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St. JOHN Smithfield, London,
Award-winning

St. JOHN Smithfield

4.8
4.8
4153 Reviews
£41 and over
British

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2 people
7:00 p.m.

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Booked 55 times today
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
  • Charming
Fergus Henderson’s original home of “Nose to Tail Eating” opened in a former smokehouse around the corner from Smithfield Market in 1994.

Celebrating the finest of indigenous British produce and making the most of what is seasonally best whilst applying straight forward cooking techniques, St. John is now celebrated as one of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World and in 2009 was awarded its first Michelin Star.

Nose to tail eating means that, where appropriate, every part of the animal should be put to good use in the kitchen and so along with Roast Beef and Lemon Sole, diners will find Rolled Pig’s Spleen, Kidneys and Ox Heart, Liver and Chitterlings as well as the Roast Bone Marrow & Parsley Salad, something of a ‘signature’ dish.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 6:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Phone number
    020 7251 0848
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive Chef
    Steve Darou
  • Private party facilities
    The Private Dining Room can accommodate up to 16 guests (terms and conditions apply). St. JOHN bar and restaurant is available for private hire. Please contact amelie@stjohnrestaurant.com for details.
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Neighbourhood
    Farringdon
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Farringdon Station, Barbican Station
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 4,153 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • City

    Best Value

  • City

    Innovative

  • City

    British

  • City

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
St. JOHN Smithfield stands as a culinary gem in London, celebrated for its "exceptional food" and "friendly but never overbearing" service. Renowned for its "simple yet exquisite" British dishes, the restaurant delivers a "relaxing and light" dining experience. It's a must-visit for food lovers, especially those keen on "nose-to-tail" dining.
4,153 Reviews
  1. Gurn

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Tremendous food and service It did not disappoint Staff were the best

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  2. James

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    St John is a bit of a food institution in London and for good reason - the quality of the food speaks for itself. The presentation & flavour combinations are unpretentious but entirely effective and harmonious, allowing the quality of the ingredients to shine through. The drinks menu is equally great and the service is pretty much as good as you can get in a restaurant in my opinion. The staff are genuinely friendly without being weird and intense and you aren't getting upsold on stuff 24/7, they will offer a true opinion when asked. It's definitely worth a visit, and then maybe a few more.

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  3. Steven

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Top level cookery, service and overall ambiance. Everything that’s good about British cuisine.

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  4. John

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and generous portions. Highly recommend.

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  5. OpenTable Diner

    New York City

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    St John's famously provides a unique take on classic British cooking. The food is interesting and unfussy, and based on fresh market ingredients. The menu changes daily. Our appetizers, a pork terrine and mussels with cabbage were excellent, as were the deserts. I am sure that there were better choices, but our main dishes were not good. In particular, salted goat, which was two small slices prepared as a cured ham, did not taste like anything, and was very disappointing. It was also strangely the most expensive main at 32 pounds. The dish did also have two whole cooked carrots, which were good. Our second main dish was mallard duck, was OK, but it somewhat lacked in flavor. The wine list, which has a good reputation, is actually way overpriced, and we didn't like our red Roussillon wine which cast 100 pounds. The service was slow, because the server, who was pleasant and capable, had too many tables to cover.

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  6. Charles

    East Sussex

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Bloody brilliant Proper food supported by great service Thank you We will be back

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  7. Kaye

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a fabulous experience at St John. The brand is strong which sometimes leads to restaurants getting lazy but we found a varied menu with exciting options that were not over-laboured. The staff were attentive without being over-fussy and made some excellent recommendations.

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  8. Debra

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent evening for husbands birthday , we will be back

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  9. Tamanna

    London

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Service was really poor. Our waiter kept ignoring us and food was late. Noticed other tables getting their food a lot earlier and more attentive service. Food was mediocre at best. The bone marrow had no flavouring. Room was cold. Pathway to the toilet smelt like awful drains. Overall, such a disappointing experience.

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  10. MatthewR

    London

    38 reviews

    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food and service. 1st visit for a whike but as good as always. Service prompt and friendly. The braised hare was a real treat.

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FAQs

St. JOHN Smithfield is rated 4.8 stars by 4153 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 p.m.

Select a time

Booked 55 times today
Google Map for St. JOHN Smithfield

26 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Neighbourhood
    Farringdon
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 12:00 pm–3:00 pm Sun 12:00 pm–4:00 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 6:00 pm–10:30 pm
  • Price
    £41 and over
  • Cuisines
    British
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Public transit
    Farringdon Station, Barbican Station
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Steve Darou
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Beer, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    020 7251 0848
  • Private party facilities
    The Private Dining Room can accommodate up to 16 guests (terms and conditions apply). St. JOHN bar and restaurant is available for private hire. Please contact amelie@stjohnrestaurant.com for details.
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