EAST
The Duck Inn, Stanhoe
A pub lunch leaning towards gastro. There’s crab bisque and beignets to start, meat is sourced locally, seaweed butter bastes the trout, with seasonal pasta or fried-chicken flatbread for those who don’t want the whole shebang.
Burnham Rd, PE31 8QD; 01485 518330
The Ingham Swan, Ingham, Norwich
It’s three courses for £30 at this pretty pub; we’d be considering pork with burnt apple, followed by shiitake and saffron risotto, then orange sponge with burnt white chocolate.
Sea Palling Rd, NR12 9AB; 01692 581099
The Wildebeest, Stoke Holy Cross, Norwich
As popular on Sundays as its sister restaurant the Ingham Swan, the Wildebeest puts local produce at the centre of traditional roasts, while creative flourishes are applied to starters and puddings.
82-86 Norwich Rd, NR14 8QJ; 01508 492497
LONDON
Le Petit Beefbar, Chelsea
The clue is in the name of this international chain where beef reigns supreme. At brunch there’s ribeye ham in the croissant, or pulled beef in the truffled eggs benedict. There’s one roast: Hereford rump, with beef fat potatoes – perhaps chased down with a bullshot cocktail (vodka, consommé and spices).
27 Cale St, SW3 3QP; 020 4580 1219
The Coach Makers Arms, Marylebone
The hearty roasts at this Victorian pub come with all the sides, but you may find yourself distracted by snacks such as devilled eggs with Exmoor caviar, fried courgette flower, or a blue-cheese soufflé with crab sauce. If you can’t find room for pudding, at least consider a passionfruit jelly petit four.
88 Marylebone Ln, W1U 2PZ; 020 7224 4022
The Jolly Gardeners, Putney
Will you have a full roast with pigs in blankets and cauliflower cheese, or slow-cooked beef and ale pie with clotted cream mash, pangrattato and bordelaise sauce? Vegans can look to plant burgers, nut roast and a rich caramel biscuit dessert.
61-63 Lacy Rd, SW15 1NT; 020 8789 2539
MIDLANDS
Seats at Robinsons, Tettenhall, Wolverhampton
This small bistro is part of a family butcher, so you know the roasts will be good, likewise the sausages and bacon at Sunday brunch.
18 High St, WV6 8QT; 01902 751692
Knight & Garter, Leicester
Start with the intrigue of a vegan black-pudding croquette or oysters from the crustacea bar before you have a steak and kidney pudding with parsley liquor steak, or something from the grill at this smart pub-brasserie. If roasties aren’t enough potato for you, quadruple-down with sides of pecorino fries, beef-fat chips, and nduja mash.
14 Hotel St, LE1 5AW; 0116 303 3310
The Nelson, Burton-Joyce
You can have your traditional roast by the fire, but if you want something lighter, the Nelson offers tabbouleh with your chicken, or roast beef in a salad with blue cheese. Which means you’ll have room for sticky toffee pudding and cheese.
Chestnut Grove, NG14 5DN; 0115 931 1800
NORTH
The Feathers Inn, Stocksfield
The cosy factor is high at this country pub: rooms have wood-burners, fire-pit roasts come with six or seven veg sides, and there are comforting sweets to finish, perhaps marmalade pudding with custard.
Hedley on the Hill, NE43 7SW; 01661 843607
The Grey Horse, Glazebury
This community pub’s roast is a steal (three courses for £20, featuring the not-seen-often-enough option of glazed ham), but when locals want something lighter they go for the Yorkshire-pudding roast wrap.
Warrington Rd, Leigh End, WA3 5LZ; 01925 640508
The Mowbray, Neepsend, Sheffield
Keep an eye on the website for the “great Sheffield roast”, held intermittently at this prop-perfect events venue. Dinner is served family style, with options for vegetarians and kids.
118 Mowbray St, S3 8EN; 0114 276 7885
NORTHERN IRELAND
The Grateful Bread, Belfast
Sometimes Sundays are less about roast meat and more about delicious things on toast, bowls of spicy spuds and possibly the best cheese toastie in town.
The American Bar, 65 Dock St, BT15 1LF
Dundrum Inn, Dundrum
Lucky locals can choose from lamb shank, nut roast and pork or go for Christmas vibes with turkey and ham – all come with roasties and mash, as well as the friendly welcome (extended to dogs) that keeps them coming back.
143 Main St, BT33 0LX; 028 4375 1211
Coco, Belfast
There’s roast beef on offer, but the Sunday menu here mostly dances between the Med and southeast Asia – even traditionalists will waver in the face of hot and sour lobster soup, crisp lamb breast salad and cherry clafoutis.
7-11 Linenhall St, BT2 8AA; 028 9031 1150
SCOTLAND
The Ox, Edinburgh
As you’d expect from the name, the Sunday lunch at this friendly pub is roast beef and they do it well – though vegetarians won’t get second best, with their own roast and tomato gravy.
49-51 London St, EH3 6LX; 0131 556 9808
Kyloe, Edinburgh
It usually serves up a steakhouse experience, but on Sundays the staff at Kyloe carve the Aberdeen Angus tableside, for an upmarket roast. Expect a similar level of polish on sides, sauces and the signature, smoking chocolate smores dessert.
The Rutland Hotel, 1-3 Rutland St, EH1 2AE; 031 229 3402
The Scran & Scallie, Edinburgh
Sundays are always a bit special at this friendly neighbourhood gastropub, with an eye to celebrating Scottish ingredients and keeping kids happy too.
1 Comely Bank Rd, EH4 1DT; 0131 332 6281
SOUTH
Cyan, Brighton
Get a group of friends, crack open the cocktail menu and Sunday in style in this beautiful blue room. The pork has charred apple sauce, there’s stuffing and chipolatas with the chicken, and all come with yorkies, roasties, cauli cheese and green veg.
The Grand Brighton, 97-99 Kings Rd, BN1 2FW; 01273 224300
The White Oak, Cookham
At this much-awarded, smart village pub, you can feel confident to skip the R-word – they’re present and correct, but it’s nice to have options, especially seafood and vegetarian ones. Consider marinated beetroot or torched mackerel with seaweed mayo and mirin gel, then perhaps crispy polenta, either with fresh veg or grilled bream.
The Pound, SL6 9QE; 01628 523043
The Double Red Duke, Bampton
Jay Rayner called this beautiful stone pub “a class act” and clearly regulars think this goes double on a Sunday. There’s a spit roast for pork and chicken, or perhaps it’ll be wood-fired cod and langoustine sauce, with roasties et al.
Bourton Rd, Clanfield OX18 2R; 01367 810222
WALES
The Warren, Carmarthen
Local, regenerative, sustainable and seasonal is the focus of the kitchen here, even on Sundays. Vegans are welcome (half the starter and pudding menus are suitable), as are those with gluten restrictions, locals, tourists – everyone.
1 Mansel St, Carmarthen SA31 1PX; 01267 236079
The Stubborn Duckling, Aberaeron
Two kinds of potato (roast and creamed) come as standard, but you can add chips. There’s cod with café de paris butter if you don’t want red meat. Retro bombe Alaska stars on the pudding list. The menu is short and sweet, just like this small restaurant.
25 Sgwar Alban, SA46 0AJ; 01545 571700
Bar 44, Cardiff
The drill at 44 the rest of the week is Spanish snacks and small plates, but the focus on Sundays is sharing platters. How does Hereford picanha with chorizo Yorkshire pudding, jamon-fat roasties with garlic and herbs, and manchego cauli cheese sound?
15-23 Westgate St, CF10 1DD; 0333 344 4049
WEST
The Globe Inn, Wells
Looking for a cosy lunch after a walk round one of England’s smallest cities? This family run, 300-year-old pub has a reputation for great traditional roasts, friendly service, and local produce, including great ales.
Priest Row, BA5 2PY; 01749 678998
Castle Farm, Midford, Bath
Take a Sunday trip to the beautiful organic gardens of Castle Farm, where lunch is determined by the best of what’s in season.
Midford Rd, BA2 7BU; 07564 783307
The Kensington Arms, Redland, Bristol
Neighbours of the friendly and accomplished Kenny couldn’t wish for a better local. The kitchen’s modern approach to pub classics graces Sunday’s menu, too: witness salt-baked hispi cabbage sitting above lamb faggots to start; roasts with little flourish; or mushroom caramel with the chocolate pot to finish.
35-37 Stanley Rd, BS6 6NP; 0117 944 6444
