Sunday lunch in Hampstead follows a particular rhythm that I have come to regard as one of the neighbourhood's more important civic institutions. After the morning walk on the Heath — or the swim, for the devoted — you want somewhere warm and unhurried, with a serious roast, a good wine list, and no obligation to leave before the afternoon has pleasantly dissolved.
The Spaniards Inn
The Spaniards does the most atmospheric Sunday roast in NW3. The beef comes in thick slices with a proper gravy and a Yorkshire pudding of considerable structural ambition. The pub itself — low ceilings, oak beams, four centuries of continuous service — adds a context that no amount of interior design can manufacture. Book ahead; the dining room fills by noon on Sundays.
The Wells Tavern
The Wells on Well Walk is more gastropub than traditional pub roast, and none the worse for it. The lamb shoulder has a devoted following; the chicken is properly brined and roasted and arrives with excellent gravy. The wine list is notably better than you might expect, and the sommelier's suggestions are worth taking.
The Holly Bush
The Holly Bush is not primarily a food destination — it is primarily an exceptional pub — but the Sunday roast is quietly very good. The beef is properly hung, the vegetables are seasonal, and the fact that you are eating in a room that has not materially changed since the 1700s adds a certain something to the experience.
Practical Notes
All three of the above require booking on Sundays. Aim for 1pm — the kitchen is at its best then and the dining rooms have not yet reached the midafternoon lull. The walk back across the Heath afterwards, past the ponds and up to Parliament Hill, is the recommended conclusion.
## The Hampstead Sunday roast ranking Sunday lunch is the most competitive meal in Hampstead. Most pubs and restaurants in the village run a roast between 12pm and 4pm, and the quality varies wildly. After sixty-plus Sunday lunches here, this is the ranking I stand by. **The Holly Bush** (Holly Mount, behind the tube) is the best traditional roast in the village. Properly cooked beef or lamb (never both — they rotate), Yorkshire pudding the size of a small dog, roast potatoes that are genuinely crisp, seasonal vegetables, decent gravy. £24. Book by Thursday — the dining room is always full. The atmosphere (three open fires in winter, bustling Fuller's pub energy) is the other reason to come. **The Wells** (Well Walk) runs a more ambitious menu — chalked board, different cuts each week, often a game option in autumn — and their roasts are the most reliable three-course option. Starters £10 to £14, roast £24 to £28, puddings £8. The upstairs dining room is quieter than the bar. **The Spaniards Inn** (Spaniards Road) does a classic roast in a classic setting — low ceilings, open fires, genuine history. The roast itself is solid rather than exceptional (the building matters more than the gravy here), and at £28 it's the most expensive in the village. Worth it for the experience; book by Thursday. **The Flask** (Flask Walk) is the village's default Sunday lunch for people who have not booked ahead. Reliable, ungenerous on the vegetables, around £22. The beer garden is the reason to come here rather than anywhere else if the weather is good. ## The gastropub roasts **The Magdala** (Belsize Park) reopened in 2021 with a proper kitchen team. Dry-aged beef, cooked rare, with a plate of vegetables that is unusually generous. £24. The best beer garden in the area. Book ahead. **The Garden Gate** (South End Road) is the cheapest proper roast in the area at £19. Nothing is exceptional; nothing is bad. The garden holds eighty people and fills on sunny Sundays. ## The non-pub options La Gaffe (Heath Street) does a Sunday set menu but it's an Italian tasting, not a traditional roast. £32 for three courses; book. **The Bull and Last** (Highgate Road, technically Kentish Town but often included in Hampstead guides) is worth the 20-minute walk for their Sunday roast; it's consistently in the top-five Sunday roasts in London. £30. Book two weeks ahead in winter. ## The vegetarian option The Holly Bush's vegetarian roast (proper nut roast, all the trimmings, £22) is the best in Hampstead. The Wells' vegetarian Wellington is close behind. Other pubs treat the vegetarian roast as an afterthought; avoid. ## Practical advice Book on Thursday for Sunday. Arriving without a booking means 2:30pm tables at best, often 3pm or nothing. Children are welcome at all of these; pubs without kitchens that don't serve roasts won't suit groups with kids. Walk the Heath between courses — the calorie accounting is almost exactly right.