Best pub Sunday roast in London

We went to Mayflower Pub this May. It is perhaps further than you want. We were on a London Walks tour that ended there.

We really enjoyed our food. A very local place. We didn’t have a reservation but the three of us were seated at end of table with others. People told us they line up for the opening.

Also it was very reasonably priced. About 20 pounds for full dinner with choice of beef, lamb, or pork. We were three so ordered one of each. I think the lamb was best but all were good.

In general, I find Fuller's pubs to have very good Sunday roasts (including veg options)- you can find the closest locations to where you'll be here: https://www.fullers.co.uk/pubs/pub-finder/london

Actually this is a popular YouTube topic if you search

Sunday Roast has had lots of discussion
https://search.ricksteves.com/?button=&date_range=2y&filter=Travel+Forum&query=sunday+roast&utf8=%E2%9C%93

You might enjoy the Sunday roast at The George pub, built in 1676, near Borough Market. I really liked it there, the food was very good and it was a really cool place to eat (caveat: I did not have the Sunday roast as I was not in London on a Sunday).

https://www.royaloaklondon.co.uk/

15 minute stroll from Bourough Market.

Not saying it’s the best Sunday Roast in a pub setting but you asked for something near the market.

https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-sunday-roast-london

Just want to add, you may already be aware, but a Roast is more an early afternoon/late lunch meal than a dinner, If you head to the pub at 6 or 7 PM you will be out of luck, at least in the better places.

For London, Timeout has always been a winner for me, here are their suggestions on Sunday Roast (updated in December): https://www.timeout.com/london/food-and-drink/londons-best-sunday-lunches#google_vignette

Not particularly characterful, but going back to what Cat said further up about Fuller's pubs, The Barrowboy And Banker at London Bridge is a safe bet and should be reasonably priced. I've only been in for a drink a couple of times, but Fuller's food is fairly consistently acceptable across their pubs.

https://g.co/kgs/s84KSyi

The Market Porter is the pub right on the market, but I have no idea if it's a good spot for Sunday lunch. I can imagine the smaller pubs being crowded around there if there's football on TV on a Sunday.

The Anchor is a short walk away along the river. It's busy and on a Sunday you may be struggling to get a table as many other visitors may want to have Sunday lunch there. It's a really old pub and is worth seeing inside, even though it is quite touristy.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mXyrt8fk5BPgADsJA

Roast Restaurant is right in Borough Market and has a smashing Sunday roast.

Not cheap, and not a pub, but the food is banging: https://roast-restaurant.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2025-01-08-Sunday-Roast.pdf

Edit to say dang! You said you definitely want a pub. Sorry… but I will still recommend Roast, just because the food actually is that good, IMHO. :-)

Going back to the football angle, pubs around Borough and London Bridge can be busy if Millwall FC are playing at home. It's where a lot of fans land before the game for a drink. The majority of Millwall's fixtures will be played on a Saturday I'd guess, but still something you can expect around Borough if your dates coincide.

I also forgot to mention The Swan, further along to Tate Modern, by The Globe Theatre. Another like The Anchor which will be very busy from the passing tourist trade.

I'm liking Beth's suggestion of the Mayflower a lot. Other old pubs down that way that spring to mind which I've never been in but know where they are are The Prospect of Whitby and The Grapes, further east down the river in Wapping and Limehouse. I wouldn't be too fixed on finding somewhere in Borough. It really might be worth heading elsewhere, not too far, to find some better pubs, imho. Even a walk over into the more easily accessible parts of The City / Ludgate Hill / Blackfriars would be a better bet in my book. Plug those into Google maps for some nice old pubs that will serve lunch.

ETA: Mardee's suggestion of The George is good too. That's one exceptionally interesting pub that's in Borough. That's worth seeing because of its age, but I have no idea about their food.

A few additional thoughts:

-I love the George Inn (tho have never eaten there)- definitely recommend at least going in for a drink. It's one of the few pubs that's actually a National Trust site and you will understand why.
-The Anchor is also a good one for the area- historic and if you're sat outdoors great views across the river- but can get very crowded.
-If you are up for going further east, The Mayflower as mentioned in Rotherhithe is another great pub- it's called that because it's where the Mayflower docked before heading over to the "new world."
-Wapping (directly across the river from Rotherhithe) is full of great pubs, some of which have been mentioned here- Prospect of Whitby, the Grapes, Captian Kidd, and Town of Ramsgate. However I'm not sure if any of them have a good Sunday roast.

You may want to decide if you care more about the quality of the food or the atmosphere. For example, the Anchor and Prospect of Whitby are both Greene King pubs and their food is decent but you can find better. If your main concern is food, the best idea is to check the link from Time Out further up this thread. But honestly I think you will have a nice time with any of these suggestions!

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. There are many suggestions. We are not apposed to going outside the borough area. We will be out and about for several days.