Sunday roasts – they’re an iconic part of British culture. Popularised by King Henry VII in the 15th century, they’re now found across London’s incredible pubs and restaurants, featuring everything from chicken, lamb, pork and beef to vegetarian and vegan alternatives.
If you can’t figure out where to grab your Sunday lunch, don’t fret – as it turns out, we’re experts on the matter. To get your fill of gloriously crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and rich gravy, check out our tried and tested guide to the top roasts in London, taking you to Richmond, Clapham and beyond.
The Top Sunday Lunches In London
The Jugged Hare
Address: 49 Chiswell St, London EC1Y 4SB
Price: £32 per roast
From the award-winning menus to the taxidermy-filled interiors, The Jugged Hare is a trendy Barbican-based gastropub that's just a little obsessed with game. The chefs celebrate seasonal British produce, pairing their fine cuts of meat with foraged ingredients.
If you manage to bag a table on a Sunday (lucky you), you'll get to choose between beef, pork belly, leg of lamb or rotisserie chicken (£32 each for their London Sunday roasts). We've tried all four and can attest that each is expertly prepared; the beef comes beautifully pink, the pork succulent as can be and served with a delicious piece of crackling, the lamb rich in flavour, and the chicken? Surprisingly that was actually our favourite, accompanied by pigs in blankets and stuffing.
As for the roast potatoes, these stunning spuds are an absolute delight - crispy on the outside yet fluffy on the inside - and we couldn't help but drown them in the gorgeous, lovingly made rotisserie gravy. We also recommend ordering a side of the cauliflower cheese, because this beauty is as ooey and gooey as you could ever want, while still retaining a hearty crunch from the the veg.
By Jasmine Lee Kennedy, Senior Editor. Read our full review of The Jugged Hare.
Get ready for Yorkshire puddings as big as your head at one of the top pubs for a Sunday roast in London.
The Libertine
Address: The Royal Exchange, Cornhill, EC3V 3L
Price: £23 - £26 (£90 for their Chateaubriand to share)
After your office stint is done, there aren't many reasons to head into the City on the weekends (the office crowd is what keeps this place alive), but The Libertine is more than worth the venture.
It's inside a 465-year-old bank vault and their Sunday roast is worth every penny. It comes with tender slices of pink beef, crisp roasties and a lip-smacking gravy. Cauliflower cheese and the pigs in blankets are a must-order but arrive hungry - they don't do doggy bags.
By Leighanne Bent, Senior Marketing Manager.
We enjoyed every last morsel of this incredible roast.
Marksman
Address: 254 Hackney Rd, London E2 7SB
Price: 2 courses for £38, 3 for £42
As the first-ever London boozer to win the Michelin Pub of the Year award, it's no surprise that Marksman is one of the best places for Sunday roast in London.
Famished foodies flock here to mark the end of the week with beautifully executed British bites, including Hereford rump, whole chicken to share and wing rib accompanied by all the trimmings your heart desires.
So, head down after a ramble around the neighbouring Haggerston Park and get cosy among the wood-panelled walls and teal leather booths, or for something a little more intimate? Grab a spot in the elegant first-floor dining room.
Make sure to book ahead for this Michelin-starred spot.
The Wilmington
Address: 69 Rosebery Ave, London EC1R 4RL
Price: £18 - £22.50
The Wilmington in Clerkenwell is a listed 19th-century public house on the cusp of Exmouth Market, offering a bright and airy dining room laced with elegant chandeliers and vintage pictures fixed to the walls. The skylight lets in floods of natural light that casts down on diners enjoying food by head chef Jamie Cousins.
The menu features an array of globally influenced dishes and, on Sundays, you'll get to indulge in what might be the best roast in London, featuring chicken with pigs in blankets, a beef roast, porchetta and apple sauce, or a beetroot and squash Wellington.
When you're next in Central London, make sure to give this one a whirl.
The Heathcote And Star
Address: 344 Grove Green Rd, London E11 4EA
Price: £19 - £21
A far cry from your traditional pub, The Heathcote and Star is a Leyton favourite fronting bright teal walls, velvet banquettes, vibrant artwork and neon signs.
Though kitchen residents Krapow! are renowned for their tantalising Thai food, the Sunday roasts are equally as fantastic and available from 12pm to 8pm.
Whether you fancy Scotch ribeye (served medium rare), Orchard Farm pork belly, butter-basted, corn-fed chicken or a crispy herb nut roast – just make sure to save room for the sticky toffee pudding.
What one of our users had to say about The Heathcote and Star': "Fantastic roast! Best I’ve had in London in a long while."
Vegetarians will be happy to hear that this joint's nut roast is top-notch.
The Cat And Mutton
Address: 76 Broadway Market, London E8 4RA
Price: £17.50 - £19.75
The Cat and Mutton undoubtedly serves one of the very best Sunday roasts in London. Just a short walk from London Fields, this legendary pub (which has been going since 1729, if you can believe it) is nursing those hangovers with its Sunday Recovery Sessions.
While surrounded by traditional leather seating, vintage artwork, mismatched light fixtures and taxidermy mounts making eye contact with you across the bar, delve into pork, chicken, sirloin of beef or a mushroom and cashew Wellington.
But it doesn't stop there, oh no; while you chow down, you can enjoy the smooth sounds of funk, disco and soul spun by a live DJ, as well as a potent bloody mary or two.
What our user Rachel had to say about The Cat And Mutton: "Great Sunday roast. The portions were very generous and we were all left stuffed!"
Nurse that Sunday hangover with a trip to The Cat and Mutton.
Jones & Sons
Address: Stamford Works, 3 Gillett St, London N16 8JH
Price: £21 - £26
Let's be honest – any restaurant in this neighbourhood is a trendy one, but Dalston's Jones & Sons is a cut above the rest (and was even featured in the film Boiling Point for all you movie buffs).
Finding its home in a converted Victorian textile factory, the venue is as chic as can be, with exposed industrial pipe ceilings, simple white-painted brick walls and mid-century seating.
From 12pm 'til 7.15pm on Sundays, the centrepiece open-plan kitchen slings out superior roasts, such as a whole chicken to share, Welsh lamb rump, plus a beetroot, smoked tofu and mushroom Wellington. For dessert? It has to be the date pudding with butterscotch and clotted ice cream for us.
What one of our users had to say about Jones & Sons: "Food first class as always and service faultless. The best Sunday roast around. Yorkies to die for and the meat is cooked to perfection."
Trendy and cosy, what more could you want?
The Camberwell Arms
Address: 65 Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8TR
Price: All roasts are for two/three to share, priced from £48 to £72
If you're from south of the river, you'll of course heard of The Camberwell Arms. The independent, award-winning pub, run by the same team behind Peckham's beloved Frank's Cafe, whips up a thoughtful, seasonally focused Sunday menu.
As it features six different roasts, hungry lunchers will be spoilt for choice, but most are made for sharing, so you'll hopefully avoid that dreaded food FOMO. Our standout dish? The slow-roasted lamb shoulder, elevated with creamed cavalo nero, mint and pine nut sauce, plus a hefty serving of roast potatoes.
This one's for all of you South Londoners out there.
Canton Arms
Address: 177 S Lambeth Rd, London SW8 1XP
Price: Beef roast for £28, plus sharing roasts around £56
Canton Arms is a popular gastropub that can be found nestled between Stockwell and Vauxhall. Sporting rich, ox-blood walls and rustic furnishings such as a wood-panelled bar and walls lined with jars of chutney, it provides the perfect, cosy and quintessentially British backdrop to a Sunday lunch.
The menu packs seasonal flavours and high-quality ingredients, with the likes of rare roast Dexter beef served alongside roast potatoes and green beans, or slow-cooked rabbit leg.
Submerge in the cosy atmosphere of cool gastropub Canton Arms.
The Great Exhibition
Address: 193 Crystal Palace Rd, London SE22 9EP
Price: £18.50 - £22
The Great Exhibition is a laid-back Victorian pub where vintage rugs, detailed ceilings and quirky knick-knacks make up its bones, while beautifully prepared Sunday roasts run through its veins – making it a staple among hungry (and often hungover) locals.
Though the 21-day-aged beef rump and slow-braised lamb sound mighty fine, it's the pork belly that's got us in a tizzy, showcasing beautifully soft meat and the hearty crunch of superbly roasted crackling. Plus, with sides like cauliflower cheese and creamed leeks, it's sure to be away with those impending Sunday scaries.
What one of our users had to say about The Great Exhibition: "Best Sunday Roast in SE22 and SE23 and I’ve tried 20+ different places so can confidently say this. Not to mention excellent very attentive service from start to finish. Amazing gravy, great vibe and beautiful interiors."
BOOK THE GREAT EXHIBITION HERE
Make your way to South London for this acclaimed, cosy hangout.
Barge East
Address: River Lee, Sweetwater Mooring, White Post Ln, London E9 5EN
Price: £23 - £30 (set menu available too)
Hop aboard Barge East, a historic Dutch boat-turned-restaurant that boasts two AA Rosettes for 'Culinary Excellence' under its belt, for one of the top Sunday lunches in London.
Helmed by head chef Stefano Camplone, who is devoted to sustainable cooking, the Hackney Wick hangout uses only seasonal produce in their roasts, sourced from either their own garden or local suppliers.
While you float idyllically on the River Lee, get your chompers around lamb leg with salsa verde, porchetta and apple sauce, beef topside complimented by horseradish or a flavour-packed shallot tart. As for the trimmings? Think roasted miso carrots, seasonal greens and potatoes so crispy we can almost hear them now.
What one of our users had to say about Barge East: "We had a fantastic Sunday lunch at Barge East last weekend. The service was excellent and food and drinks were exceptional! Thoroughly recommend a visit."
Head to this award-winning restaurant for beautifully prepared, sustainable plates.
The Spaniards Inn
Address: Spaniards Rd, London NW3 7JJ
Price: £21 - £23.50, or £49 for the sharing platter
Housed within a Grade II-listed building dating back to 1585 (with ties to Keats and Dickens), The Spaniards Inn really is an iconic boozer. As you'd expect from such a historic space, it showcases period interiors with a contemporary touch, from the wood-panelled walls and low beams to the tall windows that overlook the foliage-filled beer garden.
After a ramble across Hampstead Heath (just a five-minute walk away), grab a table by the open fire to dive head first into slow-cooked pork belly with red wine jus or a root vegetable nut roast, paired with thyme-roasted potatoes, buttered savoy cabbage and so much more.
What our user Victoria had to say about The Spaniards Inn: "Best Sunday roast in London! The perfect location for our Christmas get-together as this pub is beautiful."
Feast on gorgeous roasts while in gorgeous surrounds at this Hampstead favourite.
Holly Bush
Hampstead: 22 Holly Mount, London NW3 6SG
Price: £24 - £26
A quaint, neighbourhood drinking den nestled in leafy Hampstead, Holly Bush is the dictionary definition of a traditional pub. Leather booths line the retro artwork-covered walls, while a roaring fireplace and flickering candles create a warm, intimate atmosphere.
Adding to the quintessentially British experience is what many locals deem the best Sunday roast London has to offer; South Coast loin of pork, sirloin of beef and a veg-packed Wellington all reign supreme on the menu, made all the merrier by beef dripping roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, vegetables and glorious, glorious gravy.
What one of our users had to say about Holly Bush: "Best Sunday Roast in London! Amazing pork belly and sirloin roast. We’ll be back!"
You can't go wrong with a trip to this traditional pub.
The Drapers Arms
Address: 44 Barnsbury St, London N1 1ER
Price: £19.50 - £25, or £75 - £90 for the sharing roasts
Bringing a mix of long-standing locals and foodie fiends together with one thing in mind (a hearty roast, of course), The Drapers Arms in Islington provides the ultimate Sunday sanctuary. The friendly, neighbourhood pub and restaurant features black and white chequered floors, dainty wooden tables and golden accents in the way of chandeliers and ornate mirrors.
There's plenty to please all palates from the ever-changing menu, including one of the best roast dinners London has to its name: forerib of beef accompanied by Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy for £80 – perfect shared between two or three hungry friends.
It's sure to be all gravy, baby at The Drapers Arms.
The Three Crowns
Address: 175 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 0PE
Price: £18 - £21
The Three Crowns is a Stoke Newington gem that's split into three different areas: a main dining room, a bar and a lounge filled with plush sofas. It's a Victorian boozer at its core, sporting large windows, bare brick walls and vintage rugs.
Swing by on a Sunday after a long stroll through Clissold Park to tuck into its scrumptious roast menu: from slow roast pork belly stuffed with sage and garlic to a butternut squash Wellington, there's something for everyone, including helpings of cauliflower cheese and Yorkshire puddings.
What one of our users had to say about The Three Crowns: "First Sunday roast back in London and couldn’t have picked a better pub, the food was amazing , definitely recommend the pork roast! Always loved this pub. Staff were amazing as always."
And if you're thirsty? There are plenty of beers, wines and ales to wash everything down.
Smokehouse
Address: 63-69 Canonbury Rd, London N1 2DG
Price: £20 - £26, around £52 for the sharing roasts
A neighbourhood gastropub known for its kitchen, Smokehouse in Islington is the Sunday lunch venue to visit on your afternoon stroll. It sports charming, minimal interiors with rustic wooden tables and candles dotted around the place. In the warmer months, we love to soak up a portion of leeks vinaigrette and split a mega 50-day-aged beef sirloin in the leafy garden.
The team works with nearby boozer The Pig and Butcher for its incredible meat supply, sourcing some of the best produce which makes its way onto the roast menu. As for drinks and desserts, we're always game for the local beers and a classic sticky toffee pud.
By Anisah Audu-Evans, Managing Editor at DesignMyNight.
If juicy, high-quality meats are your thing, don't sleep on Smokehouse.
Booking Office 1869
Address: Euston Rd., London NW1 2AR
Price: £28 - £35
Booking Office 1869 will dazzle you with its grand interiors; cast your eyes across towering, arched walls reminiscent of Kings Cross station's original 19th-century ticket hall, plus elegant palm trees and a vibrant teal-tiled bar.
Soft, golden light fixtures illuminate elegant tables where diners revel in moreish plates courtesy of culinary director Patrick Powell. Sundays welcome roasts featuring 30-day-aged sirloin with horseradish cream, salt-baked celeriac alongside green chilli salsa, or roast cornfed chicken with a sourdough bread sauce.
Boasting good looks and even better food, this one's a treat for all the senses.
Rotunda
Address: 90 York Way, London N1 9AG
Price: £22 - £26
Rotunda is making sure you end the week with an oh-so-delicious bang. The swish Kings Cross hotspot proudly totes a sun-soaked waterside terrace, featuring verdant astroturf and views of the boats tootling down the canal.
Or if you fancy keeping cosy indoors? You'll be met with velvet and leather seating, as well as a lively open kitchen and a dry-ageing fridge where you can see the day's meaty delights on display.
Speaking of, did you know that all Rotunda's lamb and beef roasts are sourced from their own Corneyside Farm, before being hung and butchered in-house? Pair that with crispy potatoes, cauliflower cheese, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and gravy, and you're in store for one helluva Sunday.
What one of our users had to say about Rotunda: "Very good Sunday lunch in a relaxed atmosphere with friendly, attentive service, and an interesting wine list with plenty to choose from. The pre-meal drinks trolley is a great idea."
Enjoy a roast dinner with views of the canal.
The Harwood Arms
Address: Walham Grove, London SW6 1QJ
Price: 2 courses for £64, 3 for £79 per person (and all roasts are for 2 to share)
Upscale, contemporary British fare is the name of the game over at The Harwood Arms, which has earned them the status of the only Michelin-starred pub in the city.
Head chef Josh Cutress and director Brett Graham (also the chef-owner of The Ledbury) have created a menu that celebrates the very best of local produce, placing a focus on wild ingredients and game.
Perhaps London's best Sunday roast, the three-course set menu comes in at £79 – but let us tell you, it's entirely worth it. Think slow-cooked deer shoulder wrapped in bacon, plus loin and jowl of Cumbrian pork, to enjoy in the Scandi-chic dining room illuminated by atmospheric candlelight.
The Harwood Arms' Sunday lunch game is on point.
The Cleveland Arms
Address: 28 Chilworth St, London W2 6DT
Price: £20 - £26
You'll be hard-pressed to find a more charming pub than The Cleveland Arms, just off the beaten track in Paddington. Kick-start with a tipple in the bar, a sultry, dark blue nook made of traditional furnishings and luxurious draped curtains, before heading to the dining room.
Here, you'll find burnt-orange textured walls and atmospheric antique light fixtures, not to mention choices like Suffolk chicken, beef topside, cauliflower and pork belly. And if the sides of potatoes, cabbage and Yorkshire puddings don't fill you up, the coconut panna cotta with caramelised pineapple certainly will.
What one of our users had to say about The Cleveland Arms: "I took some friends there for Sunday lunch which was excellent. Great meat and fresh vegetables. I will be going back again."
Head to Paddington for charming interiors and superior Sunday lunches.
The Cow
Address: 89 Westbourne Park Rd, London W2 5QH
Price: Around £29
Located in Notting Hill, The Cow is a pub that's popular with celebrities and locals alike, thanks to its famous Guinness offering and fabulous roasts. Make your way through the downstairs Irish tavern and head up to the saloon bar by Tom Conran, where you'll be able to enjoy some hearty fare.
The dining room is equipped with crisp white tablecloths and cream walls, making it a sophisticated spot to inhale the iconic London pub roast. Though there's only one option, forerib of beef, it's cooked to utter perfection, elevated with roast potatoes, carrots, horseradish cream and a hefty Yorkshire pudding.
We highly recommend grabbing a pint of Guinness while you're here.
Drayton Arms
Address: 153 Old Brompton Rd, Greater, London SW5 0LJ
Price: £19.50 - £22.50 (£46 for the sharing roast)
If you're all about food, glorious food – then one place springs to mind: South Kensington's Drayton Arms. Perch yourself on one of the retro Chesterfield sofas, surrounded by nostalgic posters and photographs, and treat yourself to what might be the best roast dinner in London.
Whatever option you go for (beef sirloin, chicken, nut roast or pork belly), you'll be pleased to hear you'll also be served thyme-sprinkled potatoes, leeks, peas and roasted root vegetables, with more than enough red wine jus or vegetarian gravy to go around.
Pro tip: ask for extra gravy. You won't regret it.
Hawksmoor
Locations: Wood Wharf, Covent Garden, Borough, Air Street, Spitalfields, Guildhall and Knightsbridge.
Price: Varies between venue, but around £27
Hawksmoor's Sunday roasts are the stuff of legend, and it's not hard to see why. One of the most famous steak restaurants going, with a number of accolades under its belt, it knows what it's doing when it comes to prime cuts of meat, working with small British farms that use traditional methods to rear their cattle.
Available from 12pm to 4pm on Sundays, the native beef rump (£27) is a tour de force, slowly spit-roasted over coals before being finished in the oven. On the side? Beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables and a surplus of bone marrow gravy.
What our user Christina had to say about Hawksmoor Bar Wood Wharf: "Excellent service and the best Sunday roast!"
BOOK HAWKSMOOR BAR WOOD WHARF HERE
Sunday roasts at Hawksmoor are certainly one for the bucket list.
Blacklock
Locations: Soho, Shoreditch, the City and Covent Garden.
Price: £17 - £25
Not only does Blacklock use the whole animal, sourcing their meat from Cornwall's longest-running family of butchers and farmers (and boasting B Corp status), but the chefs? They really know what they're doing, especially on Sundays, when they roast these beaut cuts over open coals.
Choose between 55 dry-aged beef rump, pork loin, lamb leg or a celeriac roast, plated up with all the trimmings, and let the flavours do the talking.
Blacklock's Sunday roast promises to be spud-taculour.
temper
Locations: Soho, City, Shoreditch, Paddington and Covent Garden.
Price: £21.50 - £25
temper is a whole animal smokehouse where English, in-house-butchered meats cooked over live fire are the star of the show.
When it comes to their Sunday offering, they rustle up options like smoked pork belly and baby chicken, but if you want to really go in? We recommend the family-style roast – the Three Beast Feast for £35pp – a droolworthy trio of aged roast beef, roasted pork and smoked lamb shoulder.
There are plenty of sides to choose from too, including four cheese cauliflower, beef-fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings and vegetables.
What one of our users had to say about temper: "We went as a group of 9 for Sunday lunch and we all agreed that the food was delicious and the cocktails fabulous. One of the tastiest Sunday lunches I have had in a long time! We found the service to be exemplary - our waitress was very attentive, helpful and friendly and other staff checked in with us regularly for drinks orders. I would highly recommend - really nice surroundings with a bustling ambience."
BOOK TEMPER HERE: Soho, City, Shoreditch, Paddington and Covent Garden.
Believe us when we say the beef-fat roast potatoes are heavenly.
Roast
Address: The Floral Hall, Stoney St, London SE1 1TL
Price: £24 - £36.50
Perched on top of the iconic Borough Market, Roast is an elegant dining destination that only works with local suppliers, including some of those from the market below.
On Sundays, this comes in the form of 100-day-aged beef, Herdwick lamb, Saddleback pork belly, Cumbrian chicken and an indulgent nut roast. Plus, sides include the likes of braised beef croquettes and pigs in blankets, not to mention gorgeous roasted potatoes and humungous Yorkshire puddings.
Hit up this Borough hotspot for a fabulous feast.
The Twenty Two
Address: 22 Grosvenor Sq, London W1K 6LF
Price: £34 - £42
The Twenty Two is a stunning hotel located in the middle of Mayfair with a restaurant and bar of the same name. If you're looking for somewhere to indulge on a Sunday, then this duck-egg blue dining room lined with velvet sofas and vintage photographs is the place for you.
Executive chef Alan Christie leads the kitchen and brings his Mediterranean influence to dishes, as well as whips up incredible Sunday roasts featuring Cornish Red chicken, Mount Grace farm lamb and sirloin of Aberdeen Angus beef. Mmmm.
Grab a Sunday lunch table at this bougie Mayfair eatery.
The Audley Public House
Address: 41-43 Mount St, London W1K 2RX
Price: £36 for the roast beef, £62 - £64 for the sharing roasts (lamb and chicken)
The Audley is as traditional as they come (bar the vibrant ceiling created by Phyllida Barlow), but just upstairs, you'll find something very slick indeed – the pub's stylish Mount St. Restaurant, designed by Studio Laplace.
Here, an extraordinary collection of artworks, from the mosaic floor to the food-focussed sketches, mingle with tasteful red and maroon seating, creating a seriously sought-after spot for a Sunday meal.
Rev up the stomach engines with caviar and blinis (when in Mayfair, eh?) before digging into the beef roast; beautifully pink slices come on a bed of seasonal vegetables, made all the better by fluffy Yorkshire puddings, a lovingly made gravy and those all-important roasted potatoes.
Add a little luxury to your Sunday at Mayfair's famed The Audley.
Cora Pearl
Address: 30 Henrietta St, London WC2E 8NA
Price: £22 - £30
From the same team that brought us Kitty Fisher's, Michelin-recommended Cora Pearl (named after another infamous courtesan from the 19th century) champions British comfort food and is one of the best pubs in London for Sunday roasts.
Sultry and sophisticated, nestled within a Covent Garden townhouse, it boasts rich, forest-green banquettes and low lighting; a slick boudoir-style space we're sure Cora Pearl herself would have been proud of. The Sunday menu? Similarly elevated, with options such as roasted stone bass, sirloin, chicken and celeriac.
There's also a bountiful selection of sides on the cards, from crispy potatoes and spring greens to some of the biggest Yorkshire puddings you ever did see.
The perfect Sunday roast? Cora Pearl is a hot contender.
Fancy some post-roast fun? Check
out our guide to brilliant things to do on Sundays in
London.
