Restaurant
Dishoom Covent Garden
The original Dishoom, a Bombay-style café in Covent Garden serving breakfast, small plates, grills and curries from morning until late.
St. JOHN Smithfield
Fergus Henderson's influential Smithfield restaurant, founded in 1994 and known for nose-to-tail British cooking from a daily changing menu.
At a glance
- Type
- Modern British, nose-to-tail
- Area
- Smithfield, London, United Kingdom
- Price
- $$$ · Upscale
- Official site
- stjohnrestaurant.com
Good to know
- Bar menu
- Daily changing menus
- Takeaway wine list
Why we recommend it
St. JOHN opened in 1994 in a former smokehouse near Smithfield meat market, and its approach to cooking, championed by Fergus Henderson, has influenced a generation of British chefs. The idea is simple: use the whole animal, cook seasonal British produce with care and serve it without fuss. The dining room is famously plain, with white walls, wooden chairs and hooks for coats, so all the attention goes on the plate.
The menu changes daily and is published online at 11:00 for lunch and 17:00 for supper, but the house style is consistent. Roast bone marrow with parsley salad is the dish most associated with the restaurant, and offal, game, pies and robust braises appear regularly alongside lighter vegetable and fish dishes. Puddings lean towards the traditional, and the restaurant is well known for its baking, including Eccles cakes served with Lancashire cheese and madeleines baked to order. Larger groups can order feasting menus, and the wine list focuses on French bottles, with a takeaway list for wine to buy and drink at home.
St. JOHN suits adventurous eaters, food lovers on a pilgrimage and anyone who enjoys straightforward British cooking. It is not the place for elaborate presentation or tasting menus. Vegetarians will find some choice, but the restaurant's identity is built around meat. The front bar has its own menu and is a more casual option for a glass of wine and a few plates, or a slice of cake in the afternoon.
Lunch is served from 12:00 to 15:00 Monday to Saturday and until 16:00 on Sundays, and supper runs from 18:00 to 22:30 Monday to Saturday. There is no supper on Sunday evening. Reservations are made online, and booking ahead is wise for dinner and weekend lunch. A discretionary service charge is added to the bill, and corkage and cakeage are offered for a fee.
The restaurant is on St. John Street, a short walk from Farringdon station, which is served by the Elizabeth line, Thameslink and Underground. Barbican station is also nearby. Smithfield Market, St Bartholomew's Hospital and the medieval church of St Bartholomew the Great are close by, and the pubs and restaurants of Clerkenwell make it easy to continue the evening.
St. JOHN Smithfield FAQs
Is St. JOHN open on Sunday evenings?
No. It serves lunch on Sunday from 12:00 to 16:00 but no supper.
When are menus published?
Daily, at 11:00 for lunch and 17:00 for supper.
What are the opening times?
Lunch is served Monday to Saturday from 12:00 to 15:00 and supper from 18:00 to 22:30.
How do I book?
Reservations are made online through the restaurant's website.
What is St. JOHN known for?
Nose-to-tail British cooking, including roast bone marrow with parsley salad, and its baking.
Is it suitable for vegetarians?
There are some vegetable dishes, but the menu centres on meat.
Is there a bar?
Yes, the bar has its own menu and is more casual than the dining room.
Which station is nearest?
Farringdon, a short walk away, with Barbican also nearby.