Welcome to the ultimate list of the 10 Best Roast Dinners In London, updated for 2024.
Why is this the ultimate list?
Because I’ve actually eaten all of these roast dinners myself, as opposed to just asking around, reading TripAdvisor and copying other lists.
And all of my reviews are anonymous – nobody knows I’m going, nobody knows I’m there. I don’t get extra roast potatoes, no pre-arranged videos of the chefs, none of my gawping face recording videos making it obvious who I am and why I deserve special treatment (I don’t deserve special treatment). As far as possible, I’m just like you, booking a roast dinner and going there to hopefully enjoy it.
Sure, there’s likely some missing from this list – I’ve eaten nearly 300 at the time of writing, but there will be some roasts on some other list, or some other irritating video that deserves to be on here. Fine.
Why don’t I just look at your league of roasts?
Why don’t you just look at my league of roasts?
Sure. Go for it.
However, this list has been refined to remove those which were great when I reviewed, but I’m so sure are so great now – at least from reports I’ve had…oh and online reviews. Sue me.
And they are all definitely still serving Sunday roasts, definitely still in business and don’t take a break for the summer – to the best of my knowledge.
Without further ado, this is my 10 Best Roast Dinners In London.
10. Cora Pearl, Covent Garden
Well, I went here in 2023 so I’m certain Cora Pearl is still valid and excellent.
The venue is totally gorgeous, styled after a famous courtesan called Cora Pearl, mostly it has a playfulness that isn’t too hidden, along with a hint of elegance, along with a touch of art deco. If you like eating in cool, slightly quirky yet elegant places – this is a must visit.
But most importantly, their roast dinner hit the mark – and I’ve had at least two people report back to me that it is still very much on form.
The famous crispy potatoes deserve their fame, the yorkie was fluffy and the sirloin juicy. Vegetables were good too – just wish the gravy had a bit more to it in terms of consistency and flavour. But you cannot have everything.
Visited: 2023.
Rating: 8.49.
9. The Black Lion, Kilburn
Strangely enough, fewer people seem up for going to Kilburn than Covent Garden, so I don’t recall anyone reporting to me that my findings at The Black Lion in Kilburn are agreeable.
So I am also relying on Google reviews here – yet they are all 5 stars, so I’m confident enough to keep it here.
It was really the gravy that did it for me – gloriously think and meaty, the roasties pretty crispy, veg was good, and The Black Lion has a gorgeous ceiling too.
And it was the only one to make my list of good, affordable roast dinners in London. What more do you want?
Oh, for it to be in zone 1. Sigh.
Visited: 2022.
Rating: 8.55.
8. The Gipsy Queen, Kentish Town
This is the one on the list that makes me most nervous.
It was 2019 when I visited – back before I realised that you had to hold a phone steady when taking a photograph.
The Gipsy Queen is a proper community pub, yet they have a great beer selection too. Not long after I visited, I had reports of the roast dinner not deserving anywhere near the score I gave it – however a year or two ago, they made a point of rehiring the previous chef, and ever since then Google reviews are much more positive, and along the lines of my experience – albeit without the rocket leaves.
They simply did all the most important parts with excellence – a fresh, eggy and properly fluffy Yorkie, very good roasties, beef close to divine and thick gravy.
And I think it is still under £20.
Visited: 2019.
Rating: 8.68.
7. The Red Lion & Sun, Highgate
I’d been meaning to go here for ages and finally in 2023 a group of us got around to it – and also realised that you could pre-order suckling pig.
There were a few annoyances like tiny plates, tiny jus thimbles and blunt knives – but that suckling pig more than made up for it.
Roast potatoes were actually excellent, suckling pig was dreamy, the jus really grew on me – it aged really well.
The Red Lion And Sun is a proper, great pub too. Albeit when I say proper pub, I really mean proper north London foodie pub. And the landlord is a legend. He hasn’t even paid me to say that, but he will one day buy me a beer – you reading this, Britney?
Visited: 2023.
Rating: 8.70
6. The Fox & Pheasant, Chelsea
The week before I visited The Fox & Pheasant in Chelsea, I’d been to Blacklock in Soho – so comparisons were obvious, yet I was even more impressed with The Fox & Pheasant – at least their roast anyway, and that is what you are here for.
Proper Chelsea vibes inside with all the cute dogs wearing bow ties, and some properly pretty young ladies/gentlemen – definitely not like me.
Yet despite it being Chelsea, The Fox And Pheasant served proper northern gravy, really good pork belly, a great yorkie, and smoky parsnip puree that was just divine.
And, yes, Google reviews keep using words like “amazing” – some of the most recent photos look even better than what I had.
Visited: 2021.
Rating: 8.75.
5. Sussex Bar & Restaurant, Soho
I didn’t really have any expectations for Sussex Bar & Restaurant in Soho, when I visited one probably rainy day in 2024, as pretty much every day has been rainy in 2024.
Yet we all came away majorly impressed.
They specialise in beef wellington, but sadly there was nobody willing to share it with me. Instead I had the pork which was really good, and also upgraded to have a bone marrow yorkie – and this was dreamy.
The quality of ingredients was excellent, vegetables all super, crispy yorkie with bone marrow a dream – pork and gravy really good too. Like, everything was really good.
Visited: 2024.
Rating: 8.86.
4. The George, The Strand
The oldest one on the list, visited in 2018 and again it gives me some nerves in recommending it. I know the restaurant upstairs is still excellent, and a couple of people have reported to me that The George’s roast dinner is still very good – so hopefully it deserves its place on the list.
It was the inventiveness that pushed it over a 9.00 for me – especially the mustard seed mash. Amazing cauliflower cheese, crispy roast potatoes, possibly the plumpest chicken I’ve ever had.
Is it still a 9 out of 10? No idea, but the Google reviews and attached photographs still look excellent, so I doubt you’ll be disappointed, and maybe it is still truly excellent.
Visited: 2018.
Rating: 9.02.
3. The Ladbroke Arms, Holland Park
Remember when we got to 40’C in London? Well, this roast was the day before – there was a certain trepidation in the air as people wondered what 40’C in London would be like.
I, on the other hand, was marvelling in the delights of the roast dinner at The Ladbroke Arms. Roast on Sunday, roasted on Monday.
Let’s get it out of the way – the gravy was tomato-based. If it wasn’t – this would have been number one, but it was still good enough.
The pork belly and cabbage were particularly sensational – like unimprovably superb. The roast potatoes and carrots were also excellent. Why isn’t every roast dinner like this? Well, it could be for you, if you just visit all of my top 10.
Visited: 2022.
Rating: 9.05.
2. The Harwood Arms, Fulham
Well, I’ve written so many superlatives for The Harwood Arms that I’m kind of bored writing about it now.
You tend to have to book this on the day that they release the tables – which is 90 days beforehand. There aren’t that many tables, and it is a Michelin star pub, so very much in demand. And pricey too – but also very well worth it.
The Cote De Boeuf was sensational, the vegetables all excellent with different flavours, service superb and the yorkie was stuffed with some kind of braised beef concoction. Plus dessert was superb too. Worth the money and worth the wait – I don’t need to check Google reviews to know this will still be superb in 5 year’s time.
Visited: 2023.
Rating: 9.10.
1. Blacklock, Shoreditch
What is one of the most important moments of anyone’s life? Losing their virginity, of course. Blacklock virginity.
I’ve been to Blacklock three times for a roast dinner – the Covent Garden one annoyed me but was still close to excellent, Soho was excellent apart from the beef and overdone yorkie.
Blacklock Shoreditch, however, was the one. My one. The number one. And is still top of the league table.
It’s the best roast in London – amazing gravy, great roasties, wonderful service, that white chocolate cheesecake is just totally divine. I think they do pork and lamb better than they do beef, at least in my experience – yet a flick through the Google reviews and the beef looks miles better than I had in 2019. And, yes, there is still the City and Canary Wharf branches to review too.
Another one that you need to book well in advance, around 6 weeks or so – though you could always try a walk-in. Just have a back-up plan!
Visited: 2019.
Rating: 9.29.
Honourable Mentions
If the head chef of Wood Street Bar & Kitchen in Barbican reads this he’ll be onto me…but there are no recent reviews of roasts there, I know he didn’t serve them last summer, and there is no mention on the website of roast dinners being served. So I cannot add somewhere to the list that I don’t know whether they will have roasts…but their food is excellent nonetheless.
The Red Cow in Farringdon and The Dove in Hammersmith are two that scored higher than some roasts in this list of best roast dinners in London, but I just don’t have the confidence that they are still worthy of being here.
The Little Blue Door in Fulham served a gorgeous roast once upon a time. No more, alas, but a super fun venue to go to.
And then there are two closed restaurants – Mac & Wild in Fitzrovia, and Madame Pigg in Dalston – both superb. Madame Pigg is worth keeping an eye out for though – he still does some pop-ups, and I have no reason to believe they wouldn’t be superb. I dearly hope he has another crack at a venue soon.
Thanks for reading this ultimate list of best roast dinners in London – feel free to send me your recommendations as always, sometimes I even don’t ignore them.
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10 Best Roast Dinners In London 2024
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Thank you for all the hard work you do to keep Roast Dinners in London going. We’ve been fans for a number of years, perhaps more remarkable as we live in Boston, Massachusetts and typically visit London about once a year. We always book roast dinners and even arrange the dates of our visits to maximize the number of Sundays we’re in London.
This year, we’ll be visiting the south of England and London for six weeks from late August and we have already booked Blacklock SoHo and The Harwood Arms. Now I’m researching the SRD for our last Sunday in London. It’s hard to decide, and anything that will be following The Harwood Arms may suffer in comparison. We’ve been to Blacklock Shoreditch several times on your recommendation and have loved it. Perhaps something else from your well timed list of best roast dinners in London will be the one we choose…? Thanks for pulling this updated list together.