Sunday lunches in the South West

While not straying too far from the familiar, the best roasts deliver an extraordinary feast which feels impossible to replicate at home. Here’s our pick of South West spots for a next-level Sunday lunch

Pasture, Bristol

Since opening in 2018, Pasture (pictured top) has been the place to chow down on anything cow in Bristol – and its Sunday lunches are no exception.

The in-house butchers only source pasture-fed beef from South West farms, which they dry-age for a minimum of 35 days. Cut to order and cooked over charcoal and wild cherry wood for maximum flavour, the chateaubriand to share is the ultimate Sunday centrepiece. It’s served with next-level sides including roasties, leek gratin, farm greens, squash puree, yorkshire puds and gulp bottomless gravy.

Vegans aren’t left out either. The Sunday line-up includes a not-your-average nut roast (roasted squash, chickpeas, nuts, herbs and quinoa) showered in mushroom gravy.

No.15 by GuestHouse Hotels, Bath

End the week in luxurious style at this boutique hotel and restaurant in Bath’s most exclusive neighbourhood. A petite but pleasing Sunday lunch menu features classic dishes alongside unusual inclusions like the starter of Bath chaps (a local delicacy of brined pigs’ cheeks).

Choose between roast sirloin or cornfed chicken, served with yorkshire pud, seasonal greens, carrot puree, roasted parsnips and spuds, plus cauliflower cheese. Alternatively, go off-piste with options such as wild mushroom risotto, and poached salmon with crushed new potatoes, samphire and caper butter. Pud-wise, we recommend a dose of nostalgia via the sherry-soaked trifle.

Sign of the Angel, Wiltshire

This 15th-century coaching inn, located in the picture-postcard National Trust village of Lacock, ticks all the boxes for a sumptuous Sunday roast in a pleasingly traditional setting.

Exposed beams, antique furniture and a roaring open fire create a cosy atmosphere in which to feast on delicious dishes such as pork loin with crackling, roasties, seasonal veg and baby pear fritter.

If you’re game for something a little left field, the seasonal menu also features not-so-classic options like curried onion bhajis with pickled courgette, spiced-apple salsa and saffron yogurt, and baked plaice fillet with chorizo paella.

The Farmers Arms, Devon

It’s worth venturing into the wilds of north Devon to experience the incredible Sunday lunch feast which takes a weekly starring role at Woolsery’s destination dining pub (read more about the Woolsery Collective’s ground-breaking dining project here).

Unlike any Sunday lunch you’ll have tried elsewhere, this involves a compilation of dishes made from own-reared and -grown produce that’s served family style. Forget choosing from a menu, you just need to tell the team if you’re going meat or veggie and they’ll deliver an astonishing smorgasbord of dishes for each course.

Starters of charcuterie, potted meats, soup, homebaked bread and a gazillion other treats pave the way for the main event of a towering platter of veggies, succulent roast meats, yorkshires and roasties. Pace yourself as this is followed by an array of traditional puds. Happily the pub provides takeaway boxes so you can revisit any leftovers for Monday night’s supper.

Star & Garter, Cornwall

There’s no finer tradition than finishing a blustery coastal walk with a slap-up Sunday lunch at a great dining pub, and those who find themselves in Falmouth head straight to Star & Garter.

The team at the harbourside restaurant follow a nose-to-tail ethos, which is evident in their end-of-week offering. Sunday lunch staples include leg of lamb, moorland beef sirloin, duck-fat roast potatoes, gravity-defying yorkshire puddings, creamy cauli-cheese, seasonal veg and silky gravy. All of the meats are sourced from local Cornish producers and butchered inhouse by the chefs.

Bag one of the banquette booths to enjoy panoramic views of Falmouth harbour as you dine. (Read our review of the Star & Garter Roast Box here.)

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