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St. JOHN Smithfield, London,
Award-winning

St. JOHN Smithfield

4.7 (4224)
£41 and over
British
26 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY

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2 people
19:00
Booked 62 times today

About this restaurant

  • 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 12:00–15:00 Sun 12:00–16:00 Dinner Mon–Sat 18:00–22:30
  • Phone number
  • 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 4,224 people are saying

St. JOHN Smithfield reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

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

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

NoiseEnergetic

Loved For

  • City of London

    Innovative

  • City of London

    British

  • City of London

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
St. JOHN Smithfield is celebrated for its "exceptional food" and "knowledgeable service," offering a menu that highlights "perfectly balanced" British cuisine. Guests appreciate the "beautifully pared-back ambience" and "fun, friendly staff." The restaurant excels with standout dishes like bone marrow, and the "extensive wine list" perfectly complements the dishes.

4,224 Reviews
  1. Roger VIP

    London8 reviews

    2.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    We live locally and this was our first time back in a number of years. We, and our friends, were excited by the menu and no-nonsense service. Appetisers bland, how can Bone Marrow taste of nothing! Mains…..very very average. But the biggest issue was service. £190 per person for lunch, and waiting staff were bored and non engaging. Shan’t bother again

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  2. Michael VIP

    San Francisco18 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Still great after all these years. Fergus Henderson is the chef that made me want to cook. He changed the world of cooking. And for the better. Not like ponces making fey bites of overworked nonsense.

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  3. Mike

    London2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An absolutely wonderful experience from the moment we walked in. Front of house were so accommodating & polite and our waitress was just phenomenal. Talked through the entire menu & specials as well as making perfect suggestions. It was a special occasion (my wife’s 40th) and we honestly felt like the only 2 in the restaurant. Would highly recommend the bone marrow, sweet breads and lobster toasts. A truly fabulous experience and we’d love to go back IMMEDIATELY!!

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  4. Helen

    Tokyo Metropolitan Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 14 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was impeccable. Food was excellent. Thoroughly enjoyable lunch for two old friends. Thank you.

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  5. Peggy VIP

    Philadelphia County86 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 13 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Absolute perfection. Everything was at its best. The service stood out. Our server, David, was knowledgeable, attentive, and charming. The manager anticipated our needs and comped appetizers due to a wait before we even got antsy. And the food was special, inventive and delicious. Thank you for this experience!

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  6. Lori

    San Francisco29 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The venue is surprisingly casual and everyone is very friendly! My server was wonderful and explained everything, answering all my questions thoroughly. The food was wonderful and the price was very reasonable. I enjoyed the quail eggs, the bone marrow salad, the Turbot and the rhubarb jelly with custard. Supreme!

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  7. ConorG

    Dublin2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 12 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was amazing food was amazing my favourite place to eat in London

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  8. Jennifer VIP

    San Francisco43 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 9 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Not my first visit and it was just as Wonderful from start to finish. Laurent was a kind and gracious host. June an excellent server with great knowledge and a friendly demeanor. The atmosphere is relaxed and the food shined from the bread and butter to the Kohlrabi salad which was well balanced. The fried steak and anchovy butter was amazing as was the bone marrow which never disappoints. The whole skate was perfectly prepared and the tartar sauce was a pleasant addition. And I cannot say enough about the spring greens! To die for. Thanks for another memorable evening.

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  9. Robert

    Toronto / Ontario6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 9 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always amazing food An great eclectic wine list Love the bar as well

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  10. Andrew VIP

    London13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on 8 May 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Just outstanding as always. Such amazingly friendly and well informed service and the chicken and trotter pie was a thing of beauty.

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FAQs

St. JOHN Smithfield is rated 4.7 stars by 4224 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United Kingdom
  3. London
  4. City of London
  5. Farringdon

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
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 12:00–15:00 Sun 12:00–16:00 Dinner Mon–Sat 18:00–22:30
  • 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
  • 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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