Eats
These are the very best Sunday roasts in and around Greater Manchester
Salad season can get stuffed — time to bring out the red wine, roasted meats, cheese and lashings of gravy.
Georgina Pellant -
28th March 2024 
From the moment we start to feel the weekend rolling in, we can’t help but turn our thoughts to Sunday roasts, steaming jugs of gravy and big glasses sploshing over with red wine — it’s just the best feeling and there’s plenty of it to be found here in Manchester.
We’re used to it being wet and miserable most of the year and while we do love Sunday lunch on a sun-soaked afternoon in the beer garden when we get the chance, nothing warms the cockles more on those darker days than a giant plate piled high with roasted meats, vegetables and gravy.
Genuinely one of the most simple pleasures in life, there’s not much more comforting than this classic English staple. We’re big fans of Manchester’s Sunday roast scene and we can confidently say this city serves some of the best.
So, without further ado, this is The Manc Eats‘ list of deep reading to discover our top picks for the best Sunday roast dinners in Greater Manchester. Dig in.
The very best Sunday roasts in Manchester
Let’s start with the best in town. Our tummies are rumbling just think about it.
1. Ducie Street Warehouse – Piccadilly
Not only has this roast been named the best in the UK over the past year or so, but it also happens to boast a dedicated cauliflower cheese menu. Need we say anymore?
The ‘Sunday with Sides‘ roast includes options like dry-aged local shorthorn beef sirloin, rosemary roasted leg of lamb and roast turkey breast with stuffing and a pig-in-blanket, as well as a regularly changing vegan roast served with all the trimmings and a vegan Yorkshire pudding.
All plated roasts are served with ‘proper’ roast potatoes, a giant Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and gravy, with more sides available to order from £1.50 at the ever-welcoming space inside Native Manchester.
Additional sides include extra Yorkies and gravy, Tuscan pork stuffing, maple-roasted parsnips, honey-roasted rainbow heirloom carrots, lemon and garlic tenderstem broccoli gratin, and macaroni cheese.
2. The Jane Eyre – Ancoats
Not a reference to Charlotte Bronte, but rather to the owners’ mum, neighbourhood kitchen and cocktail bar The Jane Eyre on Cutting Room Square is a must for any self-respecting cocktail lover. It also serves a cracking Sunday roast.
Start with ham hock and manchego croquettes or a salad of fennel, chilli and crab, before moving onto roast sirloin (£18), nut roast (£14) or the selected ‘roast of the day’ (£18), all served with duck fat potatoes, honey roasted carrots, greens, carrot & swede mash, pork stuffing, Yorkshire puds and gravy.
We’d recommend springing for sides, too. An extra £4.50 will get you a skillet of house cauliflower cheese or truffled potato puree. As for dessert, think tarte tatin (£7) or chocolate biscuit cake (£5), both served with ice cream on the side.
3. Hawksmoor – Spinningfields
Housed in a former Victorian Courthouse on Deansgate, Hawksmoor manages to be chic, glamorous and entirely unpretentious all at once. Designed to share, roasts here can be split between two or three people – with starters, mains, sides and puddings all included and priced from just £50.
Mains choices include perfectly pink cuts of bone-in prime rib, chateaubriand and sirloin, as well as Dartmouth lobster with garlic butter, whilst sides span the likes of creamed spinach, macaroni cheese, grilled bone marrow, carrots, roasties, cabbage and – or course — giant Yorkshire puddings.
We’re talking Yorkshire puddings bigger than your face, crispy beef fat roasties, unlimited jugs of bone marrow gravy, and an oozing skillet of cauliflower cheese made with a four-cheese blend of Ogleshield, mozzarella, Stichelton and ‘good Cheddar’.
For our money, the Hawksmoor over on the corner of Spinningfields isn’t just one of the best Sunday roasts in Manchester, it’s probably the undisputed king.
4. The Refuge – Oxford Road
With the option to share a roast platter between two or order individual plates, The Refuge at the Kimpton Clocktower Hotel is not messing about with its roast dinners.
On The Refuge’s famous sharing platter, think grass-fed rump of Lancashire beef and half a roast Cumbrian chicken plus trimmings, with the option to add on a lamb shawarma shepherd’s pie for an extra £9. Go on then.
Platters are served with thyme and salt roast potatoes, glazed carrot, seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese and pan gravy, whilst individual roasts come with roast potatoes, gravy, Yorkshire pudding and a selection of vegetables.
Vegans are welcome too, with a plant-based Sunday dinner option of vegan wellington, roasted celeriac, duxelles, red onion, kale and potato. You can even grab a little roast for your dog — how can you say no to that?
5. Evelyn’s – Northern Quarter
Served from 12pm, Sunday roasts at Evelyn’s over on Tib Street put a twist on the traditional British weekend fare with a choice of exotic rubs and marinades.
Choices here include mustard-rubbed beef sirloin, harissa buttermilk roast chicken and Morrocan marinaded lamb, all served with seasonal root veg and Evelyn’s gravy.
As for vegans, there’s a roasted cauliflower option served with all the trimmings and a special laksa gravy on offer, and if you don’t fancy that, the restaurant also serves a varied menu – with late brunch dishes available until 3pm.
Puddings entail the likes of key lime pie with rye biscuit and meringue, or chocolate mousse with sea salt, olive oil and croissant bits, and you can opt to pop downstairs to The Daisy afterwards to enjoy a carafe of wine for £10. Why not?
6. Elnecot – Ancoats
Credit: Elnecot
If you’re a person who cares about where your food is sourced from, Elnecot is the place to come. Owner Michael Clay has excellent connections to local suppliers and celebrates quality British produce in every dish.
Starting from 1:30pm until they run out, roast choices at this Ancoats favourite include dry-aged Welsh wagyu beef, lemon and thyme corn-fed Goosnargh chicken, crispy Yorkshire pork belly, slow-cooked shoulder of Yorkshire lamb and a vegetarian or vegan nut roast.
All served with roasties, fluffy Yorkshire puddings, stuffing, roasted carrots and parsnips, sauteed greens, cauliflower cheese and a rich gravy, prices start from £14.50 for nut roast and £16 for pork.
7. Wholesome Junkies – Victoria
One for the vegans, the veggies, the flexitarians, and anyone who likes big flavours and doesn’t mind not eating meat, Wholesome Junkies over on Victoria’s Mirabel Street puts an ethical twist on the British Sunday favourite by using mock meat in a Manchester first.
For the summer, they’ve pressed pause on the traditional roast and introduced a range of roast burgers instead. Think minted ‘lamb’ burgers, ‘pork’ sausage with apple sauce, smashed roasties and fried onions, and a cauliflower cheeseburger.
Yes, it’s as good as it sounds. They also firmly put themselves on our list of the best vegan and veggie food you’ll find anywhere in Greater Manchester.
8. Zouk – Central
Located just off the Oxford Road Corridor at The Quadrangle, Zouk is one of our very favourite curry houses in town, but they also serve an incredible Sunday roast sharing platter with generous helpings of spicy gravy.
Featuring a whole roast poussin, plus slices of roast lamb, topside of beef, and heaps of seasonal veg alongside crispy roasties and loads of Yorkshire puddings, you can also opt for extras like mashed potatoes, cauliflower cheese and tenderstem broccoli with red chilli and garlic.
We’ve somehow managed to demolish Zouk‘s whole sharing plate multiple times and here’s the video evidence to prove it. Don’t judge us, this will be you soon.
9. Gaucho – Deansgate
On Sundays between 12-6pm, Argentinian steakhouse Gaucho serves up its bottomless roast dinner. Specifically designed for overindulging, choose from three different joints of meat to enjoy with unlimited quantities of seasonal vegetables and Yorkshire puddings.
All Gaucho‘s meat originates from Argentina and comes from premium Black Angus cattle, bred at hand-selected farms in the southern province of La Pampa, South America. Every cut is cooked in its own drippings and then presented on steak boards alongside all the usual trimmings.
Priced at £32.50 per person, you can enjoy 90 minutes of non-stop feasting on prime steak here (and make sure you really get your money’s worth).
10. The Firehouse – Ancoats
With its own dedicated margarita and wild spirits bar, The Firehouse on Swan Street is one of Manchester’s coolest new venues. Attached to popular Detroit pizza place, Ramona, it’s housed inside an old MOT garage and offers (as the name suggests) a selection of wood-fired meats alongside fluffy pittas and sides.
Come Sundays, though, the team also offers a roast with roast Cheshire beef rump, garlic and thyme chicken, slow-cooked lamb shoulder or vegan oyster mushroom wellington, with sides including Yorkshire puddings, crisp roast potatoes and flamed chipolatas
Elsewhere, think buttered greens, melting pots of cauliflower cheese, honey-roasted carrots and parsnips, and lashings of house gravy. This place might straddle the border of both Ancoats and NQ, two of this city’s coolest districts, but it firmly plants itself amongst the best Sunday roasts in Manchester.
11. Nam – Ancoats
Another Cutting Room Square classic, this popular Vietnamese spot took over from long-standing vegan favourite V-Rev on Edge Street, and alongside its popular Vietnamese dishes, you’ll also find a take on the classic British Sunday roast.
Choices span roast chicken, pork and five-spice tofu, and all three come served with a choice of sticky rice or roast potatoes, goi salad, shimeji mushrooms, spiced sweet potato mash, Asian greens, NAM Pho gravy and a savoury Vietnamese donut.
Oh yes.
12. The Counter House – Ancoats
Another Manc Sunday roast gem is The Counter House over on Cutting Room Square, which also happens to boast one of the prettiest rooms you’ll probably ever sit down for a serving of meat, spuds, veg and gravy.
Known for great portion sizes, opting for carrot and swede mash instead of the usual and some of the very finest (and largest) homemade Yorkies you’ll find anywhere in 0161, we’ve grown very fond of this place come a Sunday.
The lemon, thyme and garlic half-roast chicken (£19.50) is to die for, the beef (£21) is always so tender and we’ve heard good things about their vegan option too. It’s also one of the few places we’ve decided to have starters before the main event and it’s never disappointed.
With a dozen plates done and dusted, we feel like it’s time to move beyond the city centre now — ready for another serving?
The best Sunday roasts around Greater Manchester
If you’re based outside of town or simply want to find the best Sunday roasts around Greater Manchester, look no further.
13. The Old Abbey Taphouse – Hulme
Specifically designed to be a safe space for the community, The Old Abbey Taphouse in humble Hulme brings together chefs in its community to cook up delicious meals from scratch on the last Sunday of the month.
Neighbours are invited to come, eat and pay only what they can afford in return (be that a little or a lot), with giant Sunday roasts served from 7pm until the kitchen runs out.
Past community feasts have included a choice of honey mustard silverside beef top joint, chicken supreme, cauliflower cheese pie, or homemade vegan sausage roll.
Meanwhile, trimmings span beef dripping potatoes, tenderstem broccoli, honey roast rainbow carrots, boiled cabbage, giant fluffy Yorkshire puddings, and apricot and walnut stuffing.
14. Folk – West Didsbury
A longstanding neighbourhood favourite amongst the West Dids set, independent bar and restaurant Folk is owned by four mates with a love for fresh seasonal produce, great coffee, beers, cocktails, as well as plenty of wine, and it’s an absolute Burton Road institution.
The roast here is cracking, with options including roast beef and chicken, a pan roast sea bass and a vegan wellington made up of mushroom, cranberry and pistachio. Each is served up with seasonal veg, roast potatoes, proper gravy, and a Yorkshire pudding big enough to cover your plate.
You also have the option to add on seasonal small plates, including cider and honey-glazed pigs in blankets and Tunworth cauliflower cheese.
15. Station South – Levenshulme
The gravy at Station South in Levenshulme is so good, that some customers famously drink it from the glass. The ‘cycle cafe for everyone’ has become something of a neighbourhood favourite since opening its doors this summer, and now we’ve got another reason to go. Roasts.
With giant Yorkshire puddings, heaps of potatoes and greens, the plates here are very generous – but you will have to spring an extra £1.50 for a jug of additional gravy. We reckon it works out fair enough though, thanks to the huge portion sizes.
We could happily die here.
16. The Chorlton Green – Chorlton
Over in south Manchester, local bar and restaurant, The Chorlton Green, is serving up a banging Sunday roast – and they’ll even do a special portion for your dogs.
Perfect for when you want to head out with your furry friends for a gravy-soaked dinner, this cosy neighbourhood spot has you (and your pets) covered for all your Sunday lunch needs.
With a choice of chicken, beef or nut roast served alongside carrot and suede mash, perfectly crisp roast potatoes, stuffing, seasonal vegetables and a giant Yorkshire pudding, this Chorlton favourite dishes up a seriously good roast if we’ve ever seen one.
17. Hispi – Didsbury Village
From the Elite Bistro team behind Sticky Walnut and Kala, this charming neighbourhood bistro in Didsbury Village is, without a doubt, one of the best places to grab a roast south of the city centre.
Priced at 2 courses for £25 or three for £29, mains include roast beef, pork belly, sirloin (for two) and chicken, each served with their own dedicated list of perfectly paired sides.
Elsewhere, you’ll find confit chicken terrine, beer-battered salt pickles, pan-fired sea bass in a langoustine bisque and a chestnut mushroom and goats curd linguine. A must-visit this, trust us, and if the egg tart is on simply order it and don’t look back. You’re welcome.
18. The White Hart – Lydgate
For proper country feels, head to The White Hart at Lydgate for a bang-up Sunday feast. Priced at £29 for 2 courses or 3 for £35, those after a traditional roast can tuck into grass-fed Hereford rump of beef, Easingwold pork belly or roasted Yorkshire chicken.
Roasts are served from 12-8pm with Yorkshire puddings, roasted potatoes, cauliflower cheese, honey-glazed carrot, savoy cabbage, crispy stuffing, apple and red wine sauce. Alternatively, swing for the coronation cauliflower, crispy haddock and chips or pan-fried stone bass if you fancy something a little different.
19. The Pack Horse – Hayfield
This multi-award-winning country gastropub has had some impressive accolades of late, not least an ebullient new inclusion in the Michelin Guide.
All roasts here come served with crispy potatoes, carrot and swede mash, braised vegetables, buttered cabbage, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Choose from Derbyshire beef sirloin, High Peak lamb shoulder slow-roasted overnight, or a ‘chicken of the woods’ mushroom and truffled Baron Bigod tart with seaweed gravy.
A regular haunt of some of Glossop‘s most esteemed foodies, technically it’s not in Manchester but we’re not letting that get in the way of a great scran — and neither should you.
20. Greens – Sale
Last but by no means least is the wonderful Greens over in Sale. Although the Didsbury location might have sadly closed after 33 wonderful years, Simon Rimmer’s most recent opening over Trafford way is the jewel in the crown of the area’s ever-growing foodie landscape.
Probably up there with the best veggie and vegan Sunday roasts we’ve ever had not just in Greater Manchester but anywhere for that matter. In fact, it was voted the sixth best of its kind by Rate Good Roasts along with many other Manc Sunday dinners.
Their take on a vegan wellington is unreal and super filling, the braised cabbage and roasted vegetables are done to the highest order, as you’d expect, and the thick, glossy pan-sauce-style gravy is the star of the show. When there’s no meat to be found, it doesn’t get much better than Greens.
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It goes without saying that there are obviously plenty of other brilliant places serving some of the best Sunday roasts in Greater Manchester but we simply couldn’t include them all — why do you think we couldn’t just stick with 10?
Honestly, if you don’t spot your favourite on this list, we’re sure it pains us just as much but at least you can feel at peace with the knowledge that this city doesn’t disappoint when it comes to Sunday dinner.
That’s all from us for now, anyway, we’re off to drown in a sea of gravy. After all, that’s the best part of Sunday lunch, right?
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