Sunday roasts in Manchester: ten places worth booking
The pubs and restaurants that take a Sunday roast seriously. Where to book, when to arrive, and which one to pick.
Manchester takes a Sunday roast personally. The city has ten places that do one properly, and the queue on any given Sunday tells you who is doing it best. Here is our shortlist.
The proper pubs
The Sparrows (Great Northern) do a proper roast in a small dining room upstairs. Book. Beef is the pick.
The Bay Horse Tavern (Northern Quarter) do a Sunday roast with all the trimmings and a Yorkshire pudding the size of a dinner plate. Loud, cheerful, brilliant.
The Blue Pig in Ancoats has one of the more refined roasts. Bigger space than the Sparrows, book by Thursday for a weekend.
Peveril of the Peak (Great Bridgewater Street) is a Victorian tile-fronted pub with a small roast menu. Traditional, no fuss, cash-friendly.
The Salutation (Higher Cambridge Street) does a solid roast in a proper student area. Cheap for the quality.
The restaurants that do a proper roast
Kala (King Street West) does a Sunday menu with a serious roast. £28 for the beef, and you will not regret the extras.
Higher Ground in Faulkner Street does a small plates version of a roast on Sundays. Not traditional, but the meat is impeccable.
Erst in Hilton Street does a slow-cooked pork Sunday special that is not technically a roast but is close enough.
Elnecot in Ancoats does a modern British Sunday. Book.
Common in the Northern Quarter is a curveball. Their Sunday roast is comfort-food style but genuinely good.
What makes a Manchester roast a proper Manchester roast
- A Yorkshire pudding, always, regardless of the meat.
- Roast potatoes cooked in beef dripping. The vegan version is fine but not the same.
- Gravy that is jug-poured, not ladle-poured.
- Seasonal veg, not the same three every week.
- Cauliflower cheese as a side, extra pay is expected.
What to avoid
Any pub that opens at 12pm and starts serving roasts immediately. The proper roasts are prepped from 10am and start service at 12:30 or 1pm.
Anywhere with a photo of the roast on the outside sign. That is a red flag every time.
Any place that has run out of beef by 3pm without warning on the door. Fine on a busy Sunday, but tells you they did not prep enough.
When to book
Book Thursday for the weekend. The proper places fill fast.
Aim for a 1pm or 3pm slot. 12:30 is too early to have room, 5pm is too late to enjoy the afternoon after.
Go alone or in twos, and sit at the bar if you cannot get a table. Most of these places will look after you.
The best-value option
Peveril of the Peak for £15 gets you a proper roast beef, all the trimmings, and a pint. In a Victorian pub, in a city centre, with a Yorkshire pudding.
The most impressive option
Higher Ground or Kala for a Sunday roast you take a client or a family member to. £30 to £45 a head, worth every quid.
Where to stay
Sunday roasts are worth planning around. Our Chinatown apartments are ten minutes from most of these on foot. St Johns Manor is closer to the Old Trafford pubs. Book direct, ten per cent cheaper than Airbnb, save the difference for the extra pint.
