A good Sunday Roast is one of the best value traditional British dishes there is: perfectly-cooked meat, billowy Yorkshire puds, crunchy roast potatoes and a plateful of fresh, locally-grown veggies, finished off with a liberal helping of delicious gravy.
Happily, all this is available smack in the middle of town, if you know where to look. (Hint: here’s where to look.)
Temper Soho
Some of the best theatre in London is to be had at the counter along the huge fire pit at Temper, watching the chefs in action. Famous for their steaks and tacos, they also do a great smoky Sunday roast.
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Meats: Roast aged beef with horseradish cream; Smoked & pulled lamb shoulder with mint sauce; Smoked pork belly with smoked apple sauce; Smoked baby chicken with chimichurri. There’s also the aptly-named Three Beast Feast for two people to share, which includes beef, pork and lamb.
Sides: Served with their roast garnish; you can also add extra 4-cheese cauliflower, beef-fat roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and roast vegetables.
Vegetarian option: No
Price:£21.50 for the pork belly and £25.00 for everything else. The 3-meat sharing roast is £35.00 per person.
Cora Pearl, Covent Garden
Cora Pearl will always be legendary for its chips – although if you want to add a starter or dessert to your lunch, I strongly suggest the cod’s roe crumpets and then the milk & cookies – but their Sunday roast is deservedly gaining ground.
Sides: Served with Yorkshire pudding, roast potatoes, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower cheese and gravy.
Vegetarian option: Yes
Price:£30.00 for the sirloin, £26.00 for the chicken and £22.00 for the veggie dish.
Blacklock, Soho
A legendary Soho roast that gets booked up months in advance – although it’s always worth giving them a call or popping your head round the door if you’re in the area, as who knows? Your stars may be aligned and there will be a last minute cancellation and that one gloriously free table.
Blacklock Sunday roast | Photo by Blacklock Soho
Meats: 55-day aged beef rump; 28-day aged lamb leg; 21-day aged pork loin. Also, sharing is caring; the ‘All In’ for two or more people gives you beef, pork and lamb.
Sides: Yorkshire pudding, duck fat roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and TWO boats of gravy. Now there’s a restaurant that understands roasts.
Vegetarian option: Yes
Price: From £15.00 for the veggie dish to £22.00 for the beef. The 3-meat sharing roast is £24.00 per person.
The Crown & Two Chairmen
A traditional London pub, serving up classic pub food including this absolutely banging roast. Settle in with your mates, a round of drinks and a board game and make an afternoon of it.
Meats: a changing menu of 21-day aged sirloin of beef with a red wine jus; roast Cherry Orchard pork loin; roasted lamb shoulder; half a roast chicken with pigs in blankets, stuffing and a red wine jus.
Sides: Yorkshire pudding, thyme-roasted potatoes, buttered savoy cabbage, leeks, peas & roasted root vegetables. Extras include Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, pigs in blankets and thyme-roasted potatoes.
Vegetarian option: Yes
Price: From £16.50 for the veggie dish to £19.00 for the beef.
Hawksmoor Seven Dials
Close your eyes and you’re back in ye olden days with meat roasting on a spit over an open fire. Hawksmoor start their Sunday roast joints over real charcoal to give it that slightly smoky flavour before finishing it in the oven.
Hawksmoor Sunday roast | Photo by Amanda David
By the way, see the shallot and garlic bulb on the plate? They’ve also been roasted to a gorgeous mellow paste; give both a quick satisfying squeeze and you have the tastiest puree ever to smear over your roast. All this, and bone marrow gravy. Yum.
Meats: Slow roast beef rump: choose medium or pink.
Sides: Beef dripping roast potatoes, Yorkshire puddings, carrots, greens, roasted shallots & garlic with bone marrow & onion gravy.
Vegetarian option: No
Price:£26.00
The Ganton Arms
Another great pub roast; two great British traditions for the price of one. It’s a great Cheapo tip that, when it comes to Sunday roasts, you’re as likely to get incredible food from a well-chosen pub as a restaurant.
Sides: Roast potatoes, mashed swede, hispi cabbage, carrots, parsnip puree & gravy. Extras include a bowl of roasties, cauliflower cheese to share and pigs in blankets with stuffing.
Vegetarian option: Yes
Price: From £17.00 for the veggie dish to £19.50 for the beef.
Have you got a favourite that you think we’ve missed? Let us know and we’ll check it out!
BIO:
Freelance writer, flâneuse and former blogger at London Girl About Town, Amanda is dedicated to sharing the latest on London's restaurants, bars, hidden quirks and general wonderfulness.
London has delicious & affordable Pre-Theatre Dinner menus, and the best bit - you don't even need to be going to the theatre to get the prix fixe pricing!
