The city of Brighton, both quintessentially British and proudly progressive, hosts a collection of Sunday roasts that are, well, also fitting of those two descriptors.
Here in the so-called London-by-the-Sea, you’ll find traditional meat-and-a-few-veg roast dinners, sure. But you’ll also find full-on vegetarian Sunday lunch menus, as well as those inspired by the USA’s deep south and some cooked entirely over coals.
With such an idiosyncratic range of roasts, you’ll need a trusted guide to take your hand and show you a good time if you’re to satisfy your own specific cravings when it comes to a Sunday lunch in the city. We are that guide – at least, digitally speaking. With that in mind, here are the best Sunday roasts in Brighton.
The Chimney House
Ideal for a traditional, affordable Sunday roast with a side order of community spirit…
We start our exploration of Brighton’s best roasts with a growling stomach and a desire for something both traditional and tasty af. The natural place to land, then, is in Preston Park’s Chimney House, an old school boozer with beer mats on the wall, Harvey’s in the taps, the satisfying click-clack of wooden floorboards under foot, and an exemplary Sunday roast on the dinner table.
This charming pub sits at a prominent corner with elevations to both Upper Hamilton Road and Exeter Street. The building, a two-storey red brick public house adorned with pitched tile roofs, hanging sash windows and decorative plasterwork, is as quintessentially ‘neighbourhood local’ as it comes, the blue signage and actual three chimneys visible for several hundred metres on the approach.
The Chimney House has retained its architectural integrity and continues to serve the community, contributing significantly to the character of this largely residential area. Inside, the vibes are immaculate and the scene set for a fine Sunday lunch.
You’re nursing a hangover – we know you are – so start with a glass of Bloody Ben’s Bloody Mary (£9.50), served with a double shot of vodka as standard. It’s straight on to the main event next – it’s easily generous enough and, besides, there are no starters on the Chimney House’s Sunday menu. Not that we’re complaining; there’s the big four meats available here, with the lamb rump (£19), flavoured enthusiastically with garlic and mint and cooked to a perfect pink, the pick of the bunch.
Showing that the vegetarian and vegan diners of Brighton (of which there are many) are no afterthought, there are not one but two plant-based roast options – a Mediterranean vegetable tart, and a butternut squash and feta wellington no less. We’re told the latter was excellent.
Alongside it all, a serious set of sides – roast potatoes, seasonal greens, a lovely carrot and swede puree, spiced red cabbage, roasted parsnips, homemade Yorkies and a proper meat gravy. A vegan gravy is also available.
Interestingly, the menu proudly states that the gravies are gluten-free, meaning no flour has been used to thicken the sauce. Instead, it’s rich and viscous from its homemade stock base and a diligent effort at skimming and reducing. It’s banging, and you’ll chase it across the plate with your finger. For an extra fiver, there’s also cauliflower cheese and pigs in blankets. Yes, we agree with you; this is a pub that takes real pride in serving a proper roast dinner, just as God intended it.
And with that, we collapse into our sticky toffee pudding with a perfect scoop of vanilla ice cream (£10), thankful that it’s downhill all the way back into Brighton town, because we’re getting rolled all the way down.
When: The Sunday Roast at the Chimney House runs from midday until 6pm, with the roast beef and trimmings (the most expensive of the roasts here) priced at £21.
Website: thechimneyhousebrighton.co.uk
Address:: 28 Upper Hamilton Rd, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 5DF
The Ginger Pig
Ideal for a roast dinner that’s big on flavour and low on frippery…
We’re heading into Hove next, down Denmark Villas, towards the sea and into The Ginger Pig, one of East Sussex’s most acclaimed gastropubs and just the place for another stellar Sunday roast.
The pub is one of four venues from the prolific restaurant group behind the Ginger Man, Ginger Fox and the Flint House, and if you’ve ever dined at one of those places before, you’ll know that the Ginger way of cooking is big on flavour and low on frippery.
Originally owned by Tamplin’s brewery from 1916 until 1963, the two-storry, early 20th century inn with its distinctive three gable ends has housed the Ginger Pig (not to be confused with the acclaimed London butchers of the same name) since 2011, with the gastropub recognised in the Michelin Guide just months after opening. It’s still in the little red book, 13 years later.
Stylish and comfortable, it’s a wonderful place to sink into of an afternoon (really, the teal dining chairs are very sinkable indeed), order a Gingerman house lager or even a lovely little glass of local Sussex fizz in the from the excellent Ridgeview wine estate, chase it down with half a dozen oysters with shallot vinegar (£21), and simply luxuriate in the experience.
There are capable starters on the Sunday menu if you’re keen to luxuriate for as long as possible, with the chicken liver parfait and quince jelly a winner. That said, the roast alone will see you right, even if you’ve come with quite the appetite.
Alongside the usual roast sirloin of beef, there are a couple of more interesting options; the pork showing here comes in the form of a perfect round of roast porchetta, its crackled border blissfully bubbled. The lamb option is slow roasted shoulder. Served almost collapsing, its healthy covering of fat has fully melted into the meat, basting it naturally and leading to a tender finish. Gorgeous stuff. For the veggies, a nut roast does the trick. All of these come with all the usual trimmings, plus both Yorkies and cauliflower cheese as standard.
As if the paradox of choice wasn’t already weighing too heavy, there’s even a grilled whole plaice on the Sunday menu, served not with roasties but with Jersey royals. A caper and parsley butter will be your gravy. It’s a light, bright change for those who don’t actively enjoy the cool, clammy embrace of a meat coma.
For those that do, the Ginger Pig has rooms.
When: The Sunday Roast at the Ginger Pig runs from 12:30pm until 8pm, with the roast beef and trimmings (the most expensive of the roasts here) priced at £19.
Website: thegingerpigpub.com
Address: 3 Hove St, Hove BN3 2T
Alberta’s at The Windmill
Ideal for a Southern fried roast…
Scottish chef Ali Munro – formerly of the excellent Wild Flor twenty minutes down the road – brought his Alberta’s brand to Brighton during lockdown, all with the noble aim of changing the face of fast food in the city. In the process, the chef has gained something of a cult following for his indulgent cooking sensibility and inherent understanding of what people actually want to eat, especially with a beer…
Brighton backstreet boozer the Windmill understood the assignment too, and have brought Alberta’s in for an extended residency that, judging by its enduring popularity, shows absolutely no sign of ending.
During the week, sandos take centre stage, with fillings generously piled into Alberta’s pillowy, rich Japanese milk subs, but on Sundays, the vibe is very different. On this holiest of days, it’s all about Alberta’s already iconic roast, with just about everyone in attendance ordering (well, pre-ordering the Thursday prior) the Deep South inspired, deep-fried whole chicken.
This beautiful bird arrives golden from the frier, with a crisscross of Dijon mustard-spiked mayo spunked across its breasts. Alongside, tatties, yorkies, charred whole cobs of sweetcorn and greens, as well as a thick, glossy gravy and hot sauce, both of which are unlimited. Oh, and there’s pork stuffing too. Phwoar.
Almost as good, a rolled pork belly lechon with the most unholy crackling comes with jasmine rice and a spring onion and ginger chutney. It’s just what the doctor ordered – you, you are the doctor – when a ‘normal’ Sunday roast all feels a bit beige.
When: The Sunday Roast at The Windmill runs from midday until 6pm, with the famed ‘whole fry’ chicken and trimmings priced at £24. The pork belly is £17.
Website: thewindmillbrighton.com
Address: 69 Upper N St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 3FL
Read: The best restaurants in Brighton
Embers
Ideal for a roast dinner kissed with smoke…
Only a year into clouding Brighton’s famous Lanes with a thick miasma of woodfire smoke, and Embers are already making waves by the coast, with an inclusion in the Michelin Guide and a regularly heaving dining room reward for a clear concept delivered with both panache and precision.
The work of two well known faces on the Brighton culinary scene, Dave Marrow (ex Terre à Terre head chef ) and Isaac Bartlett-Copeland (former chef-patron of now sadly closed Isaac At), here everything is cooked on a specially designed multi-rack grill that sits pretty in the centre of the dining room, bringing a touch of theatre to proceedings as its glowing embers crackle and flare up as fat and glaze drip invitingly.
On the day of rest, you’ll be pleased to hear that Embers doesn’t suddenly extinguish the flames, fire up the combi oven and phone in their roast dinners. Nope, just as it is for every other service here, everything is cooked on the grill, the resulting Sunday roast thoroughly seasoned by wood, smoke and fire, whether you go for the ember roasted Sussex beef rump horseradish, the smoked chicken with bread sauce, or the ember baked onion, which has been stuffed with roasted beetroot and pumpkin seed.
Either way, it all comes with skillet roasted potatoes, cauliflower cheese purée and wood-fired summer vegetables, as well as a protein-appropriate jus. Order a few of the restaurant’s seasonal small plates alongside if you know what’s good for you; the cured sea treat with creme fraiche is especially gorgeous.
And just in case the theme hadn’t been hammered home quite enough yet, then even Ember’s cocktails are also a smoke-laden affair. The Cadillac Joe Margarita, already blessed with the inherent smokiness of mezcal, is infused with an extra lick of flames just before being served. Cheers!
When: The Sunday roast at Embers runs from midday until 7pm, with the wood fired sharing platters of either pork, beef or chicken, plus all the trimmings, priced in the mid twenties. There’s also a ‘three beast feast’ for £29.
Website: embersbrighton.co.uk
Address: 42 Meeting House Ln, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1HB
The Roundhill
Ideal for Brighton’s best vegan roast…
As any vegetarian or vegan will tell you, Sunday lunch can sometimes be a dreary affair, reduced to pushing a couple of roasties around a dry plate whilst fellow diners gorge on several rounds of meat.
Not so here. A community-driven pub offering an excellent, eclectic plant-based menu, The Roundhill is the perfect spot for those seeking a hearty Sunday roast that’s 100% vegan.
This family-run establishment prides itself on sourcing ingredients from local suppliers and farms, with the pub placing fourth in the BRAVO restaurant awards’ Best Sunday Roast category recently.
It’s easy to see why the Roundhill’s roast dinner is so acclaimed; there are spreads here to satisfy both the ‘missing meat’ crowd and those who simply love their vegetables. For the former, the seitain roast ‘beef’ comes with two thick slabs of wheat meat alongside an appealing swipe of coarse, vibrant beetroot puree, confit potatoes, Yorkies and a red wine gravy. There’s also the more predictable but no less delicious squash, sage and cashew nut roast, and an expertly conceived beetroot and mushroom wellington.
That’s your Sunday savouries covered, but what about dessert? You’ll be in capable hands with The Roundhill’s sweet stuff too, which are, again, 100% vegan and 0% afterthought. Go for the rhubarb crumble with immaculate soy custard if you know what’s good for you. Seeing as you’re vegan, you probably do…
Finally, on to the booze. The Roundhill has seven craft tabs with two that change weekly to celebrate local breweries and their most exciting vegan ranges. There are also some great sustainable wines here from the team at Sustainable Wine Solutions whose bottles are returned, cleaned and reused to create a zero waste network.
For those who enjoy their Sunday lunch with a side order of sea breeze, the Roundhill has a charming little outdoor space, ideal for alfresco afternoons that nourish both body and soul. It’s all very Brighton, and it’s all very delicious.
When: The all vegan Sunday roasts at The Roundhill run from midday until 7pm, and are priced between £15.50 and £16.50 for the main event and all the trimmings.
Website: theroundhill.co.uk
Address: 100 Ditchling Rd, Brighton, Brighton and Hove
The Cricketers
Ideal for an old school Sunday roast in the Lanes…
The Cricketers is a place every visitor to Brighton has likely passed on their way from the Lanes down to the beach, its terrace seating out front always heaving with revellers, but the promise of the ocean on the horizon sometimes meaning the pub, Brighton’s oldest, is passed by in favour of the pebbles.
On a Sunday, why not step inside instead, for a great Sunday roast with a side order of history – the pub dates back to 1547. With a diverse selection of Sunday roasts at some of the most affordable prices in town, this historic pub caters to all, including vegetarians, who can get stuck into a squash, walnut and mushroom wellington.
For the carnivores, the beef and lamb are sourced from farms on the South Downs, whilst the pork comes from Dingley Dell over in Suffolk. This commitment to quality is reflected in a gold-standard traditional Sunday lunch, which is given an extra dose of seasoning by the Cricketers’ old school interior, all red velvet seating, quirky ornaments, and a nostalgic smell of stale beer.
Whichever way you play it, make sure to add a side of their pork and apricot stuffing balls, which are a textural delight. Prepare to be wowed, too, by the crisp roasties and gravity-defying Yorkies, the latter of which sits atop its meaty throne like a crown. That’s a bit of a weird sentence, but we’re sticking with it.
When: The Sunday roasts at The Cricketers run from midday to 5pm, with the roast beef and trimmings (the most expensive of the single meat roasts here) clocking in at £18.95. You can also get a four meat roast option for £25.95.
Website: cricketersbrighton.co.uk
Address: 15 Black Lion St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1ND
Petit Pois
Ideal for a Sunday roast a la Française…
Petit Pois is arguably the number one purveyor of traditional French fare in the city, and one of Brighton’s best restaurants, period.
Whilst the weekdays are more broadly defined by snails and bouillabaisse, on Sundays the Petit Pois ‘Sunday roast a la Française’ comes into play alongside the usual menu, with a Gaelic take on a Great British tradition served up on this most narrow of Brighton streets.
In all honesty, the only nod to the influence of our cousins across the Channel is the serving of red wine jus instead of thick (sometimes lump) gravy, and a few superfluous pea shoots scattered across the plate.
Aside from that, the Sunday roast at Petit Pois errs on the more traditional side, with expert meat cookery and hearty, homely sides. Still, it’s refreshing to see the sometimes neglected cut of lamb breast making a welcome appearance. Here, it’s been rolled and braised for hours until tender and wobbly in all the right places, whilst still holding its shape in a pleasing puck. It’s gorgeous.
Alongside, duck fat roasties, honey roasted carrots, swede mash, mixed greens, a light-as-you-like Yorkshire pudding, and that glossy, viscous jus. Hmmm, we hate to admit it, but the French might just have this whole Sunday roast thing nailed.
Another thing Petit Pois has nailed is their desserts. Could there be anything better than sinking into an expertly made tarte tatin a Sunday evening, knowing that the only thing that follows is a good lie down? We certainly haven’t found it!
When: The Sunday roast ‘a la Française’ at Petit Pois is from midday until it sells out, which is often by 4pm (regulars often call in advance and reserve theirs if they’re planning to dine in the evening). Prices hovering around the £20 mark for whichever meat takes your fancy. There is an option to have pork, lamb and beef all on one plate.
Website: petitpoisbrighton.co.uk
Address: 70 Ship St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1AE
Stick around in Brighton with us, and head this time for the city’s best Italian restaurants. Can we just say your appetite is impressive?