Sunday Lunch in Chichester
Pub roasts and restaurant options for the weekend
Sunday lunch is taken seriously in Chichester, and the city has a good selection of pubs and restaurants serving proper roast dinners with all the trimmings. The tradition is well supported by a population that values a leisurely weekend meal, and many of the best places book up in advance, particularly during the colder months when the appeal of a roast and a glass of red wine is at its strongest.
The pubs are where most people head for Sunday lunch. The Park Tavern on Priory Road is a popular choice, offering a well-executed roast in comfortable surroundings close to Priory Park. The Dolphin and Anchor on West Street serves a traditional Sunday menu in a historic setting near the cathedral, and several other pubs in and around the city centre put on a good spread. Roast beef, lamb, chicken and pork are the standard offerings, with vegetarian and sometimes vegan options increasingly available.
The quality of the roast varies, as it does everywhere, but the better Chichester pubs take pride in sourcing their meat from local farms and estates. The proximity of Goodwood and its organic farm, along with the farms of the coastal plain and the Downs, means that high-quality, locally reared meat is readily available to kitchens that choose to use it. Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables and gravy complete the picture.
Restaurants in the city also offer Sunday lunch menus, often with a more refined approach. Some serve a set menu with a choice of two or three courses, while others offer their full a la carte menu with a roast option alongside. For a special occasion or a more formal Sunday meal, these restaurants provide a step up from the pub experience.
The surrounding villages and countryside pubs are also worth considering. Several gastro-style pubs within a short drive of Chichester serve excellent Sunday lunches, often with log fires, garden seating and the kind of rural setting that makes the meal feel like an event. The pubs around the foot of the Downs, in villages like Lavant, Singleton and East Dean, are particularly attractive.
Booking is strongly advisable for Sunday lunch at any of the more popular establishments. Families, couples and groups of friends all compete for tables, and the best pubs can be fully booked by mid-week for the following Sunday. Early afternoon is the peak time, with most kitchens serving from noon until around three o'clock.
The surrounding villages and countryside pubs are also worth considering for Sunday lunch. Several gastro-style pubs within a short drive of Chichester serve excellent roast dinners, often with log fires, garden seating and the kind of rural setting that makes the meal feel like an event rather than just a feed. The pubs around the foot of the Downs, in villages like Lavant, Singleton and East Dean, are particularly attractive, combining good food with beautiful surroundings and the possibility of a walk beforehand to work up an appetite.
For those who prefer to eat at home, the farm shops and butchers in the area supply excellent joints of local meat, and many Chichester households maintain the tradition of cooking a proper Sunday roast with all the trimmings. Whether eaten out or at home, Sunday lunch remains a weekly ritual that brings families and friends together, and in Chichester, the quality of the raw ingredients and the cooking alike makes it a meal worth looking forward to.