In a charming whitewashed ex-smokehouse, this celebrated eatery delivers exceptional British cuisine, showcasing offal delights like the iconic bone marrow.
"St. John is London’s most famous British restaurant and the place in which we have most actively fantasised about holding both our wedding and wake. It’s a white-walled haven in Clerkenwell that’s been proudly serving roasted bone marrow, gargantuan pies, and homemade doughnuts since the mid-‘90s. Much of St. John’s lore is thanks to Fergus Henderson, the chef who pioneered nose-to-tail cooking, but a large portion of its longevity is in the fact that both he and Trevor Gulliver (his co-founder) are here almost daily, having a Fernet-Branca at the bar or devilled kidneys and mash in the dining room." - jake missing, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, heidi lauth beasley
"Cheesy familiarity is one of the many cornerstones of Britain’s simultaneously ailing and thriving culture. Ant and Dec, dad jokes, and late night puddles of Worcestershire sauce on bubbling cheddar will bring a fond tear to the eye of any great patriot. But lest we forget the proverbial king and queen of all cheese on bread: Welsh rarebit. There’s only one place you should be going for the UK’s most famous red herring (it is neither Welsh nor has any rabbit in it) and that place is the bar at St. John." - rianne shlebak, heidi lauth beasley, jake missing
"St. John’s original restaurant has the feel of gastronomic heaven. The walls are white, the uniforms are the same, and the scent of freshly baked goods wafts through the air. The Clerkenwell institution is London’s most famous British restaurant for good reason. Its ‘nose-to-tail’ cooking approach, defined by co-founder Fergus Henderson, is known the world over. And the food—from pies, to rarebit, to bread pudding and custard—is the example of British cooking done brilliantly." - jake missing, heidi lauth beasley, rianne shlebak, sinead cranna, daisy meager
"Those of faith travel all around the world to holy sites. It’s the same for offal enthusiasts and St. John. The all-white Clerkenwell restaurant is pilgrimage-worthy and, like the Vatican, you can walk away with plenty of merch to show your worship. The temple of nose-to-tail British cooking never disappoints. A changing menu can see any number of dishes that would please someone with aspirations to live alone in a forest. Slick devilled kidneys on toast, plump faggots with suede, and perhaps a lamb tongue for good measure." - jake missing
"A restaurant elevating traditional British dishes to MICHELIN-Star standards." - Andrew Young