10 Best Sunday Roasts in London to book in 2025

It may be 2025 – the year when Stephen Hawking predicted hologram surgery and space junk gel – but staying loyal to the test of time is the British love of a roasted meal to polish off the week. In the modern times we find ourselves in, the only evolvement to the Sunday ritual is that standards are at an all-time high. If we’re making the effort to leave the comfort of our sofas and warmth of our homes, then it’s only fair to envisage the sizzling meat and fluffy Yorkshires to be just that, and not disappoint. So, here we have a foolproof list – from old staples with a fire roaring since the 16th century to sophisticated nose-to-tail city dining – that are worth travelling to in the grand new year of 2025.

Origin City

A trip to the city – where typically you might catch a pinstripe-suited financier having his boots buffed to perfection or overhear the latest on tech stocks surging in the NASDAQ – might not sound too appealing on a day of rest. Origin City defies the odds of its corporate surroundings, as the space houses a suave and soothing aura that’s as unique as it is pleasant to wash away a glass of red and tuck into tender slow roasted Texel hogget shoulder or Black Angus beef topside. The restaurant uses a ‘nose-to-tail’ ethos, where to minimise waste all parts of a beast serve purpose. This attributes it a quiet confidence as it sits a stone’s throw away from revered St John’s largely seen to coin the term – and self-assured it should be, as each dish tastes sublime. We can also rest in the knowledge that produce is both sustainably and transparently sourced, having made its way down from the restaurant’s very own farm in Scotland.

Book a table at Origin City via origincity.co.uk

The Harwood Arms, Fulham

As the first and only London pub to win over the Michelin inspectors and earn itself the restaurant industry’s shiny Michelin Star, it’s safe to say a roast at the Harwood Arms is worthy of inclusion in this list. We may be in Fulham, but the spot has the hallmarks of a countryside manor, with touches you might not choose in your own home but respect how they fit into its image. We’re talking ostrich feather chandeliers puffing from the ceiling or ornaments like steel jugs, the kind you could see in an eighteenth-century scullery, scattered on the wall. Still, the décor is tasteful with deep turquoise lower wall panelling and sleekly set tableware, reminding us that this pub grub might just hold itself to impressive standards. And that it does, with initial courses of perfectly gooey and crunch scotch eggs or warming layers of blue cheese tart, fancified with apple and walnuts for a nutty, earthy finish, or deer – as the prime star of the game and wild-focused Sunday lunch spread – for mains.

Book a table at The Harwood Arms via harwoodarms.com

The Barley Mow, Mayfair

While you may walk into an unassuming old boozer in Mayfair, once you wind up the stairs to the first floor, a swish yet unfussy, buzzy but calming dining room awaits. Tables are draped in white linen, seating is soft and cobalt blue, and pleated lamps ensure an intimate and stylish affair. Behind a thick drawn curtain to the right, sits an elegant snug where it’s worth settling if you can, with earthy-red plush chinoiserie wallpaper and artwork resemblant of the Victorian countryside making you feel nestled away in your grandma’s homely, rather dignified, dining room. Kicking off with a Bloody Mary and an oyster is a great way forward here – because why not – and just like the surroundings, roasts are hearty, comforting and tastefully-served. Come hungry as the puddings – both the classic sticky toffee sponge oozing in treacle or cushiony almond tart served on embossed floral crockery – add another layer of cosy nostalgia to the feasting experience.

Book a table at The Barley Mow via cubitthouse.co.uk/the-barley-mow-mayfair

Spaniards Inn, Hampstead

Built in 1585, it may be almost 500 years of the Spaniards Inn offering a consoling finale to avid strollers from the Heath, but it wouldn’t be a complete list without one of Hampstead’s well-trodden boozers. Not only is the inn set with a blazing fire, watch-your-head type doorways and creaky wooden seating an honourer of time, but it serves up pretty exemplary roasts. We could say Sunday roasts are a bit like a piece of music, with each component – whether it’s the melody, harmony or instrumentation – as critical as the next. Not short on experience, it’s safe to say the Spaniards Inn’s plated music is perfectly composed as classically comforting aged beef sirloin in a red wine sauce, chicken with chestnut and bacon stuffing or almond and walnut roast are complemented with Yorkshire pudding, thyme-roasted potatoes, buttered savoy cabbage and roasted roots.

Book a table at Spaniards Inn via thespaniardshampstead.co.uk

The Marksman, Hackney

The Marksman is one of those places where if you stopped by for a drink – perhaps after perusing Colombia Road flower market or a long day in a Shoreditch co-working space – it looks like any old watering hole. It’s buzzy, airy with a woody, rickety feel, and serves drinks to those stepping through its hefty, slightly plain-looking door. Upstairs though, what might be old man pub below – albeit with a sprinkling of hipster – turns its head towards a Scandi-esque dining room. A cavernous space is spruced up with statement minimalist touches like adjustable low-hanging lights, exposed-looking ceilings and functional wooden chairs. In warmer climes the space spills out onto a roof balcony where you can soak in the sunset or some East London debauchery, but the real megastar is of course the food. Invigorating Sunday options include Hereford rump served with Yorkshires and horseradish cream, Cornish cod enlivened with cucumber, anchovy and samphire, or spinach, goat’s curd and courgette filled pie.

Book a table at The Marksman via marksmanpublichouse.com

Ganymede, Fitzrovia

The owners of Ganymede (pronounced Gan-Uh-Mede) must have a thing for moons as not only is this pub named after our solar system’s largest orb of the night, but they are responsible for Fulham favourite The Hunter’s Moon too. As it happens, they also have a thing for stellar Sunday roasts, with this Belgravia spot serving up astronomically tasty classics, as corn-fed chicken with stuffed leg or rolled and filled pork belly with apple sauce come alongside generous portions of trimmings or side options of creamed leeks, honey glazed carrots or pork, onion and sage stuffing. The space itself is kept firmly grounded on Earth, though, with an embracing and homely design that sees an open wine rack come alive with twinkling fairy lights while also retaining the polished charm of the central London territory it sits within.

Book a table at Ganymede (or Gan-Uh-Mede) via ganymedelondon.co.uk

Story Cellar, Covent Garden

If you’ve been lucky enough to dine at two Michelin-starred Restaurant Story in Borough, you’ll be familiar with Tom Sellars’ signature dish – none other than roast beef drippings melted into the pit of a candle holder. Roast dinners, therefore, are core to Sellars’ cooking on any day of the week, with no exception on Sundays, where at his fine dining establishment’s newer, more laidback sibling, the roasts are worth venturing into the West End for. Here, rotisserie chickens, spun for the full roasting experience, are served in a setting where you can say bon appetite and grace at the same time as Parisian chic and British tradition merge together. Expect expertly made classic trimmings of Yorkshire pudding, glazed chantenay carrots, malted savoy cabbage and brown butter mas, with complements of rich comte and gruyère cauliflower cheese.

Book a table at Story Cellar via storycellar.co.uk

The Baring, Islington

Islington is not short of picture-perfect pubs serving up top notch grub, from the Albion set with climbing vines to the toasty-looking Smokehouse that fires its meat over oak. The Baring is one that at a quick glance could melt away in the background, as a simple, subtly revamped boozer is set with thick flaming candles and unembellished tableware, but consider yourself warned, as this joint is a rarity. Seasonal ingredients shine through for homely and memorable tastes, with small plates including zingy and crunchy walnut-dressing salad or devilled mussles on toast, and larger offering pork collar bedded on walnut-induced cream or charcoal grilled chicken with gleaming red juices and bread sauce. What truly sets the pub apart though, is its commitment to serving food with little waste and environmental impact in mind – which, in this day and age, is important.

Book a table at The Baring via thebaring.co.uk

The Waterman’s Arms, Barnes

We could say that while the Thames snakes through London’s core, with the blow of the wind and the whiff of the sea it can feel a far jump from the centre’s frenzied feel. Opening doors in 2023, serenely overlooking the river in leafy suburban territory, The Waterman’s Arms has quickly become a much-revered spot for city dweller escapers, with the Barnes local seeing visitors from up, down, over – perhaps even through if they’re really keen – the river. Whichever way it is you do travel, it doesn’t matter as once you’ve stepped inside past its quaint café curtains and perched yourself down amongst the expansive, polished wood panelling, it will all be forgotten. Sunday roasts are highly laudable, with stars of the show including pulled lamb shoulder with zesty mint drizzling, gorgonzola and vinegar working to transform fried broccoli into a delectable treat, and of course, chief of the roast in their own right, deep brown crunchy and buttery potatoes. All aboard!

Book a table at The Waterman's Arms via watermansarms.co.uk

The Tamil Crown, Islington

In the modern times we find ourselves in, it’s only right we swallow any stubbornness away and welcome a drop of change into our traditions too. Making that all too easy for us, is The Tamil Crown pub in charming Islington offering hungry locals and visitors alike their explosively delicious Desi cuisine. Choose from Sambar, potato and peas, chicken, lamb shank or seabream masala that, not for the faint-hearted, come with a variety of colourful sauces, potatoes, basmati rice, roti and vegetables. Plates can be lovingly complemented with a mango lassi or zingy cocktail from their duly comprehensive array of concoctions. We may be stepping away slightly from classic roast turf here, but setting your tastebuds alight in the comforting confinements of a good old north London boozer and we’re certain it’s more than worth it.

Book a table at The Tamil Crown via thetamilcrown.com