Sunday Lunch at the Dining Room, Goring Hotel

Last Updated on November 9, 2025

Is this the Perfect Quintessential Great British Sunday Lunch?

5.0 out of 5.0 stars

Where better to go for that most traditional of British meals, Sunday Lunch, than the Dining Room at the Goring Hotel? Sitting quietly in Belgravia, a few steps from Buckingham Palace, the Goring is one of the few London hotels still owned by the family who built it. Opened in 1910 by Otto Goring, it retains a sense of calm and polish that newer hotels often try too hard to imitate. The rooms are comfortable rather than showy, the service is confident but never overbearing, and the whole place gives the impression of knowing exactly what it is and what it is not. Tradition here feels natural, not staged, and that is part of its lasting appeal.

The Dining Room, a Michelin-starred restaurant in the Hotel, continues that tone with a measured approach to modern British cooking. The room has been refreshed in recent years, its lightened interior and refurbished kitchen showing care rather than reinvention.

The menu for Sunday lunch is straightforward and rooted in quality ingredients – there’s roast beef, of course, served at the table, with the meat resting on a trolley under a silver cloche. There are oysters, grilled fish and a rather stunning chicken dish; there are well-made sauces, seasonal British vegetables and garnishes, and there are puddings rather than desserts. These are dishes that speak to craft and steadiness.

Service is formal but friendly, and the atmosphere suits those who prefer quiet assurance over novelty. It feels like a restaurant that has grown comfortable in its own skin, content to get things right rather than chase attention.

Of course, a celebratory glass of champagne is the best way to start a special Sunday lunch. There are several options at the Goring – we were delighted with the sommelier’s recommendation of a glass of Ayala Blanc de Blanc.

This wonderfully fresh, creamy chardonnay-based champagne paired beautifully with the plate of oysters we’d chosen to start our meal. Six Cumbrae Oysters with a lemon and shallot vinegar are priced at £35 at the Dining Room, while if you prefer an even more luxurious start, there’s a choice of three different caviars served with lemon blinis and traditional garnishes.

Moving on to starters, my companion picked the famous Goring Eggs Drumkilbo, known for being a favourite of the late Queen Mother. It’s a mix of fresh crab and prawns, hard-boiled egg yolk and lobster, topped with a quail egg and caviar. Served on this occasion with a muffin topped with crab mousse, it was, as she pointed out, less about egg and more about seafood – a truly decadent and delicious starter. It’s a signature dish at the Goring and one which you should certainly try at least once in your lifetime. Perhaps that gives me an excuse to go back?

In fairness, my own starter was genuinely delicious. A plump Orkney scallop, roasted and served with Delica Pumpkin, Verjus and Hay was very autumnal. The perfect scallop in a delicate and fragrant creamy sauce with shards of sweet pumpkin.

One of the joys of a Sunday lunch is a classic roast with all the trimmings. The Dining Room at the Goring serves a classic beef sirloin from a silvered dome. There’s always something rather special about being served at the table, and the perfectly rare sirloin really hit the spot for me. 

As promised, the roast beef came with all the trimmings – a little pot of cauliflower cheese, cabbage, carrots, the crispiest roast potatoes, a fluffy Yorkshire pudding, delicious rich gravy and horseradish sauce. Far too much for me to finish, but neatly served in individual copper pots so that I never had that over-full plate to deal with.

My companion’s truffle-stuffed Devon white chicken came with a tiny tartlet filled with hen of the woods, smoked bacon and leek, a puree of pumpkin and a delicious herb-laced jus. She ordered sides of peas and a rather beautiful and fragrant truffled Hayselden potato puree served in one of those pretty copper pots.

Everything for the main courses of our Sunday lunch was spot on, from the delicate and perfectly cooked chicken breast to the crisp pastry of the tartlet.

For dessert, rather than the traditional Sunday lunch options, we chose lighter dishes. We shared a rather beautiful ‘cloud’ of Cornish clotted cream, yoghurt, camomile, calamansi and lemon curd, which was light, fragrant and perfectly balanced

And an equally beautiful, slightly richer pavlova with Mandarin and suzette sauce, served with a dollop of clotted cream.

A glass of Sauternes Chateau Lafon 2023 was the perfect way to end the meal, along with an excellent Americano and some rather delicious chocolates.

I haven’t listed all the wines we had throughout the meal because the pairings were tailored both to our food and to our own personal preferences. So, for example, my companion, who doesn’t drink red wine, was served a delicious Kloof Street Old Vine Chenin Blanc with her chicken main. At the same time, I enjoyed Intipalka Valle de Sol Malbec No 1 with my beef – a rich red wine with cherry and blueberry flavours and notes of liquorice and leather. One of the best elements of fine dining for me is a Sommelier who knows his cellar and the menu intimately and can pick up customer preferences and serve the perfect wine – that was certainly true of The Dining Room at the Goring.

This is, for me, the perfect place for a celebratory Sunday lunch. It’s discrete and charming, traditional with contemporary twists, and both food and service are superb. Many thanks to The Dining Room at the Goring for such an exemplary Sunday Roast experience.

The Dining Room
The Goring Hotel
15 Beeston Place
London, SW1W 0JW

T: +44 (0) 20 7396 9000
E: reception@thegoring.com