islandhippy

I had heard great things about St. John in London and couldn't wait to try it. For years people have recommended this place to me, presumably because they know I like to eat meat! St. John is a carnivore's paradise, which specializes in using every part of an animal. Nose-to-tail cookery they call it. The menu reads like a textbook of veterinary anatomy.

St. JOHN Bar and Restaurant—we'll dispense with the uppercase JOHN from here on in as it's annoying to hit the Shift key and the restaurant's own website frequently forgets to use caps—is housed in a former smokehouse around the corner from Smithfield Market. Smithfield is one of London's oldest livestock markets, which has been trading since the tenth century. I seem to recall scoffing a delicious wild boar hot dog there on a previous visit to the UK. Anyway, it's a fitting location for this restaurant as haute slaughterhouse is what St. John does best.

The Ox Cheek had already run out by the time we sat down to order but we still managed to feast on Pig Skin Salad; Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad with Sourdough Toast; Langoustines; Calf's Liver & Shallots; Smoked Eel, Beetroot & Horseradish; Braised Rabbit, Turnips & Bacon; and Pigeon with Chard.

With the exception of the Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad with Sourdough Toast and the Smoked Eel, Beetroot & Horseradish, both of which were really very good, the food on the night we were there was tasty but not outstanding; I expected more from a Michelin-starred restaurant. However, the menu changes daily—twice daily—and there are so many delicious sounding dishes I've heard about from other disciples of St. John that I would love to go back and try more. Holly and Nel ate at St John a couple of weeks earlier and had Pigs Tongue Salad; Kid Chop; and Skate ... sounds good!

The restaurant posts its lunch and dinner menu online every day so you can bone up (ho ho) on the dishes in advance. Maybe next time we'll check out the menu online and, when we see the perfect combination of dishes, hang out at the bar and wait for a no-show table.

What made our evening special was bumping into cousins in the restaurant. We spent so long catching up at the bar that we must have been the last two tables to be seated.

With it's simple, offal-inspired dishes, friendly and experienced staff and casual ambience, this is a must-try restaurant when you're next in London. Book well in advance.

St. JOHN Bar and Restaurant
26 St John Street
London EC1M 4AY
England
Reservations: +44 (0) 20 7251 0848
www.stjohnrestaurant.co.uk