There is a very British argument that happens at some point every Sunday, in every kitchen and every pub beer garden across Brighton & Hove, and it is this: where's the best roast. Not "a good roast" — everyone's had a good roast. We mean the one worth queuing for, the one you'd drag a hungover mate out of bed for, the one where the gravy alone gets a round of applause.
We're not guessing. Brighton & Hove actually has its own Restaurant Awards (BRAVO) with a specific Best Sunday Roast category, plus the usual pile of TripAdvisor and Google reviews from people who clearly feel very strongly about their trimmings. Here's what the numbers — and the reviewers — actually say, correct at time of writing (ratings move, so treat this as a very well-researched Sunday, not a tablet of stone).
Embers, The Lanes — the reigning back-to-back champion
42 Meeting House Lane, The Lanes. Rated 4.6/5 on TripAdvisor (286 reviews, #33 of 1,011 Brighton restaurants at time of writing) — and, more to the point, the actual reigning Brighton Restaurant Awards (BRAVO) winner for Best Sunday Roast, two years running: 2025 and 2026. Back-to-back wins in a city obsessed with its roast dinners is not a fluke.
One reviewer summed up exactly why: "Sunday roast is unreal and I can see why they won the award for the best roast in Brighton." When the reviews and the trophy cabinet agree, you don't argue — you just book a table.
Ladies Mile Pub, Patcham — the previous champion, still going strong
2 Mackie Avenue, Patcham. Before Embers took the crown, this was the pub everyone in Patcham (and plenty of people who drove in from elsewhere) pointed to. It's rated 4.6/5 on TripAdvisor (169 reviews, #3 of 67 Brighton pubs and bars at time of writing) and was the 2024 BRAVO Best Sunday Roast winner — the previous champion, still very much going strong and still packing them in.
The crackling gets specific praise: "the crackling was the best I've ever had," said one reviewer, while another kept it simple — "the beef was cooked to perfection." A worthy runner-up, and the kind of pub that clearly isn't resting on an old trophy.
The Farm Tavern, Hove
13 Farm Road, Hove. Rated 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor (134 reviews, #5 of 13 Hove pubs and bars at time of writing). The reviews here read like a portion-size public service announcement: "An amazing Sunday lunch... plenty of it, piping hot," said one visitor, while another was even more direct — "The roast dinners are fantastic! Incredibly large portions." Go hungry. Go very hungry.
Carne, Hove — for when you want to make an occasion of it
63 Church Road, Hove. Rated 4.4/5 on Google (175 reviews at time of writing). Carne is a proper steakhouse, and its Sunday roast leans into that — beef, lamb or chicken, giant Yorkshires, and a price range of roughly £30–£80 per person depending on what you order. Not a quick pub lunch, more a "we're actually going out for this" roast — and priced accordingly.
The Lion & Lobster, Brighton — always buzzing, roast is a bit hit or miss
24 Sillwood Street, Brighton. This one deserves an honest mention rather than a top ranking. It's the most-reviewed venue in this whole round-up by a distance — 1,163 reviews on TripAdvisor — and it's a genuinely brilliant, always-buzzing pub. But its TripAdvisor rating sits at 4.0/5, and on the roast specifically the reviews are mixed: it's popular, it's lively, but at least one diner flagged hard, chewy roast potatoes. Worth a visit for the atmosphere alone — just maybe don't build your entire Sunday around the spuds.
The verdict
Embers takes it, fair and square, with two BRAVO trophies and a rating to match. But this is a city with more than one good roast in it — Ladies Mile Pub earned its previous reign, and The Farm Tavern and Carne both deserve a Sunday of their own. Book ahead wherever you go; Brighton does not take its roast dinners lying down.