There is an old-school vibe at St. John, and it saturates the senses. It’s hardly the surround-sound of stuffy old men, it’s more like self-assurance, an expression of confidence and class that only comes with experience and time. . Their menu is the kind of old-school that doesn’t age, a collection of classics with creativity that appeal to all ages.
The first episode of TMEAL’s Michelin Star Month is here as we explore nose to tail eating – not just any nose to tail experience, but a Michelin Star one at St John Restaurant in London. Fellow former model Valerie Aelbrecht and I dig into offal dishes of lamb heart and beef tongue, along with a childhood favorite dish of mine that you’ll have to watch to find out! Photo by Stephan Johnson.
St John Bread & Wine is quite frankly one of London's most renowned casual culinary institutions. Right opposite Old Spitalfields Market, the restaurant has become embedded in the cultural fabric of the East End. St John Bread & Wine is famed for its modern approach to traditional British cooking and the founder, Fergus Henderson, is known for popularising the nose-to-tail cooking philosophy. Ferguson's touch was clearly evident in the lunch menu as all the dishes exhibited simplicity, heartiness and balance. Furthermore, the restaurant's stripped-back interior is sure to please any aesthete with an eye for minimalist design, which is no surprise given Ferguson's former training as an architect. Favourites include the bone marrow and the doughnuts!
St John is known for starting the nose to tail eating revolution in the UK. People over here somehow seem to think it is a revolutionary new way to eat. Yet, I’m sure the peasants in the fields in Middle England could have told the modern urban diner something about eating off cuts. That’s what desperation does to you, be the mother of all invention. As otherwise they would be forced to scrounge around in the dust for subsistence. In a more up to date example, we (Chinese) people continue to do as our ancestors did. If it moves, or sometimes even if it doesn’t, it can be eaten. Think stewed chicken feet, monkey brain, tripe and of course twigs (bird’s nest). Maybe that’s just me but that’s why I like aquariums – so, so much food swimming around…
Came here for their famous award winning bacon sandwich which I found very average. The bread was rather thick and the bacon was too salty for my taste; the homemade sauce with apples was delicious! As for the venue, it was ridden with smoke! Not such a great experience.
One of my highlights over the last week was embarking on my food tour of London’s East End. It was a leaving present from my crew back in Melbourne and was the perfect way to occupy about four hours of my day, with eight stops featured. Up first was St John where we had a warm welcome to the morning with a bacon sandwich. The venue is a bit of an institution around these parts, famous for its top-to-tail philosophy with some wild concoctions such as the brain burger. Fortunately, our products were much more familiar and the group were pleased with the buttery bread, grilled char and tasty, glorious bacon. A perfect execution of a firm favourite. So far so good.
The younger, less formal version of St. John's, the Spitalfields version is a great way to sample some of dishes and type of cuisine that made Fergus Henderson so well known. One of my favourites in London, whether for breakfast or lunch. The bacon sandwich and the Pikelets are worth seeking out, as are some of the other options on the menu for lunch, such as the duck, quail or lamb's tongue. You should finish with one of the eccles cakes, although the trifle, bread pudding and madeleines are fantastic as well. In short, hard to go wrong whatever you choose.
Formal enough to repel the crowds of lagered likely lads and their buxom consorts who prowl this part of central London of a Friday, yet informal enough to dissuade those seeking only a quiet night in with their food, St John Bread and Wine is a genuine destination restaurant for those denizens of E1 for whom a good feed is the centrepiece of a good evening out. [Please read more on our blog]
Recenzja St. John Bread and Wine w języku polskim.
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Polish review od St. John Bread and Wine at Spitafields.
St John is the much loved London institution started in 1994 by the legendary Fergus Henderson. Fergus is well known in global chef circles for his nose to tail cooking style. His roasted bone marrow parsley salad has been 'copied' by many a chef. That fact that St John has been busy since the day it launched is testament to Fergus' unique style that hasn't waived in twenty years and yet seems impossible for anyone else to replicate. Bread & Wine is the younger sibling to 'St John'. St John is a little more formal, whereas Bread & Wine is informal, more casual, loud, relaxed, family friendly. It's a bustling open restaurant restaurant that serves very grown up food. We love it, it's our favourite restaurant in London and if we lived in Shoreditch we'd have a standing reservation.
Celebrity chef? Perhaps begrudgingly, but yes, Fergus Henderson is close to being a household name (in foodie households, that is) as the father of nose-to-tail eating. Hip fit out? Well, let’s just say that when we last checked, the minimalist white-tile-and-natural-wood aesthetic was the cutting-edge of cool. Booze at budget-friendly prices? Bottles of decent French plonk start at £25. All-day eating? Sure thing – try the hangover-busting bacon sandwich.
Visited this place as my last meal before moving to Asia and it's stuck in my mind ever since. From the bare white walls that reminded me of old school changing rooms to the great bread selection. I really enjoyed the "alternative" food to the high street norm. Delicate plates of quality crafted food and a decent wine list to suit.
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Great food and wine. Went to St John Bread and Wine for dinner and was able to get in without a reservation. The host was kind enough to seat us, giving us 1.5 hours for the meal. That was alright by us, since my dining partner and I were very eager to try the food. But when 1.5 hours had passed, the host let us keep the table for as long as more tables had opened up. Kudos to them for that.
FOOD: To start, we had the cuttle fish with fennel and the sweetbreads. Both were very good and full of flavour. the cuttle fish was different from what i'm used to, but in a very good way. Fennel never tasted so good. The sweetbreads were cooked very nicely and the quality of the meat was great. Not too fatty.
For the main, we shared the Somerset lamb. The meat was tender and flavourful. the roasted vegetables on the side were really perfect. the lamb must be one of the best pieces i've ever had. no joke.
desert was divine: two ice creams: the honey and the bread pudding. truly, some of the best ice cream i've had in london and the united states.
WINE: we ordered a glass of the house st john wine as well as the le clos. both were good. i liked the st john wine better because it was a bit lighter and went very well with our dishes.
SERVICE: was good and attentive. the waitress checked up on us regularly and the water pitcher was refilled regularly. very kind staff.
CONCLUSION: Great restaurant, great food, great service. would definitely come again. no doubt about it.
London's best. I love coming to this restaurant, there is always such a great buzz - probably because the food is so good! I just went this weekend and had an amazing dish of razor clams and dulse seaweed - I've never had anything like this in a british restaurant before, it was fabulous. Also had mutton chops which were absolutely delicious and so tender. Finished the meal with freshly made madeleines. PERFECT!
Organicman Digitalworld
+4.5
One Piggy went into my belly. This place is deserved to be one of the top restaurants in the world. I came here for my second suckling pig dinner in two weeks and yes you can have too much suckling pig. This was a great place to enjoy a lil piggy, the winner here was the stuffing, have no idea what it was but it complemented the dish sooo well.
St. John Bread and Wine. This place has the feel of an old school room - with its wood block floor and lengths of coat pegs lining the walls. The menu was equally a learning experience, nettle soup, smoked eel and pigeon were all new for me. Love the encouragement to share everything, making it a casual and social experience.
Has to be tried at least once
Of course the nose-to-tail eating is what this restaurant got it’s name for, and while that has lost it’s novelty now that many restaurants across the capital have copied, what St. John’s continues to do, and what it has always done best, is just get on with things in its own simple way. Good British ingredients don’t need to be glamourously presented. They don’t need a thousand different cooking techniques. You can come here for the novelty of eating offal and brains, but if you think that’s all St. John’s is good for, then I’d challenge you to find a better restaurant in London that does such justice to British ingredients.
St John Bread and Wine did not disappoint. They have stuck with their ethos of excellent ingredients, cooked well with apparent simplicity, but again managed to wow us.
All of these courses combined to create one of the best meals I’ve ever had
Dishes also arrive in a casual manner and stripped bare. Whole crab, boiled red with its claws ready to cut off my head comes with nothing but jar of mayo. Asparagus, not chopped or dissected, just long stalks with some hot butter on the side. It’s simple food, nothing fancy or pretentious. St John Bread and Wine (SJBW) shared the same unfamiliar menu to its sister St John Restaurant (where the famous roast bone marrow and parsley salad is). What’s mutton, smoked sprats or Arbroath smokie hash? We had to ask a few questions and try not to sound stupid. Luckily, the staff couldn’t be more helpful, including a brief explanation of the sharing concept where everything comes when they are ready and are made for sharing. The one page menu was sho
After opening his original restaurant in 1994, FG then opened Bread and Wine in Spitalfields in 2003, and thereafter St John Hotel and Restaurant in 2011. Despite living in the East End, I had only been to the Smithfields and Soho outlets, both of which I love. And so, with Jubilee weekend upon us, what better reason than to complete the triumvirate of all things offal.
To finish off our dinner with an adventure, we chose a Braised Squirrel with Bacon & Turnip Mash
Fergus Henderson’s St. John Bread & Wine is, without doubt, one of my favourite restaurants in London; if not, the World! It’s one of those places where I always want to eat everything on the menu.
I’d read somewhere about the excellent bacon sandwich that St John offered and as I was dragging Brad around the Frieze Art Fair in Regent’s Park, I thought it would be nice to offer him something in the way of an enticement. We arrived just as the restaurant opened and were the first ones in. I’d managed to book for the first sitting and wondered whether I’d made all their staff get up early just for us. Thankfully we were soon joined by a number of other diners and I felt a little less guilty.
Every part of our meal at St John Bread and Wine was spot on, from start to finish. We visited on a cold and rainy Friday evening; we'd been bickering between ourselves on the way. I was being irrational and worried we were going to be late and didn't want to miss the booking. We got there with plenty of time to spare though and after being sat and getting some wine I settled down. The Lady is an absolute saint to put up with me sometimes... The menu at St John Bread and Wine is actually pretty confusing to the uninitiated. Split up into sections named 6pm and 7pm for some inexplicable reason, effectively though it's a tapas style menu choosing what you fancy and the food comes as its ready. Not really knowing what to expect I think we under ordered to be on the safe side but what we got was amazing. The Lady started off with 6 Oysters, they were for her and h
Entering the charming old-school interior pretty much everyone was having the bacon sandwich and to be honest there’s not a whole lot else to choose from the breakfast menu.
It was totally out of my frustration having paid staggering £118 for dinner at Kikuchi yesterday that I felt I should prove my point we could pay less money for a more satisfying meal. So, we headed off to our favourite St John Bread and Wine for dinner.
In Jerome K Jerome's classic book Three Men in a Boat, the hypochondriac narrator of the story J kick starts his adventure by visiting the doctor and, on being asked what exactly is wrong with him, replies: I will not take up your time, dear boy, with tel
The placed is in front of the old market, operating since 2003 seven days a week from breakfast to supper. The original intention was to open just a bakery but soon the project became a full restaurant. Same formula as the other places, great British cuisine, offal dishes, same atmosphere, and same great British cuisine
(T)hin sliced Middle White ham, served with a side of crisp, tart and mustardy piccalilli and the light lunch finished off with thin slivers of a nutty and slightly sour Ticklemore goats cheese, served with freshly shucked raw peas and topped with peashoo
Sister restaurant to the lauded St John in Smithfield EC1 (familiar to those fans of "nose to tail" - I have eaten bone marrow salad there and whilst it was tasty, half way through I got a bit queasy...) St John Bread & Wine is bang opposite the increasin
Devilled rabbit kidneys on toast. Utterly superb. Like fat savoury jellybeans for grownups
St John Bread and Wine is the sister restaurant of the Michelin starred restaurant St John in Clerkenwell. Similar to its big brother St John, Bread & Wine champions the use of local and seasonal produce. They also support the idea of using “the whole bea
Different people had different things to say about St. John Bread & Wine and they were invariably good. But something that a Swedish acquaintance said got stuck in my mind. Our conversation drifted over to good restaurants in London over, well, dinner one
I've been meaning to visit St John Bread & Wine for longer than I can remember but somehow I'd never quite got there. I've even had reservations in the past that I've had to cancel for one reason or another. The perfect opportunity to try again that I cou
St. John’s is famous in culinary circles everywhere for being a proponent of snout to tail eating - popularizing the less expensive and glamorous cuts of meat and emphasizing local and seasonal produce. Just my kind of place. Luckily I have a good friend
How can you not enjoy reading about Fergus Henderson. His books, Nose to Tail Eating, and the companion follow-up Beyond NTT, I gather, have become necessary volumes in the canon of British cooking. I haven't read the 2nd one, and I would love for him to
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A quick google of "St John's" brings up more than a few interesting hits (ranging from people to places and even clothing) but for me, it has become synonymous historically for amazing doughtnuts (if you haven't, you should) and also for a delicious meal. So when I had to play host for a visitor staying in the Commercial Road area, the choice wasn't difficult and a phone call to St John's Bread and Wine followed shortly after my call with him ended.
Opening in May 2003, St John's Bread and Wine proudly supports and enhances the reputation carefully built and crafted by its predecessor in the old meat packing district of Smithfield by offering up delicious plates of seasonal inspired dishes in addition to keeping with the "whole beast" mantra for which St John's has made itself famous for. In addition to an extensive and mouthwatering menu, there is also the blackboard of nightly specials which can not be missed.
On this night, our order read as follows (with blackboard items in brackets):
Starters:
Welsh rarebit (blackboard)
Kohlrabi, brown shrimp & chervil
Blood cake and duck egg
Jeruselum artichoke, red onion and rocket
Mains:
Old Spot belly, trotter and kale
Rabbit shoulder, carrots and barley (blackboard)
Dessert:
Quincy and sherry trifle
Lemon sorbet and Russian vodka
Madeleine
Speaking of the blackboard items, they were really fantastic and worthy of being associated with the term 'special'; in particular, the rabbit shoulder was wicked with meat literally falling clean off the bone with little effort. But actually, these weren't the highlight dishes for me, which I guess can be viewed as a positive because that means the ones that were are readily available for you on your visit. The blood cake and duck egg starter was beautiful and dangerously rich and pairing this with a main of the Old Spot pork belly would make even the pickiest of omnivores happy. This pork belly was one of the best I've had in recent memory; a succulent and juicy piece of meat with the most perfectly crispy crackling. It really was quite something.
Following a meal of such intensity, you'd be forgiven for having no room for dessert which would be a shame because to miss out on the freshly made madeleine cakes is basically a crime against baked goods. Paired with a strong coffee, it proves to be a perfect ending to what was an extremely rich meal.
With its beautiful menu and relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere, if you are looking for a place to eat in the City and Spitafield area you should look no further than St John's. Be warned however, bookings are essential as you can probably guess it is rather popular.
Also follow me on Twitter @annixontong and @wetrykai and on Instagram @annixontong.
Hannah Caramelized Banana
+4
With its simple white walls and wood tables, St. John's decor is the clean canvas for an artist's palette of delicious foods!
My foodie friend and I shared a couple of tapas and a dessert one peckish afternoon following a walk through the old spitalfields market.
We started with some olives and the amazing bread and butter St John is so loved for. For tapas, we tried the chard, beets, lentils and yogurt followed by the roasted quail with a tarragon puree. The chard dish was wonderful, a magical blend of flavours in a deep magenta. The yogurt brought everything together, transforming it from salad to meal. The roasted quail was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, perfectly pink and juice! The tarragon puree on the side was outstanding. I've never had poultry with such a unique accompaniment.
We finished off the afternoon with an Armagnac and Prune ice cream served with two buttery little cookies. The ice cream was unusually creamy-- almost like gelato. Perhaps even creamier! The boozey treat was wonderful, a truly unique frozen dessert. Lathered on one of the crispy cookies, it was perfection!
I plan to return for a lengthier meal with a larger group! So lovely for sharing and chatting!
If you're in the area, and sick of the standard chains you always seem to end up at, step right out of spitalfields market and you'll find proper, good food, priced very reasonably for what you get.
This quaint little restaurant is great for a lunch with family, friends, or even dates. Because of the diversity of the food I'd recommend ordering a few things on the menu and sharing - according to the number of people you are. Definitely have the mussels though.
The staff is very friendly and helpful when ordering quantities and give their recommendations. Placed on busy commercial street, the atmosphere is light and airy so it's a great place to go for lunch. If it's the weekend and you feel like going out for a nice lunch, it's worth the trip.
While on a business trip we happened upon this restaurant while out bar hopping. At first we walked by and then stopped and went back in. It was a 45 min wait but we put our names on the list and decided to give it a shot. We ordered some wine for the wait and we were in a table before the glass was gone (turned out to be less than 10 minutes).
Dinner was served in courses based on what we ordered and it was all wonderful. We tried some great new items like Old Spot Faggot and Peas to name one.
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This is the best restaurant in Shoreditch. Steeped in character this restaurant prides itself on its nose to tail dining, founded by the man with the midas touch when it comes to offal, Fergus Henderson (a true british eccentric). May I also not Anthony Bourdain rated him as the one chef that stands above all others he has met in his lifetime.
A bold statement especially considering the selection in east London, however, if you know your food you will agree. This is a perfect place to take a date, a group of friends or your parents, if you are going to splash out anywhere do it at St John. The menu is constantly changing, all the foods are fresh and seasonal, be willing to experiment is my only advice.
The atmosphere, I come here at least once a week, its super relaxed yet not informal, the staff are attentive but unnoticeable and all look like they are having a great time doing so. The decor reminds me of an old school hall, they have kept it extremely minimal, the focus is clearly on the food.
Sat down, coat hanging on the pegs around the walls the waiter runs you through the menu and then leaves you to browse the wine list. The name of the place "Bread and Wine" I would recommend a bottle or two of red for the evening, in fact the house red is a nice full bodied red that isn't too heavy. If you don't fancy wine they serve Meantime lager, a nice bottled lager that is pleasant and inoffensive.
As I said, be brave at this restaurant and order whatever excites you however I have a few bankers if you are undecided.
The mussels are a traditional St John dish, very refreshing and the broth is packed with flavour. The crispy shredded pig's ears are a great sharing plate and although the favour too is good, the texture of these will widen your eyes and work your jaw, fantastic. Another staple of St John's is the bone marrow, roasted in the bone and served to you with toast to spread onto. Scraping the marrow out of the hot bone, the smell is homely and rich and the flavour is subtly sublime. Other than this i can recommend the devilled duck hearts and anything with a quail in it, they know how to roast a bird.
The restaurant will often offer a few larger dishes (normally come in around the £15-18) mark, again, ideal for sharing and full of flavour. By this time you will be nearing the end of your second bottle of wine and eyes wandering towards the dessert board.
If you are a real louche then the rum and raisin ice cream is the best you will ever have, I'd suggest getting the trio of Sherry's running from the lighter Muscat to the lighter Chenin Blanc. The desserts are classic british, you could bring your grandparents here and watch their faces light up, spotted dick, bread pudding, chocolate lava cake, its endlessly wholesome eating.
One should leave St John with a bulging waist and a red tinge to your face, (a singed pancreas as well perhaps) and your friends in your arms endlessly discussing whether they prefer the nose of a pig or the heart of a duck.
During the day a bakery runs from the kitchen serving donuts and baked goods, the donuts are filled with homemade jam or a beautiful chocolate ganache.
St John also offers "feasting" which I'm yet to do but if anyone wants to join me, a minimum booking of 10 people with everyone sat together, we share a whole suckling pig. What a great place.
Quite frankly the best bacon sarnies money can buy.
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This branch of the St.John restaurant group is famous for its food as well as their take on everyone’s favourite breakfast sandwich, the bacon sandwich or more slang the bacon sarnie.
A couple of months ago I was here for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed the food they offer. But want I just learn from fellow blogger, TheSkinnyBib, that this serves maybe London’s Best Bacon Sandwich. The Guardian says everyone penny spent on that sandwich is worth it.
So I just have to order the bacon sandwich.
In their website, Fergus Henderson has a word or two about breakfast. “An army marches better on a full tummy, like wise the best way to start the day is the taking of proper sustenance”. Oh my it was proper.
The bacon sandwich priced at £5.90 is massive!. You can share it for two.
I only manage half but it tasted amazing. The bread was so light, kind of like a white milk bread with a slightly sweet note. The crust is nice and crispy while the charred mark adds smokey burnt flavour. The Old Spot bacon was savoury and salty. The fat and oil soaked into the bread is delicious while the house made sauce cuts the sandwich perfectly. It really was a delicious sandwich.
Another delicacies that you can get here on weekends is their custard filled doughnuts offered at £2.50 each.
The doughnut is soo light, not overly sweet and the custard just ooze out. Very airy and delicious.
Need an indulging and fulfilling breakfast? Come here and you’ll have the energy to walk across London.
Outstanding. Fresh, inventive British food utilising all sorts of less fashionable ingredients, almost always resulting in a delicious, bold flavour to each dish. The Lamb with Bread and Green Sauce is probably my favourite dish in London, the sauce impossibly well matched to the lamb it coats and bursting with herby goodness. Dishes regularly rotate and always pay attention to the specials.
Great for the wine sales, casual atmosphere and knowledgeable staff. Not to be missed.
Just like St John on St John street, this place blows me out of the water. Super friendly and knowledgeable staff explain the menu to me and talk me through the wines with huge patience. The atmosphere and food are faultless. Also worth popping in for the off sales on the wine, which by its self is the best selection of wines in the area.
I remember hearing of this restaurant back when we had cable and Anthony Bourdain was alive and well. So glad that I finally made it to LDN and had a chance to venture and try this, even if it wasn’t the original restaurant. It was just as good, though!
Interesting menu - if I had to do it over again I wouldn’t be so adventurous. With this menu it was easy. We had fried pig’s tail - def what it is - a decadent fried pig tail. And some standard English fare like this lamb roast that was excellent.
I would come here just for their excellent wine selection and bar service. I had the best martini I had during my entire stay in London and another great cocktail - the owner’s version of an Negroni. Can’t remember the name but it was clever and cute.
Ended with gooseberry fool - I feel like you only hear of it in books. 🤓
The St John brand doesn’t really need any new endorsements. It’s one of the most iconic restaurant groups in London. This was my first visit to any of their establishments, and I had high expectations . I started with the smoked eel with pickled cucumber. Probably my favourite dish of the evening. The mutton with chard and anchovy was a bit of a mixed bag- the mutton was delicious but IMO the accompaniments didn’t go very well with the meat. Dessert was bread and butter pudding, oldie but goldie.They have an interesting selection of cocktails and wines too. I tried the Fergroni, but tbh it wasn’t anything special. I did like the other wines by the glass. Servers were all lovely and helpful.
Overall verdict: good but I wasn’t blown away.
This place has been on my list for a long time so it's always a risk you have overhyped it to yourself but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Such an amazing privilege to have quality honest English cuisine. Everything was refined just enough to properly respect the quality of the ingredients but dishes were still very approachable and of course DELICIOUS! Staff were great too. It can be hit and miss as a solo diner on that front but the team were engaging and warm.
This place was recommended by a local business partner during our visit from the US. The server was great and helped us pick some menu items she thought we would enjoy. The food and atmosphere were great, and we truly enjoyed the meal.
Came here by myself as I had quite a few hours to myself during a visit to London for the weeks . Always wanted to visit one of the locations and I can safely said I am so glad I made the decision. I ate the sweetbreads which were perfection, actually the best sweetbread dish I’ve ever eaten in my life. Anchovy toast and greens were on the side which were also both excellent. Would come back here again in a heartbeat. Thanks!
ABSOLUTELY THE BEST! Do not miss this spot in London, recommend anything on the menu, perfect to taste a bit more of traditional English cuisine. A beautiful dive in the English gastronomic culture that doesn’t absolutely leave you disappointed.
A really interesting restaurant to review. The basic outfitting of the space allows one to focus on the taste and details on the plate. While the ingredients might seem simple, the culinary team has clearly spent painstaking hours perfecting and refining the taste of each dish. This restaurant really raises the bar with a truly modern and novel take on the food of this great country.
Really enjoyed my first dinner there and felt quite full-up with four dishes for two people. They are all lovely and dedicated staff too. Ordered the freshly baked madeleines to take away after meal and still nice on the next day. Love to visit again.
Worakamon Sripongpankul
+4
I love the atmosphere, which is nice and clean. I had a lunch, so the restaurant was not crowded at that moment. Highly recommend to make a reservation in advance.
Food was fantastic, ingredients used were very fresh! Restaurant was extremely busy. Staff did not have the capacity to handle customers well. Although the food is great, I felt it was a little too pricey. £26 for braised beef and mash is kinda pricey.
Unique food and interior style, reduced to essentials. Intriguing simplicity. Modernized British classics and regional specialties of great taste and quality. Portions are generous, sharing is encouraged.
Visiting from the U.S., 4th time visiting St. John's. A great farm to table restaurant featuring British food of the highest quality, and a great wine list (emphasizing small vineyard French Rhones). Emphasis here is all on the food, not fancy decor. Knowledgeable, friendly wait staff, and a remarkable menu that changes daily.
July 19 update: Too many good dishes to detail, but the lamb heart, Bread and green sauce was a standout. Same for the Beet root, cabbage and creme fraiche, and the buttermilk custard and fresh cherry desert. All stunning. We eat at St. John multiple times every time we visit London, and it never disappoints -- it always surprises. In good ways.
Quite Special experience of European cuisine. First-timer for Cods Roes and Ox Tongue and meat of Mutton!
Brilliant food. The dishes are not elaborate and benefit from a focus on good taste. They succeed in this extremely well.
jy tong (tongtastetest)
+5
Don’t come here expecting beautiful food… it’s quite rustic and simply plated, and in fact it was impossibly hard to take nice photos, but the food is delicious. Amazing toasts with chicken liver, and we snagged a specials of the day which was sea whelks with the most delicious herb garlic butter sauce. Found the mains to be a bit of a letdown though the little gems salad is amazing, but had the best bread and butter pudding to finish the meal perfectly. It’s served with clotted cream and a lovely caramel sauce.
Very interesting and unfamiliar tastes/combinations of nose to tail cooking. I particularly enjoyed the chicken liver special and the ox heart. They both had that sort of gamey taste and the ox heart textures were great.
The duck however was fairly tough/overdone and there was something in there that was like biting shotgun pellets(?). Overall everything was on the pricier side for sharing plates. 1 starter, 3 mains and a dessert betweem two but still felt a bit hungry afterwards.
Service was very friendly and explained the menu and specials excellently. We did have our wine order forgotten but not a biggie.
Ended up spending around £45 per person. Wasn't entirely expecting it given the nose to tail cooking mantra but what can I say, it's london.
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