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St. JOHN Smithfield, London,
Award-winning

St. JOHN Smithfield

4.8
4.8
4167 Reviews
£41 and over
British

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 64 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

  • Location
    26 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY
  • Award-winning
    1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
  • Phone number
    020 7251 0848
  • 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
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Steve Darou

Menu

View menu on restaurant's website

What 4,167 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

Noise • Energetic

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 offers a "unique take on classic British cooking," consistently praised for its "amazing food" and "great service." The atmosphere is "cozy and vibrant," with a focus on sustainable and original dishes. The "nose to tail" dining concept features standout items like bone marrow on toast and a varied wine list. Despite some service inconsistencies, the overall experience is "worth a visit, and then maybe a few more."

4,167 Reviews

  1. Laura

    Washington DC

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was unique and delicious. We ate things you cannot get anywhere else. It was a little loud and service was a little slow, but it was worth the wait!

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  2. Susana

    London

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    Terrible ! I call I was late they didn’t save my table ! Because I came alone the guy before even wave me water ask me for physical card I told him I use Apple Pay and he literally didn’t give me time for think what I want and order my order and make me paid even before the water !

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  3. OpenTable Diner

    London

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding food and outstanding service what more can you want 💁🏻‍♂️

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  4. Christopher

    VIP

    Chicago

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Incredible. One of the great restaurants of the world.

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  5. Thom

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A culinary institution, best food experience in London.

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  6. Michael

    London

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I've been coming to St John whenever I visit London for well over 20 years. I always have a great time.

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  7. Josh

    London

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 28, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Right, we have been lucky enough to have eaten some beautiful food over our lives, but honestly, without a doubt, this was the great meal we have had. We were lucky enough to be sat at the table closest to the kitchen, which was a joy to watch as the chefs prepare, clean, cook all with ease. The bone marrow on toast with parsley salad was the single great plate of food we’ve eaten. It was so good we ordered it twice. It really does exceed expectation. We also ordered the beetroot & red cabbage salad with crème fraiche, braised fennel with Goats curd followed by bread & butter pudding. It was outstanding. The service was brilliant with the waitresses and waiters being down to earth, explaining our food and having a laugh (which we don’t usually find in restaurants like this!). The dining room was also just visually beautiful. Highly recommend

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    London

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 27, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything great but the Hare I took didn’t taste nice at all.

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  9. Ben

    VIP

    London

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on February 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I’ve been going to St John in Smithfield for about 25 years. It’s still just perfect. The people who work there have a beautiful balance of knowing they are lucky to be part of that legacy but equally that they are what makes it so great. Brilliant staff. Brilliant food. Brilliant wine. I still love it.

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  10. Ginevra

    Caribbean

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    An amazing place with incredible food! The staff was extremely kind, friendly, and welcoming. We’ll definitely be returning! The madeleines were absolutely delicious, and we even brought some home with us.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

St. JOHN Smithfield is rated 4.8 stars by 4167 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 PM
Booked 64 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
  • Phone number
    020 7251 0848
  • 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
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Steve Darou
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