St. JOHN Restaurant in Islington

Welsh rarebit special, and a fergroni.

My husband and I were in London for maybe 36 hours on a big Euro vacation from America. We barely saw anything - spent all of our time at the Tates (a longtime dream). At about 1 p.m. we left the Tate Modern and my husband said he would like to try the St. John in Smithfield because of something about Anthony Bourdain. We walked across London and arrived with about an hour left to eat. The restaurant wouldn't seat us without a reservation - of course, no problem. We love a bar, so we sat with people finishing their lunches and ordered from the bar menu. I felt a little underdressed in jeans, a tee and walking shoes, but we ordered wine, beer, rarebit, green salad, and an egg salad sandwich at the bar, so I suppose what I was wearing was just right. People cleared out. It was just us. The restaurant was empty. We watched the cooks wandering into the basement to restock their kitchens. I sheepishly asked the man at the bar if it would be alright to order a dessert. He said "Of course." We ordered another glass of wine and a beer to enjoy with our bread pudding. Later, when I found out there are Michelin Stars involved here, I was relieved, because I would have felt so silly walking in an hour before close in a pair of Levi's - but at no point did the staff make me feel so. They were all lovely, the food was gorgeous, and the St. John (besides maybe the Waterhouse and the Hockey at the Tate) was my favorite memory of London. Thank you so much St. John!

I visited during the sale period for the 1994 price to commemorate the 30th anniversary (the usual price is much higher) and the atmosphere was bright and cheerful compared to the formal service. However, it's a shame that I couldn't eat dessert because the serving time was too long, almost 2 hours. The taste was not as good as expected. I wonder if they will pay the full price and visit. Visited for the 30th anniversary menu so was able to enjoy St.Johns at a considerably lower price. I loved the atmostphere - a bit too loud but bright and casual - but it took so long to get the meal served that I ended up having to give up dessert, which is a shame as I heard a lot of good things about them. The food was somewhat disappointing - I liked their bread and butter, and the Welsh rarebit but their main dishes were quite bland and meat tough. Staff were all very friendly and helpful.

The mackeral was boney and too salty. The duck had quite a lot of shot in it and was a bit tough. The blackberry tart was nice. Service very off hand, was made to feel like it was my fault I didn’t like the food! 🤨

I just want to say oh la la. mackerel, bone marrow, lemon sorbet. mamma mia.

Well established Michelin star restaurant. Celebrating 30 years.

this place use to have an amazing wine list but so much of it now has gone natural no point in showing up.

A culinary experience you won’t forget. Amazing food, service, and atmosphere!

Fantastic food, nice service and a place with great vibes! A hearty meal that will make your heart warm and your stomach full.

Incredible meal. A can't miss in London for some of the best British cuisine you can find. Don't skip the bone marrow.

Wow 🤯 if you haven’t been to St. John’s … what are you doing??!?! I can’t believe this was my first time here and my 1000th time in London, I will definitely be making this a regular. Was quite easy to get an early reservation for lunch. Really enjoyed the concept and overall food experience. The servers were so knowledgeable and are really proud of the animal sources and overall restaurant 10/10.

My partner and I have been wanting to come to St John’s for a few years and we were super excited to go. We orders two started, two mains and two desserts which came up to a total of £122. The atmosphere was great and the service was perfect but the food was very average and not worth the price point. Neither of us will be hurrying back to eat but will never not come back here.

One of the best meals we had when visiting London!

Live this place. From a quick pint to the full nose to tail.eating.

Fantastic restaurant. Pioneers of the new British cuisine. Locality and seasonality An interior that has not changed for more than a decade. Celebrity Chef Fergus Henderson In my opinion, the menu had no failures at all; absolutely everything was delicious. Excellent wine list The service was a little cold, but overall it didn’t spoil the attitude towards the restaurant An absolute must visit in London

1994 menu promo-it was meant to be available to book from 10am today. At 9:55, there was already no availability for September dates when special menu is on. Bs promotion.

St John not only has some of the most reasonably priced cocktails I have had in London so far but also some of the most delicious food as well! I enjoyed their snails and John dory whilst my partner enjoyed their goats curd and tomatoes. We left feeling very satisfied with our meal and will definitely be returning.

The best bone marrow was the best thing I have ever eaten.

While we enjoyed going out for dinner, this restaurant sadly is not worth it for the price you pay in our opinion. We were disappointed firstly with the presentation of the food, very little thought gone in when you are spending £15 - £30 a plate. Across all dishes we found them either to be too salty or sweet and the sauce with the rabbit was watery and lacking in flavour. All in all the balance was off in all dishes in our opinion and for what you are spending you get far better elsewhere. On the plus side our waiter was lovely, and the venue while not to our taste was unique, but sadly we won’t be rushing back.

A London institution for a very good reason. If you know and enjoy good food, never skip on the Bone marrow. We'll be back.

Quintessential London Dining Experience

Fantastic meal and exceptional service from a London institution. Quality British fare at its finest - great ingredients and smart twists on dishes classic and modern. Rustic settings and attentive wait staff. Massive wine & drinks list as well to complement the food.

This restaurant is amazing, among the best in London for sure, the food is not only delicious but also unique, the duck leg was falling-appart tender but the breast was a bit chewy, Treacle Tart tasted amazing, very sweet and rich but the sauce cuts through the richness perfectly, and the madelines are a must have, totally worth the wait. Service and attention where good too, a bit pricey but worth it

Went for a Wednesday night dinner and service was amazing! Our waiter was very friendly The bone marrow & sardines were delicious - but the braised beef was slightly too chewy for my liking. The rest of the food was ok. Pavlova for dessert was the best!

We were kicked out. We were out all day and didn't have time to get dressed up at the hotel. Since we had a reservation anyway, we figured that wouldn't be a problem. But we were probably wrong, as we entered the restaurant an employee from the kitchen gave us the first disgusted look. It took a few minutes before one came towards us. This man led us to our table, he was the first and last nice employee in this restaurant. After a few seconds, bread was thrown at us without a word, without a plate. The waiter came and condescendingly took the order, then took the butter and bread basket back with him, even though we hadn't even finished yet. After two, maximum three minutes we were served cold lamb with a few cold beans for £30. Cold, not lukewarm. We then paid straight away and got out of there. It's a wonder how this restaurant has one star. We were treated differently at the Savoy and you didn't get the feeling that you would be treated differently there with our "street clothes". So guys, if you're looking for a Michelin-starred restaurant in London, go to Savoy, they also serve warm food if they don't like your outfit.

Good was delicious, service was prompt and friendly. I don’t know how they do it, but I love the way they did their greens. The beetroot was juicy and sweet. Pea mash was heavenly. They also have special menus for the day, would have loved to tried their eel pie. Portion looks huge. Note that there’s an outdoor bakery and a dining restaurant on the inside. Honestly would go back for the dining and tried out their bakes and coffee if back again. Honestly price wise I think it’s reasonable in relation to the food portion.

A very nice dining area with white-washed decor and professional staff. Although a bit noisy the day we went due to a large group gathering, it was difficult to hear each other while talking. Nevertheless, I liked the seating and the food options. The fish was great, simply out of this world, cooked to perfection. We also enjoyed our braised lamb, and yes, the sardines were grilled with mastery. Will try bone marrow and ox liver some other day. and yeah they have some good cocktails.

St. John is always a great experience. With its daily-changing menu there's always a lot of excitement surrounding every visit. There's a good selection of wine and usually there are some decent veggie or pescatarian options, but let's be honest, the meat dishes are the real draw. The best advice I can give you is if they ever have pie on the menu, get the pie, and don't even consider getting anything else!

Visited in May during a quick London getaway. Everything was phenomenal. I understand they change the menu seasonally so I won’t list what I had. They take pride in their culinary art and it definitely shows. We took the last dinner reservation yet staff were patient with us

So good to experience excellent British recipes….creative dishes that you wouldn’t normally have, so flavoursome, fresh and vegetables cooked to perfection. Love the chilled out setting. Definitely recommend but book in advance to get a table!!

Fantastic setting and atmosphere, good service (they messed up with the dessert and we got something complementary on them). Food was excellent but one dish that was uneatable: Poached Hake, fennel and aioli tasted like chewing raw garlic (I should have known better seeing delicate fish and sweet fennel combined with garlic).

Absolutely wonderful, one of the best meals I have ever had with lovely staff who were very helpful and clearly very passionate about the food. We went for lunch and found the place to be very unpretentious, it's a place where they let the food shine and stand on the quality of the food. It was an open kitchen and getting to watch the chef was really fantastic. Our group of three had three different dishes, one beef, one with pigs cheek and one with pork belly and trotters, all of them were just wonderful. The green salad as a side was incredibly simple but somehow had such an amazing depth of flavour and the Welsh rarebit was unreal. The dessert menu is very extensive and the date loaf with butterscotch sauce was the best dessert my Mum has ever had while the Madeleines were absolutely incredible, so simple but so good. I also thought for the equality of the food and service the price was very reasonable for a special meal.

Friendly staff, delicious food and interesting ambiance, and the madeleines!!! I love the restaurant’s philosophy of using all parts of food ingredients without wasting. Besides, I loved the long extending hooks for bags and clothes on the walls. British practicality? 👍👍👍Some might find it a bit too pricey but not really so as a Micheline starred restaurant.

Our first time trying traditional English food and I think it’s a little bit pricey for what they offer. Simple food, too heavy. Service is very nice, tho.

Coming from out of town St JOHN was on our list. Accidentally made a reservation for the wrong location and the staff was kind enough to go above and beyond to accommodate the two of us late in the evening. Food and atmosphere are amazing, I would recommend anyone coming to London.

My horrible experience at this restaurant has prompted to write my first google review. It baffles me that an establishment like this has a Michelin star as well as relatively good reviews. It’s made me question my sanity really. I was so excited to dine here because of its Michelin star rating, Anthony Bourdain’s high praise, and overall good reviews. However, I was severely disappointed. My review is due to the poor service and subpar food. St. John has an almost all-white interior. The ambience (or lack of) feels like you're in a mental asylum and sterile. Service: When we sat down, we were served bread and butter right away but were not provided bread plates. Our server knew of this as she saw that we had to rest our butter knives in the bread basket, yet she did nothing about it. Our server did not take the time to run us through a menu that, perhaps due to not being familiar with British cuisine, we did not know half of what was on there. Throughout the meal we were not asked if we were enjoying the meal once and it almost felt like our table was forgotten about. One experience that really tainted the experience was when one of the busy boys placed our appetizers on our table without saying a word, looked at us, and then walked away. This same bus boy was seen touching his phone and then touching the tops of the utensils he was supposed to clean. Ironically there are signs in the dining room that mention to not have your phones out. Food: On top of the service, what truly made this experience horrible was having to pay for overpriced mediocre at best food. This part again really confuses me because everyone seems to like the food here but truly I would not pay for this food at all. We ordered the “famous” bone marrow and pig ear dish. The bone marrow was nothing special and the parsley “salad” was more like a garnish than a salad. Maybe we were served smaller bones or were just not competent in taking the bone marrow out of the bones but I don't think the bone marrow we got even amount to a tablespoon. The pig ear tasted like nothing and the salad was overdressed and way too oily. For our entrees, we ordered the ox tail and the eel. While the oxtail was cooked nicely, you could find better mash at any non-michelin star restaurant. Overall the oxtail was not worth the price. The eel was way too salty, too small of a portion for the price, and its runner beans were watery and just basically steamed vegetables with horseradish thrown on top. We were going to order their medeleines but the idea of waiting 15 more minutes for mediocre overpriced food at this restaurant was unbearable. Overall, the restaurant felt as if it was trying too hard and yet did not deliver on anything. Save your money and try all the other restaurants London has to offer.

We've wanted to eat here for years and it didn't disappoint. Bone marrow on toast was just as good as I imagined. Staff were quirky and friendly

Food was excellent and the style felt casual, with the quality shining through each dish. Highly recommend.

Unfortunately, I have to give a low rating due to food poisoning after a dinner 6/25. I believe it came from their lamb heart special that night. It was our first time at a Michelin rated restaurant and while the service and overall food experience was great this ruined the rest on my trip in London. They also ran out of the paired side dish and had to substitute something else.

To say that I had high expectations going into St. John would be an understatement. This is quite simply one of the best dining experiences I have ever had.

My favourite place in the whole world

The mackerel fish is really delicious, it tastes salty. The salad is fresh when you eat it will taste wasabi. This food is finished until only the fish bones remain. Asian tastes definitely suit this menu. Enjoy

Elevated pub food. Not my taste but good bites. Their bread and madeleine cookies were the highlights.

It was a very pleasurable experience

What a dinner it was! Everything we ate was delicious and staff was lovely. I know they have an amazing selection of wines but we also enjoyed the house wine as well. I had turbot and my dish was excellent. We tried the bone marrow, let me say: the vibe is real. We also had 3 desserts and the madeleines are worth special mention! St John, as of this moment, is a regular 'to go' restaurant for us in London. Thanks chefs.

Superb restaurant, great food and wine, lovely staff

My mom and I had an incredible lunch here. After hearing so many recommend St. John’s, we were very excited. Although the food was amazing, what really made the meal special was our waiter, Oz. He was kind enough to walk us through the menu, ask us about ourselves, and provided amazing service. He recommended we try the bone marrow, poached skate, welsh rarebit, crispy pig skin, and ox heart (special). I loved the bone marrow and the ox heart. The bone marrow on top the sourdough with the parsley was very rich, but also refreshing because of the parsley. The ox heart was lean, but surprisingly quite tender and full of flavor. I ate it with the horseradish that it came with and wow, what a bite (a somewhat painful one haha). For dessert, Oz recommended the ginger loaf and butterscotch sauce, and of course the madeleines. The ginger-loaf was AMAZING. It wasn’t overly sweet, and was so moist and I could eat it for every meal. I would recommend getting a cup of earl gray to drink with it. As for the madeleines, they were warm and light, and oh so delicious. We will definitely return to St. John’s on our next visit to London.

I think the atmosphere is marmite but I love the smells of the bakery and the minimalist, kitchen aesthetic, fits beautifully with the Smithfield area. Food still incredible and their wine list barely ever puts a foot wrong whatever budget. House Cremant highly recommended for value if you're meeting friends for a drink.

Love the changing daily menu. The service and food are spectacular. The place and staff are warm and welcoming. We’ll be back!

One of the best restaurants in London, and a must if you want to try really good English food. And beware, this is a good restaurant for sharing. We saw some couples ordering a small dish as an entrée and then a second large dish, but I think it works best if you order (for two people) 2-3 small plates, 1-2 big ones, a side, and then a dessert or two. Let me review the dishes one by one. First of all, good drinks, I thoroughly enjoyed the Bloody Mary. For small plates, we first got the Salsify, Leeks, and Watercress. This was my favourite of them all, I have never even heard of this vegetable/root before, but I am obsessed. I will be eating this forever now, the way it was beautifully cooked with a delicate salty outside layer and sweetness at the core. It paired perfectly with the leeks and watercress to create a delightful glazy side salad. Second, we got salt beef with mustard and potatoes, which was so full of flavour and beautiful contrasts. Quite simple, and so effective. I love mustard and this felt so earthy and delicious. Lastly, we had the cuttlefish with beans and aioli, which was magnificent, so much taste packed into a cute little plate. I loved the mushy texture of the beans and the saltiness of the fish, wow…. Moving onto big plates. We had lentils with goat’s curd, which was so yummy, with a layer of mustard and lentils with lovely saltiness and herby spice. The goat’s curd, like a mix between goat’s cheese and clotted cream, was addictive!!!!! Then we had the star of the show— braised ox cheek. It melted in my mouth, so sweet and tender and the mashed potato was so hearty and smooth. Probably the best dish of the evening. We paired it with some greens as a side, which were good, but did not live up the ones we had in February at their Bread & Wine restaurant. Still, it’s seasonal which I respect very much, and I enjoyed them. For dessert we had Rhubarb eton mess, ohmygod… so creamy and the meringue was so sticky. The rhubarb’s tartness was so fitting. Would eat 10000 of this. Overall, fantastic experience, would love to go back. Will probably try Marylebone next. I love that they switch up the menus every day! I am sorry that we were so full and satisfied that we couldn’t finish everything, but man did I wish we could…

I have heard so many good reviews about St Johns but it is one of those restaurants that you can't really dine alone. The only item I have tried from them was their doughnut from the Bakery however recently I got hyped on Calves liver because it was done right so found out that St Johns had it too hence went there to have a nosy at the menu. It turns out they also have a Wine bar which is casual featuring smaller plates tapas style which was perfect for me. They also had Ox liver which made my day so I dined there. As well as that, I had the Nettle and Ham soup and the Roasted Bone marrow with parsley Salad. Roast Bone marrow and parsley salad. I ordered this by impulse and definitely do not regret it but looking around everyone else's bones were taller and bigger than mine! Anyway, it was probably for my own good as I wasn't sharing especially all that cholesterol. It is really good how they just baked it like that and did not cut the bone horizontally as you lose a lot of the good stuff like that. This was the best bone marrow experience I have ever had because it was not ruined by garlic or herbs. The parsley salad was a match made in heaven as it was literally soaked in lemon juice which makes it appetizing on the sourdough with the marrow and its grassiness. It would have been nice if the toast was not so burnt because the edges were not edible. Ox Liver, Chicory and Anchovy. After tasting some amazing Calves liver that was done right, I have been trying to go somewhere that also delivers. Most restaurants that I wanted to go mainly do liver and onions or bacons using Calves Liver or Ox. I stumbled upon St Johns which serves this and found out that it was on the daily specials menu so how could I not try. I had the Ox Liver, Chicory and Anchovy which was from the wine bar. It really made my day as it was something different from liver and onions yet it was so tasty. The Ox liver was sliced and tossed with chicory in a creamy sauce flavoured by the anchovies and chopped parsley. It was simply delicious and the texture was beautiful a it was soft and velvety just like pigs liver when it is done right but it does not have that offal taste like pigs liver. I was expecting the Ox Liver to not be as good as Calves but it was just as good. Overall, I was really impressed to try another liver dish served so differently to liver and bacon. Nettle and Ham soup! This was my second time having nettle and again it was blended. The first time was nettle pasta as a sauce and now soup with ham. Basically the nettle was blended. I kept finding white cubes which I thought was potato but it was the fat from the ham which was horrific. There were tiny pieces of ham here and there though.

Quite brilliant - the best of modern British cuisine - go and enjoy!

Very nice restaurant. The menu is unconventional and you need to have an open mind to new flavors and textures, sure your palate will thank you.

As good as you want it to be. Clever plates of perfectly cooked food. Reasonably priced and you'll leave full and happy. Reccomend the middlehwite pork, rarebit, soul with tartare sauce with chunks of egg and the radish and crispy pigs skin salad. Formidable wine list and decent beer selection on tap.

Supposed to be one of the most well known and iconic restaurants on our Food Crawl dining venue list. This Michelin 1*,‘ nose-to-tail ‘ eatery, belonging to the legendary English chef Fergus Henderson, sadly turned out to be our trip’s only culinary disappointment! Made famous and put on the foodie map by Anthony Bourdain. He called this institution his ‘dream restaurant‘ in one of his ‘No Reservation‘ episodes, praising the ‘complete package‘ the restaurant has to offer. At that time, Henderson’s emblematic, simple and yet utterly delicious ‘ Roasted Bone Marrow with sea salt and Parsley Salad ‘ dish was just being unearthed by the culinary world……resulting in chefs all over trying to emulate it and putting similar renditions on their menus. We are by no means pointing fingers at our ordered food and giving them a ‘ thumbs-down ‘. Some of our choices, at least components of them, indeed tasted pretty good. However, based on the restaurant’s reputation and modus operandi of ‘less is more‘ and using a maximum of only 3 - 4 ingredients/components per dish. It is therefore expected that due to this simple and straightforward approach, the top-notched ingredients will be treated lovingly and prepared perfectly with skill and care. Sadly this was not the case. Our grilled Ox-Heart mains, for example, were over-cooked, dry and tough and accompanied by a bland, one dimensional, uninspirational sauce/jus. Accompanying side dishes and salads followed a similarly sad pattern and result. Identical to some Indian restaurants’ approach of using a generic ‘mother sauce‘ eir curry base. St John's mirrors a similar mannerism with their dressing. During our visit, a monotonous Horseradish/Sour cream base concoction was broadly applied and used. Be it for our Veal tongue salad, the Ox-heart side dish or the side complement to our roasted Pheasant main! Where is the creativity usually found in Michelin star establishments? However, there were certain stand-out dishes worthy of mentioning. The deeply flavourful Beef Broth, with ingredients similar to the traditional Scotch broth, but using beef instead of lamb, was a definite winner. The well seasoned, juicy and moist Pheasant dish is another thumbs-up dish…... .possibly one of the best tasting poultry dishes I have recently come across! Lastly, the Blood Orange Eton Mess dessert was absolutely out-of-this-world delectable! The Pear and Almond cake was pretty fine too. Our lady server was most friendly, helpful and attentive, adding a crucial positive element to our dining experience! In conclusion, a fine example of….” You win some, You lose some! “

The halibut and the pork, which we enjoyed ordering, were both quite good. The halibut was perfectly grilled, served with mouthwatering sides that perfectly complemented the fish, and a gorgeous sauce. With a crispy skin that gave the dish a pleasing texture, the pork was juicy and soft. But it was a little difficult to cut through and bite through the skin, which took away from the whole experience a little.

The epitome of British gastronomy - absolutely loved every bit of it. Very affordable for the quality of the food and service.

Had this on my list for a long time. Love the way they use and don't waste anything. Food was superb. They really made an effort to make sure my husbands allergy was seen too (cellery). Thank you staff of restaurant Maeve Utrecht for pointing me in this direction...

The bone marrow, rarebit, and kidneys were outstanding. While the madeleines were good, I'm not sure they lived up to the hype. I had very high expectations for St. John, and although the food impressed everyone at our table, I wasn't completely blown away. Nonetheless, I'll definitely return, as the menu is very intriguing.

We had the pleasure of ordering the Halibut and the Pork, both of which were exquisite. The Halibut was cooked to perfection, adorned with a beautiful sauce and accompanied by delectable sides that complemented the fish wonderfully. The Pork was tender and succulent, with a crispy skin that added a satisfying texture to the dish. However, the skin was a bit challenging to cut and bite through, which slightly detracted from the overall experience. To accompany our main courses, we ordered additional greens and a salad, both of which exceeded our expectations. The cooked greens were expertly seasoned, likely with a rich ingredient such as butter, elevating the dish to new heights. The salad was a refreshing and well-balanced mix, with a delightful citrusy dressing that tied all the components together harmoniously.

One of my favorite restaurants in the world. Can’t come to London and not eat at St John. The casual yet professional service pairs great with the amazing ever changing menu. The bone marrow cannot be missed!!

I, like many other Americans I'd presume, found my way into St. John's orbit by way of Tony Bourdain. I have a cult like reverence for the late great, and when I was searching for places to visit on our recent London trip I came back to his first No Reservations episode in England. St. John was a novel piece of traditional cuisine in a world saturated with modernism. If we were going to get a clear picture of what the Brits can do in the kitchen, this whitewashed brick and wood food chapel would be our best hope. It did not disappoint. Everything we tried was incredible. The crowd-favorite bone marrow showed why it is so beloved and along with the brown crab meat toast we were off to a great start to our meal. The star for us came by way of the crispy pig cheek- cracker crunchy that dissolved into silky pig fat heaven in the mouth. Greens were well appointed in butter and mustard and the roast prime rib was perfectly cooked. We wrapped up with freshly made madelines that were fluffy and warm. By the time we left, St. John was so alive both on the inside and on the outdoor approach - it was clear this place had a gravity about it that drew in locals and visitors alike. If you ever get a moment to visit this bastion of English cooking that reveres the snout-to-tail ethos, seize it.

It's been on the list for years now and my only regret is not coming sooner. It's an outstanding place. The menu is always changing, but the bone marrow and welsh rarebit are something else.

This place has been a class act for a quarter of a century. Fabulous staff add to what must be one of the most enjoyable places for lunch. Smoked eel, then lemon sole with house wines. It was ALL precisely cooked and these must be the finest, best value house wines in London.

Every dish is lovely, just the smell when you enter is amazing. Whole Service- and Barstaff is very nice and professional. No London trip without a visit in our 2nd livingroom. And never put the pigskin away from the menu ;-)

Excellent restaurant with great food, attentive service, good beer, and bakery. Calf’s kidney was interesting for someone who doesn’t eat a lot of innards. Roasted manglitza was a wonderful example that pork dish can be better than other meat. Ended with half dozen of madeleine, rather unusual for dessert but complemented the meal well.

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed with my partner, we had been promised quality service, very good dishes and a friendly atmosphere. In the end we had the complete opposite, the person serving us was totally disinterested, it took us 20 minutes to get our glasses of wine, our starter was already finished when we got them. Concerning the dishes unfortunately it would be good to explain them for non-English speaking tourists... Very noisy restaurant. Thank you in all cases we still had a good time but it is necessary to say things!

Brilliant experience at the bar, incredibly tasty food, was quite the experience. Super helpful staff to seat our crew.

Very good, but I expected it to be better. For a Michelin star restaurant, I truly expected something to be unique or innovative, which this restaurant just didn’t give me. The bone marrow was good, but nothing that you can’t get anywhere else that serves a similar dish. Yes, it’s great that they change the menu frequently, but that comes at a cost of quality and consistency. The bread pudding tasted like the one your aunty makes with too many raisins and not enough of anything else. Overall it was a good restaurant but the Michelin star is misleading as to the quality of the dining experience.

Food and service were exceptional and Phillip looked after us every step of the way and answered all our questions and gave us brilliant recommendations throughout! Cheers and thank you! 🥰

Exceptional service and food. Very unique setting. Highly recommend.

Visited St. John Smithfield on a whim and enjoyed the ambiance of the pub inside. Opted for dinner in the dining room, where we started with a snail salad that was notably over-dressed. The main disappointment was the pie—it was unglazed, dry, and the bottom was doughy, not what we expected from a Michelin-starred venue.I requested mash as a side at the start of the meal, noting it was available with other dishes, but was told it wasn’t offered as a separate side. To address the dry pie, I then asked for gravy and was informed that this, too, wasn’t available. The server did check with the kitchen after my request but returned with the same response. There was no inquiry as to why I was asking.

Excellent. Very unpretentious menu with old-fashioned English items cooked with care and skill. We had potted pork and crab, followed by the ox liver, washed down with a bottle of claret: absolutely delicious.

Always superb. Happily the refurb is unnoticeable. Top class cooking. The bone marrow and toast is too popular, almost tourist levels of popularity, but it's still good! Skate in butter and capers was beautifully cooked, juicy. Lots of butter perhaps. I could have enjoyed a few more capers. Brill was delicious and meaty, simply cooked. The pig's head being singed and cooked in the open kitchen might have been just for the drama, but it worked! This isn't a romantic destination, but it is one of the most assured kitchens in London.

My favourite restaurant in london. Always something g new and funky on the menu. Great portions and puddings to die for!!!

It had been a few years since I visited St John and I was really looking forward to it. I felt disappointed to be honest as the menu has less offal on it (this is what this restaurant is famous for) and the good I had was a bit underwhelming. Service as ever was brilliant however.

Amazing lunch at St John, the pie was delicious 😋

A lovely artisan type dining experience. Never disappointed in the food offering, nor the service that provides it. Tye restaurant is simplistic in its styling, but people tend to go here for the food experience not the drapes, or linen/ flower choices. We had three courses with a bottle of wine each and managed to spend £100 per head. A rare treat so didn't baulk at that if I'm honest.

The service was brilliant but the food was disappointing. There wasn’t anything wrong with it but it just wasn’t special

It’s been 14 years I have been waiting for that meal. Ever since I walked in Richard Corrigans kitchen in 2009, freshly stowaway from my native France. I since then, cooked in Elton John house, Buckingham palace, some soup kitchens here and there, as well as random events company serving the wealthiest as well as the common punter. St John has always been seen as the reference. Ground zero of what “it’s supposed to be”. Unapologetic, “what you see is what you get” kinda vibe. It is inherently the most striped down joint a chef can stick its fork in. You get deep into the DNA of what hospitality is about. The delivery is simple, unpolished and straight to the point. Flawless in its simplicity. It takes a lot of guts to do that; regardless of the years of service, the accolades and all. Recently refurbished the place, still looking from another era, spotless. White on white. You getting in a temple. A cult. What happens here doesn’t stay in here, it’s gonna follow you till the end. It ain’t cheap yet it’s worth every penny. If you truly love food, leave your allergies and intolerance at the bar with a good pint ; embrace the journey to reclaim the most fundamental parts of your guts and brain. You won’t regret it.

We had a great lunch for my birthday March 7th. Our waiter did an oustanding job, so did the kitchen with the food. If you‘re a sweet tooth, let room for some dessert. We couldn‘t not eat anymore because we had 3 starters, one of them of course the famous bone marrow. For main the fish and devilled kidneys were great. The restaurant dose nose to tail at it‘s best and we can‘t wait to go back.

We arrived today and were “welcomed” by an oddly smug gentleman, completely disinterested and as charming as a bread knife. He didn’t bother to explain the menu and when we asked questions on this they were answered with a scoff and his eyes rolling back in his head so far I thought the poor man was about to have an epileptic fit. This theme continued throughout the lunch. One highlight was him walking off mid drink order, busy boy! Food was good. I mean I wasn’t blown away. Unfortunately the arctic table service soured the food, the occasion and left us shaking our heads. Ironically the gent left and returned with a bag of McDonald’s at some point during our sitting. Maybe a more suitable establishment for his skillset..

Bone marrow and madeleines surprisingly were the highlight of the meal, service was excellent

I had high expectations and somehow they were exceeded. I think about the bone-marrow and sardines daily - they were incredible. The weakest part of the dish was the Welsh rarebit - I found it flat. Despite the lamb being very good, I felt something was missing. However, the Ox heart and chicory was delicious and opened me to how good heart can be when cooked very well. If you are going to get any desert - get the blood orange cake. I don’t like sugary things - but it was the best cake I have ever had. Perfect balance of sweet and tart.

Had lunch here. The food is ok，not as good as expected. The service is fast.

We’ve been here in London for almost 3 weeks and this is our 6th time YES 6th TIME HERE…. This Restaurant is amazing.. we definitely will be coming back again 😃😃😃😃

Overrated, good but not worth what you eat.

Have been there before, food is amazing but the place smells..and you do too when you leave. 2nd time in a row we get there and the place is closed without notice, despite of frequent posts on social media on other contents. Not the best customer experience.

The food was good and some of the dishes where interesting, the bakery options are nice. Waitress were really nice and taking care of us all the time however i fine hey the hype is this place. I wouldn't insist to anyone to go there. Wouldn't prevent anyone either

second time i reached the restaurant and it was closed. without any information on FB or instagram. and neither on google maps? is it a good service? i don’t think so.

Just popping in here to say that yesterday we had a delightful meal at the St John at Fortnum and Mason. We have been to St John, we have been to the restaurant at Fortnum and it is suprising to see the mix up of the two worlds. The food was delicious. A special shout out to Phil and his impecable hospitality skills!

Such a amazing place and nice food👍

My first visit for a friends birthday. We had the taster menu and it was a great success. The pigs head and potato pie being a highlight. The service was unfussy and on point. The menu is a deep dive of moreish choices and I will be back. Another bonus is the bar area which has a good choice of draught beer, wines and spirits.

One of London's classic restaurants, and it didn't disappoint. Every dish was fabulous and the service was lovely. Definitely a special occasion kind of place!

Food is tasty but portions could be bigger. Friendly staff and a pleasant atmosphere. Will come again.

Bad food but above all bad service

This pared back bar-bakery-restaurant is my quintessential London lunch spot. Alongside nose-to-tail dishes like roast bone marrow, dripping carrots, and crisp pig cheek with dandelion, there’s enough to keep the less carnivorous happy – I’m looking at you broad beans & Berkswell cheese and hake & leek pie. Great for supper too of course!

Service good,food good, except for the main course Teal. Tough as hell, under cooked. No offer to replace. The beetroot was nice though.

Great experience overall, without any fancy price tags. Enjoyed the cauliflower soup as the best plate I ever had with cauliflower (an outsider that surprised pleasantly). The terrine was magnificent, but suggested only for those accustomed to more gamy flavors and textures. If you are into that kind of food it is a MUST! The pot roast lamb was extraordinary, even for my not-a-lamb-eater date. Great, very polite service and cocktails.

Absolutely great experience. They definitely are very clever in appreciation of not just the outside but the inside of the school. Must try bone marrow and parsley. Definitely get some fresh Madeleines baked. Make sure you book ASAP.