The Sunday roast or Sunday lunch: an all-encompassing meal that covers all the important food groups – juicy meat (or veg, depending on preferences), golden crispy roast potatoes, gigantic Yorkshire puddings and lashings of gravy. The Sunday roast is one of Britain’s most loved food traditions and it’s no wonder it commands fervent loyalty from Londoners, sparking serious debates on where to find the best ones and what should or shouldn’t be included. From pub classics to local neighbourhood gems and chophouses, there’s a Sunday lunch for every taste. Nothing screams British tradition like the Sunday roast and here's where to find some of the best Sunday roast in London.
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The best Sunday roast in London
The Camberwell Arms
This effortlessly chic south London gem takes the classic Sunday roast to the next level with starters like scotch bonnet on toast, pickled mackerel with horseradish cream, and mussels in spicy pork fat. Opt for one of the five shareable roasts, featuring spit-roasted chicken, roast pork belly, braised lamb shoulder, roast lamb rack, or dry-aged Hereford beef. Not a roast fan? Indulge in bubbling sharing pies, seafood, or pasta. The casual dining room has a 1940s brasserie aesthetic, complete with scrubbed wooden floors and reclaimed tables and chairs that complement its dark interior. Wash down your meal with no-nonsense service, daily ales, and a well-priced, diverse wine list.
What to order: The half spit-roast chicken for two served with creamed cavolo nero and roast potatoes is a thing of beauty.
65 Camberwell Church St, London SE5 8TR
The Canton Arms
The Canton Arms on Lambeth Road is the sister to The Camberwell Arms and combines the high level of gastropub cooking with the nostalgic ambiance of an old-school boozer, featuring a warm brown and wooden interior. You’ll find superb rustic English cooking that comes in more than generous portions, like the rare roast Dexter beef or the must-try seven-hour-cooked salt marsh lamb shoulder that falls off the bone. If you’re feeling more adventurous than a roast, explore the specials on the blackboard, and don't miss the renowned sharing pie with a flaky crust that’s worth the journey alone. Wrap up your meal with old-school desserts like custard crumble tart and sticky toffee pudding. This is one of those meals that will definitely require a nap afterwards.
What to order: Choose between the Dexter short rib or the Salt Marsh lamb shoulder, and you're guaranteed a good time.
177 S Lambeth Rd, London SW8 1XP
Coal Rooms
If you're looking to be brought back to life by a mountain of food then Coal Rooms is the place to be. Nestled in a former station ticket office in Peckham Rye station right behind the main drag, this gem offers a cosy, minimalist, and serene setting—the perfect antidote to those Sunday scaries. When it comes to their renowned Sunday roasts, Coal Rooms doesn't hold back. Choose from the slow-roasted Dexter short rib, wood-roasted Suffolk chicken, tropea onion tart, or the roast Tamworth pork belly. Each dish comes with fluffy, crispy potatoes, green beans, cabbage, carrots and a glorious Yorkshire pudding that's bigger than your head. If you prefer your roasts swimming, brace yourself for a generous glug of hearty, thick gravy. And don't forget to wash it all down with a £5 Bloody Mary
What to order: Catch the beautifully latticed Beef Wellington exclusively on the Sunday Roast menu. Act fast; it's first-come, first-served and sells out quickly.
11a Station Way, London SE15 4RX
Blacklock
Blacklock is the epitome of the trendy British chophouse and they’re masters of the Sunday roast game with a nostalgic touch that they claim is almost as good as your mum’s. There are various locations in the City and Covent Garden, but the seductive Soho spot is the place to be as it used to be a former lap dancing club and brothel. Meat with a side of meat is the aim of the game here. Think: slow-roasted whole joints over open coals with a choice of three meats – beef, pork, lamb, or a veggie option. Expect generous portions, from golden Yorkshire puddings to duck fat roast potatoes and accompanied by a flavour-bomb rich gravy. Enhance the experience with a hangover-busting Bloody Mary or Breakfast Martini before indulging in the hearty offerings, including bubbling cauliflower cheese and parmesan-covered roasted pumpkin.
What to order: The ‘All In’ sharing platter is perfect for big groups and comes with a heady mix of beef, lamb and pork roasts with all the trimmings for £25 per person.
24 Great Windmill St, London W1D 7LG
The Devonshire
Ever since it opened, The Devonshire in Soho has been near impossible to get a table at, but it's on a Sunday that it truly excels. There may be limited choice for roast – it's roast rib of beef and all the trimmings only – but that just goes to show how much they excel in what they do. There is more choice when it comes to starters and desserts but it is the beef that everyone goes for and you don't want to eat too much and not have room. The pub itself is a very cosy place to spend an autumnal Sunday and you'll probably find you spend far longer – and drink a few more of their famous Guinnesses – than you expected to.
What to order: the roast rib of beef, and perhaps a chocolate mousse to finish.
17 Denman St, London W1D 7HW
The Coal Office, King's Cross
For a Sunday roast with a Mediterranean twist make for the Coal Office in King Cross's Coal Drops Yard. At a set £42 per person, the JLM Sunday Roast starts with heavenly baked breads with dips like tahini, labaneh and fatush. The mains is where the roast comes into play, with the option of brisket, sea bream or braised hispi cabbage. You can't go wrong. – Tal Dekel-Daks
What to order: You'll get almost everything on the JLM Sunday Roast menu, the options only come for the mains – brisket, sea bream or braised hispi cabbage?
Harwood Arms
This Michelin-starred Fulham gastropub’s Sunday roast is one of the most highly regarded in the city and it's a good reason why there’s often a month-long wait for Sunday lunch bookings. The Harwood Arms has all the rustic touches of a country pub with forest green wood panelling and a cosy fireplace. Roasts here are refreshingly traditional, but the standard goes above and beyond your usual pub grub. Led by head chef Josh Cutress, the renowned £65 three-course menu (or £50 for two courses) features starters like warm onion tart and fallow deer pâté en croûte. For mains, indulge in sharing sizes of roast Cornish monkfish, Iberico pork loin, and Belted Galloway beef sirloin—all accompanied by Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, baked carrots, cauliflower cheese, and greens. Save room for meticulously crafted desserts, such as apple parfait with shortbread, hazelnuts, and sherry, and a delicate custard flan with fig and crème fraîche. Snacks are extra, but treat yourself to the venison or Glamorgan vegetarian Scotch egg for that cherry on top.
What to order: You only live once. Go all out and get the three-courses.
Walham Grove, London SW6 1QJ
Ling Ling’s
Think you've had it all with Sunday lunches? Think again. Ling Ling's brings you an Asian-inspired roast like no other. Created by chef Jenny Phung and her partner James Shepherd, this modern Asian fusion restaurant has a permanent residency at Hackney's beloved pub dating back to 1860, The Gun. Choose from options like five-spiced braised pork belly, miso-glazed aubergine, Korean-inspired glass skin chicken, or a whole sea bass. Each comes with roasties, a massive sesame seed Yorkshire puddings, nori mustard, garlic panko, miso gravy, and veggies. The icing on the cake? Start with a hash brown topped with Sichuan tofu cream and fish roe. Be sure to add Ling Ling's famous poached wontons to your order. Yes, you read that right—hash browns, wontons, and a roast, and it all works seamlessly and gloriously.
What to order: The juicy and tender Korean-inspired glass skin chicken should come with a warning because you’re guaranteed to hear angels singing.
235 Well St, London E9 6RG
The Marksman
As one of Shoreditch's premier gastropubs that was once voted Michelin's pub of the year, the Marksman lives up to its reputation with a stellar Sunday lunch. Choose between the downstairs bar's polished oak ambiance with green leather banquettes or head to the first floor for the minimalist chic dining room. It’s a smart and well-thought out menu, with solid three-courses for £40. Diners can mix and match from a choice of starters like the crab soup with aioli, whipped goats curd on toast and pigeon and tamworth terrine. For mains, the roast Hereford rump and chicken and girolle pie are strong centrepieces, but for an extra tenner more you can upgrade to a decadent sharing roast with a choice of roast mallard or whole roast chicken. Add extra roasties and buttered greens, and top it off with a brown butter and honey tart or a cheese feast for dessert. After all that feasting, head to the terrace for some fresh air and a couple of pints.
What to order: Bring a big group to divide and conquer the menu. Order the beef and barley bun snack to line the stomach and the whole roast chicken with roast potatoes and greens.
254 Hackney Rd, London E2 7SB
Princess of Shoreditch
Nestled away from the main Shoreditch hustle, The Princess of Shoreditch offers a cosy refuge with its great pub food, good beer selection, lively atmosphere, and background music. Brimming with charm, choose between the elegant downstairs bar or the formal dining room on the first floor, accessible by the cast-iron spiral staircase. Sundays are a culinary spectacle, and the roast two-course set lunch menu is £32, while three courses are £39. It showcases delights like Yorkshire Dales sirloin of beef, free-range chicken with sourdough sauce, and pork loin with apple sauce. Vegetarian? Try the walnut and apricot nut roast with creamy mushroom gravy—a delightful balance of nutty and fruity flavours. Paired with roast potatoes, seasonal veg, rich gravy, and crowned with a colossal Yorkshire pudding.
What to order: Meats often get all the glory but Princess of Shoreditch does veggie options exceptionally well with their vegetarian nut roast.
76-78 Paul St, London EC2A 4QB
Quality Chop House
If you look up 'perfection' in a dictionary, guess what you'll find? Quality Chop House's Sunday roasts. Immerse yourself in the stunning 150-year-old Victorian dining room with a meaty set roast menu. It's three courses for £55, plus some bonus snacks. Choose from starters like Tamworth shoulder croquettes and smoked cod’s roe with cured egg yolk before diving into the main event. Expect centrepieces such as the Lincoln Red rump and brisket, herb and butter-roasted celeriac, or apple sauce Suffolk lamb shoulder, accompanied by roast potatoes (or add on Quality Chop House's legendary confit potatoes for an extra £8), Yorkshire pudding, honey-roasted carrots, buttered sprout tops, and cauliflower cheese. And don't skip the banoffee pie for dessert. Quality Chop House proudly claims its spot as the creator of one of the city's finest roasts.
What to order: The Lincoln Red bone-in ribeye for two, complete with all the trimmings will be one for the memory books.
92-94 Farringdon Rd, London EC1R 3EA
Smokehouse Islington
On Sundays, brace yourself for a carnivorous feast at this beloved Islington meat haven. This unpretentious rustic-chic pub and restaurant have nailed their Sunday roasts. Feast on carefully sourced from local suppliers and in-house smoked dishes like the 50-day aged Dexter beef sirloin, whole Cotswold white chicken, and Tamworth pork belly. While meat unquestionably takes the spotlight, vegetarians won’t be disappointed with a thoughtful selection of dishes, featuring highlights like salt-baked beetroot and a veggie Wellington with sweet potato, vegan feta, and porcini. Glistening roast potatoes, seasonal greens, honey-glazed carrots, and Yorkshire puddings all come as standard fare, so don’t fret about dish envy. Wash it all down with an extensive selection of beers on draught and by the bottle, including some stellar options from London.
What to order: As the name suggests, everything gets the smoke treatment and the 50-day aged Dexter beef sirloin is seriously fire.
63-69 Canonbury Rd, London N1 2DG
The Tamil Crown, Angel
From the people behind the brilliant Tamil Prince, The Tamil Crown is a relaxed neighbourhood boozer serving a selection of South Indian sharing plates in the heart of Angel. It especially comes alive on Sundays, when they dish out their roast menu, starting with okra fries, onion bhajis or chicken lollipops, things get even better with mains such as roasted masala chicken complete with potato and peas masala, coconut stir fried cabbage, mixed veg avial, gobi 65, roast potatoes, roti, gravy. Veggies get a sambar, potato and peas masala and there's also a lamb shank or sea bream option.
What to order: You can't go wrong with any Sunday roast option here – and thankfully its a perfectly short and curated menu. The splashiest dish being the lamb shank roast.
16 Elia Street London, N1 8DE, London, N1 8DE
