Sunday Lunch in Whitby: Where to Book a Proper Sunday Roast

What a Whitby Sunday lunch looks like

The town's Sunday offering splits roughly in two. On one side there is the traditional roast, carved meat with roast potatoes, vegetables and gravy, which is what most people mean by Sunday lunch. On the other there is fish, which is not a compromise in a port town: the sea is on the doorstep and the local catch is the reason many people come.

Booking matters most on weekend breaks, when day-trippers and weekenders arrive at the same time and the best-known rooms fill first. If you are building a wider weekend around the meal, the Best Pubs in Whitby guide covers the rest of the drinking and eating options, while this page sticks to Sunday lunch itself.

The Stables, Guisborough Road: the reliable Sunday roast

The Stables sits on Guisborough Road on the edge of town, and its Sunday menu is served from 12pm to 5pm, a generous window that allows for a late lunch after a morning walk. The kitchen cooks pub classics to order all day, and the Sunday offer is built around relaxed, seasonal plates rather than a rushed carvery turn. It is the sort of room where a family group can settle in without feeling hurried out.

Beyond Sunday, the kitchen runs a seasonal menu from 12pm to 9pm and breakfast from 7:30am to 11:00am, with drinks available from 11am to 10pm. Real ales are part of the offer, and there are vegetarian and vegan options alongside a kids' menu, which makes it an easy pick for mixed groups. Dog-friendly areas are open to non-residents too, with water bowls and treats, and there is a beer garden for the milder end of the season. For more outdoor drinking options nearby, see this guide to a beer garden Whitby visitors rate.

Book a table online if you want a set time, but walk-ins are welcomed, so a spontaneous Sunday is possible. The trade-off is the location: it is a short trip out of the town centre rather than a harbour-side table, so you gain space and parking ease at the cost of the sea view. Check the current menu and Sunday serving times before you travel, since seasonal menus change.

The Links Lounge at Whitby Golf Club, Sandsend Road: Sunday lunch with a view

The Links Lounge sits at Whitby Golf Club on Sandsend Road, open to the public rather than members only, and serves a traditional Sunday lunch that reviewers consistently describe as generous. The dining room looks out over the course, which gives the meal a calmer, greener setting than a town-centre pub. It suits a couple or a small group who want a quieter Sunday and a proper roast on the plate.

The kitchen also serves breakfast, brunch and lunch through the week, so it is not a Sunday-only destination. Tables are booked through the venue's own booking page, and it is worth reserving ahead for Sunday given the size of the room. The trade-off is the setting itself: this is a golf-club restaurant rather than a pub, so do not expect a bar full of drinkers or a late licence. Details such as the current Sunday menu and serving times should be confirmed directly with the club before you go.

Abbey Wharf, Market Place: seafood and grill by the harbour

Abbey Wharf occupies a large room on Market Place overlooking the harbour, with a balcony stretching out towards the East and West Piers. It is a fish kitchen and charcoal grill rather than a roast house, so choose it when the Sunday you want is a plate of seafood, a steak or fish and chips with a view of the water. The restaurant seats well over 250, with a separate mezzanine level used for reservations and the ground floor kept for walk-ins.

There is a separate fish and chip takeaway at the entrance, so you can eat with the same produce and then walk along Church Street or down to the sands. Menus are available online through the venue's own app, which is also where up-to-date prices and availability are published, so check there rather than relying on a printed menu. Vegetarian, gluten-free and children's meals are all offered, which helps with mixed groups.

The trade-off is that this is a big, busy room in the middle of town: good for families and groups who want space and a harbour view, less good if you specifically want a carved roast and a quiet corner. If your Sunday has to include a classic roast, The Stables is the safer choice; if the sea view matters more than the trimmings, Abbey Wharf wins. If you are choosing between the town's pubs more generally, the guide to the best pubs covers the rest.

How to choose between them

Match the venue to the occasion rather than the reputation. A traditional roast for a family group, with children and a dog in tow, points to The Stables: a set Sunday window, real ales, a kids' menu and dog-friendly areas in one place. A quieter roast with a view and no need for a pub atmosphere points to The Links Lounge, where the golf course does the work of the scenery.

A group that wants seafood, a harbour balcony and the option to split between a sit-down meal and a takeaway points to Abbey Wharf. Walk-ins are possible there on the ground floor, while The Stables takes online bookings and welcomes walk-ins, and The Links Lounge is best reserved ahead. If you want the town's older drinking rooms as part of the day, The Oldest Pub in Whitby guide is a useful companion.

Practical points for a Sunday in Whitby

The Stables is the only one of the three with published Sunday serving times: 12pm to 5pm for the Sunday menu, 12pm to 9pm for the seasonal menu, breakfast 7:30am to 11:00am and drinks 11am to 10pm. Treat those as a guide and confirm on the day, particularly out of season. The Links Lounge and Abbey Wharf publish their times through their own channels, so check before setting out.

In season, book the table before you book the train or the accommodation, especially for a group larger than four.

Roast or harbour table?

If the Sunday lunch you picture has carved meat, roast potatoes and a jug of gravy, book The Stables for its 12pm to 5pm window or The Links Lounge for a quieter version with a view over the course. If you would rather eat fish with the harbour in front of you, take a balcony table at Abbey Wharf. Decide on the meal first, then the room, and reserve ahead in season.