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St. JOHN Smithfield, London,
Award-winning

St. JOHN Smithfield

4.8
4.8
4149 Reviews
£41 and over
British

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2 people
11:00 pm
Booked 62 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
  • Area
    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 4,149 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 of London

    Best Value

  • City of London

    Innovative

  • City of London

    British

  • City of London

    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.

4,149 Reviews
  1. John

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

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

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  2. Charles

    East Sussex

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 3 days ago

    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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  3. Kaye

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    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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  4. Debra

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    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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  5. Tamanna

    London

    4 reviews

    1.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    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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  6. MatthewR

    London

    38 reviews

    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    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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  7. Nicolás

    Dublin

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    We got the Roasted Bone Barrow, Braised Hogget, Rarebit and Greens — everything to share between the two of us. They were also great, but the Hogget stole the show. We could have done without the Rarebit, though as we felt it was a bit much in the end. Only one slight blemish: after starters, it took about half an hour for our main dish to arrive. Other than that, St. John did not disappoint!

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  8. Ollie

    Birmingham

    13 reviews

    4.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Bone marrow dish was the star of the show. Food was good, service was good, but nothing blew me away. Prices fairly respected that. Overall a very good meal. I would consider coming back :)

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  9. Ellen

    Berlin

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on 31 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing food, staff and service. A really fun atmosphere. Perfect spot for lunch or dinner.

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  10. Julian

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 28 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    St John is and has been for many years, quite simply, my favourite restaurant in London. Exceptional food prepared and delivered in a no-nonsense fashion. Michael, our server, hovers attentively but never intrudes. A delight.

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FAQs

St. JOHN Smithfield is rated 4.8 stars by 4149 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
11:00 pm
Booked 62 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
  • Area
    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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