Falstaff found the most delicious Sunday roasts in London.

Falstaff found the most delicious Sunday roasts in London.
Hawksmoor / photo provided

Best Sunday Roasts in London

Falstaff has scoured London’s rustic pubs and local restaurants to find the most delicious Sunday roasts in the capital.

Delicately prepared cuts of grass-fed beef, cloudlike Yorkshire puddings and a perfectly paired glass of red – Sunday in London means just one thing: mouth-watering roasts with all the trimmings.

These are Falstaff´s favourites:

Fallow

If you were to ask Londoners their favourite spot for Sunday roast, there’s a high chance that Fallow will be a popular answer. Located just around the corner from Piccadilly Circus on Haymarket, Fallow has gone from strength to strength after a successful pop-up and is now listed in the Michelin Guide with two renowned chefs at the helm. The weekday menu alone is delectable, but Sunday lunch takes the crown, with a choice of beef, pork, or Fallow venison rump or smoked leeks for the vegetarians, accompanied by classic crispy roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, glazed carrots and greens and a generous helping of gravy. The restaurant prides itself on sustainability, sourcing ingredients locally and growing mushrooms inside the restaurant. The Sunday menu is available all day and can be paired with any of their snacks or small plates, such as the Fallow charcuterie board, venison tartar with black garlic mayo or their famous smoked shiitake mushroom parfait with lion’s mane. Prices are average for central London, with meat roasts costing £32 and the vegetarian option £28.  

India-Jayne Trainor

  • Address: 52 Haymarket, St. James's, London SW1Y 4RP
  • Fallow
Fallow, London
photo provided
Fallow, London

Hawksmoor

Hawksmoor isn’t simply one of the best steakhouses in London, it is the best. Their melt-in-the-mouth, 35-day dry-aged beef translates perfectly into one of the most delicious Sunday roasts in the capital. After opening their flagship restaurant in Spitalfields, they have expanded throughout the city to Knightsbridge, Piccadilly Circus and beyond. Unfortunately for vegetarians, there is only one choice on the menu: slow-roasted beef rump, cooked first over charcoal and then in the oven, each one is hand-picked for weight and quality. At £26, the price is competitive, and with it, you’ll get beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, vegetables, roasted shallots and a boat of onion gravy. In line with their reputation for great service, you can choose exactly how well done you’d like your beef, and portion sizes are enough to fill you up for the rest of the day. The restaurant swears by high-quality ingredients, including grass-fed cattle, sustainable seafood and seasonal fruit and vegetables all sourced from around the UK.

India-Jayne Trainor

  • Address: 5A Air St, London W1J 0AD
  • Hawksmoor
Hawskmoor, London.
photo provided
Hawskmoor, London.

Roast

If you’ve got the chutzpah to call yourself Roast, then you’d better have the goods to back it up. Luckily, head chef Thomas Cooney and team have access to the seasonal goods of Borough Market directly beneath their restaurant and know how to put them to use in their impressive Sunday offering.

It’s smart here, so you won’t want to slurp your sweetcorn soup, but it's not too formal. Alternatively, opt for rock oysters accompanied by a good old-fashioned Bloody Mary to prepare yourself for the excellent roast to follow. It’s specialist-breed heaven here: Herdwick lamb, Old Spot pork and beautifully aged beef. Proper cooked-to-order pies are a welcome addition to the menu, and a couple of genuinely thoughtful fish and vegan options round things off nicely. Should you make it as far as the dessert and cheese courses, the former is comfortingly familiar yet enlivened with a touch of hazelnut ice-cream panache, and the latter is provided by Paxton & Whitfield.

There’s a well-curated wine list, developed with specialists Hallgarten. Heavy on classic French reds, presumably with the roast beef in mind, you’ll find better value off-piste with the likes of Alpha Estate’s Xinomavro '“Hedgehog”. There’s a welcome nod to the burgeoning quality English wine scene too, with Wiston and Simpsons. With a good range by the glass (even quality champagne from Laurent-Perrier), it’s particularly nice to see 375ml carafes doing the rounds. Arrive early and head to the bar for a saunter through the imaginative cocktail list.

Ben Colvill 

  • Address: The Floral Hall, Stoney St, London SE1 1TL
  • Roast
Roast restaurant, London.
photo provided
Roast restaurant, London.

Temper

If toiling with leather-aproned machismo over roaring flames is hardly cutting-edge, you’re in deliciously safe (although slightly charred) hands with this band of merry flame throwers. Former pyrotechnician and co-founder Neil Rankin may have moved on to all things vegan and fermented now, but his juicy, grass-fed legacy is still smoking away contentedly in the dark recesses under Broadwick Street. Cool playlists provide the perfect soundtrack to the fire-pit-dominated choreography of an open kitchen: forget the smart booths, the real pleasure comes from watching the slap and sizzle at the counter. Margaritas are a particularly louche way to begin a Sunday lunch, and the sweet/hot Lychilli version managed to amuse this bouche very successfully, matching the Mexican-infused palate of the cooking. “Mexican Sunday lunch” may sound like a euphemism for a nasty way to meet your end in the Chihuahuan Desert, but starting with pibil or chipotle tacos works well with the incessant umami on display here. And don’t worry, there’s plenty of Yorkshire pudding/roast potato action to go around.

The meat comes with impeccable credentials: British rare breed, sourced from small farms and aged on-site. Choose between the usual suspects (only they’re not usual, they are exceptional) or opt for the Three Beast Feast sharing platter. Mixing meats is usually a mistake but cooked and served like this it’s a lovely take on the traditional roast. Make sure you leave room for the epic deep-dish cookie with fior di latte ice cream.

A short, peppy wine list has appropriately big-hitting Primitivo, Rioja and Chilean Cab. Alternatively, sink into a beef-fat-induced slumber with a few more Margaritas or Mexican beers.

Ben Colvill

  • Address: 25 Broadwick St, London W1F 0DF
  • Temper
Temper, London.
photo provided
Temper, London.

The Bobbin

What do you expect from a Sunday Roast in London? That the food tastes good, of course; but also, a relaxed atmosphere, friendly service, and if it's dog-friendly and has a good selection of beers and wines, all the better. It's no secret that you can find good pubs in Clapham, even if some of them are very rustic. But The Bobbin, tucked away in a back alley of Clapham Old Town and yet no longer a real secret, has catapulted itself into the top class of Sunday Roasts. Luckily, we booked early when visiting the pub one Sunday to try the holy combination of roast rump of beefYorkshire pudding (one of the best we´ve ever had), horseradish, roast potatoes, mashed potato, carrots, sauteed greens and jus once again (£22). The meat was tender, the accompaniments excellent – and the size appealing, or in other words: a beer was not enough to accompany it. Speaking of beer, they serve Brixton Coldharbour Lager, Weston's Vintage Cider and Siren Soundwave IPA, among others.

If you're wondering why there are so many Italian terms on the menu (such as affogato, ice cream with espresso, or bruschetta di pomodora, grilled bread with tomatoes and basil): The menu is Mediterranean influenced. Sometimes it's a bit hectic on Sunday, some tables are a bit draughty, and it could have been a bit warmer when we visited in January. But these are minor things because without wanting to exaggerate: Sunday Roast in London – or at least, in South West London – means The Bobbin.

Robert Prazak

  • Address: 1-3 Lillieshall Road, London SW4 0LN
  • The Bobbin
The Bobbin, London.
© Robert Prazak
The Bobbin, London.

The Three Stags

London´s pubs have evolved: Many are gastropubs, but while they have changed culinary-wise, sometimes atmosphere and charm have fallen by the wayside. In South London, opposite the Imperial War Museum, there has been no attempt to exaggerate too much modernism: The Three Stags is a pub, no more, no less. The furnishings are rustic, and for that touch of extra charm, they have suppressed cosiness; I find that quite commendable. The pub is known for its good pizzas (sourdough pizza Napoli style, this winter), but this Sunday, naturally, we came for the Sunday Roast. There are several variations, including Roast free range Norfolk chicken with stuffingslow roast leg of Welsh lamb &mint sauce, and free-range pork with apple sauce; all served with roast potatoes, carrots and parsnips, cabbage and Yorkshire pudding. We went for the lamb, and rightly so: very tender and high quality, but the Yorkshire pudding particularly deserves extra praise. For dessert, the apple and berry crumble is recommended (if you still have space for it). This pub does not serve beef roast because of the rainforests; the pub's owners are committed to environment and animal welfare. In fact, The Three Stags has been voted as one of London's most sustainable restaurants.

Needless to say, service is friendly and nimble but not superficially friendly, as you come to expect from the permanent smiles many of these posh pubs. The beer selection is excellent, including beer from the Czech Republic like Staropramen. Each Sunday you’ll find the restaurant busy, but the atmosphere remains relaxed. Ah yes, for those who need some historical background: Charlie Chaplin's father was a guest here, and the pub is also mentioned in an autobiography by Chaplin himself. There is also a Chaplin Corner.

Robert Prazak

The Three Stags, London.
photo provided
The Three Stags, London.

The Harwood Arms

This Fulham favourite may currently be London’s only Michelin-starred pub, but its real fame lies in a dedication to celebrating British game. When that’s led by hunter-gatherer-restaurateur Mike Robinson and The Ledbury’s legendary chef Brett Graham, you’re in no danger of dried-out carvery fare. The Sunday menu always features roasts to share: think slow-cooked fallow deer or – if it has to be beef – a superior sirloin of Belted Galloway. Wash it down with a bottle from the particularly adventurous yet thoughtful wine list.

Gabriel Stone

The Harwood Arms, London.
photo provided
The Harwood Arms, London.

The Quality Chop House

There’s been a restaurant on this Clerkenwell site for over 150 years, but since 2012 it has been in particularly capable hands. As the name suggests, meat is part of this place’s heritage, and it’s certainly shown off in style on Sundays. The three-course set lunch elevates a traditional roast to stellar yet still comforting heights. Don’t forget to embellish that Suffolk lamb shoulder for two with a portion of their famous confit potatoes. You can even buy some to take home from the shop and butchery next door. Meanwhile, a serious, eclectic wine list, including by-the-glass Coravin options, takes care of refreshments.

Gabriel Stone

The Quality Chop House, London.
photo provided
The Quality Chop House, London.
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