It’s officially Sunday roast season and Alex Dalzell has tasted his way around the capital one roast potato at a time to find the very best in London right now. From mountains of dry-aged beef at Blacklock to fine China and perfect Yorkshires at The Lanesborough Grill, here are the places that cook a roast that’ll rival mum’s.
Sussex
Following a long hiatus, the Gladwin Brothers’ flagship restaurant has put Sunday roasts back on the map. Showcasing seasonal ingredients grown and reared close to London, the ‘what grows together, goes together’ philosophy also applies to the signature beef wellington, served with crispy roast potatoes and gloriously thick gravy – ideally accompanied by a Bloody Mary and the Sunday papers.
63-64 Frith Street, Soho, sussex-restaurant.com
Fallow
Following a series of sold-out residencies at Carousel and Crispin that had London’s food critics in raptures, Will Murray and Jack Croft are now firmly established at St James’s Market. The duo excels at elevating humble, often plant-based produce to thrilling new heights – for Sunday lunch, this translates into succulent dairy-cow rump, middle-white pork belly, smoked leeks, and smoked Fallow venison – ideally topped off with an extra shaving of truffle.
2 St James’s Market, St James’s, fallowrestaurant.com
Blacklock
With its grass-fed meat sourced from Cornwall’s oldest third-generation farmers, Blacklock has become a weekend institution in the capital. Tables for the Sunday roast are often booked three months in advance, so you need to be on the ball if you want to tuck into a choice of 55-day aged beef rump, lamb leg, or pork loin, roasted over English oak and served with enormous Yorkshire puddings, duck-fat roast potatoes, and seasonal veg.
Soho, Covent Garden, The City, Hackney, theblacklock.com
No. Fifty Cheyne
This elegant space by the owner of Ronnie Scott’s has become known for its elevated-yet-homely British cooking, courtesy of head chef Iain Smith. The award-winning Sunday lunch features both classic roasts and chateaubriand or côte de boeuf to share – as well as a surf-and-turf option. For scenic river views, book the Drawing Room on the first floor.
50 Cheyne Walk, Chelsea , fiftycheyne.com
The Harwood Arms
The first pub in London to be awarded a Michelin star, this Fulham hotspot’s simple interior – with stripped wood floors and pastel-coloured walls – forms the perfect backdrop to enjoy a weekend feast. The Sunday menu is extensive, but it’s the roast sirloin of 45-day aged Shorthorn beef with Yorkshire puddings, cheese croquettes, and horseradish cream that draws the crowds.
Walham Grove, Fulham, harwoodarms.com
The Cadogan Arms
The long-awaited 2021 reopening of The Cadogan Arms saw the much-loved Chelsea institution restored to its former glory with an ambitious renovation that pays homage to its two centuries’ worth of history. We recommend opting for the Sunday sharer board for a minimum of three people, which comes piled high with a selection of rump, lamb, and chicken, with all the trimmings.
298 King’s Road, Chelsea, thecadoganarms.london
The Lanesborough Grill
Helmed by acclaimed chef Shay Cooper, who previously led The Goring hotel in Belgravia to Michelin-star glory, The Lanesborough London’s modern British restaurant provides an elegant setting to savour the roast sirloin of Hereford beef with horseradish and apple cream, Yorkshire pudding, and crisp roast potatoes; or Sutton Hoo chicken with black garlic, cauliflower cheese puree, and roast chicken gravy. This is one for special occasions.
The Lanesborough London, Hyde Park Corner, Hyde Park, oetkercollection.com
Canton Arms
A neighbourhood hangout on South Lambeth Road, Canton Arms has a proper old-school feel to it, making it easy to while away an entire Sunday. A bloody Mary kicks things off nicely, followed by rare roast Dexter beef, and a slab of sticky toffee pudding. If you can look beyond the beef, go for the seven-hour salt marsh lamb shoulder, served with potato and olive oil gratin – although you’ll need a minimum of four guests to tackle it.
177 South Lambeth Road, Stockwell, Cantonarms.com
Straits Kitchen
For a different type of Sunday lunch, head to Pan Pacific London’s signature restaurant, whose authentic Asian flavours also infiltrate the classics. Choose from a selection of BBQ-roasted meats such as Crispy Pork Belly, Roasted Duck and Barbeque Pork, straight from the live carving station, with accompanying Asian-inspired side dishes and followed by hand-crafted pastries for dessert.
Pan Pacific London, 80 Houndsditch, The City, Panpacific.com
The Bull and Last
Completely overhauled in 2021, this 300-year-old coaching inn now includes seven contemporary bedrooms – which might come in handy following a hearty Sunday lunch. Warm up with a mug of mulled cider before moving on to the main event: sirloin of Shorthorn beef, roast saddleback pork, North Essex Shorthorn prime rib for two, or roast Delica pumpkin – each arrives with all the trimmings, of course.
168 Highgate Road, Highgate, thebullandlast.co.uk
Hawksmoor
You might want to skip breakfast in preparation for the sunday roast at any of the seven Hawksmoor restaurants dotted across London. Few places take as much care over sourcing their meat and the quality shines through in the prime rib and Chateaubriand to be shared by your table, accompanied by oozing cauliflower cheese, earthy celeriac mash, roasted bone marrow and onions, and lashing of sausage gravy.
Shoreditch, Soho, Southwark, City of London, Covent Garden, Knightsbridge, Canary Wharf, thehawksmoor.com
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Our second feature uncovers eleven the best roasts in London. You can read the article in CityAm here.
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