11 of the best Sunday roast dinners in Nottingham
Hearty carveries, fabulous fine dining, pub classics, and more...
When you need a hearty meal to reward you at the end of a long week, there’s nothing better than a Sunday roast — and there are so many brilliant places in Nottingham that serve these.
I’ve rounded up a range of pubs and restaurants across the county that make delicious and different versions of the iconic meal, from full carveries to fine dining. I have considered reader recommendations and reviews, what makes a place stand out in terms of atmosphere and food, and what the dietary options are like (such as veggie and gluten-free).
If you’re looking for places to eat in Nottingham and nothing but a plate filled with potatoes, veggies, gravy, and more will do, these are all worth checking out. And, if you want to keep up with food features, event guides, activities, and more, subscribe to receive The Notts Edit in your inbox for free.
11 of the best Sunday roasts in Nottingham
By Eve Smallman
1. Cleaver and Wake
Where: The Island Quarter, Nottingham
This is one of the most refined restaurants in Nottingham, and as well as offering intricate seasonal lunch and dinner menus, it also has a show-stopping Sunday menu with two courses for £42 and three for £50. It has roast chicken, overnight roast pork belly, dry-aged rump of beef (all with real gravy), and wild mushroom wellington (with roast potatoes and seasonal veg, with the meat ones served with real gravy and the veggie one with mushroom sauce. The starters and desserts are also seriously sumptuous, with options like chalk stream trout pastrami, artisan cheeses, and Sab’s chocolate orange.
Visit if: It’s a special occasion and you want a roast with major razzle-dazzle.
2. Royal Oak
Where: High Street, Edwinstowe
Cosy yet modern, this quintessential English pub is homely and relaxing. The Sunday dinner menu changes weekly here, but on the sample menu, the main meat roasts are roast beef (£16.75), roast turkey (£15), and belly pork (£16.50). All the mains come with beef-dripping roast potatoes, cauliflower puree, Yorkshire pudding confit carrot, green veggies, and red wine gravy. There isn’t a roast dinner vegetarian option, but you can get goat cheese, spinach, and truffle Wellington with new potatoes or butternut tagliatelle with blue cheese (both £16).
Visit if: You’re looking for somewhere to fuel up after a walk around Sherwood Forest — it’s just 15 minutes away from here.
3. Malt Cross
Where: St James’s Street, Nottingham
The former Victorian music hall is a beautiful, impressive location for a Sunday roast. The food is just as stunning as the venue, with choices such as roast beef (£16), chicken supreme (£15), pork belly (£15), and beetroot wellington (£14), which all come with roasties, a giant Yorkshire pudding, cauliflower cheese, and stuffing. There is also a huge range of craft ales and ciders on draft and in the fridge too, to wash it all down with. Once you’re done with the mains, you can choose from puddings (all £5), like Eton mess and chocolate brownie, which are made in-house.
Visit if: You’re looking for a cosy spot to dive into after a morning of wandering around town.
4. The Rancliffe Arms
Where: Loughborough Road, Bunny
Originally a 16th-century coach house, this pub is a snug spot for a Sunday roast in Nottinghamshire. Unlike the others in this list it has a full carvery, which is £19.50 for adults and £10.50 for children aged 3-10. Meat-wise there’s turkey, pork, beef, and ham, veggie wise there’s rustic pastry tartlets and ratatouille with brie, and vegans can enjoy falafel and the ratatouille without the cheese. All the desserts, such as sticky toffee pudding and bakewell pudding, are freshly made, too. For those with dietary requirements you can order from your table and get yours specially cooked to order.
Visit if: You’re going with people (big or small) who just want to put what they like on the plate.
5. The Air Hostess
Where: Stanstead Avenue, Tollerton
This community-owned pub may be called Air Hostess, but it serves anything but plane food. When it comes to its roasts, you can choose from leg of lamb (£12.50/£17.95), rump of beef or loin of pork (both £11.50/£16.95), which all come with two potato types, Yorkshires, veg, cauliflower in cheese and beer sauce, as well as being topped with parmesan and crispy onions. Veggies can also get the same delicious accompaniments, just served with either cauliflower steak (£14.95) or pan-fried Quorn fillets (£15.95).
Visit if: You’re looking for a dog-friendly pub in Nottingham that also serves hearty roasts.
6. Alora
Where: Plains Road, Mapperley
While you might have been here for tapas, you might not have tried its Sunday offering — but you should. Treacle-cured beef rump-cap (£21), butter-poached chicken breast (£19), and vegetable bread pudding (£16), are a few of the options on offer. These all come with garlic and herb roast potatoes, buttered hispi cabbage, carrot and swede mash, honey-glazed carrots, and red wine gravy. Along with this, sides include pigs in blankets (£6) and extra roast potatoes (£6), plus you can finish off with charcuterie and cheeses.
Visit if: You like a Sunday roast, but also love food that’s elevated with delicious twists.
7. Golden Fleece
Where: Mansfield Road, Nottingham
It can be difficult going out for a roast as a veggie or vegan, as the options can be very limited. This isn’t a problem here, as the whole menu is fully vegan. Go for a full roast dinner (£14) with a choice of beef-style seitan or roasted tofu with plant-based crackling, which both come with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese and seasonal veg. Or, pick the pie of the day (£14) that comes with the same sides and can have chips swapped in for the roasties.
Visit if: You want to go out for a roast and don’t want to worry about having any meat slipping onto your plate.
8. The Embankment
Where: Arkwright Street, Nottingham
Head just outside the city centre and you’ll find this Grade II listed building right by the football stadiums and Trent Bridge. The menu does vary slightly each week, so it does recommend ringing up and checking before you head down. However, the kinds of foods you can expect include roast beef topside, garlic and herb chicken breast, braised lamb shoulder, and wild mushroom and leek tart (all £16), which are all served with roasties and mash, stuffing, greens, braised cabbage, and a Yorkshire pudding. For those feeling adventurous, you can try the Sunday roast burger (£13.50), which has everything from Yorkshires to pigs in blankets on it.
Visit if: You’re looking for a place you can easily drive to in Nottingham that has plenty of space.
9. The Nelson
Where: Chestnut Grove, Burton Joyce
Enjoy a range of roast favourites at the award-winning The Nelson, which has sirloin of beef (£18.50), leg of lamb (£17.50), half roast chicken (£17), and more to choose from. You can also have The Proper Nelson for £24, which comes with a trio of pork, lamb, and beef with all the trimmings. In wintertime, you can go for a brisk walk down the River Trent before tucking into a roast by the roaring fire, or you can do the same in summer but dine in the garden instead.
Visit if: You’re looking for a good, old-fashioned pub that still is suitably stylish.
10. The Good Fellow George
Where: Canning Circus, Nottingham
After the walk up Derby Road, you definitely deserve a reward in the form of a hearty roast dinner — and The Good Fellow George will sort you out with all that and more. The menu is subject to change, but as a taster, the kind of meat options you can expect are 28 day matured Derbyshire beef, slow roast pork belly with crackling and apple sauce, and wild mushroom nut roast. As well as the main attraction (£17 for one course), you can get two courses for £22 and three for £28. Starters can include brown shrimp and butter and antipasti and desserts can include Bramley apple crumble and chocolate fondant pudding.
Visit if: You’re looking for a Sunday roast you can quickly get to from town (but still feels outside the city centre).
11. The White Horse
Where: Church Street, Ruddington
With a traditional yet sophisticated interior and a spacious beer garden, The White Horse is a lovely spot to go to for a roast no matter what the weather. There’s a great range of meat options (most priced at £16), including a triple meat one for £18. These all come with the usual roast dinner suspects like roasties, greens, and carrots. If you’re feeling especially peckish, you can also get a set of three courses for £24, including soup, all the roast options (with supplements for some) and desserts like Beeston Brownies and lemon tart. If you have dietary requirements, make sure to let the team know, as they can adjust accordingly (including for gluten-free).
Visit if: You’re looking for a place that’s great value for money and will cater to the whole family.
🤳 Keep up with us on socials on Instagram and TikTok
✉️ Send stories such as press releases and feature ideas to editor@thenottsedit.com
💰 Want to feature your business in The Notts Edit? Email Eve Smallman at editor@thenottsedit.com for a chat
☕ Enjoying The Notts Edit? Buy us a coffee on Ko-Fi and help fuel our words
Funny how Alora have to offer a Sunday roast to entice people in. Not bad for a tapas bar. Maybe if the hostess wasn't so rude and they allowed drinks only, giving you the chance to peruse the menu and maybe order food at your leisure. It would help their cause. Turning down custom in this climate is suicidal. As it is, Id rather go to the more authentic Spanish tapas restaurant on the top and spend my money there!