11 Years Later: Is This Still the Best Sunday Roast in London?
Searching for the best pub food in London is like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially if you’re only visiting London for a short trip.
But if you’ve been following Sunny in London for a while, you’ll know I don’t do anything ‘average’ and have been working with London restaurants to create food content since 2013.
When I first moved to London to work at NBC News, I lived right in the heart of Bloomsbury on the edge of Holborn. That’s when I met my husband, Mr. Sunny. He was my cameraman at the time and as a London-born man, he spent a lot of time figuring out where to go for drinks and food in the pub.
I first reviewed The Ship Tavern in 2015. It’s a 475 year old independent London pub. Having recently returned to this hidden gem for a Sunday Roast, I can confirm: it not only maintains its standards. It sets the standard for what a “Real English Pub” should be.
A Pub Where Time Stops (In A Good Way)
If you have ever ordered a London VIP Travel Consulting with me, you know I’m honest. When clients ask for a London pub that feels “authentic”, I direct them here.
The Ship Tavern is a place where you half expect Charles Dickens to walk through the door, throw off his coat and order a pint. With dark mahogany paneling and a history that predates the Great Fire of London, it exudes Dickensian charm without feeling like a theme park.
Before you even look at the main menu, take a tip from Mr Sunny. He’s been here many times and his professional opinion (as a self-proclaimed London pub expert) is that sausage rolls are an elite bar snack. They are legendary, especially during the Christmas holidays.
Main Event: Sunday Roast Sourced from Smithfield
Although the atmosphere is 10/10, we came for the food during our last visit. We started with Cider Battered Calamari and Black Bomber Croquettes. They are very beautiful.
But for the main event, we went to Butcher’s Board.
It’s a delicious mix of roast beef, pork and lamb, with the meat sourced directly from nearby Smithfield Market. Served with all the trimmings: crispy roast potatoes, maple root, creamed leeks, spiced apple and red cabbage, and a Yorkshire pudding that could double as a satellite dish.
And then, there are the bottomless jugs of Tavern sauce.
Mr. Sunny has navigated some intense news locations, but nothing compares to the focus he has when there’s a bottle of bottomless sauce on the table. The atmosphere is rich, dark and exactly what a Sunday in London calls for.
London Pub Food: Save Room for Pudding
Usually, after Butcher’s Board, most people give up. We are not most people.
We finished with Vanilla Cheesecake and Kraken Rum Sticky Toffee Pudding served with Cornish clotted cream. The dessert, simply put, divine. Kraken Rum adds a nutty, dark flavor to the sticky toffee that makes standard versions of this iconic London pub food seem boring by comparison.
Planning Your Visit to The Ship Tavern
Ship Tavern is a staple of my diet 10 Best Places to Eat in London list for a reason.
I have sent many friends, family members, and clients here. Some even return twice in the same week because the experience is always amazing.
- Location: 12 Gate St, Holborn (Right near Holborn Tube station).
- Booking: I highly recommend booking 1–2 weeks in advance if you want a table for the Sunday Roast. They do do walk-ins, but on busy weekends, you may have to wait a while to get a seat.
Want to Eat Like a Local Every Day?
If you love the look of this roast, you’ll want my full list of places to eat in London. Don’t waste your trip eating at the first chain restaurant you see in Leicester Square.
- An Insider’s Guide to London Restaurants: My go-to recommendations for British, Asian, French, Greek and Italian cuisine. It includes neighborhood maps (from Soho to Kensington) and my “Best of” lists for afternoon tea, food walks and of course, pubs for food.
- Food Lover Package: Get my plus Restaurant Guide 3 Day London Guide to take the stress out of planning.
- Festive Trio– London Christmas Travel Planner: If you’re visiting over the holidays, plans include mine Christmas Guide is a must. There’s even a feature Mr. Sunny’s secret recipe for sausage rolls so you can bring a little of this iconic London pub food into your own kitchen.
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What do you order when you visit a traditional English pub, Sunny’s Friend?
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