, duck fat-roasted tatties, veg, and Blacklock’s signature gravy.
Shoreditch, The City and Soho
Hawksmoor
The grande dame of London’s steak scene, Hawksmoor is a no-brainer if you’re after a traditional Sunday roast. They strip things back to basics with their roasts inspired by classic ways of cooking – they basically take huge joints and roast them over real charcoal and finish them off in the oven for a deep, rich flavour.
Order the slow roast rump served with beef-dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, greens, roasted shallots, garlic, and lashings of bone marrow and onion gravy. Wash it down with a fine selection of reds or warming cocktails from the excellent bartenders.
Top tip: book in before 5 pm because the roasts famously sell out.
Various locations
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Straits Kitchen, Pan Pacific London
Offering an Asian twist to your typical Sunday roast is Pan Pacific London’s, Straits Kitchen.
The buffet-style roast comes complete with a half-bottle of prosecco per person priced at £50pp. Think Asian-style roasted duck, roasted soya chicken, barbecue pork and crispy pork belly. All are served with pan choi, choy sum, and Thai salad.
Save room for dessert and tuck into their buffet – yum.
80 Houndsditch, EC3A 7AB
The Camberwell Arms
Sunday roast, family style. The Camberwell Arms, home to pared back, wooden interiors, is renowned for its sharing style roasts. Start the event off with starters of grilled baby spring greens and skordalia; spiced potato fritters with garlic yoghurt; and Lombardy ragu on toast topped with parmesan, before making your way onto the sharing dishes.
Think half a spit roast chicken with spinach, chilli schmaltz yoghurt and roast potatoes; rolled saddleback pork belly with savoy cabbage and mustard; and lamb with Italian greens, green sauce and roast tatties.
65 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR
Temper
A barbecue restaurant at heart, Temper sure knows how to add some fire to a classic Sunday roast. Book into their Soho branch and look forward to a family-style sharing banquet fit for a king. The ‘three beast feast’ is designed for two people and features aged beef roast, roasted pork and smoked lamb shoulder, all served with their signature roast garnish.
If you’re after something individual, look at their singular roasts, from smoked baby chicken with chimichurri to smoked pork belly with smokey applesauce.
Various Locations
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The Northall
If you’re after something more special than your local pub, book into Whitehall’s Northall. Every Sunday, the restaurant that sits inside the stunning Corinthia hotel, celebrates tradition and generosity with a menu bursting with elegant sharing dishes, heartfelt food and, the best bit, a lavish dessert table.
Book in for two courses at £45, three at £49 or go the whole hog and add on a glass of Laurent-Perrier La Cuvée Brut Champagne for £15 extra.
Start with a decadent fruits de mer, followed by sharing mains of Loch Duary salmon, roasted Norfolk black leg chicken or Suffolk pork rack, before ending with a peek at the restaurant’s famous dessert table.
What better way to celebrate a birthday or special occasion or just the fact that it’s Sunday?
The Northall, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD,
The Game Bird at The Stafford
There’s no finer way to spend a lazy Sunday than with a mouth-watering Sunday Roast in the stunning surroundings of The Game Bird at The Stafford.
Enjoy two courses for £45 and three-course for £50 – we recommend the traditional roasted rib of beef, served with all the trimmings.
The perfect excuse to get out of your Sunday comfies and into your best. Plus no washing up in sight.
The Game Bird at The Stafford, 16-18 St James’s Place, London SW1A 1NJ
The Richmond Club
Richmond’s very first private members’ club, The Richmond Club, serves up a smashing Sunday roast. Their talented head chef has created a menu that’s sure to delight all roast-lovers as the seasons change, featuring the best quality meats from their local butcher, seasonal veggies, and hearty homemade gravy. Designed to be shared with friends and family, expect bottomless Yorkies (yum!) and vegan and veggie options available too.
115-117 Kew Road, Richmond TW9 2PN
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Lady Abercorn’s Pub & Kitchen
Hidden inside the Andaz London Liverpool Street you’ll find Lady Abercorn’s serving up delicious Sunday roasts week in and week out. Book in for roasts like the roast rump of lamb cooked with Mexican spices or go vegan with the cauliflower steak served with rich veggie gravy.
A destination for the curious, the restaurant takes its name from an iconic sassy and caring landlady from the neighbourhood and is influenced from her travels around the globe.
Andaz London Liverpool Street, Lady Abercorn’s, 40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN
Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill
The perfect marriage of the land and sea, beef and oysters has been enjoyed together since Victorian times. Make your Sunday one to remember with this food pairing at Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill.
Taking place on the first Sunday of every month, their Beef & Oyster Club see executive chef Nicholas Simmons’ curated menu bring together the very finest of Irish Hereford beef and the plumpest oysters from across the Isles in a gastronomic fusion of flavour.
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11-15 SWALLOW STREET, W1B 4DG
Smith’s Bar & Grill
Paddington’s Smith’s Bar & Grill has a Sunday roast menu that’s stacked with all of the traditional elements.
Book in for a meal to remember and guests will be tucking into the likes of a 28-day dry-aged British Chateaubriand; British lamb shank; and a 35-day matured British grass-fed picanha. All accompanied by duck fat roast potatoes, honey roasted carrots, tenderstem broccoli, parsnips, a Yorkie and gravy. They do sharing options too.
25 Sheldon Square, Paddington, W2 6EY
The Cadogan Arms
For pub grub done right, look to The Cadogan Arms. This Chelsea favourite has it all, from ornate wooden and tiled interiors (chandelier included) to its legendary strawberry sherry trifle topped with almond crumble.
Their Sunday roasts are just as delicious. Expect to find plates piled high with meats – choose from longhorn rump, shoulder of lamb and half herb-fed chicken – and all of the trimmings.
298 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UG
Booking Office 1869
Fancy your roast in the centre of a train station? We thought you might. The stunning St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is home to the famed all-day dining establishment Booking Office 1869, who will be expanding its menu by adding traditional English favourites with a contemporary twist.
The Sunday Roast 3-course set menu includes starters such as Cured Loch Duart Smoked Salmon or Beetroot hummus with sea salt crackers, whilst the classic mains run through Dedham Vale Roast roll Rib Eye with Horseradish Cream to Roasted corn fed chicken with sourdough bread sauce- so you won’t be stuck for choice. Hugo Toro’s striking interior is as a recreation of the original 19th-century St. Pancras ticket hall, and the perfect location for a relaxed Sunday meal.
St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR
