What does the ideal Sunday mean to you? For us, it's a day that provides a sacred sanctuary, and is reserved entirely for the things we love. And as autumn rolls around and our days become busier and our nights more full, we're determined to make a clear distinction between our relaxed, indulgent Sunday mindset and the rest of the week.
In our view, Sunday is not a day to be built around strenuous activity. Here you will find no recommendations of gyms, or anything that requires you to wear Lycra or work up a sweat. Sunday is, however, for beautiful crisp park walks in your favourite navy jumper with somewhere good to stop for coffee beforehand or afterwards. Said coffee should ideally be accompanied by a good book, a pastry – and no doomscrolling.
Rushing on Sundays is strictly prohibited. Therefore, you should get ready for the day ahead slowly – may we suggest a bubble bath, accompanied by that exquisite Sunday playlist you have been gradually curating? Lunch (traditional pub roast or something slightly more elegant – see below) should last a minimum of two hours, be extremely delicious and inevitably end with the opening of an additional bottle of wine. Treat yourself, it's Sunday.
Other Sunday-appropriate treats may include a wild bouquet of flowers, a new magazine, something you absolutely do not need from the corner shop, or perhaps a ridiculously luxurious trip to a spa.
Most importantly, Sunday should be a time to reconnect with your favourite people – there is something particularly lovely about being with good friends on a Sunday, because none of you are supposed to be anywhere else.
Here, then, is our manual for Sunday lovers, and a selection of ideas for the perfect Sunday itinerary.
If an excellent location for Sunday lunch is required, then Vesper may be the place to begin. Jackson Boxer's (House & Garden 2026 winner) restaurant on Exmouth Market in London somehow feels like it has always been there, yet is newly opened. Jackson's food – with its British and European influences – is generous and playful, while feeling familiar and comforting, yet reimagined in an astonishingly delicious way.
The beautifully candlelit room is everything you want for a Sunday lunch setting. Interior designer Jermaine Gallacher brought together a host of London makers and artisans to create a elegantly understated space adorned with mesmerising objects, such as the studded Zinc bar that sits at the heart of the room.
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Our non-negotiable: a proper Sunday should begin with a coffee and pastry. At Corner Shop – a hybrid grocer, café and wine bar between the Strand and the Thames, the pain au chocolat is life-changing, so delicious I am convinced that the recipe must contain two kilograms of butter. Take some quality reading material, put away your phone and settle in.
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Where to buy the aforementioned quality reading material? Shreeji News on Chiltern Street has my favourite selection of magazines, from curious titles to the classics. Buy something beautiful, tuck it under your arm and carry on with your day.
https://www.shreejinewsagents.com
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To infuse some added elegance into your Sunday, there is nowhere better to disappear into than The Dover Street Counter– a Mayfair restaurant with an atmosphere so perfectly curated that feels divinely crafted. Intimate, glamorous and cocooning, it is my very favourite cozy dining corner in London. The Martinis are ferociously cold and the Disco Fries, are frankly, the best thing ever and something no classic Sunday roast could contend with.
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For some, Sundays are about gardening. If that sounds too strenuous, there are other ways to find a floral fix. In my view, no Sunday is complete without fresh flowers. Flowers Flowers Flowers in Marylebone is my current destination for a bouquet that looks as though it has been gathered fresh from a beautiful garden rather than overly arranged. Buy something abundant and gorgeous, an XXL bunch of hydrangea or some vintage roses would be ideal.
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On Mount Street, tucked among the old-gentlemen's outfitters, is Arthur Sleep Shoes, a shop dedicated to the art of the slipper. Pieces are handcrafted in England and made bespoke to order in velvet, in a selection of extraordinary colours – they can even be personalised with embroidered initials to fulfil your wildest slipper dreams. Stop off to select a pair to prepare for many more Sunday afternoons of lounging.
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For those who prefer their Sunday relaxation to involve a little more pampering, the five-star The Landmark London, opposite Marylebone station, has just unveiled a new glistening spa in London. Designed as a tranquil escape from the city, the new space brings together a vitality pool, sauna, steam room, ice fountain and treatment rooms. In other words, everything you might need for a Sunday reset. If you can't relax here, you never will.
https://www.landmarklondon.co.uk/
The big Sunday morning supermarket dash might be a weekend ritual for many, but we think such a practical necessity should be elevated into an ideal-Sunday experience. London Epicerie, on Ebury Street, is the dream destination for any self-respecting foodie, offering a vibrant selection of seasonal produce, fresh bread, dairy, farmhouse cheese, charcuterie, wine and pantry essentials, all under one roof.
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Sundays at Josephine in Chelsea are made for long lunches with family and friends, taking cues from the conviviality of French dining and the spirit of Lyon’s bouchons. Settle into a cosy candlelit corner and order a selection of indulgently delicious dishes, that are perfect to place in the centre and sharing between a handful of friends.
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The National Gallery's joyful and deeply romantic new exhibition explores Renoir at his peak – from the 1860s to 1880s, as he experimented with style and theme to become an innovator of Impressionism. Infused with love, friendship and everyday emotion, this show feels like the perfect Sunday enthrallingly captured in oil paint, full of scenes of couples waltzing in the fresh air and friends raising a glass.
https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/renoir-and-love
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The Botanical Gardens at Kew are widely renowned as one of Britains finest gardens, best known for its stunning glasshouses and home to a remarkable collection of over 30,000 types of plant from all over the world. Wrap up well and take in the autumn air, and take a detour via a selection of magnificent Henry Moore sculptures, big and small, as part of a ‘Monumental Nature’ exhibition which runs until January.
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A few hours in a jazz bar will always be a special kind of pleasure, any day of the week. However, the iconic Ronnie Scott’s in Soho will elevate your Sunday to a legendary status with its Sunday Lunch jazz sessions, featuring live music alongside a traditional roast menu. Why go to the pub when you could have your roast beef with a side of world-class saxophone?
https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/
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With the BFI London Film Festival on the way and a catalogue of highly anticipated films heading to the box office this autumn, save TV for weekday evenings and book a ticket at the iconic Curzon cinema in Soho, one of London's very best arthouse cinemas.
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For a truly classic Sunday roast, head to The Connaught Grill, one of London’s oldest dining rooms, complete with a restored silver trolley and table side carving. Start with a Bloody Mary before moving on to Hereford beef rib, abundant with all the Sunday trimmings.
https://www.maybourne.com/en/hotels/the-connaught/restaurants-bars/the-connaught-grill
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Then, its time for home, flowers in a vase, magazine on the coffee table, new slippers on, emails still very much off, and no more plans – other than thinking about how to spend the next Sunday.
