Award-winning

St. JOHN Smithfield

Name: St. JOHN Smithfield
Address: 26 St John Street, London, United Kingdom, EC1M 4AY
Telephone: 020 7251 0848
Price range: £41 and over
Rating: 4.8

4.8 (4249)

£41 and over

British

26 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 74 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 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
Website
http://www.stjohnrestaurant.com/
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.

Location
26 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY
Award-winning
1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
Neighborhood
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 4,249 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

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.7Service
4.7Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Energetic

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 offers a "lively ambiance" and "world-class dinner" experiences. Patrons rave about its "fresh and savory" dishes, including bone marrow and rarebit. The service is often described as "excellent" and "friendly," contributing to the restaurant's reputation as "the best in London." A haven for those seeking "timeless" British cuisine.

4,249 Reviews

J
Julia
Philadelphia County1 review
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always, always excellent. This kitchen presents beautiful simple food -- perfectly cooked and seasoned. We have never had a bad meal at St. John.
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D
David
California Central Coast2 reviews
4.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Very good at every level. Interesting food beautifully prepared.
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R
Ronald
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic as always. The food was on point and the staff were kind to explain the many curiosities on the menu. Excellent drink choices as always.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City1 review
3.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
Food was fantastic but the service was slow, distracted, cold, without personality.
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A
Anna
London1 review
4.0
Dined on June 6, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We really enjoyed our first visit to St John restaurant. The food was great and very plentiful! There was nothing we didn’t enjoy immensely (except perhaps the greens which were slightly undercooked and rather cold when they got to us). The Welsh Rarebit was fantastic! Very rich and very delicious. We had it as a starter, but be careful —it might well dent your appetite! The mackerel main was outstanding-I took mine off the bone and couldn’t believe how much fish was left for me to enjoy, which I definitely did. My husband had the liver and found it very tasty if a little rich. Our desert was decadent and delicious. It was a moist ginger pudding covered with caramel sauce and a blob of ice cream on the top. And a huge serving. Wow! We were fit to burst by now and just couldn’t manage the madeleines that are much applauded. I had a glass of house red, which I also enjoyed and it was very reasonably priced. The service was very friendly and efficient without being intrusive or over the top, and nothing was too much trouble. We loved our time at this restaurant and will certainly go again.
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J
James
London10 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always fabulous. I tried gurnard for the first time - delicious white fish but rather ugly! Everything was to the usual high standard. The only suggestion I would make is that France isn’t the only country that produces wine. It would be great to see at least an English Sparkling on the wine list- some are now better than many champagnes. I’ve never been to a French restaurant that doesn’t have French wine. Why are we not so loyal?
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S
Sue
Berkshire16 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, service and ambience . Had the most lovely afternoon
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M
María
San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We dine at St. JOHN after a friend recommended it, and it did not disappoint! It had a lively ambiance, the food was fresh and savory, and the staff were welcoming and delightful. Definitely recommend!
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a
aragoto
Tokyo Metropolitan Area2 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 4, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great as always. Lovely people, terrific food, good value.
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N
Neil
London12 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 3, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Another exceptional lunch in this unique restaurant!
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FAQs

St. JOHN Smithfield is rated 4.8 stars by 4249 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 14, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 74 times today

26 St John Street, London, EC1M 4AY

Dining areas

Additional information

Award-winning
1. MICHELIN 1 Star 2023
Neighborhood
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

Website
http://www.stjohnrestaurant.com/
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.

St. JOHN Smithfield

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 4,249 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is St. JOHN Smithfield restaurant rated?

Is St. JOHN Smithfield currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information