The Quality Chop House

The Quality Chop House has been feeding this stretch of Farringdon Road since 1869, and its Grade II-listed room of high-backed Victorian booths dates from that era. On Sundays it runs a set three-course lunch that centres on a rotating roast, using carefully sourced British meat with Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes and seasonal sides. Its confit potatoes, pressed into layers, are widely written up. This is the only set-menu, multi-course option among our picks and, at around £55, the most expensive: it ranks fourth because that format is a commitment rather than a casual plate, but for a birthday or a long lunch it is the standout occasion roast. Against the Guinea Grill you gain three courses and a landmark room, and give up roughly £19 a head and the flexibility of ordering a single plate.