We were lucky enough to stay in the Clerkenwell neighborhood of Central London, a bit off the beaten path for tourist attractions, though close enough that most were walkable, or at the very least, easy to get to via public transportation. Clerkenwell is also a growing foodie neighborhood of London, and we were able to check out some of the very best it had to offer while visiting in July of 2024. St. John restaurant has a few outposts, but the main one is technically in the Smithfield neighborhood, just over the border from Clerkenwell. Known for its snout-to-tail fare, as well as its bakeries, St. John has one Michelin star, and I was excited to sit down and sample some unique proteins.

The space for the main dining room is stark. The white walls, floors, and tablecloths, with brown-black chairs seemed unwelcoming at first, but once the placed filled in with people (it was completely jam packed on a Monday evening) it got a bit more cosy. In the end, I think that the lack of decor allowed the dishes to really stand out. Interestingly, this was the exact opposite type of decor from our meal just two nights prior at Sketch, which you can read all about here!

Service here was really good, even when the place got more crowded. Pacing of the food was excellent, and we never waited long for drinks or for our water glasses to be filled. Speaking of drinks, every single bottle of wine on offer is French. When I asked why, the answer was simply, “The owner really likes French wines!” There is a massive array of wines, though, from the lightest and brightest Chablis, to the deepest, darkest, Northern Rhone Syrahs. We opted for a bright and delicious GSM blend from Languedoc.

What really shines here is the food. We started with some really delicious sourdough bread, and we ordered a few appetizers including bone marrow, which was really delicious. We also tried a bright and refreshing mussel salad. Brian also sampled the blood cake that was on special that evening.

Our mains were all extremely good, and none of us left a bite on our plates. I ordered the special which was braised ox cheeks. They were melt-in-your-mouth tender, and accompanied with zucchini and an ultra-fresh horseradish cream sauce. I am not a huge fan of horseradish, but this fresh version gave a bite of acid which really balanced out the very very rich and fatty ox cheeks. This may have been my favorite main meal of our entire trip to London.

Other favorites of the evening were Clara’s “Fish and Chips” which was an entire bone-in Plaice (a type of flounder), and triple-fried potatoes. She was a bit intimidated by the whole ensemble at first, since it was a much different fish and chips than she expected, but she managed to pick all the meat off of every bone!

Brian ordered an epic slab of calf’s liver, and Eli ordered really nice slices of wild boar, both served with soft, roasted vegetables.

We also tried a bunch of desserts. While we waited for our half dozen fresh-baked madeleines, we feasted on a date loaf (one of the best of the trip!), bitter chocolate cream, and a stunning and sweet fruit cobbler. The madeleines, though, were a real highlight – a bit crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and so, so warm.

I typically find that restaurants with one Michelin star can be pretty hit-or-miss, however I would say that St. John is a massive hit, and it was easily one of my favorite meals in London. From the incredible starters, to the massively portioned mains, all the way to the spongey madeleines, you will have some of the highest quality food here. St. John gets my absolute top recommendation!