A British tradition widely popularised in Ireland, the Sunday roast is a beloved custom in homes across the country. But when no one feels like cooking, many Irish restaurants are ready to provide a carvery lunch that tastes just as good, without any of the hard work. Here are the best places to look for a delicious Sunday lunch in Dublin.
The Sunday roast at The Exchequer gastropub is so greatly esteemed that there’s no such thing as a walk-in here – a seat at one of their extremely popular roasts needs to be pre-ordered well in advance. Served from 12.30 until 9 pm, the menu here consists of a roast of beef, pork or chicken and a bottle of wine starting from €59.95 for four people. If you can’t get a reservation in the city centre for your chosen date, they also serve their roasts in The Exchequer Wine Bar in Ranelagh on Saturdays and Sundays.
Part of the GeorgianMansion House building that has served as the home of the Lord Mayor of Dublin since 1715, Fire restaurant on Dublin’s Dawson Street was originally a supper room – built in the late 19th century – for the Lord Mayor and their family. Today, this elegant yet comfortable, award-winning dining space encourages family and friends to feel at home as they enjoy a mouth-watering Sunday lunch menu, with a selection of different roasts available – the most popular being their Irish Hereford prime ribeye beef.
Mulligan’s pub in Stoneybatter has become known for its high-quality food made with local produce. Serving food all day on Sundays, their menu includes a wide range of options for anyone looking for something a little bit different from a traditional carvery Sunday lunch – such as rare breed pork belly with black pudding mash, carrot purée and gravy. Vegetarians can enjoy a golden beet, smoked tomato and mushroom roast with root vegetable croquettes.
O’Neill’s was always popular with tourists, and it’s become even more so since the famous Molly Malone statue was relocated to Suffolk Street due to ongoing work on cross-city Luas tram lines. But its central location isn’t the only thing that attracts people to O’Neill’s. This comfortable, welcoming pub serves a wide-ranging menu of traditional roast lunches daily that always hit the spot, from tenderly cooked Irish collar of bacon to slowly roasted Irish turkey with Mileeven honey.
The people behind Brookwood restaurant and cocktail bar on Baggot Street go all out on their Sunday roasts, offering a rib roast, roast chicken, pork belly or ‘the all in’ – which includes all of the above – along with Yorkshire puddings, mashed potatoes, vegetables and gravy. Optional sides like beer-battered onion rings or celeriac and walnut slaw keep things pleasantly intriguing, and you can get an accompanying pitcher of Mimosa for €30.
The Saddle Room steakhouse and seafood restaurant at the landmark Shelbourne Hotel on St Stephen’s Green provides a traditional two- or three-course Sunday lunch menu that changes with the seasons. Sample dishes include a roast suprême of Shercock chicken served with pearl barley and onion broth, slow-braised short rib of beef with wild Irish mushrooms, and a risotto of celeriac and Gruyère cheese. Carlingford oysters from their oyster bar are available as starters, and the desserts here are to die for.
The charming Bistro One in Foxrock Village only began serving its Sunday lunch recently, but it has already been sampled by Patrick Guilbaud – of the eponymous two-Michelin star restaurant beside The Merrion Hotel – as well as by impressed reviewers from The Sunday Business Post. Reasonably priced at €29 for three courses or €24 for two, the menu features starter dishes like a Portobello mushroom soup and mains such as roast rib of beef with duck fat roast potatoes. Dublin’s newest Sunday lunch offering is sure to become one of its best-loved post-haste.
