The best Sunday roasts in Camden
A roast the papers rated best in London in 2014, cooked again by the same chef; a Primrose Hill pub that has done Sundays since 1992; a Kentish Town dining room that cooks over fire. Where to book on a Sunday in NW1 and NW5.
By Only Camden Editorial
Book by Thursday, aim for 13:00, and decide early whether you want a pub or a dining room. The best Sunday roast in Camden is at the Colonel Fawcett, where the chef who cooked what the pub calls the best roast of 2014 is back in the kitchen. Close behind come a Primrose Hill pub that has been doing Sundays since 1992 and a Kentish Town dining room that cooks its roast over fire. Here is where to go, and when the kitchens close.
The Colonel Fawcett, Randolph Street
Sunday kitchen 12:00 to 19:00. The Colonel Fawcett at 1 Randolph Street, NW1, is an independent free house, and it calls itself Camden’s finest. Its food is cooked by Andy Evans, who is back after ten years away, and the pub says on its food page that his roast was rated the best of 2014 by The Observer and the Evening Standard. Meat comes from the butcher HG Walter. The roasts run every Sunday and the kitchen stops at 19:00, so this is a lunch, not a late supper. There are gardens for when the weather allows. Book.
The Lansdowne, Gloucester Avenue
Sunday 12:00 to 22:30. The Lansdowne at 90 Gloucester Avenue, NW1, has been at the heart of Primrose Hill since 1992, and it says it is locally famous for two things: hand-stretched pizzas and traditional Sunday roasts. The kitchen buys from Cobble Lane Cured and Neal’s Yard Dairy, per thelansdownepub.co.uk. It is dog-friendly, which on a Sunday in Primrose Hill matters, and it is the natural end to a walk on the hill. If someone in your group would rather have pizza, nobody has to compromise.
The Parakeet, Kentish Town Road
Sunday 12:00 to 22:30. The Parakeet at 256 Kentish Town Road, NW5, does its roast the way it does everything else: over fire. When the Sunday menu launched, the Kentishtowner reported dishes including a flame-grilled leg of lamb for four and pre-brined roast chicken. The menu is seasonal, so check what is on before you go. This is the dining room choice: book through its site, where tables open 30 days ahead, and expect to pay more than at the pubs below.
The Bull & Gate, Kentish Town Road
Sunday food 12:00 to 21:00. The Bull & Gate at 389 Kentish Town Road, NW5, is a Young’s pub at the top of Kentish Town Road near the station, which makes it an easy roast to reach on the Northern line or Thameslink. Sunday food runs from noon to 21:00, so it is the safe bet if your Sunday starts late.
The Spread Eagle, Albert Street
Sunday food 12:00 to 21:00. The Spread Eagle at 141 Albert Street, NW1, is a Young’s pub in the streets just west of Camden High Street. It serves food from noon to 21:00 on a Sunday. It is a good choice for a roast before an evening gig at the Jazz Cafe or KOKO, both a short walk away.
The Albert, by Regent’s Park
Sunday food 12:00 to 18:00. The Albert describes itself as a genuinely independent free house opposite the entrance to Regent’s Park and around the corner from London Zoo. Sunday food runs from noon to 18:00. Do the park in the morning, roast at 14:00.
Guanabana, Kentish Town Road
For a roast with a difference, The Infatuation rates Guanabana at 85 Kentish Town Road, NW1, a Caribbean restaurant whose Sunday roast comes with jerk beef and jerk gravy. If the traditional version bores you, this is the one.
Not a roast person?
Sunday lunch in Camden does not have to mean Yorkshire puddings. Lemonia at 89 Regent’s Park Road, NW1, has been doing Greek-Cypriot lunches in Primrose Hill since 1979, and on Sunday it serves lunch only, with last orders at 16:00. Andy’s Taverna on Pratt Street, open since 1967, runs from 12:00 to 22:30 every day, so it is the answer when every pub kitchen is full. And at the Lansdowne, the hand-stretched pizza is the other thing it is famous for.
Walk first, eat second
A roast tastes better after a walk, and Camden has two good ones built in. From the Lansdowne, Primrose Hill is a few minutes away: the Royal Parks puts the summit at almost 63 metres, one of London’s six protected viewpoints. From the Colonel Fawcett or the Spread Eagle, drop down to the Regent’s Canal at Camden Lock and walk west towards the zoo and Regent’s Park, then come back hungry. The Albert sits right by the park, so it suits a morning on the Outer Circle.
Sunday roast tips
- Book by Thursday for the Colonel Fawcett, the Lansdowne and The Parakeet.
- Know the cut-off: the Fawcett kitchen closes at 19:00 and The Albert at 18:00; the Young’s pubs go to 21:00.
- Bringing the dog? The Lansdowne says it is proudly dog-friendly.
- Coming by train? The Bull & Gate is near Kentish Town station, on the Northern line and Thameslink.
