The Best Sunday Roasts in Bristol

Our top pick is The Ox on Corn Street: as a dedicated steakhouse it applies serious beef sourcing (Buxton's dry-aged rump) to the roast, adds a vegetarian nut roast and a children's option, and sits centrally, which makes it the best all-rounder for couples and families — though as a steakhouse it's priced accordingly rather than being the cheapest. For a more refined, special-occasion roast, The Kensington Arms in Redland — co-owned by chef Josh Eggleton, whose restaurant The Pony & Trap earned a Michelin star, and a past Top 50 Gastropubs entry — is the standout kitchen, and The Ostrich is the pick if you want to eat beside the harbour.

Indicatively, most of our picks are roughly £18–£22 per head: around £18 at The Gloucester Old Spot, £19.50–£22 across the roast mains at Hort's Townhouse, and about £20 at The Ostrich. The Ox is a steakhouse and doesn't publish its roast prices online — expect steakhouse rather than budget-pub pricing (its à la carte two- and three-course menus run roughly £25/£30). The Kensington Arms is the priciest, running as a set menu at about £32 for two courses or £38 for three. All prices are indicative and change, so confirm with the venue when you book.

All five offer a vegetarian option. The Ostrich has a vegan celeriac, squash and pearl-barley filo parcel with mushroom gravy and can advise on gluten-free, making it the strongest for dietary needs. The Ox does a butternut squash nut roast, Hort's serves a vegetarian root-vegetable roast (a teriyaki-glazed tian on the current menu), and The Gloucester Old Spot does a wild mushroom and nut Wellington. Menus change seasonally, so always flag dietary requirements when booking.

Yes — booking is strongly advised at all our picks, as Sunday roasts are popular and several stop serving mid-afternoon. The Ox serves roasts until 5pm and The Gloucester Old Spot advises booking early, while The Kensington Arms and The Ostrich fill quickly (the Ostrich's riverside garden tables are first come, first served and can't be reserved). Hort's Townhouse offers the most flexibility, serving noon to 9pm, but reserving a table is still wise.