Last Updated on April 27, 2025
Escape the crowds and cocoon yourself in comfort for a central London Sunday Roast at the Londoner Hotel
As many have observed, central London is somewhere you can dine out on almost any cuisine. Even Leicester Square, backing into Chinatown, is lined with Italian, American, and Mexican eateries – anything but British. If what you are looking for is a classic British Sunday roast you may find it challenging! Look no further – the five-star Londoner Hotel has the perfect solution in the form of the Sunday Roast at Whitcombs which comes with all the trimmings and is available from 12 midday through to 5 pm on Sundays. There are two roast dinner options to complement the main menus. Garlic and thyme roasted rib of beef (£36) or marinated corn-fed chicken with lemon butter which is served whole to share (at £40) or £22 per person.
Whitcomb’s is a casual dining restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel with brasserie-type furnishings and a contemporary feel. A hidden gem, it was quiet enough that you could have walked in without a reservation for what is an excellent Sunday lunch at a reasonable price.
We picked our starters from the main set menu and shared them between us.
Smoked duck carpaccio with spicy orange dressing and smoked pine nuts was a pretty plate of finely sliced, tender duck breast. The spicy orange dressing complemented the meat perfectly and textural interest was added from the crunchy smoked pine nuts and the morsels of fried shallots.
Burrata with Seville orange and manuka honey was rich and deliciously moreish. The Whitcomb at the Londoner puts a calorie count against their dishes and this was much the highest option from the starters – which of course made it VERY tempting indeed.
Of course, the main event on Sunday is the roast! Sharing a whole chicken is the kind of Sunday tradition I like to enjoy and it’s made all the better when I don’t have to cook it myself. Beautifully presented in a covetable Staub roasting pan, it was brought ceremoniously to the table and carved for us with style.
And yes, we got to enjoy the crispy light Yorkshire puddings too
There was a delicious rich red wine jus, perfectly cooked mixed vegetables and a creamy cauliflower cheese.
Instead of classic roasties, we were served what the Whitcomb described as layered potato chips with rosemary. A kind of potato pavé, at this point I was very glad the calorie count wasn’t shown on the roast menu!
Sometimes you just have to be a little indulgent!.
We washed the lot down with very pleasant classic Chablis, Domain Brigitte Cerveau 2022, with vibrant citrusy notes – a good pairing with the lemon butter of the chicken.
After all that we probably didn’t need dessert at all, but went on to enjoy two beautifully plated dishes.
The deconstructed Mont Blanc was a small chestnut flan with a shard of meringue, marron glacés, blackcurrant creme and vanilla ice cream. Just a bit too refined for that mountain I was hoping to climb, but delicious nonetheless.
The spiced mandarin mousse was another delicate and beautifully plated dish. But, for us, although both desserts looked delicious they paled into insignificance against the main event.
Where the Londoner scored for us was with the fabulous roast chicken. It would make an excellent place to meet friends for a Sunday lunch or for anyone visiting the city who wants an indulgent but traditional serving in comfortable surroundings at a reasonable price. Service was smooth and we got the feeling that the staff loved showcasing their roast almost as much as we loved eating it.
Recommended.
Whitcomb’s at the Londoner Hotel
38 Leicester Square,
London WC2H 7DX
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