Is it even Sunday if you haven’t had a roast? There might be the odd sunny day left in the tank, but now September is here we’re starting to think about more autumnal activities, and what’s better than a long, luxurious roast – all the sweeter when you don’t have to wash up afterwards.
From sharing menus perfect for special occasions to posh pubs where the food outdoes the drinks and restaurants that source the finest British produce, here are our top picks to end the weekend on a high with no washing up in sight.
The 27 Best Sunday Roasts In London
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 an 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 chilled tomato soup with smoked ricotta; followed by a choice of roasts, from Hereford rump with Yorkshire pudding and horseradish cream to chicken and preserved cep pie.
Desserts are a delight too, from brown butter & honey tart to the baked cheesecake with Earl Grey plums.
It’s without a doubt the best Sunday lunch you’ll find on the east side of the capital.
where: The Marksman, 254 Hackney Road, London E2 7SJ
website: www.marksmanpublichouse.com
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.
where: Gillray’s Steakhouse & Bar, Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7PB
website: www.gillrays.com
Berners Tavern
Fitzrovia’s Berners Tavern by Jason Atherton is a must-visit for any roast lover. The restaurant has recently introduced its new autumnal roast menu, celebrating the best of British produce. Expect everything from succulent Oak Leaf roast chicken with tenderstem broccoli to slow-cooked pork belly with roasted cabbage and pineapple ketchup.
Accompany your roast with a tipple from the Berners Tavern Bloody Marty drinks trolley, exclusively available on Sunday offering Ketel One vodka or Don Julio tequila blanco. It’s true, Sunday doesn’t get better than this.
where: 10 Berners Street, W1T 3NP
website: www.bernerstavern.com
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 Tamworth pork belly; smoked whole Cotswolds white chicken; and 52-day-aged Charles Ashbridge Hereford beer 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 when the sun’s shining.
where: Smokehouse, 63–69 Canonbury Road, Islington, London, N1 2DG
website: www.smokehouseislington.co.uk
Oblix at The Shard
If you like your Sunday lunch with a side of spectacular views, Oblix is one to bookmark. Situated on the 32nd floor of London’s iconic Shard, the restaurant boasts some of the capital’s most stunning views and epic sunsets if you time your booking correctly. The menu specialises in steaks cooked over an open flame – from Australian wagyu tomahawks for two or more; or the most succulent dry-aged T-bones. There’s also rotisserie chicken and whole roasted lobsters to temp.
Everyone knows a roast isn’t a roast without the tatties, so make sure you tuck into their dedicated potato menu which features delights such as baked gratin potatoes with parmesan and rosemary or charcoal-baked sweet potato with citrus and espelette.
Oblix is definitely price than your local pub but a solid option if you’re looking for a special Sunday lunch to remember.
where: Level 32, The Shard, 31 St. Thomas Street, London SE1 9RY
website: www.oblixrestaurant.com
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The Pig & Butcher
Smokehouse’s sister restaurant, The Pig and Butcher, 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 and Bramley apple sauce; or celeriac nut roast, truffle, caramelised shallot and mushroom gravy.
A shoutout must go to their sharing dishes – that’s what roasts are really all about – like the Norfolk chicken crown, and truffled brioche stuffing. Yorkshire puddings, beef dripping roast potatoes, greens, carrots, and cauliflower cheese, will also be brought to the table for a well-earned end-of-week feast.
Smokehouse’s sister restaurant, The Pig and Butcher, serves up an equally epic Sunday offering
where: The Pig and Butcher, 80 Liverpool Road, Islington, London N1 0QD
website: www.thepigandbutcher.co.uk
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 – think centrepiece roasts that steal the show.
Opt for the roast sirloin of Hereford beef with horseradish and apple cream, Yorkshire pudding, and roast potatoes or the equally indulgent beef Wellington, prepared skilfully at the table – you won’t regret it.
where: Hyde Park Corner, London SW1X 7TA
website: www.oetkercollection.com
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.
where: Shoreditch, The City and Soho
website: www.theblacklock.com
The Culpeper
Just a stone’s throw from Spitalfields Market, you’ll find The Culpeper serving up a hearty Sunday roast destined to please.
Unwind with a glass of red wine and savour the afternoon with friends, feasting on the likes of succulent top rump roast beef with pommes anna and horseradish cream; roast port belly with roast potatoes and apple sauce; or a veggie beetroot, broccoli, sweet potato and feta cheese wellington. An obligatory order of cauliflower cheese is a must.
where: 40 Commercial Street, E1 6LP
website: www.theculpeper.com
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.
where: Various locations
website: www.thehawksmoor.com
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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 £60pp. Think Asian-style roasted duck, Hainanese chicken, char siu 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.
Offering an Asian twist to your typical Sunday roast is Pan Pacific London’s, Straits Kitchen
where: 80 Houndsditch, EC3A 7AB
website: www.panpacific.com
Bread Street Kitchen & Heddon Street Kitchen
If there’s anyone who does roasts the right way, it’s Gordon Ramsay. Head over to one of his many Bread Street Kitchen restaurants or Heddon Street Kitchen to get a taste of his famed Ramsay roasts for yourself.
Served every Sunday for 12pm, enjoy dry-aged rare breed roast beef with horseradish cream or roast poussin served with bread sauce. All roasts come accompanied by a Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables, homemade gravy and, of course, his legendary roast potatoes.
where: Various Locations
website: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com
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 brown crab on soda bread, fennel and apple salad; smoked Yorkshire ham with mustard & pickles; or squid with winter tomatoes, zhug, tahini and crumbs, before making your way onto the sharing dishes.
Think half a spit roast chicken with creamed cabbage and roast potatoes; roast Oxford Sandy Black pork with braised carrots, apple sauce and roast potatoes; or slow roast lamb shoulder with creamed cavolo nero, mint and pine nut sauce and roast potatoes.
where: 65 Camberwell Church Street, SE5 8TR
website: www.thecamberwellarms.co.uk
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St Pancras by Searcys
Combine two of Sunday’s greatest inventions – brunch and the good ol’ roast – thanks to St Pancras by Searcys’ jazz brunch.
Set in the 1920s art-deco brasserie, their Sunday brunch feast will see you enjoy an unlimited buffet and waffle stations, alongside free-flowing Champagne and live jazz music from the restaurant’s resident musicians.
There’s something for everyone, from seafood delights and seasonal salads to their signature roast beef with Yorkshire pudding and lashings of gravy.
where: St Pancras International Station, N1C 4QL
website: www.stpancrasbysearcys.co.uk
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.
If you’re after something individual, look at their singular roasts
where: Various Locations
website: www.temperrestaurant.com
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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 £20 extra.
Start with a shellfish cocktail or aged-beef fillet tartare, before choosing between the Norfolk black leg roast chicken, slow-roasted Lake District farm sirloin of beef or Suffolk pork rack.
What better way to celebrate a birthday or special occasion or just the fact that it’s Sunday?
where: The Northall, Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD,
website: www.corinthia.com
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 £50 and three for £55 – we recommend the traditional roasted British grass-fed 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.
where: The Game Bird at The Stafford, 16-18 St James’s Place, London SW1A 1NJ
website: www.thestaffordlondon.com
Pivot Bar & Bistro
Located in the heart of Covent Garden, you can beat the crowds and stop by 3 Henrietta Street’s Pivot Bar & Bistro.
Priced at £32 for two courses or £38 for three, expect starters such as creamy white bean soup with sourdough; Scottish smoked salmon; and chicken and hazelnut terrine with crusty bread and chutney. Mains include roast beef, roast chicken, roasted cod fillet or vegetarian ratatouille, all served with roast potatoes, buttered green beans, charred carrots and cabbage.
With views over the famed neighbourhood, you can people-watch until your heart’s content, all while enjoying the cosy surroundings and the brilliant British classic.
where: Pivot, 3 Henrietta Street, Covent Garden, WC2E 8LU
website: www.pivotbarandbistro.com
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 by her travels around the globe.
where: Andaz London Liverpool Street, Lady Abercorn’s, 40 Liverpool Street, EC2M 7QN
website: www.hyattrestaurants.com
The Swan at The Globe
You only need to look at the location of The Swan at The Globe to know that this restaurant is buzzing on a Sunday. This Bankside sweet spot is the perfect place to book into pre or post-Shakespeare’s Globe show.
Their roasts are hard to beat too, with roast Scottish sirloin served with parsley and breadcrumb bone marrow on the menu. Go chicken and enjoy a Kentish chicken with pork and sage stuffing, carrots and swiss chard. Both roasts served with giant Yorkshire puddings and all the usual trimmings.
where: The Swan, 21 New Globe Walk, Bankside, SE1 9DT
website: www.swanlondon.co.uk
Barnett Hill
Served in the Oak Room Restaurant, Barnett Hill invites you to embark on a two- or three-course feast. Filled with the classics and a selection of Butcher cut beef and pork, there’s something for every meat lover.
Save room for dessert and chow your way through a chocolate fondant or the vanilla pannacotta, or go traditional with a selection of British cheeses.
where: Barnett Hill, Blackheath Lane, Guildford, GU5 0RF
website: www.alexanderhotels.co.uk
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 roasted pork belly; 10-days matured lamb shank; and 35-days 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.
Paddington’s Smith’s Bar & Grill has a Sunday roast menu that’s stacked with all of the traditional elements
where: 25 Sheldon Square, Paddington, W2 6EY
website: www.smithsbarandgrill.co.uk
Savoy Grill
Following its beautiful transformation last year, the Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay has returned to its former glory, channelling the best of 1920s glamour and charm. Their Sunday roast menu is no different, with endless excellent fine dining options to indulge in.
Go classic with dry-aged sirloin of beer, served with all the usual trimmings, or order Ramsay’s legendary beef Wellington complete with glazed shiitake mushrooms, truffle, and a red wine jus.
The sides shouldn’t be missed either, from the creamy pomme purée to the tenderstem broccoli with almonds.
where: Savoy Hotel, Strand, WC2R 0EZ
website: www.gordonramsayrestaurants.com
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Great Fosters
Set in the sweeping countryside, Great Fosters knows a thing or two about serving up a cracking roast.
Served in The Estate Grill, begin your afternoon off with ham hock with piccalilli gel and toasted sourdough. The main course will see you tucking into dishes such as beef with beef dripping potatoes, Yorkshire and all the trimmings. A vegetarian and vegan option is available too.
where: Great Fosters, Stroude Road, Egham, Surrey, TW20 9UR
website: www.alexanderhotels.co.uk
Home House
Showcasing the best of seasonal British produce, cosy in for the afternoon and order 28-day-aged beef striploin, free-range pork belly or half-corn-fed chicken. All roasted come with the usual trimmings, including the chef’s famous duck fat roasties and red wine jus. Don’t forget to try their moreish puddings too – including our favourite the Pink Lady apple tart tatin with Calvados ice cream.
where: Home House, 20 Portman Square, W1H 6LW
website: www.homehouse.co.uk
José Pizarro The Swan Inn
Sunday roast with a Spanish twist? Count us in. Over at José Pizarro’s Esher restaurant, you’ll find the team serving up roasts every Sunday.
The famed celebrity chef cooks up all of the roasts over an open fire, featuring the roast Spanish pork belly. It’s served up with a Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes and seasonal veggies. Who knew a Spanish take on a roast could taste so good?
where: José Pizarro, 2 Hare Lane, Claygate, Esher, KT10 9BS
website: www.josepizarro.com
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 Cumbrian native rump of beef, shoulder of lamb and half herb-fed chicken – and all of the trimmings.
where: 298 King’s Road, Chelsea, SW3 5UG
website: www.thecadoganarms.london
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, which will be expanding its menu by adding traditional English favourites with a contemporary twist.
From salt-baked celeriac with green chilli salsa for veggies to Dedham Vale sirloin with horseradish cream, there are plenty of tempting options for all to enjoy.
Hugo Toro’s striking interior is a recreation of the original 19th-century St. Pancras ticket hall and the perfect location for a relaxed Sunday meal.
where: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel London, Euston Rd, London NW1 2AR
website: www.booking-office.co.uk
