Eating at Easter often means a meal soaked in symbolism, reflecting themes of renewal, sacrifice, and celebration. This is why lamb, though out of season in the UK, is usually served: it is a dish that represents Christ as the "Lamb of God."
Chocolate might be pushing it a bit, but eggs do at least symbolize rebirth and new life, and perhaps it could be argued that the chocolate, like hot cross buns, can be permitted on the grounds that is marks the end of the Lent fasting with a sense of indulgence. What else? Big roasts and spring vegetables a nod to Spring, and to the return of abundance, tying to the idea of Easter as a time of gathering, feasting, and gratitude.
Many, of course, simply see Easter as a moment to sit down with family and friends, to tuck into something good, and enjoy the long weekend. For those who wish to gorge on Easter Sunday but would prefer to do without the effort of cooking might instead prefer to book one of London’s dining rooms. Below are the places to do it. Lamb? Naturally. Pork? If you fancy it. And plenty more besides. Here are 15 of our favourites; Easter falls on Sunday April 20 this year but as ever, it’s best to book early.
The Twenty Two
Decidedly “in” again among the chic set, the best introduction to the Twenty Two is either a night on its cocktails — strong enough to induce squints — or a Sunday spent savouring its excellent Sunday roast, pictured at the top of this page. The beef is good but, fittingly for Easter, lamb is the thing to have here. Not in the mood for all that meat, or perhaps all that tradition? The lobster paccheri is the menu’s secret winner. The powder blue restaurant is a stylish thing, but the feeling is not so much of icy cool as it is one of being comforted, cosseted. Champagne feels essential.
22 Grosvenor Square, W1K 6LF, thetwentytwo.com
Origin
Chapeau to Origin, which opened unsteadily but now seems to have flourished into an excellent restaurant, and one often cruelly overlooked. It is a comfortable room, elegantly done, and with extremely fine cooking. The quality of ingredients is first rate, too: from the owners’ own farm comes Black Aberdeen Angus; Large Black and Tamworth outdoorreared pigs; and Texel lamb, while seafood is sourced from their sister aquafarm, Loch Fyne Oysters. You will struggle to find a better-supplied restaurant in London, certainly at the price (a meal might be £75-a-head, something of a bargain for what’s there). What’s offered is no waste, nose-to-tail dining, that’s kept strictly seasonal. An Easter lunch here will be one of assured excellent and comfort, and it might appeal to family members of all ages.
12 W Smithfield, EC1A 9JR, origincity.co.uk
Bistrot at Wild Honey
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Credit where it’s due: Anthony Demetre has made things work in what is surely a difficult location. Then again, Demetre’s food is worth seeking out. Adjoining the upmarket Wild Honey St James’s is Bistro at Wild Honey, pictured above, the offering of which is as its name suggests. It is a simple, straightforward place — decidedly understated, certainly underrated — mostly serving French classics but with a touch of Italian thrown in. Demetre is rigorously dedicated to seasonal ingredients, and for Easter, alongside the usual a la carte menu, with mains from £19, will be specials on the blackboard decided on the day. The duck confit is not to be missed; ditto the tiramisu.
6 Waterloo Place, SW1, wildhoneylondon.co.uk
Fenchurch
Former Masterchef judge Kerth Gumbs is a talent, having first made his name at the excellent Ormer. Now he’s at Fenchurch, the restaurant 37 storeys up in the Walkie Talkie. His Caribbean Easter lunch comes in at £95 for three courses plus petit fours, and includes a welcome cocktail (the Bunny’s Breeze; expect a riff on the classic Sea Breeze). There’s a decent choice of mains, with highlights looking to be the grilled sea bream with creole peppers, pickled fennel and oyster mayonnaise, or the chicken supreme with brown stew jerk chicken and fried wings. Live music, too.
Level 37, Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF, skygarden.london
The Ritz
Most would need an excuse to splash out at The Ritz — by no means an inexpensive place to dine — but Easter only comes around once a year. On Easter Sunday, the Mayfair hotel is serving a three-course menu alongside live entertainment, and boasts a menu of native lobster, Dorset crab, and Suffolk lamb with Roscoff onions and mint. Lunch is £195 per person, thought children dine for £95.
150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR, theritzlondon.com
Nipotina
Easter should be built around comfort and fun. Nipotina excels at both. Samyukta Nair’s Italian restaurant sits in the heart of Mayfair but does away with the stuffiness that marks so many of its neighbours. Head chef Somaia Hammad is a talent, and hers is a menu that might suit everyone: there are pizzas, pastas, muscular meat dishes and delicate fish. Nipotina offers uncommonly good value for its postcode, and the service is as good as could be. Your family will feel welcomed by another.
49 South Audley Street, W1K 2QD, nipotinaristorante.com
The Hare & Billet
The Hare & Billet on Blackheath is out of the way for many, which might explain why its exceptional Sunday roasts go a little under the radar. But every weekend the pub, with views of a duck pond and the towers of Canary Wharf, serves the likes of porchetta and vegan Wellington — one of the best meat-free lunches in town — with all the trimmings. Prepare for enormous Yorkshire puddings.
1a Hare and Billet Road, SE3 0RB, hareandbillet.com
The Devonshire
It is sort of inexplicable that Easter is about lamb, given it really isn’t the season. Better just to plump for a truly excellent roast instead. To this end, the Devonshire, Soho’s perhaps unrivalled pub. The Sunday roast here, usually a rib of beef with all the trimmings — including, happily, the magnificent Devonshire leeks — is a bargain at £29.50, though for £60 there is a “Sunday feasting” menu too. The wine list is no joke, either.
17 Denman Street, W1D 7HW, devonshiresoho.co.uk
Ekstedt at The Yard
The Swedish are big on Easter, so little surprise that the London restaurant operated by the nation’s most famous chef, Niklas Ekstedt, has laid on a festive feast. Admittedly, it’s light on the smörgåsbords, but at £35 is a bit of a steal for the five-star hotel. Go for lamb shank braised in ale and wild garlic, which true to Ekstedt’s signature style, is cooked over an open flame. It comes with the usual Sunday trimmings.
Great Scotland Yard Hotel, 3-5 Great Scotland Yard, SW1A 2HN, ekstedtattheyard.com
Lisboeta
Lisboeta, Nuno Mendes’ homage to Portuguese cuisine, will be serving a special Easter menu. The slow-baked lamb shoulder, marinated for 48 hours with white wine and fermented peppers, is the clear star, while the grilled cabbage, with a white bean stew, must not be overlooked. Both come with spring greens and crushed potatoes, and the pastel de natas would make for a good Easter sweet course.
30 Charlotte Street, W1T 2NG, lisboeta.co.uk
The Grill by Tom Booton
Tom Booton’s Grill has long been an antidote to the idea that dining in a hotel restaurant need be a stuffy experience. The room may be grand — incredibly so — but Booton’s team take the edge off, and the experience is one that all-in-all is rather jolly. Food is first rate, and for Easter there’s a three-course £120 menu, plus a great big portion of snacks, offering a tower of shellfish to start, and what might be called a lamb spectacular as the main: herb-crusted lamb loin, plus a Yorkshire pudding stuffed with Shepherd’s pie, lamb fat-roasted potatoes, and all the other trimmings. For pudding? Your choice from the pudding bar.
53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA, dorchestercollection.com
The Pig’s Ear
Close to the King’s Road is the Pig’s Ear, a neighbourhood pub serving west London’s thirsty types and now under the stewardship of the Gladwin brothers. The pub boasts a lavish Victorian dining room, vast windows and a sweeping bar, and so those hankering for a cosy, firelit Easter will enjoy the vibe.
35 Old Church Street, SW3 5BS,thechelseapig.co.uk
The Colony Grill
The Colony Grill remains one of London’s most beautiful dining rooms, full of opulence and considered service in transatlantic surrounds. It would be a glamorous place to celebrate Easter, and the menu is a refined but fun affair. First up might be a New York shrimp cocktail, or smoked salmon served simply. A stuffed saddle of lamb brings seasonality — Jersey royals, peas, and broad beans alongside — else a dry-aged sirloin with all the trimmings would satisfy the seasonally hungry.
8 Balderton Street, W1K 6TF, colonygrillroom.com
Eataly
The Italian export Eataly brought its upmarket grill restaurant Terra to London in 2021, and a host of special Easter dishes will be available over the celebratory weekend. Start with white and green asparagus, poached eggs and parmesan fondue, before Welsh lamb with rainbow carrots and minted baby potatoes. Those searching for an alternative treat to traditional chocolate would welcome peanut parfait egg filled with a banana and chocolate ganache cream.
135 Bishopsgate, EC2M 3YD, eataly.co.uk/restaurants
Blacklock
There aren’t so many roasts worth going out for (though this list makes a good start). Too often the potatoes aren’t crispy, the meat overcooked or sparse or both, the vegetables covered in unnecessary honey. Blacklock gets it all right: big, juicy slabs of meat are worth every penny, and Easter is the perfect opportunity to tuck in. At Blacklock, Sunday lunch is lavish, with billowing Yorkshire puddings alongside seasonal veg and exceptionally rich gravy.
Across town, theblacklock.com
