The best Sunday roast lunches in and around Islington

Finish the weekend on a high and head to one of these fine pubs and restaurants in Islington for some of the best roast lunches around.

Words by Mark Kebble & Zita Whalley

1 Hicce Hart, Penton Street

Sister venue to the elegant outpost in Coal Drops Yard,  Hicce Hart has a delightful Sunday lunch menu. With a focus on provenance, the gastropub’s compact but considered selection of roasts (including a veg. option) sits along side a range of small plates, should you want a starter, or  to skip the roast altogether. Grab a bottle of plonk from the extensive wine list and nestle in near the fire for the afternoon. 

Address: 58 Penton Street N1 9PZ

Website: hiccehart.co.uk

2 The Wilmington, Rosebery Avenue

This listed 19th century pub has reopened its doors following a major refurb and a total menu refresh. Sunday lunches are served family-style, with sharing cuts of meat such as a lamb rack, Cote de boeuf or a whole roast chicken served alongside hearty sides such as pigs in blankets and partridge stuffing. A la carte dishes are also available too.

Address: 69 Rosebery Avenue, Clerkenwell, EC1R 4 RL

Website: wilmingtonclerkenwell.com

 

3 The Baring, Baring Street

Accoladed neighbourhood boozer near Regent’s Canal, this place comes with a high-calibre gastro-pub kitchen helmed by co-owner Rob Tecwyn (ex-Dabbous, The Henrietta Hotel, Morito, & Kerridge’s Bar and Grill). Go for a sharing roast, one you can keep to yourself, or break from Sunday tradition and order a smattering of superb small plates to share.

Address: 55 Baring Street, Islington, N1 3DS

Website: thebaring.co.uk

4 The Old Queens Head, Essex Road

This Essex Road institution may now be home to Lucky Chip burgers – and mighty fine they are too – but don’t forget about the fab roasts you can enjoy while settled into one of the Chesterfield leather sofas. The menu is short and sweet, but all mains come with the full complement of trimmings, and there’s fried cheesecake to finish on. Oh, and if you do fancy a burger, you can order one of those too.

Address: 44 Essex Road N1 8LN

Website: theoldqueenshead.com

5 The Canonbury, Canonbury Place

The food has always been good here and the Sunday restaurant menu, in particular, is a stand out. From your typical roasts (done very well), to the more eclectic offerings like harissa-baked cauliflower (for those trying to be good after a heavy weekend) to the pearl barley, butternut squash and mushroom wellington. There’s a great beer garden, too, for when the weather takes a turn for the better.

Address: 21 Canonbury Place N1 2NS

Website: thecanonbury.co.uk

 

6 The Marquess Tavern, Canonbury Street

During the week The Marquess Tavern has a wide variety of dishes to choose from, and while its Sunday lunch menu may be more concise, the outcome is just as good. Whichever roast you go for, Yorkshire pud lovers you’re in luck – they’re whoppers.

Address: 32 Canonbury Street N1 2TB

Website: marquess-tavern.com

 

7 The Bull, Upper Street

With its traditional pub ambience that comes with a touch of cool design, The Bull makes punters feel right at home. Picnic bench style tables are placed alongside open windows to make the most of any good weather. Enjoy your home-cooked roast with one of the craft beers from the pub’s vast selection or a Bloody Mary or two.

Address: 100 Upper Street N1 0NP

Website: thebullislington.co.uk

 

8 The Albion, Thornhill Road

The Albion, a Georgian gem, provides the perfect atmosphere for a Sunday roast, complete with log fires. With its wisteria covered façade and classic dining room inside, the setting complements the dishes perfectly. Their Sunday lunch menu features plenty of starters, mains and puddings and the pub carries a wide selection of beers and their wine list has been selected by one of the country’s leading wine experts to perfectly match the food. The whole experience will have you feeling satisfied and right at home.

Address: 10 Thornhill Road N1 1HW

Website: the-albion.co.uk

9 The Pig & Butcher, Liverpool Road

It might look like your average pub from the outside, but to this day we will never forget our first meal at The Pig & Butcher and how it blew us away. With ingredients locally sourced from around the UK, The Pig & Butcher grills in the summer and brines, cures, smokes, and braises in the winter to create the perfect roast for any season. Considering the name, we shouldn’t have been surprised with the quality found here, and there’s food for the vegetarians as well.

Address: 80 Liverpool Road N1 0QD

Website: thepigandbutcher.co.uk

 

 

10 Duke of Cambridge, St Peter’s Street

It may have the look and feel of a classic British pub, but it is in fact Britain’s first organic pub. part of the same group behind the Culpeper in Shoreditch and working with Riverford Organic farms, fruit and vegetables are the stars here, with meat and fish complementing the dishes. Their menu changes by season to ensure that the freshest, highest quality ingredients will be used.

Address: 30 St Peter’s Street N1 8ST

Website: dukeorganic.co.uk

 

11 Smokehouse, Canonbury Road

Owned by the The Pig & Butcher team, Smokehouse has a simple garden feel with wooden tables and pots of herbs and flowers, and outside garden furniture surrounded by trees. It is all about the food here and there are plenty of unique dishes that are not fixtures in your average Sunday roast menu.

Address: 63-69 Canonbury Road N1 2DG

Website: smokehouseislington.co.uk

 

12 The Drapers Arms, Barnsbury Street

The Drapers Arms is a neighbourhood pub in Islington with a green hued exterior and chequerboard floors and chandeliers inside. It also has plenty of delicious food on their packed Sunday lunch menu, which changes regularly. Try a traditional sharing roast, or go for something a little bit differed, such as the suet crust beef bourguignon pie, and make sure you don’t skip on the starters.

Address: 44 Barnsbury Street N1 1ER

Website: thedrapersarms.com