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St JOHN - Restaurant in Clerkenwell, London
Restaurant

St JOHN

Fergus Henderson's nose-to-tail manifesto since 1994, the white-walled Smithfield room that wrote modern British cooking.

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Reviewed by Mes Prestiges Editorial Team Last reviewed May 2026
Clerkenwell |
$$$ Upscale for Restaurant
|
Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00, 18:00-23:00; Sat 18:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-16:00
| Last reviewed: May 2026

Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver opened St JOHN on St John Street in 1994 in a former Georgian smokehouse opposite Smithfield meat market, and the room effectively wrote the playbook for modern British cooking: nose-to-tail, ingredient-named-on-the-plate, white walls, no decoration, bone marrow on toast as the manifesto dish. Three decades on the kitchen still runs Henderson's vocabulary daily, roast bone marrow with parsley salad, devilled kidneys, eccles cake with Lancashire, and the room has held its first Michelin star continuously since 2009. The bakery downstairs sells the loaves and madeleines that built half of London's chef-restaurant bread programmes.

Editor's Tip

Book the upstairs dining room rather than the bar; lunch is the easier reservation and the kitchen runs the same menu. Bone marrow with parsley salad, the eccles cake and Lancashire, and the day's roast are the canonical orders. The bakery hatch downstairs sells loaves until they go (mornings); the doughnuts are the queue's reason at 11am.

1 Michelin Star
MICHELIN Guide UK 2026, One Star Held a Michelin star continuously since 2009; the founding manifesto of London's nose-to-tail movement

At a Glance

View
Historic Monuments, London Skyline

Views & Setting

View Type

Historic Monuments, London Skyline

View Quality

Good

Indoor Terrace

Recognition & Quality

Michelin one star

Awards

  • MICHELIN Guide UK 2026, One Star

Frequently Asked Questions

Quick answers about St JOHN, reservations, hours, dress code, and price range.

Where is St JOHN?
St JOHN is located in Clerkenwell, London, 26 St John Street, Smithfield, London EC1M 4AY.
What are the opening hours of St JOHN?
St JOHN is open Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00, 18:00-23:00; Sat 18:00-23:00; Sun 13:00-16:00.
What is St JOHN best for?
St JOHN is especially popular for Long Lunch, Milestone, Out Of Town Guests.

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