Sunday lunch is a British institution in most homes and at Hix Mayfair, they have mastered the tradition – look no further, this is the perfect Sunday lunch.

The restaurant is in the stunning Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair: classic, chic and with faultless service from all the staff we encountered.

Hix Mayfair’s interiors are traditional wood-panelling juxtaposed against colourful banquettes and an amazing collection of artwork by leading British artists, including Michael Landy, John Rankin, Fiona Rae, Tim Noble, Sue Webster and neons from Tracey Emin (you can see her neons at the new private dining room at 34 in Mayfair as well).

A small Art Deco cocktail bar adds to the lively atmosphere and ambiance of the restaurant. To begin with we were offered an aperitif, which in the traditional gentleman’s club style, seemed entirely appropriate.

I chose a glass of champagne and my guest a Bloody Mary which he commented was just perfect – less blood than mary.

We threw ourselves into tradition and started with an Atlantic prawn cocktail served in a silver goblet, overflowing with succulent prawns and just the right amount of marie-rose sauce. My companion went for the rich and thick-cut Albemarle smoked salmon ‘Hix cure’ with Corrigan’s soda bread.

The starters were delicious but what we really came for was the famous Sunday Roast sirloin of Glenarm beef, carved in front of us on a traditional silver trolley and served with Yorkshire puddings.

The accompanying roast potatoes were staggeringly good too, as were the seasonal veg on the side. Not just served to assuage the guilt of the indulgences, these were fresh and flavourful and so tasty as well. If only all Sunday lunches were like this…

It was genuinely faultless and the attentive staff were on hand for accompaniments, condiments, any extras we could possibly dream up and made the whole experience feel all the more indulgent.

To drink, the excellent sommelier recommended a full bodied Monteleccio Sangiovese which complemented the delicious meal with its robust flavours.

The dessert course followed and whilst we swore there absolutely was no room for dessert we somehow managed to share spotted dick with custard.

The great thing about this meal was that it didn’t try to reinvent the idea of a Sunday Lunch, it just perfected every stage to almost make it unrecognisable. I’ll never attempt to cook one of my own again.

You can continue on from Sunday lunch at Hix Mayfair for drinks at The Donovan Bar, one of our favourite hotel bars in London.

Read our guide to the best Sunday roast in London.

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