Best Sunday roast lunches in London north of the river

1 The Counter, Notting Hill

This contemporary ockbasi restaurant has a seafood take on the traditional roast with its Aegean Sundays set menu. The 12 sharing dishes on this feasting menu explore Turkey’s coastal cuisine are designed to be enjoyed family-style and include treats such as samphire salad; sourdough, aubergine salad; fried squid and sauteed prawns in garlic butter and lemon. The feast’s centrepiece is your choice of a whole fish of the day or lamb chops.

Address: 108 Golborne Road, Notting Hill W10 5PS

Website: thecounterlondon.com

2 The Parakeet, Kentish Town

This gastro pub, which opened in March 2023 where the former Oxford Tavern once stood, has now launched its Sunday roast lunch, which sound pretty good. Ex BRAT chefs Ben Allen and Ed Jennings head up the kitchen team who cook over an open fire, putting a smoky take on traditional roasts. There’s also veggie-friendly options like the celeriac wellington.

Address: 256 Kentish Town Road, Kentish Town NW5 2AA

Website: theparakeetpub.com

3 The Baring, Islington

A Michelin Guide recommended neighbourhood boozer for Islington near Regent’s Canal, The Baring is by the team behind The Bull and Last in Highgate. Roasts are something special here, centred around cuts such as beef bavette, pork collar or ribs for two. Start your meal with pig’s head terrine or mackerel tartare, and a bloody Mary.

Address: 55 Baring Street, Islington, N1 3DS

Website: thebaring.co.uk

4 The Bull and Last, Highgate

The sister venue to The Baring in Islington, The Bull and Last is where the team earned their stripes for superb British cuisine. The Bull and Last champions seasonality and locality both in the kitchen and behind the bar, so expect to drink a British craft brew alongside your roast pork belly or Essex prime rib for two.

Address: 68 Highgate Road, Highgate NW5 1QS

Website: thebullandlast.co.uk

5 The Midland Grand Dining Room, King’s Cross

Feast on a slightly French-style roast lunch in one of the most majestic dining rooms in London. Conveniently found in the gothic St Pancras Renaissance Hotel attached to King’s Cross station, The Midland Grand’s roast is every bit as sublime as its a la carte menu. Dishes are designed to be shared and include the likes of rabbit leg pithivier, beef sirloin and a whole roast chicken with girolles and braised onion.

Address: St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, King’s Cross NW1 2AR

Website: midlandgranddiningroom.com

6 Blacklock, various locations

A restaurant based on the chophouses of the 1690s, a place where hungry punters could go to feast on meat on the bone, for extra flavour. Blacklock is all about the meat, and on Sundays, the restaurant cooks whole joints over open coals for a beefed up version of the traditional English roast. You’ve got beef rump, lamb leg and pork loin to choose from. Vegans and vegetarians can get stuck into a whole roast celeriac too.

Website: theblacklock.com

7 The Marksman, Hackney

A popular spot for people who’ve just been squashed at the Columbia Road Flower Market, The Marksman has Sunday roast dishes for sharing as well as for those who want a plate to themselves. The very British roast options include smoke haddock and pollock fishcake or pressed celeriac pie, with the likes of guinea fowl and Tamworth terrine to start with.

Address: 254 Hackney Road, Hackney E2 7SJ

Website: marksmanpublichouse.com

8 The Pelican, Notting Hill

A refined, Michelin Guide recomended pub, The Pelican won’t serve you up your standard Sunday lunch. With ex-The Wolseley and Sketch chef, Owen Kenworthy in the kitchen, the pub plates up selection of elegant British dishes a la carte, with a family style feast being served on Sundays. The feast changes weekly and must be booked at least 48 hours in advance.

Address: 45 All Saints Road, Notting Hill WII IHE

Website: thepelicanw11.com

9 The Holland, Kensington

Standing where the old Princess Victoria once stood, The Holland is the latest venture by chef Max de Nahlik (ex- the organic certified Duke of Cambridge, Islington) and another Michelin Guide recommended establishment. Head here for an elegant roast made with seasonal produce of the likes of confit chicken leg or roast beef rump, and spiced brown crab on toast, or sweetcorn, tomato and miso butter with chili peanuts to start with.

Address: 25 Earls Court Road, Kensington W8 6EB

Website: thehollandkensington.co.uk

10 ACME Fire Cult, Dalston

Chefs Andrew Clarke and Daniel Watkins whip up a Sunday roast lunch, cooked on the restaurant’s outdoor charcoal grill. Designed to be shared feasting style, there’s plenty of veg options, such as coal roast leeks with pistachio romesco, and cauliflower with guindilla peppers and pink onions, to go with the meaty choices which include pork belly, Highland beef rump and smoked Cotechino sausage. There’s indoor seating, but the terrace is covered and heated, and right next to 40FT Brewery.

Address: Abbot Street, Dalston E8 3DP

Website: acmefirecult.com

11 temper, Shoreditch & Soho

With venues in Soho, the City, Covent Garden and Shoreditch, temper is one popular barbecue joint and steakhouse. Serving a Sunday lunch at the Shoreditch and Soho outposts, roasts come in single serves or you can go the Three Beast Feast for a family-style dinner that comes with aged beef roast, roasted pork and smoked lamb shoulder.

Address: 78 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3JL; 25 Broadwick Street W1F 0DF

Website: temperrestaurant.com

12 Jones & Sons, Dalston

Set of Boiling Point, the film featuring Stephen Graham, Jones & Sons is a very nice modern British restaurant, that comes with a large covered outdoor space. Dishes are refined takes on traditional British roasts, and there’s a couple of choices for the non-meat eaters to try out too. Although roasts come with all the trimmings,  you can pimp your roast up with lobster mac n cheese and beef shin croquettes and the like.

Address: Stamford Works, 3 Gillett Street, Dalston N16 8JH

Website: jonesandsonsdalston.com