A good Sunday roast is mostly about planning. The best kitchens in Cambridgeshire stop serving at 3pm or 4pm, several village pubs shut on Mondays and Tuesdays and catch people out on bank holidays, and the popular dining rooms are full by Thursday. Get the booking right and the rest takes care of itself: crisp potatoes, a proper Yorkshire, gravy you would pour on anything.
This guide covers twelve pubs and restaurants known for Sunday lunch, split between Cambridge and the south, Huntingdonshire, and Ely, the Fens and Peterborough.
Details were accurate at the time of research in November 2026. Menus, prices and Sunday serving times change with the seasons, so please check each venue’s own website before you book.
Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire
The villages west and south of Cambridge are where the city goes for Sunday lunch, so these are the dining rooms that fill up first. Two sit within a few minutes of the M11, and one is high on the chalk near the Hertfordshire border.
The Plough, Coton
Indoor and outdoor
- A large open-plan gastro pub on the High Street in Coton, a village about two miles west of Cambridge city centre
- The pub calls its traditional Sunday roast famous and asks diners to always book it
- Roasts are served family style with roast potatoes, greens, roasted seasonal vegetables, a Yorkshire pudding and gravy, and staff will bring more vegetables, potatoes or gravy if you ask
- The September 2026 Sunday menu lists pork belly at £23.90, beef at £24.50, half a chicken at £22.50 and a mixed beef, chicken and pork roast at £29.50
- A butternut squash wellington costs £19.90, and a children’s roast for under 12s costs £14.50
- The kitchen serves from noon to 6pm on Sundays, and the pub closes at 8pm
- The pub is closed on Mondays
- There is step-free access, an accessible toilet, a patio garden at the back and a car park, and the pub describes itself as dog friendly
Address: 2 High Street, Coton, Cambridge CB23 7PL
Website: theploughcoton.co.uk
Phone: 01954 210489
How to book: Online through the Book Your Table page on the website, or by phone
The Plough is the closest of these pubs to the city, and on a Sunday it feels like half of west Cambridge has had the same idea. The family style service is the point: the vegetables arrive in dishes for the table, so nobody is left staring at three carrots. The mixed roast is the one to order if you cannot choose, and it is generous enough that pudding becomes optional. Coton is a short drive out of the city, and the front of the pub keeps space for people who just want a pint.
The Three Horseshoes, Madingley
Indoor and outdoor
- A village pub and restaurant on the High Street in Madingley, west of Cambridge, run by the local Cambscuisine group
- The pub’s own website calls Sunday lunch a big event, with plenty of roasts and vegetarian and vegan options
- The sample Sunday menu on the website prices two courses at £32 and three at £37, with any pudding from the dessert menu
- That sample menu lists rump of beef, rolled pork belly, a chicken and apricot ballotine and a butternut squash and chestnut wellington, all with roast potatoes, roast vegetables, gravy and a Yorkshire pudding
- Sunday tables can be booked from 11:45am to 4pm and again from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, so this is one of the few places here that does a Sunday evening roast
- Dogs are welcome in the pub area
- There is a garden, a car park and an accessible toilet
- Christmas 2026 menus are on the website
Address: High Street, Madingley, Cambridge CB23 8AB
Website: threehorseshoesmadingley.co.uk
Phone: 01954 210221
How to book: Online through the Book a Table button, by email to bookings@cambscuisine.com or by phone
The Three Horseshoes is more restaurant than local, though the small bar still welcomes walk-in drinkers. It is the choice for a family birthday or a lunch with grandparents, when a set price per head makes the bill easier to split. The evening sitting is useful if Sunday mornings are taken up with football or swimming lessons. Madingley is a small village, and the Cambridge American Cemetery is just up the road if you want a quiet walk before or after.
The Tickell Arms, Whittlesford
Indoor and outdoor
- A pub and restaurant on North Road in Whittlesford, close to Junction 10 of the M11 and IWM Duxford
- It is part of the same Cambscuisine group as the Three Horseshoes at Madingley and The Cock at Hemingford Grey
- The pub’s website says it serves roast dinners on Sunday lunchtimes, with tables bookable from 11:45am to 6pm
- The Sunday menu lists roast sirloin of beef, rolled roast pork belly, a roast chicken supreme and a vegan roasted squash, each with roast potatoes, roast vegetables, greens, gravy and a Yorkshire pudding
- Gluten free and dairy free versions of the meat roasts are marked on the menu
- A children’s Sunday roast is served on Sundays only
- Dogs are always welcome in the pub area, and you can eat there if a table is free
- The garden has an ornamental pond, and there is a verandah for warmer days
Address: 1 North Road, Whittlesford, Cambridge CB22 4NZ
Website: thetickellarms.co.uk
Phone: 01223 833025
How to book: Online through the Book a Table link, by phone or by email to tickell@cambscuisine.com
The Tickell Arms is the easiest of these to pair with a morning out, because IWM Duxford is barely five minutes away. Sunday service runs later than most country kitchens, so a 4pm roast after a day in the hangars is realistic. The pub side stays relaxed, with dogs and muddy boots, while the dining room is set up for families. The garden and pond come into their own on a warm spring Sunday.
The Pheasant, Great Chishill
Indoor and outdoor
- A village pub on Heydon Road in Great Chishill, near Royston, in a building that dates back to the 1630s
- The pub says its Sunday lunch was voted one of the top three in Cambridgeshire in both 2024 and 2025
- Its Sunday menu lists pork belly, a lemon and thyme chicken supreme, strip loin of beef, a trio of meats and a nut roast
- On Sundays the kitchen serves from noon to 4pm and the bar stays open until 8pm
- The pub is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
- Both the parish and CAMRA describe it as the highest pub in Cambridgeshire, on the chalk ridge along the Hertfordshire border
- The garden and patio look out over rolling farmland
- It is run by Nutwood Pubs, which also runs the Duncombe Arms at Waresley
Address: 24 Heydon Road, Great Chishill, Royston SG8 8SR
Website: nutwoodpubs.com/pheasant
Phone: 01763 299999, option 2
How to book: Online through the booking form on the pub’s page
Great Chishill surprises people who think Cambridgeshire is flat all the way across. The drive up from Royston or Duxford climbs properly, and the garden looks over fields that roll rather than stretch. The trio of meats is the order for anyone who wants to try everything. With fires in winter and beams overhead, it is a good place to sit out a cold January Sunday. Arrive by 2pm at the latest, as the kitchen stops at 4pm.
Huntingdonshire
Huntingdonshire’s Sunday lunch belt follows the Great Ouse and the old Great North Road, with village pubs a few minutes off the A14. Expect thatch, riverside walks and kitchens that close by late afternoon.
The Cock, Hemingford Grey
Indoor and outdoor
- A village pub and restaurant on the High Street in Hemingford Grey, a short walk from the Great Ouse, run by Cambscuisine
- The sample Sunday menu prices two courses at £29 and three at £35, with any pudding except cheese
- Roasts on that menu are rump of beef, rolled roast pork belly, roast turkey breast and a nut roast, with roast potatoes, roast vegetables, greens and a Yorkshire pudding
- Roasts are served from noon to 5pm in the restaurant, and Sunday tables can be booked until 7pm
- A children’s Sunday roast costs £11, with a choice of roast meat
- Extra sides include pigs in blankets at £5.50 and cauliflower cheese at £4.80
- Dogs are welcome in the pub area and the garden, and there is a garden with dining tables at the back
- Brewster’s Hophead is the regular ale, and the pub usually holds a beer festival in August
Address: 47 High Street, Hemingford Grey, Huntingdon PE28 9BJ
Website: thecockhemingford.co.uk
Phone: 01480 463609
How to book: Online through the Book a Table section of the website, or by phone; CAMRA notes that booking is essential for food
The Cock keeps a proper bar on one side and the restaurant on the other, which suits a mixed group where some just want a pint. Hemingford Grey is one of the prettiest villages on the Great Ouse, and the riverside path to Hemingford Abbots makes a good walk to earn the pudding. The set price is among the better value in this guide for three courses. Turkey on a regular Sunday menu is a nice change for anyone bored of beef.
The Old Bridge, Huntingdon
Indoor activity
- An ivy covered 18th century hotel on the Great Ouse at the southern edge of Huntingdon, with a restaurant, lounge bar and bottle shop
- Sunday lunch runs from noon to 8:30pm, the longest Sunday service in this guide
- The Sunday menu, running since 25 October, offers three courses for £39.50
- Mains include roast sirloin of dry-aged Herefordshire beef at £29, and roast East Anglian pork belly and thyme roasted half chicken at £26 each
- A sharing rump of Herefordshire beef for three or four people costs £85 and sits outside the set price
- A mushroom and miso wellington at £26 and a gnocchi dish at £19 cover vegetarians and vegans
- A children’s menu is available, and the lounge and bar are dog friendly
- The Winter Wine Fair tasting takes place on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 2pm
Address: 1 High Street, Huntingdon PE29 3TQ
Website: theoldbridgehuntingdon.com
Phone: 01480 424300
How to book: Online through the Dine With Us page of the website, or by phone
The Old Bridge is the pick when the Sunday lunch is the occasion rather than the refuel after a walk. The menu goes well beyond roasts, with oysters, fish and crab linguine, so it works for a table where not everyone wants beef. Because the kitchen runs until 8:30pm, it is also the fallback when a family day out has overrun. Huntingdon station is a short walk away, so nobody has to drive and miss the wine list, which is one of the best in the county.
The Pheasant at Keyston
Indoor and outdoor
- A thatched country pub and restaurant in the farming village of Keyston, close to the A14 and the Northamptonshire border
- The October 2026 Sunday lunch menu costs £34.50 for two courses and £40 for three
- The roasts are sirloin of beef with horseradish, loin of pork with apple sauce and crackling, leg of lamb with mint salsa at a £3 supplement, and a roast celeriac steak
- Every roast comes with garlic roasted potatoes, savoy cabbage, roast carrots and parsnips, a Yorkshire pudding and gravy
- Sunday food runs from noon to 4pm, and the pub closes at 6pm on Sundays
- A discretionary 10 per cent service charge is added to the bill
- Card details are taken for bookings, and late changes or no-shows within 24 hours are charged £15 per person
- Well-behaved dogs are welcome in the bar and garden
Address: Loop Road, Keyston, Huntingdon PE28 0RE
Website: thepheasantkeyston.co.uk
Phone: 01832 710303
How to book: Online through the Book Now link on the website, or by phone
The Pheasant has been the Huntingdonshire Sunday lunch drive for generations, and the menu still reads like a proper country Sunday. Leg of lamb with mint salsa is the one roast here you will not find on most of the other menus in this guide. The dining rooms are split up, including a bright garden room, so it never feels like a canteen even when it is full. Keyston sits about 12 miles west of Huntingdon, and the quiet lanes around it are good for a walk before you sit down.
The Mermaid, Ellington
Indoor and outdoor
- An independent village pub on the High Street in Ellington, just off the A14 west of Huntingdon, with letting rooms
- A Sunday roast menu is posted on the pub’s website, and food is served on Sundays from noon to 7pm
- The bar is open from noon to 10:30pm, and the kitchen also serves weekday lunches and evening meals
- Guests with special dietary needs are asked to mention them when booking
- The garden sits beside the village church and has a petanque pitch
- There is a real fire, and CAMRA lists the pub as dog friendly and family friendly
- Access is tricky for wheelchair users: there is a step at the main entrance, two steps down to the bar, and no accessible toilet
- It was named Huntingdonshire CAMRA Rural Pub of the Year in 2017
Address: High Street, Ellington, Huntingdon PE28 0AB
Website: mermaidellington.com
Phone: 01480 891106
How to book: By phone, or by email through the link on the website
The Mermaid is a straightforward village local rather than a gastro pub, and that is why it is here. Sunday food runs until 7pm, which is later than most of the bigger names nearby. The garden by the church is a peaceful spot in summer, and the petanque gives children something to do between courses. If you are driving the A14 on a Sunday, it is a far better stop than a services.
Ely, the Fens and Peterborough
North and east of Cambridge the land drops to the Fens, and the pubs follow the rivers and the old islands of higher ground. These four cover the Isle of Ely, the fen edge at Reach, the Hundred Foot River and the limestone villages on the Peterborough border.
The Three Kings, Haddenham
Indoor and outdoor
- A 17th century pub on Station Road in Haddenham, a village on the higher ground of the Isle of Ely south west of the city
- The pub’s website lists a Sunday roast with all the trimmings at £14.50, the best value roast in this guide
- The roast and the à la carte menu are served from noon to 5pm on Sundays, then the à la carte alone until 6:30pm
- Inside there are exposed beams and an inglenook fireplace
- The pub is dog friendly and has its own car park
- CAMRA members get a 10 per cent discount
- It was CAMRA Ely and District Rural Pub of the Year in 2017 and won Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice awards in 2022, 2023 and 2024
- Christmas Day and festive menus for 2026 are on the website
Address: Station Road, Haddenham, Ely CB6 3XD
Website: threekingshaddenham.co.uk
Phone: 01353 749080
How to book: Online through the booking form on the website, or by phone
The Three Kings is the answer for anyone who wants a proper pub roast without spending £35 a head. It is a Greene King pub, but it cooks its own food and has a following well beyond the village. The beams and the big fireplace make it a cosy winter choice. Haddenham sits high for the Fens, and the roads in from Ely and Stretham give long views across the black fields on a clear day.
The Dyke’s End, Reach
Indoor and outdoor
- A village pub on Fair Green in Reach, at the northern end of the Devil’s Dyke, the Anglo-Saxon earthwork that runs for 7.5 miles across the chalk
- The Sunday roast is served from noon to 3pm, and the pub advises booking
- The pub is open from noon to 9pm on Sundays
- It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
- The pub describes itself as family and dog friendly
- A front garden looks over the green, and a rear garden sits among fruit trees
- The freehold belongs to the parish council, and a covenant keeps the building as a pub
- Friday is fish and chip night, by pre-order only
Address: 8 Fair Green, Reach, Cambridge CB25 0JD
Website: dykesendreach.co.uk
Phone: 01638 743816
How to book: By phone or email through the pub’s website
Walk the Devil’s Dyke from the south and you come off the bank almost at the Dyke’s End door, which makes this the best walk-then-roast combination in the county. Set off early, because the kitchen stops at 3pm. Inside it is a real village local with a log burner and bar billiards. The green it looks out on is far bigger than a village this size would normally have.
The Three Pickerels, Mepal
Indoor and outdoor
- A family run pub and restaurant beside the New Bedford River at Mepal, about eight miles west of Ely
- The Autumn 2026 Sunday menu lists roast topside of beef at £22, roast pork belly at £19.95 and roast chicken at £18.95
- A trio of meats costs £25, and a beetroot, squash, red lentil and kale pesto wellington for vegans costs £19.95
- Roasts come with roast potatoes, a Yorkshire pudding, seasonal vegetables and gravy
- For £2.50 more you can swap the plain Yorkshire for one stuffed with pulled beef brisket and smoked cheddar
- The glass-fronted restaurant looks over the river, and the bar is dog friendly
- There are boutique bedrooms upstairs, some with balconies over the river
- Causeways across the Ouse Washes nearby, including Sutton Gault, can close when the washes flood in winter
Address: 19 Bridge Road, Mepal, Ely CB6 2AR
Website: thethreepickerels.co.uk
Phone: 01353 777777
How to book: By phone; rooms can be booked online
The New Bedford River, also called the Hundred Foot Drain, runs dead straight past the windows here, and Sunday lunch with that view is hard to beat in the Fens. The stuffed Yorkshire is a small extravagance worth trying once. In winter the washes beyond the river flood and fill with swans and ducks, so a cold bright Sunday is a good time to come. Mepal sits on the A142 between Ely and Chatteris, which makes it the easiest proper roast for anyone in the north of the county.
The White Hart, Ufford
Indoor and outdoor
- A 16th century stone pub on Main Street in Ufford, north west of Peterborough, which was a working farmhouse until the middle of the 20th century
- The pub’s website promotes its Sunday lunches as famous with locals and visitors, and posts a 2026 Sunday lunch menu
- Sunday lunch runs from noon to 6pm, with breakfast served from 8am to 10:30am before it
- There is a public bar with a log fire, a restaurant and an orangery
- A large beer garden has a children’s play area, which makes it a good family choice
- Children’s and courtyard menus run alongside the Sunday menu
- There are twelve en suite bedrooms for anyone who wants to stay
Address: Main Street, Ufford, Stamford PE9 3BH
Website: whitehartufford.co.uk
Phone: 01780 740250
How to book: Online through the Book Now link on the website
Ufford is a small limestone village on the very edge of the county, with Stamford a few miles over the Lincolnshire border. The White Hart is the best Sunday lunch for families in the Peterborough area, thanks to the play area and a kitchen that keeps going until 6pm. The old bar still feels like a farmhouse, while the orangery handles the bigger family tables. Burghley House and John Clare’s village of Helpston are both a short drive away, so it fits neatly into a Sunday out.
Seasonal Highlights
Spring: Mothering Sunday in March is the busiest Sunday of the year for every pub here, so book as soon as menus appear. Reach Fair fills Fair Green outside the Dyke’s End on the early May bank holiday Monday.
Summer: Gardens come into play at the Plough in Coton, the Pheasant at Great Chishill and the White Hart at Ufford, and The Cock at Hemingford Grey usually holds its beer festival in August.
Autumn: The Old Bridge started its current Sunday menu on 25 October, the Three Pickerels has an autumn Sunday menu for 2026, and the Pheasant at Keyston published new menus in October 2026.
Winter: The Old Bridge holds its Winter Wine Fair on Sunday 29 November 2026 from 2pm, Christmas 2026 menus are out at most of these pubs, and the Ouse Washes beyond the Three Pickerels flood and fill with wintering wildfowl.
A Note From Inside Cambridge
Sunday lunch is the meal people argue about most, and we know your favourite might not be here. These twelve all serve a proper roast every week.
If your local does a better Yorkshire, or one of these has changed its menu or hours, tell us. We will go and try it, and we would rather update this guide than send you to a kitchen that closed at three.
Before You Go
- Book for Sunday lunch everywhere in this guide, and book further ahead for Mothering Sunday, Easter and the Sundays before Christmas
- Many kitchens stop serving roasts at 3pm, 4pm or 5pm; the Old Bridge in Huntingdon serves until 8:30pm and the Three Horseshoes at Madingley has a Sunday evening sitting
- The Pheasant at Great Chishill and the Dyke’s End at Reach are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and the Plough at Coton is closed on Mondays, which matters on bank holiday weekends
- Some restaurants take card details when you book and charge for late cancellations, including the Pheasant at Keyston
- Most of these pubs have their own car parks, but village streets fill quickly on Sundays, so arrive a few minutes early
- Dogs are welcome in the bar or pub areas of many of these pubs, so say you are bringing one and ask for a suitable table when you book
- Tell the kitchen about allergies and dietary needs when you book; every pub here lists a vegetarian or vegan option except the Mermaid and the Three Kings, whose roast menus do not say
- Causeways across the Ouse Washes, including Sutton Gault near Mepal, can close when the washes flood in winter, so check the flood warnings before driving across
