Good Food Guide's best places for a Sunday roast in London including Blacklock and Lagom
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The Good Food Guide (i.e. the gospel for foodies) has released its list of the best Sunday roasts in Britain for 2024.
A mention on the list, which features everything from cosy pubs to high-end eateries, is a huge honour for establishments up and down the country.
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Hide AdNaturally, London, the nation’s capital and therefore, home of the roast dinner*, had many mentions in this year’s guide.
Read more: London food & drink
Whether you’re looking for great value for money or a restaurant that can feed the whole family, there’s something for everyone in this list of roasts with the most.
You can read the Good Food Guide’s full UK breakdown by clicking here, or scroll on to find out where’s best for a roast in LDN.
1. Blacklock Canary Wharf
Best for: Group Dining
Where: Canary Wharf, London
What the Good Food Guide says: “Unrivalled if you’re with a group of friends, this Canary Wharf chophouse (part of a small London group, with a Manchester outpost), is considered a ‘Sunday wonderland’ by its many fans. With ‘super-accommodating staff’ and roasts that are ‘almost as good as mum’s’ (their words), it’s a star turn. Order the ‘all in’ sharing feast, which comprises a trio of ‘succulent’ dry-aged beef rump, lamb and pork loin with gigantic yorkies, duck-fat roast potatoes and limitless gravy.”
2. The Canton Arms
Best for: A great atmosphere
Where: Stockwell
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Hide AdWhat the Good Food Guide says: “The Sunday lunch menu at this classic Stockwell pub is a full-on run through the kitchen’s eclectic repertoire with pride of place going to the shoulder of salt marsh lamb cooked for seven hours and served with potato gratin and greens – and built for five to share. Fans of meaty roasts might also fancy the rare Dexter beef accompanied by roast potatoes, green beans and watercress. The atmosphere’s terrific, whether you’re in the bar or dining room.”
3. The Devonshire
Best for: A ‘proper’ Sunday lunch
Where: Soho
What the Good Food Guide says: “A brilliant and insane enterprise that has redefined the meaning of Sunday lunch in the city,’ the all-conquering Devonshire gets every detail just right. The beef is carved with ‘so much care’ from a silver domed trolley, the accompanying vegetables are rich and flavourful, and it’s all brought together with a deep red-wine gravy. Spurred on by the pub’s lively vibe, you’ll be drinking Guinness to wash it all down. ‘A proper Sunday tradition’ indeed.”
4. The Holland
Best for: A hearty lunch after a walk
Where: Kensington
What the Good Food Guide says: “Whet your appetite with a plum Bellini before tackling the excellent-value Sunday lunch at this proper neighbourhood pub close to Holland Park. Chef/owner Max de Nahlik’s provenance-driven offer is a thing of beauty: blushing roast beef rump, confit chicken leg or a seasonal veggie choice accompanied by crackling roasties, root veg and ample gravy. Otherwise, two or three can share a mighty 1kg rib of beef with all the trimmings.”
5. Lagom at Hackney Church Brew Co
Best for: Value for money
Where: Hackney, London
What the Good Food Guide says: “Part of a community brewery project, chef Elliot Cunningham’s Lagom is famous for its aptly dubbed ‘hangover bowl’ Sunday lunch – an ‘insanely delicious’ and incredibly cheap family feast cooked over a wood fire. Offcuts of beef, chicken and pork are piled high on a bowl of roast potatoes and veg, then topped with a Yorkshire pudding and ample brisket gravy – all for £12. Every detail is spot-on – all that’s needed is a house-brewed craft beer to wash it down.”
6. The Red Lion & Sun
Best for: A family lunch
Where: Highgate
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Hide AdWhat the Good Food Guide says: “From pies and pints to booked-up family lunches, ‘all the best bits of the classic British pub’ are on show at this handsomely appointed Highgate hostelry. On Sundays, prime cuts of 35-day, dry-aged Aberdeen Angus beef are the stars (including côte de boeuf for sharing), otherwise opt for half a Devon white chicken or a slab of Jimmy Butler’s slow-cooked pork belly. Vegetarians always have something seasonal, perhaps a vegetable and chestnut roast with onion gravy.”
*The British love affair with the traditional Sunday Roast is believed to have begun in the 15th century during the reign of King Henry VII. Apparently, every Sunday, after church, his royal guards would enjoy a ritual of freshly roasted beef, this is where the affectionate term “Beefeaters” originates from.
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