There’s something truly comforting about a Sunday roast – a mountain of delicious food, piled high on your plate. Imagine juicy meat (or vegetables, for the plant-based crowd) smothered in gravy, alongside perfectly crispy roast potatoes, a Yorkshire pudding the size of your head, and a glass (or two) of red wine to complete the picture. It’s a meal guaranteed to lull you into a blissful food coma. While most Londoners have their favorite local spots, there are also a handful of restaurants and pubs that elevate the Sunday roast to an art form, each offering a unique experience worth traveling for. So, grab your appetite and get ready to explore the 16 best Sunday roasts London has to offer.
Hawksmoor
This low-lit steakhouse chain, with its seven locations across the capital, is known for its exceptional Sunday lunch. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with exposed brickwork, leather banquettes, and emerald-green booths creating a cozy ambiance. But the real star is the roast beef rump, slow-roasted over charcoal and drizzled with rich bone marrow and onion gravy. It’s served on a bed of sweet carrots, cabbage, and shallots, accompanied by a fluffy Yorkshire pudding, zingy horseradish, and a giant bulb of roasted garlic for extra flavor. The service is relaxed and welcoming, making Hawksmoor the perfect place for solo diners, couples, families, and large groups alike. And don’t forget to save room for the piping hot sticky toffee pudding – a must-try after a hearty meal.
Blacklock
Blacklock, with its four chophouses, offers a seductive Sunday roast experience. The Soho location, housed in a former lap dancing club, is particularly alluring. Start your meal with a hangover-busting Bloody Mary or a Breakfast Martini with orange marmalade, then dive into whole joints of meat roasted over open coals. You can choose from beef rump, lamb leg, pork loin, or a celeriac roast, all served with golden Yorkshire puddings, parsnips, tenderstem broccoli, and duck fat roast potatoes doused in thick gravy. A squeeze of apple ketchup elevates the flavors, and don’t miss out on the bubbling cauliflower cheese and roasted pumpkin topped with parmesan – both are generous and delicious.
Temper
For a unique spin on the classic Sunday roast, head to Temper, a vibrant chain of Central and South American-inflected barbecue restaurants. This isn’t your typical Sunday lunch spot, but rather a lively experience with a focus on smoky, flavorful dishes. Grab a spot at the bar and watch chefs flipping slabs of meat on the expansive central fire pit while sipping on a spicy margarita. Starters range from beef nachos to salmon, miso, and smoked pineapple tacos, while the roasts feature beef, pulled lamb shoulder, pork belly, and smoked baby chicken. The smoked baby chicken, smothered in chimichurri, is a highlight, served alongside a crisp Yorkshire pudding, carrots, pickled cabbage, and some of the best roast potatoes you’ll ever taste. Their deep dish cookies, topped with fior di latte ice cream, are a legendary dessert worth savoring.
Claridge’s
Step into the elegant world of Claridge’s, a Mayfair institution known for its impeccable service and unforgettable Sunday roast. From the moment you enter the stately dining room, with its olive green booths, marble tops, mirrors, and soft lighting, you’ll be treated like royalty. Start your experience with a cocktail at the stunning gilded bar, then head to your table for a three-course extravaganza. The braided loaf with exceptional butter art is a delightful treat, followed by options like flaky, lemony seabass and crab fishcake or a baby beetroot salad. The roast selection features porchetta with caramelized apple purée, roasted Herefordshire rib of beef, or the Norfolk black leg chicken for two with truffle stuffing, all presented alongside roast potatoes, glazed carrots, greens, gravy, and cauliflower and cheese gratin. But the real showstopper is the dessert selection, served family style, offering a taste of everything from chocolate mousse concealed under a hard layer of chocolate you have to crack through with a tiny wooden hammer to warm apple crumble, baked meringue tart, and vanilla panna cotta with pineapple. It’s a culinary masterpiece.
Jermyn Street
Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of Piccadilly, Jermyn Street offers a refined Sunday lunch experience. This elegant St James’s dining room invites you to linger for hours, cozying up in one of its bright orange booths and enjoying Welsh rarebit. While their menu offers everything from caviar and oysters to hake swimming in champagne butter sauce, the roast Cumbrian sirloin is the star attraction. Delectable cuts of meat are served with velvety gravy, roast potatoes, a Yorkshire pudding, and a leek and cauliflower cheese that’s truly divine. After a leisurely meal, indulge in the apple crumble soufflé – a subtly sweet, creamy, airy delight that’s sure to leave you wanting more.
Hicce Hart
Pip Lacey and Gordy McIntyre, the talented duo behind Coal Drops Yard’s modern European restaurant Hicce, have opened this charming Islington pub with squishy armchairs and a roaring fireplace. Here, you’ll be spoiled for choice with their Sunday roast options: roast beef, herb-stuffed, rolled pork belly, a barley, ale and hazelnut tart, and a succulent half chicken, which, controversially, comes with mushy peas (trust us, it works!). Of course, there are also buttery potatoes, herby carrots, cabbage soaked in meaty gravy, and almost sculptural Yorkshire puddings. End your afternoon with a pint of well-priced craft beer from the local independent taproom The Goodness Brewery and a slice of Guinness cake with dark chocolate icing.
Marksman
In less than a decade, Jon Rotheram and Tom Harris have transformed this carefully refurbished Victorian boozer into a Hackney institution. It’s an oasis of polished oak and green leather seats, known for its innovative and hearty dishes, earning it the title of Michelin Pub of the Year in 2016. The three-course menu is pricier than most but worth every penny. Start with beef and barley buns with horseradish cream or whipped goat’s curd on toast with shallots and mint, then move on to the roast Hereford rump with all the trimmings or the whole roast chicken with bread sauce. The Yorkshire puddings are gigantic, the potatoes are heavenly dipped in the rich gravy, and the brown butter and honey tart is the perfect way to finish your meal. Just be warned – after this feast, you might need a few hours of relaxation before tackling anything too strenuous.
The Tamil Crown
This quaint Islington boozer, from the team behind The Tamil Prince, serves up a unique and utterly delicious South Indian-style roast. Begin with incredibly light and crispy onion bhajis and a tangy gunpowder margarita, then delve into the main event: tender roasted masala chicken or the unctuous lamb shank that falls off the bone. It’s presented with a rich coriander-topped gravy, a flaky roti instead of a Yorkshire pudding, spicy curried potatoes and peas, and addictive deep-fried cauliflower chunks that put traditional cauliflower cheese to shame. Don’t forget to try the mini poppadoms, zingy chutneys, coconut stir-fried cabbage, plantains dusted with chilli powder, and the velvety gulab jamuns for dessert. It’s a truly unique and memorable Sunday roast experience.
The Jugged Hare
A stone’s throw from the Barbican, this cozy gastro pub is the ideal place to retreat after a morning spent browsing art. Settle into one of the red leather nooks, where you can admire the eclectic taxidermy and whimsical game illustrations on the walls, and feast on one of their four delicious Sunday roasts. Choose from Longhorn beef slathered with horseradish cream, roast pork belly drizzled with apple sauce, lamb shoulder with fresh mint sauce, or a tender baby chicken served with pigs in blankets, sage stuffing, bread sauce, carrots, parsnips, duck fat roast potatoes, and a giant Yorkshire pudding. It’s a satisfying meal that’s available all year round, making it perfect for any occasion.
The Parakeet
Venture to leafy Kentish Town for a Sunday roast at this picturesque pub, where you can spend hours in one of their pistachio-colored booths surrounded by wood-paneled walls, beautiful stained glass windows, and striking paintings by Ghanaian artist Theophilus Tetteh. The menu, overseen by chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings (formerly of Brat), is equally impressive. Choose from flame-grilled lamb, succulent roast beef, wonderfully crispy roast chicken, or a celeriac wellington, all accompanied by gravy, dressed spring greens, squishy roast potatoes, sweet carrots, a Yorkshire pudding, and a slather of carrot and swede purée. Don’t skip dessert – a rich sticky toffee pudding or a bowl of blackberries and cream topped with white chocolate, cherry granita, and mint is the perfect way to end your meal. Afterward, take a walk to the top of the Parliament Hill viewpoint on nearby Hampstead Heath for stunning views of the city.
The Laundry
Around the corner from bustling Brixton market, this lively bistro, housed in a lovingly restored Edwardian laundry, offers Sunday lunches with a playful twist. The roast chicken with garlic and chilli butter and the Hereford sirloin with creamed horseradish are both reliable choices, but the real standout is the surf and turf. This unique dish combines the Hereford sirloin and chilli butter with a grilled half shell scallop, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, minted peas, glazed carrots, and silky gravy. It’s a decadent and delicious experience you’ll want to repeat.
Cut at 45 Park Lane
For a truly opulent Sunday roast, head to this lavish Mayfair hotel on the edge of Hyde Park. The mood is set from the moment you enter the sumptuous dining room, where a tinkling guitarist serenades diners while you enjoy a glass of sparkling wine, warm bread, and a flurry of canapés, from delicate gougeres and tuna tartare cones to miniature wagyu beef burgers. It’s a wonder you’ll have any appetite left for your main course: roast beef sirloin or the equally delicious beef wellington, served with a Yorkshire pudding, wagyu dripping, bubbly cauliflower cheese, carrots, tenderstem broccoli, and potatoes generously sprinkled with truffle. Finish with a classic, hearty dessert like the Granny Smith apple crumble or berry pavlova – it’s a Sunday feast fit for royalty.
The Audley Public House
This Mount Street boozer might look like a typical classic British pub at first glance – cozy and packed to the rafters – but there’s more to it than meets the eye. From the eye-popping ceiling mosaic by Phyllida Barlow to the inventive Sunday menu overseen by chef Jamie Shears, The Audley Public House is a unique destination. The menu combines elevated pub grub (scotch eggs, sausage rolls, coronation crab on toast, cockle popcorn and malt vinegar, cheesy chips with curry sauce and jalapenos) with hearty roasts. Start with the Durslade Farm lamb scrumpet with garlic mayo, followed by the roast beef, served on a bed of carrots alongside a Yorkshire pudding stuffed with even more glorious meat. It’s a culinary adventure that’s both playful and satisfying.
Cafe Kitty
This sexy, art-filled Soho hideaway, the third restaurant from the Kitty Fisher’s Group, offers a fresh take on Sunday lunch. Start with a Bad Kitty (gin, sloe gin, lemon, elderflower, and cava), devilled eggs, and scallops rockefeller before moving on to the roasts: squash and harissa, chicken and dill mayo, and sirloin and horseradish, served with crispy potatoes, hispi cabbage, cauliflower cheese, and giant Yorkshire puddings. Finish with the insanely creamy boozy plum knickerbocker glory – it’s a decadent treat you won’t regret.
The Wolseley City
Head north on London Bridge to the grand ivory facade of a 1920s bank, which houses The Wolseley City, the new sister restaurant of the Piccadilly institution. It transplants its casual grandeur (as well as its trademark monochrome interiors) to the Square Mile. Begin with seafood – the lemony dressed Dorset crab or lightly seared scallops with wilted spinach and champagne veloute are must-tries. Then choose one of the three signature Sunday roasts: celeriac with sage and onion stuffing, corn-fed chicken with bread sauce, or sirloin of Herefordshire beef with a crispy Yorkshire pudding. Add one of the delectable desserts – the apple strudel or the salted caramel and chantilly choux – and the three-piece jazz band providing the soundtrack on lazy Sunday afternoons, and you have a true Sunday classic.
The Camberwell Arms
Sunday lunch at this effortlessly cool south London gem is a journey in two parts. Start with a bevy of scrumptious, ever-changing small plates, such as the spiced celeriac with smoked pollock hummus and walnuts or the Lombardy ragu on toast with parmesan. Then comes the main event: spit-roasted chicken with spinach and chilli yoghurt, aged Dexter steak with wild garlic butter and watercress, lamb with Italian greens, or rolled pork belly with Savoy cabbage and mustard – all designed to be shared but so delicious you might want to keep them all for yourself. Finish with a bowl of potato fritters and a glass of merlot while you reflect on your Sunday feast, and count down to your next visit to this charming pub.
