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Written by Martin Seymour | Editor, The Mayfair Foodie | About Me
I always think Sunday lunch in restaurants is such a different experience from dining at any other time in the week. It has a totally different vibe, maybe more informal and relaxed, with a family-oriented atmosphere. So, going to a restaurant described by famous food critic Jay Rayner in an interview with Topjaw as his favourite place for a Sunday lunch has to be a special event and a great way to kick off the new year. He actually expanded his praise to say their Yorkshire puddings are as big as his head. The restaurant in question is The Guinea Grill. Now, cards on the table, regular readers will testify I’m a big fan of the “Guinea”, having eaten there a few times. There is no doubt it is a great restaurant that celebrates all that’s good about British cuisine – no twists or turns on the menu, just well-cooked food using excellent produce. So I’m very excited to see how the Guinea Grill’s Sunday roast compares to its weekday menu. No pressure, as this is arguably the most important meal of the week.
I have said this before, but any restaurant serving a Sunday roast will be leaving itself wide open for criticism, as 99% of the diners will have their own opinion on what makes a good Sunday roast, having been brought up on this Sunday traditional feast for years. Will the roasties be crisp, and will the meat be good? What about the Yorkies? Will the veg be sympathetically cooked? These are all questions in my head on entering the Guinea Grill, but judging by previous meals, our Sunday roast is in good hands.
A time-honoured tradition when visiting the Guinea Grill is to have a drink in the pub first; today’s visit was no different, as their Guinness is legendary.
If you are reading this from outside these shores and are looking to visit a traditional British pub, look no further. The Guinea Grill, est. 1675, is steeped in tradition. With a large curved bar and wood panelling décor, it ticks all the boxes for a traditional pub. It’s worth a visit even if you are not planning a visit to the restaurant; the pub also has an extensive bar menu.
1 The Guinea Grill: A British Tradition Since 1675
Onto the restaurant and Sunday lunch at the Guinea Grill. The cuisine is unashamedly British with a focus on beef and steak; in fact, The Guinea Grill was London’s oldest steakhouse restaurant, dating back to 1952 and set up to cater for Americans that remained in London after the Second World War. Happily, that dedication to classic British fare remains today. If I’m honest, the menu remains much the same year in, year out, which, in my opinion, the hordes of regulars who frequent this famous pub restaurant much appreciate. There are a few restaurants in London that don’t ever change their menu, and this one is a member of that elite club. Testament to that is that even though we were having lunch early in January, the restaurant was virtually full when we arrived and there were people arriving when we left over two hours later. Such is the demand that in 2024, the restaurant took over the building next door, adding much-needed dining space plus stunning private dining rooms.
2 The Guinea Grill Sunday Roast Menu
Anyhow, what can you expect if you are going for Sunday lunch? Basically, there are four Sunday roast additions to the weekday menu: the classic roast beef, slow-cooked pork belly, wild mushroom, chestnut and puy lentil Wellington, and a grilled sirloin joint. All served with traditional roast accompaniments – duck fat roast potatoes, honey-glazed carrots and parsnips, seasonal greens, baby onions and gravy. The roast beef and pork are served with the famous Yorkshire puddings. Also, a quick nod to the homemade Horseradish and apple sauces that were served with our roasts.
The rest of the menu is similar to the weekday menu of mains, which consists of some of the Guinea Grill pie selection and the steak choices from the grill.
For me, no visit to the Guinea Grill is complete without delving into the starter selection, and even with a big roast dinner to enjoy, starters were on our agenda.
For my wife Leigh, one of her favourites is a classic French onion soup, and for me, the equally revered prawn and crayfish cocktail. We both were pleased with our decisions, which set us up nicely for our roasts.
I have no stats to back this up, but I’m guessing 90% of the guests ordering roasts order beef. However, today I was going to be part of the 10%. I ordered the pork belly, but don’t worry, my wife went ahead and gave it its full title: Roast Fore of Godfrey’s Rib Dry-Aged Beef. This way, you get to hear about two of the roast choices.
The roasts duly arrived, and our table creaked under the weight of the spread. We did order a side of cauliflower cheese, which I have to say was a good addition.
The meats were what you expect from The Guinea Grill. The beef was so good (yes, of course, I try it), and the rolled pork belly was sticky and fork-tender from the slow cooking. The roasties were right up there with the best, perfectly crisp and freshly cooked. I loved the honey roast carrots and parsnips; in case you are interested, I’ve added my foolproof recipe for these at the end of the review. We were offered more gravy and, which we duly accepted. Oh, I nearly forgot – what about the Yorkshire puddings? Now, I have no idea what Jay Rayner’s hat size is, but I see where he is coming from. They are very big, but I think his head might be a tad bigger.
So after a few big deep breaths and five minutes’ rest, we were ready to look at the pudding selection. I was recently asked to write an article about British classic puddings, and The Guinea Grill’s menu included many of my choices. It is a classic pudding menu.
We wimped out and decided to share an apple crumble served with custard and ice cream, no less. It was a perfect choice and big enough for sharing.
So that’s our experience of the Guinea Grill’s Sunday lunch. I only hope my description has done it justice; it was a very good traditional roast dinner. If you are looking to experience what we Brits eat on a Sunday, you know where to go – say Martin sent you.
You will find The Guinea Grill, 30 Bruton Place, London W1J 6NL. Website
3 Honey Roasted Carrots and Parsnips Recipe
Peel and top and tail the carrots and parsnips, then cut them in half lengthways. Boil in a saucepan for 10 minutes. Let them steam dry. Place them on a roasting dish, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and cook in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with runny honey, then add chopped herbs (rosemary and thyme work well). Put back in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
They should look cooked on the top and nicely caramelised on the bottom.
