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Best Sunday Lunch in York

14 Seriously Good Sunday Roasts in York

Nestled in God’s Own Country, York brings together the region’s best produce to create a brimming plate of nostalgia. With many options for Sunday Lunch in York available, we’ve put together a list of restaurants that provide the epitome of classic Sunday lunches in deeply comforting spaces.

If the humble roast has fallen from your view, this list will excite your taste buds and tempt you into these fantastic York restaurants faster than you can say “more gravy please!”

Pearly Cow York Sunday Lunch

Pearly Cow

Located close to the city’s iconic Minster, No 1 GuestHouse is a charmer of a boutique hotel with a restaurant and spa. Inside this Grade II listed regency townhouse, expect stunning sash windows, high ceilings and a sweeping staircase.

Step into No.1 Guesthouse’s Pearly Cow restaurant, for a Sunday roast like no other. Tuck into garlic-baked oysters with Wensleydale cheese for starters, and choose between 45-day salt-aged beef sirloin, shoulder of lamb or roast chicken for mains that is served with all the delicious trimmings. Other main courses include wild mushroom and tofu Wellington, black Angus burger and more.

1 Clifton, York YO30 6AA – 01904 644744

Aldwark Manor Sunday Lunch - Aerial external

Aldwark Manor

Aldwark Manor is a magnificent hotel and estate in the middle of the Yorkshire countryside, that makes the ideal setting for a Sunday lunch. Their dishes are seasonal and made using produce they source from nearby Yorkshire farms or their kitchen garden.

Savour a classic Sunday roast at the gorgeous Elements Restaurant, abundant with all the trimmings. The menu’s standout dishes are the home-cured salmon gravadlax, the roast Yorkshire salt-aged beef served for mains, and the sticky toffee pudding topped with clotted cream and caramel sauce for dessert.

Aldwark, Alne, York YO61 1UF – 01347 838146

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Bosun's York - Sunday lunch with Yorkshire pudding and red wine

Bosun’s at The Riverfront

Just a short trip from York city centre and set in the idyllic location on the River Ouse is Bosun’s. Wrapped in a panorama of nature, this riverside restaurant is the perfect spot for a Sunday lunch. Using innovative cooking techniques to create a contemporary menu, locally sourced, quality seasonal ingredients are at the heart of what they do.

Working with several local suppliers, their Sunday menu boasts delicious options for starters, mains and desserts. Choose from roast topside beef, honey roast ham or nut roast, all served with duck fat roast potatoes and all the trimmings. For desserts, enjoy a classic sticky toffee pudding or rhubarb frangipane tart for a bite of freshness. This is a Sunday lunch in York that you should try out soon.

The Boatyard, Ferry Ln, Bishopthorpe, York YO23 2SB – 01904 439739

Gravy pour Middletons Hotel York

Middletons Hotel

The Middletons Hotel boasts more than just being one of the county’s finest hotels, it’s also home to one of the best spots for a Sunday Lunch in York. Just over the river from the historic Clifford’s Tower, you’ll find your new favourite place and their super ‘Sparkling Sunday Lunch’.

With your choice of two or three courses, enjoy an impressive range of fantastic food offerings; from chicken liver parfait and baked camembert to pork loin with crispy crackling and maybe topped off with a cheese board showcasing some of the finest Yorkshire cheeses. And what makes this Sunday Lunch sparkling? A complimentary glass of Ayala Champagne to top off your experience.

Cromwell Rd, York YO1 6DS – 01904 611570

Drovers Arms skipwith dining area interior

The Drovers Arms

The Drovers Arms in Selby is a gem in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside, renowned for offering one of the best Sunday lunches in the York area. With its warm and inviting atmosphere, this charming pub combines rustic charm with exceptional culinary standards. The Sunday roast at The Drovers Arms is a feast to behold, featuring tender cuts of locally sourced meat, perfectly roasted potatoes, and a selection of buttered seasonal vegetables, all served with a rich, flavorful gravy.

York Rd, Selby YO8 5SF – 01757 288088

The Fat Badger York Sunday Lunch

The Fat Badger

Set in the heart of the city centre, The Fat Badger is York’s most characterful Inn with delicious cuisine, hand-pulled ales and a secret beer garden. Choose from roast beef rump or slow-cooked pork loin for mains, both paired with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and red wine gravy. Sunday lunch in York has never been so historic. The spectacular private beer garden has been described as the best in the city, with unmatched views of York Minster.

2-4 High Petergate, York YO1 7EH – 01904 612078

The-Star-Inn-The-City-Sunday-Lunch-York

The Star Inn The City

Situated delightfully next to the River Ouse, beside the Lendal Bridge and Tower, The Star Inn The City is a destination restaurant like no other. Its unequalled riverside location provides glorious views of the city and could distract from the food, were the dishes not equally excellent.

Their selection of decadent starters moves from seared sea scallops with Yorkshire rhubarb, to salt-aged Yorkshire beef ‘Tartare’ and pressed Thirkleby duck. The sirloin of beef or loin of woodland reared pork cannot be missed and all come with all the trimmings you could imagine. The Star Inn The City is the eatery to go to when you want to take your time with an indulgent Sunday lunch in York while gazing into gorgeous views.

Lendal Engine House, Museum Street, York – 01904 619208

Chopping Block Walmgate Ale House York sunday lunch

The Chopping Block at Walmgate Ale House

The Yorkshire Puds make a Sunday lunch in York. So, The Chopping Block makes their Puds huge. Served with their whopping Yorkshire Pudding, this sturdily simplistic meal comes with either Roast Pork or Beef and seasonal vegetables, plus roast potatoes with lashings of gravy.

Proud of being independent, the team’s passion for food shows in the flavours on the plate and smile in the service. Michael and Lucy Hjort have created a picturesque landmark steeped in the history of saddle and rope making the building began with. The rustic bar area is a wonderful place to retire after a hearty meal to sample their locally sourced ales from Yorkshire breweries which they change regularly.

25 Walmgate, York YO1 9TX – 01904 629222

Sunday Lunch in York at The Whippet Inn

The Whippet Inn

This hidden gem set inside York’s historic walls and tucked away from the tourist trail is one of York’s best-kept secrets with its classically Yorkshire atmosphere and fashionable restaurant. For a Sunday Lunch in York, the Whippet Inn invites you to ‘Get Roasted’ with their sumptuous Sunday roast menu, comprised of only the freshest, finest Yorkshire produce. With this set menu, the chefs have designed it to take the stress out of your meal, leaving you to do as Sunday does – simply relax and eat.

Specialising in steak, they know how to make a mean roast and the team are proud to bring to your table what has been described as ‘the best Sunday roast in York’. To complement your roast and further swell your good mood, the Whippet Inn has an extensive wine list with changing Magnums and vintages displayed on their blackboard.

15 North Street, York YO1 6JD – 01904 500660



York Minster Refectory exterior

York Minster Refectory

What once housed the York Minster School in 1903, the refectory now houses one of York’s most historic and picturesque eateries. Not forgetting one of the best Sunday lunches in York! Producing seasonal menus from the finest ingredients in the county, executive head chef Joshua Brimmell helps to reinvent classic British dishes for the refectory.

They keep their Sunday lunches simple, with a Roast Sirloin of Beef served with Duck Fat Roast Potatoes, pot roast carrots and parsnips along with plenty of greens, cauliflower cheese and lashings of pan gravy. Sometimes it’s just better to keep the classics as they are, isn’t it?

2 Deangate, York YO1 7JA – 01904 307399

Guy Fawkes Inn interior

Guy Fawkes Inn

This Guy Fawkes-themed inn is known in York as one of the most well-preserved buildings in the city, and it’s not hard to see why. The property itself was actually owned by Guy Fawkes meaning the inn is not permitted to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day! Who’d have thought?

Alongside their rich history, 4-star double bedrooms and AA-Rosette awarded restaurant, they do a pretty good Sunday lunch in York too. Choose from Roast Beef, Chicken or Nut Roast complete with all the trimmings and plenty of gravy. They also serve some of their Guy Fawkes classics on a Sunday in case you’re not in the mood for a full roast.

25 High Petergate, York YO1 7HP – 01904 623716

Forest York desserts

Forest at Galtres Lodge

This independent hotel right in the heart of the city definitely deserves a spot on our best Sunday lunches in York list. Forest is the lodge’s quirky, rustic on-site restaurant and is well worth a visit on your next trip to the historic city. Beautifully decorated, the restaurant makes you feel as if you really are eating in the middle of a woodland!

For their Sunday Lunch, starters such as Whole Baked Camembert and The Yorkshire Whole Hog are on offer with a cider-braised ham hock bonbon and orchard apple chutney. For the main, choose from Beef Topside, Chicken Supreme or a Caramelised Celearic Stack finished off with one of their great British puddings.

54 Low Petergate, York YO1 7HZ – 01904 622478

Royal Oak York Sunday Lunch

Royal Oak York

If you’re looking for a cosy family-friendly pub for your next Sunday lunch in York, the Royal Oak has got you covered. Known for its traditional pub-grub classics and seasonal menus, it’s the perfect place to escape to after a busy day of exploring the city.

Get the family together for one of their roasts, featuring Roast Topside of Beef, Roast Chicken and Stuffing, Pork Loin or Butternut Squash and Lentil Wellington rosemary roast potatoes seasonal veg and gravy. If you have room, try one of their puddings from Homemade Crumble of the Day to Sticky Toffee Pudding.

18 Goodramgate, York YO1 7LG – 01904 848777

Eagle and Child Sunday lunch

Eagle & Child

Originally built in 1640, this grade II listed pub is the perfect destination for your next Sunday lunch in York. They pride themselves on fresh, local produce with inventive and seasonal dishes made by their expert team of chefs. As part of Leeds Brewery, they pull a good pint too!

Start your Sunday lunch with Baked Gruyere and Yorkshire Brittania Cheddar or Yorkshire nduja Scotch Egg before tucking into Topside Beef, Pork Loin with Crackling or Nut Roast. All of their roasts come with spiced braised red cabbage, mashed potato, seasonal veg, Yorkshire pudding and red wine gravy. So what are you waiting for?

9 High Petergate, York YO1 7EN – 01904 631536


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Written by

Jozef Ashley

24/05/2024

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