Sunday equals a Sunday lunch! This meal, usually a roast with all the trimmings, was always the norm in every home, on the day of rest when all the family could sit down and eat together. But modern time constraints and changing family eating habits have reduced the number of households who observe the Sunday lunch tradition. It’s been almost consigned to special occasion status in most households, served for a clan gathering when nothing but a big joint of meat and all the accompaniments will do.

While cooking Sunday lunch at home is on the wane, eating Sunday lunch out is a growing trend. This is now the meal where friends and family can take time out to gather in a restaurant and enjoy great food while spreading the latest gossip with one another. If you’re up for a bit of that this weekend, here are some fab places to indulge your Sunday lunch urges!

Ballymaloe House 

Family gatherings in what was once a family home make for a very relaxed Sunday Lunch at Ballymaloe House. The Sunday Lunch Menu has recently changed from the buffet lunch served here for many years to a set three-course menu at €45 per head. Menu choices change weekly, but starters might include light salads of seasonal veggies from the walled garden, delicate seafood terrines or hearty homemade soups

Mains could feature a trad roast beef or slow-cooked free-range pork shoulder with the trimmings, or free-range roast chicken and fresh Ballycotton fish. Desserts are still served here on the time-honoured sweet trolly (yahoo, we love it!) which is wheeled to your table in a tempting fashion. And yes, you can have a sliver of more than one thing you fancy from the tantalising homemade selection. Because you won’t be able to make up your mind. But that’s the best bit! Booking essential.

The Bushmills Inn, Bushmills, Co. Antrim

Sundays at The Bushmills Inn means the Sunday Carvery Menu. Begin with traditional dishes like Brotchan, an old name for ‘aitin ‘n’ drinkin soup’, served with fresh bread. Or choose a lighter starter like smoked salmon from a local producer. Follow on with a walk to the kitchen where you’ll find a carvery selection of succulent roast local meats served with vegetable accompaniments of your choice and lovely rich gravy.

Vegetarian main courses are also available. Plenty of choice on the tempting dessert menu afterwards too.

The Bianconi Restaurant at The Granville Hotel Waterford City

Sunday Lunch at The Granville is an elegant affair not to be rushed. Four delicious courses to peruse and enjoy. As the team say themselves, no Sunday is complete without the Traditional Roast Beef, so you can expect to find it on the menu, alongside fresh seafood and other mains. Bread includes the famous Waterford Blaa and home-baked bacon

and onion mini loaf. You can book a private party here in one of two annexed rooms off the restaurant. The Library accommodates 20 people while The Bell can seat up to 32 people. Sunday Lunch served from 12.30 pm-5 pm.

The Enclosure at The Glenroyal Hotel

Sunday Lunch at the Enclosure is an exceptional food experience, showcasing the finest local produce brought to you by the talents of Glenroyal Hotel  Executive Head Chef Bernard McGuane. This is coupled with an extensive wine list offering the best of old and new world wines.

The style of the menu and service at the Enclosure matches the luxurious atmosphere of the restaurant. You can buy a 2-course meal for €29 per person or €30 per person for a 3-course.

Sunday Lunch at the Enclosure is available from 12:20 pm to 2:30 pm.

Ashdown Park Hotel

The hotel places great importance on food provenance and uses locally sourced ingredients where possible. Ashdown Park Hotel offers an exciting mix of food options for guests to enjoy. You can enjoy seasonal dishes made with produces from the hotel’s own Redmond Family Farm and other local artisan producers.

In the Ivy Bar and Cafe, you can sit back and relax over a leisurely breakfast or brunch and later on in the day enjoy a carvery lunch or dishes from the bar menu. There’s something to delight all palates and there is a tasty menu for the kids too.

The Maigue Restaurant at Dunraven Arms Hotel

The Maigue at the Dunraven Arms Hotel is a gloriously traditional space with the feel of yesteryear in style and service. The room and service are totally in keeping with the sense of tradition of this old hunting lodge turned luxury hotel. The food offerings are a real treat, especially for those looking for a taste of Ireland and that legendary Irish hospitality.

Hayfield Manor

Hayfield Manor has two fabulous restaurants, Orchids and Perrotts, where you can enjoy a decadent lunch. Orchids is the more formal of the two and overlooks the beautiful private gardens while Perrotts has a more casual atmosphere and is situated in a light-filled conservatory. No matter where you dine, you are in for a treat as the menus have an emphasis on the core indigenous ingredients of Irish cuisine and feature produce from the best of local and artisan food producers.