The Best Sunday Roasts In The East of England
Published 19 November 2024

Despite its location on the outskirts of one of Norfolk’s most gentrified little towns, ‘very buzzy’ Socius has the air of a confident city restaurant. A large open kitchen stretches almost the length of the ground floor, giving ample opportunity to see the well-run culinary operation; there’s less bustle in the mezzanine, where white walls, splashes of copper paint and Velux windows allow natural light to flood the stylish, minimalist interior. Young, on-the-ball staff and an upbeat soundtrack add to the cheery vibe. The weekday menu focuses on contemporary sharing plates, from roasted mushrooms with artichokes, hollandaise, and parsley to larger servings of confit duck leg with celeriac and green peppercorn sauce, followed by desserts such as berry frangipane with lemon curd. On Sundays, the kitchen delivers what one reporter called ‘the best roast on the coast’ – aged beef, chicken or pork, plus an excellent cast of side dishes and ‘proper Sunday gravy served family style’. Factor in a pleasingly varied wine list, and you can see why Socius deserves its place in the top division of Norfolk dining.

Rattlesden is a ‘whole package’ Suffolk village. It’s got pastel-painted thatched cottages, a magnificent church, a little river running through it and, above all, this gem of a pub. Given half a chance (and a summer weekend) you’ll find head chef Matt Avery tending Big Green Egg barbecues in the Brewers' lovely garden, turning a deft hand to Texan smokehouse flavours and the likes of pork ribs, beef short rib, loaded fries and avocado tacos. He’s a chef who likes to take his time, whether barbecuing and ember-cooking, or teasing flavour from ingredients by aging and brining meats, or reducing wine- and port-rich sauces to their essence.

Order a glass of Chalklands fizz from Kentish winemakers, Simpsons, and settle in for snacks that could include ham hock terrine with a crisp little quail’s egg or scampi, but not as you know them – these are crisp, airy puffs containing monkfish and are delicious when swooped through a warm, lightly curried sauce. Follow with a fresh beef tartare – made using the trim from the Sunday roast and topped with the classic orb of egg yolk flecked with sea salt – or prettily plated mackerel pâté with a little pile of sourdough croûtons and pickled cucumber.

Lamb rump gets a patient 48-hour brine before arriving at table, roasted – the preceding hours’ care no doubt playing a part in its tenderness and seasoning. It comes sauceless with a little chard and crisp, butter-laden panisse – these moreish chickpea-flour chips slide onto a plate of beef fillet and short rib on the evening menu too. Date pudding with salted caramel and freshening vanilla ice cream delivers every ‘sticky toffee pud’ vibe, while a chocolate crémeux, sharpened with blackberry, ticks a box silkily.

Monday evening brings a fire pit ‘MeatUp’ between the pub and chef Matt Avery's ‘Smokefire’ brand, while Sunday sees a choice of well-balanced, contemporary roasts ‘with the focus on taste’ (think pork belly with ham hock and apple). The midweek set lunch (with choices) is also a steal. A standard wine list does its job admirably.

‘A really unique spot’ set within a 1,000-acre deer park just four miles from the Norfolk coast, this idiosyncratic pub/restaurant with rooms is quite a prospect. The grey-stone exterior may seem rather stark but inside there’s a feel of ‘inviting, lived-in elegance’, thanks to soft, warm furnishings, lots of varnished woodwork, leather, blazing fires and the owners' unrivalled collection of contemporary British art. Despite its impressive credentials, the place has never lost its pub atmosphere, with ‘locals enjoying a pint in the bar, a well-used pool table, darts, dogs and muddy-booted walkers’ adding to the country vibe. However, much attention focuses on the mighty Elk Room fire where joints of locally sourced venison, Blickling beef and South Creake pork are dramatically cooked over open flames. Also look for rich, carefully seasoned pies and fish from the coast (perhaps whole grilled mackerel with heritage tomatoes from the walled garden and herb aïoli). For afters, buttermilk pudding with raspberries is suitably comforting. Sunday means roast joints, while drinks range from Norfolk ales to a short, fairly priced wine list.

The lively, joyful noise emanating from the crowd in the Sun’s compact bar suggests that this recently rescued country pub is held in high regard by the locals. They’ve much to be thankful for. Not only is the little place a thatched beauty, with real ales and a wood-burning stove among its attractions, but there’s a street-food van outside (‘the Hatch’) and a restaurant at the back dedicated to food from Britain’s countryside – some of it produced on the owners’ nearby farm. Two four-course tasting menus are offered, plus a much-lauded Sunday lunch – a ‘field to fork’ feast with ‘fabulous flavours and textures’ in abundance.

Ensconced in the low-lit dining room (net curtains, part-panelled walls), we embarked on the ‘Farmer’s Table’ menu, a sequence of dishes geared to big, outdoor appetites. Thick slices of first-rate bread from a local bakery set the scene, served with ample house-churned butter liberally scattered with ‘chicken salt’. To follow, the salinity of a succulent piece of hake (cured at a local smokery) was tempered by a zesty pool of verjus and melted butter sauce.

A substantial vegetarian course involved two hefty lumps of accurately cooked beetroot in a plentiful, creamy ajo blanco sauce, while tender pig’s cheeks (from Suffolk) arrived with crisp potato rösti, kale and a deeply savoury gravy laced with local cider, plus a slice of excellent lardo from the owners’ farm. Every dish was well-executed and appealing, although the cumulative effect was somewhat rich and salty. 

To finish, we opted for a mousse-like chocolate ‘custard’ scattered with (more) salt and drizzled with olive oil. Quenching relief comes from a drinks list full of intriguing temptations (from local liqueurs to an organic ‘orange’ wine and a fine choice of fizz), while ample tap water is freely supplied by the welcoming, well-trained staff.

A roadside pub where superlative cooking, sharp service and stylish plates of food meet a dose of easy irreverence. The name’s a giveaway, as is the quirky decor and the art on the walls, starting with a bronze pig’s derrière behind the bar – now a regular talking point at this ‘well-established’ venue of high repute. Have fun here but eat and drink seriously too. Kick off with some oysters or a wild mushroom arancino, then proceed to the velvetiest of seasonal veloutés (perhaps Jerusalem artichoke with Taleggio). This is a broadly ‘Britalian’ kitchen, so pasta is made with silky finesse – perhaps ricotta gnudi with delica squash and brown-butter dressing or tubular paccheri with a rich venison ragù. Steaks often get the Italian treatment too: well-rested sirloin might be served ‘tagliata’ style with outrageously good Parmesan chips and deeply savoury bone-marrow sauce. To finish, tiramisu and semifreddo fit the bill. The whole place is ‘expertly and enthusiastically run’, and tapping into the expertise of the well-led front-of-house team yields delicious rewards when it comes to the noteworthy European wine list.