The Sunday roast is the most emotionally charged meal in Britain. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone thinks their local does the best one. Everyone is wrong, except for the people who eat at the pubs on this list. We have ranked fifteen London pub roasts from very good to transcendent, and we are prepared to defend every position.
Our scoring system is deliberately simple. Each roast is judged on four criteria, each scored out of 10: the meat (quality, cooking, flavour), the yorkshire pudding (size, texture, rise), the gravy (depth, richness, quantity) and the vegetables (variety, cooking, care). The total gives a score out of 40. We ordered the beef at every pub to keep it fair, unless the pub is famous for a different meat, in which case we ordered what they are known for.
The Rankings
1. The Harwood Arms
Fulham, SW6
Around 28-35 per head
London's only Michelin-starred pub, and the roast lives up to the reputation. The venison from the Harwood family estate is extraordinary, cooked with a precision that elevates Sunday lunch into something approaching a religious experience. The yorkshire is light, crisp and enormous. The gravy has a depth that suggests someone has been working on it since Thursday. The vegetables are seasonal, perfectly cooked and treated with the same respect as the meat. This is the best roast in London and it is not particularly close.
Meat
10
Yorkshire
9
Gravy
10
Veg
9
Total: 38/40. Book two weeks ahead. The venison is non-negotiable. Accept no substitutes.
2. The Bull & Last
Highgate, NW5
Around 22-28 per head
The Bull and Last has been quietly serving one of London's best roasts for years. The beef is aged, properly rested and carved thick. The bone marrow on the side is a masterstroke, adding richness that borders on obscene. The yorkshire is textbook: crisp outside, soft inside, tall enough to cast a shadow. The gravy is meaty and generous. The roast potatoes deserve individual praise: shattering exterior, fluffy interior, perfectly seasoned. This is what a Sunday roast is supposed to be.
Meat
9
Yorkshire
10
Gravy
9
Veg
9
Total: 37/40. The bone marrow starter followed by the beef is the move. Walk it off on Hampstead Heath afterwards.
3. The Marksman
Hackney Road, E2
Around 24-30 per head
The Marksman does roast beef with a confidence that borders on arrogance. And it has every right. The meat is from the best suppliers in Britain, cooked medium-rare (as it should be) and served with a yorkshire pudding that is more like a savoury souffle. The gravy tastes like it has been infused with Sunday itself. The vegetables are seasonal and impeccably cooked. The whole experience feels like a celebration of British cooking at its absolute peak.
Meat
10
Yorkshire
9
Gravy
9
Veg
8
Total: 36/40. Book at least a week ahead. The beef dripping candle at the table is a nice touch of theatre.
4. The Holly Bush
Hampstead, NW3
Around 18-24 per head
The Holly Bush adds something no other roast on this list can match: atmosphere. Eating a roast in an 18th-century pub lit by gas lamps with a fire crackling nearby is so perfectly English it should be on a postcard. The food more than holds its own: properly cooked beef, a sturdy yorkshire, rich gravy and well-chosen vegetables. It is not the most technically ambitious roast on the list, but the combination of setting and flavour makes it unforgettable.
Meat
8
Yorkshire
9
Gravy
9
Veg
9
Total: 35/40. Book a week ahead. Sit by the fire. Walk through Hampstead village to earn the meal.
5. Blacklock Soho
Soho, W1
Around 25 all-in
Blacklock takes a completely different approach: the all-in Sunday roast. For a set price, unlimited meat is carved at the table with all the trimmings. It is pure indulgence, no restraint, no polite portions. The meat is excellent (they butcher their own), the yorkshires keep coming, and the gravy flows freely. The candlelit basement setting adds drama. It is less refined than the top four but infinitely more fun. Bring your appetite and leave your dignity at the door.
Meat
8
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
9
Veg
8
Total: 33/40. The all-in format is unbeatable value. Pace yourself. You will want to keep eating long after you should stop.
6. The Guinea Grill
Mayfair, W1
Around 30-40 per head
The Guinea Grill has been doing beef since 1952, and the expertise shows. This is old-school London dining: white tablecloths, proper service, a joint of beef that has been treated with enormous respect. The yorkshire is traditional and flawless. The gravy is made from the drippings of the beef itself. The vegetables are no afterthought. It is expensive, but you are paying for decades of accumulated skill.
Meat
10
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
8
Veg
7
Total: 33/40. The beef is the star. Everything else supports it. Worth the splurge for a special occasion Sunday.
7. The Flask
Highgate, N6
Around 18-24 per head
The Flask in Highgate serves a Sunday roast that is warming, generous and deeply satisfying without any pretension. The beer garden backs onto Highgate Cemetery, which gives the whole experience a pleasingly gothic edge. The beef is well sourced and properly rested, the yorkshire is tall and crisp, the potatoes are golden and the gravy has a depth that suggests real care. A complete roast in a complete pub.
Meat
8
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
8
Veg
8
Total: 32/40. Combine it with a walk on Hampstead Heath. The full package is what makes this one special.
8. The Dove
Hammersmith, W6
Around 18-24 per head
A Thames-side roast at The Dove is one of London's great Sunday pleasures. The food is solid rather than spectacular, but the setting elevates everything. Well-cooked beef, a proper yorkshire, good gravy and carefully prepared vegetables. The terrace overlooking the river at sunset turns a very good roast into a memorable afternoon. Sometimes the context matters as much as the cooking.
Meat
8
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
8
Veg
8
Total: 32/40. Book the terrace table. The Thames view is the secret ingredient that makes this roast memorable.
9. The Spaniards Inn
Hampstead, NW3
Around 18-22 per head
A Sunday roast at The Spaniards Inn feels like stepping back in time. This 16th-century pub on the edge of Hampstead Heath serves a roast that is comforting and traditional. The meat is good, the yorkshire is classic, the gravy is rich and the veg are well handled. The real magic is eating in a pub where Dickens, Keats and Byron all drank. History adds flavour.
Meat
8
Yorkshire
7
Gravy
8
Veg
8
Total: 31/40. Walk across the Heath to earn it. The garden in summer is magnificent. Book early, it fills fast.
10. The Brown Dog
Barnes, SW13
Around 20-26 per head
The Brown Dog in Barnes serves a Sunday roast that is quietly excellent. No flashiness, no gimmicks, just very well-executed cooking. The beef is from a good butcher, the yorkshire is honest and substantial, the gravy is proper and the vegetables show care. The pub itself is charming and the Barnes setting gives the whole experience a village feel. This is the roast that locals keep to themselves.
Meat
8
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
8
Veg
7
Total: 31/40. Our current Pub of the Month for a reason. Bring the dog. They are genuinely welcome.
11. The Edinboro Castle
Camden, NW1
Around 16-22 per head
The Edinboro Castle has one of the biggest beer gardens in North London, and on a sunny Sunday the combination of a roast and the garden is hard to resist. The roast itself is good rather than great: reliable beef, decent yorkshire, workmanlike gravy, adequate veg. But the garden elevates it. Eating roast in the open air, surrounded by old trees, with a pint of something cold, is a specific kind of happiness.
Meat
7
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
7
Veg
8
Total: 30/40. The garden makes this. On a grey Sunday, there are better options. On a sunny one, it is perfect.
12. The Crown & Greyhound
Dulwich Village, SE21
Around 16-20 per head
A reliable family-friendly roast in one of South London's prettiest settings. The Crown and Greyhound serves a roast that does everything well without excelling at any single thing. The beef is honest, the yorkshire is proper, the gravy is good and the veg are fresh. It is a roast that makes everyone happy, which is exactly what a family Sunday needs. The garden is wonderful for kids afterwards.
Meat
7
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
7
Veg
8
Total: 30/40. The best roast for families on this list. Kids eat, adults relax, everyone wins.
13. The Trafalgar Tavern
Greenwich, SE10
Around 18-24 per head
The Trafalgar Tavern sits right on the Thames in Greenwich, and the river views from the dining room are magnificent. The roast benefits from a grand setting: high ceilings, big windows, historic character. The beef is good, the yorkshire is solid, the gravy works and the vegetables are decent. Not the most technically impressive roast on this list, but the combination of food, setting and a walk through Greenwich Park afterwards makes it a complete Sunday experience.
Meat
7
Yorkshire
7
Gravy
8
Veg
7
Total: 29/40. Book a window table for the Thames view. Walk through Greenwich Park to the Observatory afterwards. A proper Sunday.
14. The Anglesea Arms
South Kensington, W8
Around 18-24 per head
The Anglesea Arms in South Kensington is a pub that does everything well. Three fireplaces, a beautiful interior and a Sunday roast that is consistent and comforting. The beef is properly cooked, the yorkshire is crisp, the gravy is rich and the veg are seasonal. It is the kind of roast that makes you feel like everything is right with the world. Not the most exciting, but deeply satisfying.
Meat
7
Yorkshire
8
Gravy
7
Veg
7
Total: 29/40. Sit by the fire in winter. The atmosphere does a lot of the heavy lifting here.
15. The Newman Arms
Fitzrovia, W1
Around 16-20 per head
A tiny Fitzrovia pub famous for its pies during the week, The Newman Arms also does a commendable Sunday roast. The upstairs dining room is intimate and the roast is homely in the best possible sense. Good beef, a proper yorkshire, decent gravy and straightforward vegetables. Nothing fancy, nothing trying too hard. Just a solid roast in a pub with genuine character. The value is excellent for central London.
Meat
7
Yorkshire
7
Gravy
7
Veg
7
Total: 28/40. Outstanding value for central London. The pie on a weekday is also essential eating.
The Sunday Roast Rules
After eating fifteen roasts in five weeks, we have opinions. First: always book. Every pub on this list fills up by 1pm on Sunday. Walking in without a booking after noon is optimistic at best, delusional at worst. Second: order the beef unless the pub specialises in something else. Beef is the benchmark. Third: judge the gravy. Gravy is the difference between a good roast and a great one. If the gravy is an afterthought, the kitchen does not really care. Fourth: respect the yorkshire. A flat, soggy yorkshire pudding is a sign that corners are being cut. It should be risen, crisp and proud.
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