11 of Stoke-on-Trent’s best Sunday Dinners according to YOU

-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


There’s nothing better to do on a soggy September Sunday than to treat yourself to a tasty Sunday Dinner. No matter your dietary requirements, be it omnivorous, vegetaria, vegan or gluten free, we all love tucking into a carvery to satisfy our hungry tums.

We’ve rounded up some of the best Sunday Dinners throughout Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire to help make the decision process that little bit easier for when it comes to choosing where to get your carvery from. This list is in order of highest ranking carveries in the city as rated by people on Tripadvisor.

The Masons Arms, Hanley

The Masons Arms in Hanley
The Masons Arms in Hanley

At the top of our list is The Masons Arms in Dilke Street which offers the most highly rated Sunday Dinners in Stoke-on-Trent. It has a five-star rating with a total of 358 reviews left on Tripadvisor, and has been dubbed as the fifth top restaurant out of more than 500 restaurants in Stoke-on-Trent. It is a small, family run pub that has a quaint and homely atmosphere, with a country style interior. It has an open fire and a beer garden, too.

READ MORE:'Mortified' daughter ordered to remove crematorium memorial

READ MORE:Brighter Futures opens latest Stoke-on-Trent accommodation

Sunday Lunches are available at £13.95, with options for roast beef, pork, chicken or ‘pie of the day’. Vegan options are also available, with the menu offering Shepherd’s pie with bubble and speak or a Moroccan pilaf roast.

The Masons Arms is only open on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. On Fridays and Saturdays it’s open from 5pm until 8pm, and on Sundays it’s open from midday until 6pm, although the kitchen closes at 4pm. Takeaways are available for collection which come with a free dessert.

Royal Oak, Dilhorne

The Royal Oak at Dilhorne
The Royal Oak at Dilhorne

Second on the list is the Royal Oak in Dilhorne’s High Street which has a 4.5 star rating out of 418 reviews on Tripadvisor, as well as winning the ‘Travellers Choice Award’ in 2023. This country pub has a gorgeous brown interior with ambient lighting throughout. It boasts red brick wall and an open fire which contacts the cosy to classy design going on inside. Outside is a brilliant beer garden with views over the local fields.

The Royal Oak’s Sunday Lunch menu offers one course from £12.25, two courses from £16.25, or three courses from £20.25. Starters include soup of the day, breaded mushrooms, pate with toast, cod goujons, onion rings or fresh melon. Mains include roast beef and a Yorkshire pudding, roast chicken with stuffing, roast lamb and minted gravy, or salmon in a parsley and Pinot sauce. The mains for vegans are either a plant-based chicken or a plant-based sausage roast. For pudding, there’s profiteroles, Belgian waffles, chocolate fudge cake, British pancakes, vanilla ice cream or bread and butter pudding.

The Royal Oak is open Tuesday to Saturday from midday until 2pm before closing and reopening at 5.30pm until 9pm. On Sundays, it’s open from midday until 4.30pm.

The Saracens Head, Meir

Paul & Emma Tunstall have taken over at The Saracen's Head in Meir which has just undergone a major refurbishment
Paul & Emma Tunstall have taken over at The Saracen's Head in Meir which has just undergone a major refurbishment -Credit:Stoke Sentinel

The Saracens Head can be found in Sandon Road in Meir, and places third on our list of top carveries in Stoke-on-Trent. It received 4.5 stars out of 716 reviews on Tripadvisor and placed number 10 out of 504 restaurants on the site, as well as winning the ‘Traveller’s Choice’ award in 2023.

This fantastic restro-pub has undergone a huge transformation this year after being taken under the wing of Paul and Emma Tunstall. It has a boujee interior that’s fit for Instagrammable photos, boasting orange-brown and teal decor throughout. It also has a pool table and a darts board, as well as other entertainment taking place. Additionally, it has a great beer garden for sunnier days.

There are two types of Sunday Roast on offer at The Saracens Head. One is a locally sourced roast chicken dinner which is oven roasted in garlic and thyme, whilst the other option is roast Derbyshire beef, slow roasted until perfectly pink. Both options come served with beef dripping Yorkshire puddings, fresh market vegetables, homemade roast potatoes, and chef’s pan gravy.

The Saracens Head is open from Tuesday to Thursday from 4pm until 11pm, and on Friday to Sunday from midday until 1am. Food is served on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 4pm until 9.30pm, Fridays and Saturdays from midday until 9.30pm, and Sundays from midday until 6pm.

The Rifleman Inn, Kidsgrove

The Rifleman Inn is a quaint country-style pub with wooden tables and chairs, and stone-style tiles that meet wooden flooring via the adjoining rooms. Outside is a comfortable beer garden complete with modern wooden booths.

According to local historian Philip Leese, the Nelsons Bank pub traces back to 1854 when landowner Ralph Sneyd transferred ownership to villager John Cumberland. In 1860 the Kidsgrove Rifle Volunteers formed, who conducted shooting activities in the nearby Target Wood. The name of the Acres Nook watering hole was changed to ‘Rifle Volunteers’ in 1876, and the group were given a license to sell wine. It now has a Tripadvisor rating of 4.5 from 297 reviews.

The Rifleman Inn specialises in Sunday Dinners, which start at a price of £11.95 for one course, or £8.50 for children. All of the meat and produce used here is locally sourced. It’s open Monday to Thursday from 3pm until 8pm, with food being served from 4pm. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays it's open from midday until 11pm, with the kitchen closing at 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays and at 7pm on Sundays.

The Traveller’s Rest, Stanley village

The Travellers Rest, Stanley
The Travellers Rest, Stanley

The Traveller’s Rest is a very cosy pub that really has that ‘home from home’ feel to it. It’s a traditional country pub that boasts authentic stone features, wooden beams, and a bright and quirky interior. There are numerous tables for people to sit at and enjoy, as well as a lovely beer garden situated at the front of the establishment. At number five on our list, it has 486 four-star reviews on Tripadvisor.

The Tompkin Road pub offers Sunday Lunches at £12.95 for one course or two courses for £15.95. Starter options include saucy chicken tenders, prawn cocktail, soup of the day or garlic mushrooms. Mains offer British roast beef, free range chicken with stuffing, lamb chops, mushroom and brie wellington, or steak and ale pie, which are all served with homemade rosemary potatoes, boiled new potatoes, vegetables of the day, and homemade Yorkshire puddings.

The Traveller’s Rest is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from midday until 10.30pm, on Sundays and Tuesdays from midday until 9pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from midday until 11pm. The kitchen closes at 7pm on Sundays.

The Pepper Mill, Longton

The Pepper Mill in Longton -Credit:Sentinel
The Pepper Mill in Longton -Credit:Sentinel

The Pepper Mill is quite a big pub and is owned by Marston's. It has an old-fashioned, traditional interior designs that see wild patterns throughout the red carpet in places, and a more modern interior design elsewhere. It’s a popular pub due to its cheap prices, friendly staff, and welcoming atmosphere.

Similar to other carveries, the Phoenix Retail Park venue has Sunday Lunches on offer every day of the week. Small plates are priced at £11.79 whilst regular plates are £13.39 and large plates are priced at £15.29. This will get visitors a choice of slow-cooked meats vegetarian options, served with a homemade Yorkshire pudding, and unlimited seasonal vegetables, crispy roast potatoes, stuffing, gravy and sauces. Vegan options are also available.

The Pepper Mill places number six on our list after being rated four-stars out of 851 Tripadvisor reviews. It is open from 11am until 11pm everyday.

Red Bull, Church Lawton

The Red Bull, Church Lawton -Credit:Google Maps
The Red Bull, Church Lawton -Credit:Google Maps

The Red Bull is a warm and friendly pub situated next to the Trent and Mersey canal, and has a brilliant view overlooking the waterway. This Congleton Road South pub has been done up to an exceptional standard and boasts a beautiful modern interior, whilst keeping in some of the traditional wooden features.

The Sunday Lunch menu offers 28 day aged beef with all the trimmings, Yorkshire pudding included. As well as being a great place to enjoy over the summer months, it’s also a great place for socialising and for families when looking for a destination to eat out.

The Red Bull is open Sunday to Thursday from midday until 10pm, and on Fridays and Saturdays from midday until 10.30pm. It was rated four-stars on Tripadvisor from 275 reviews.

The Talbot, Biddulph

The Talbot
There is a rustic feel to the space -Credit:Pete Stonier / The Sentinel

The Talbot is a truly beautiful country pub that makes you feel welcome and at ease as soon as you step through the door. It has a dark and wooden interior design which contrast a traditional meets modern style throughout. The indoor plants and open fire are a fantastic touch to make the space feel open and comfortable.

The Grange Road establishment has been rated three-point-five-stars by 1129 people on Tripadvisor. It offers sirloin or beef, slow-cooked pork belly, turkey breast, lamb rump, root vegetable wellington or a trio of meats along with all the trimmings. Prices start from £16.95 depending on which meat or dish you would like.

The Talbot is open on Mondays and Tuesdays from 11.30am until 10pm, on Wednesdays to Saturdays from 11.30am until 11pm, and on Sundays from 11.30am until 10.30pm.

The Stafford Arms, Bagnall

-Credit:Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel
-Credit:Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel

The Stafford Arms in Bagnall is an absolutely stunning independently owned watering hole. It has a sophisticated yet homely feel to it, and contrasts stone walls and wooden beams with classy and luxurious decor as well as a multifuel stove.

The pub is situated in the village Green and has a history dating back to the 16th century. Its current owners have been there for 25 years, and have installed a children's outdoor play area in the Green where parents can enjoy lapping up the sun in the beer garden. A Sunday Lunch at The Stafford Arms is quite pricey at £22.50 per person, or £12 for a child, however it does include three courses and the ingredients are locally sourced.

Some of the starter options include garlic and rosemary ciabatta with buffalo mozzarella, panko and sesame breaded halloumi fries, and coarse pork and liver pate. Topside roast beef with homemade Yorkshire pudding, vegetarian ‘chicken’, both with trimmings and vegetables, and beer battered Atlantic cod fillet are just some of the main course options.

The Stafford Arms on Monday to Thursday from 11.30am until 3pm, before reopening at 5.30pm until 11pm, on Fridays from 11.30am until 11pm, on Saturdays from 11am until 11pm, and on Sundays from 11.30am until 10.30pm. It has a four-star revie on Tripadvisor from 512 reviews.

The Gables, Blurton

The Gables in Blurton
The Gables in Blurton

This welcoming pub could be the perfect place for families to go out for a Sunday Lunch because The Gables has a children’s play area, a pool table, a darts board, and it’s dog friendly too. These are just some of the many amenities the Blurton boozer has to offer.

Sunday Lunches here start from £10.99 for mains, some of which include roast beef, half a roast chicken, cauliflower cheese tart, or meat-free sausages. Each comes served with fluffy mashed potatoes, roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, home-made Yorkshire pudding, stuffing and gravy.

The Gables is open from 11am until 11pm on Monday to Thursday, from 11am until 00.30am on Fridays and Saturdays, and on Sundays from 11am until 10pm. It received a three-point-five star rating on Tripadvisor from 450 reviews.

Bobby’s Ice Cream Parlour

Bobby's Ice Cream Parlour in Hulme is back in business - and it's bigger and better than ever
Owners Craig, Bobby and Natalie Taylor
Bobby's Ice Cream Parlour in Hulme is back in business - and it's bigger and better than ever Owners Craig, Bobby and Natalie Taylor -Credit:StokeOnTrentLive / Pete Stonier

Dubbed by Tripadvisor as ‘The #1 dessert place in Werrington’, we’ve included Bobby’s Ice Cream Parlour as our final contender. Bobby’s, named after owner Craig Taylor’s young son, is new to Stoke-on-Trent this year, and it has launched its Sunday Lunch options from today (Sunday September 22).

Taylor’s Butchers, in Trentham and Milton, are also owned by Craig, so some of the meat used in the Sunday Lunch menu is locally sourced from the sister company’s counter. One course is priced at £15.95, two courses are £19.95, and three courses cost £21.95.

Starters include smooth vegetable medley soup, creamy garlic and parsley mushrooms, and Ardennes pate. For the main course, there’s Taylor’s own rosemary roasted topside beef, free-range locally sourced turkey breast, and honey glazed gammon.

Due to limited seating, Bobby’s operates a strict time keeping system. The first sitting will commence from 12.30pm until 2.30pm, before reopening for its second sitting from 3pm until 5pm.

NEWSLETTER: Sign up for email alerts direct to your inbox