This restaurant serves simple, traditional food, but with a flair. I was there for lunch and had ordered a Welsh rabbit, which is basically a cheese on toast, but had great ingredients and Home made bread. The Service was pleasant, and the waiter was attentive. I was there just after they open the restaurant so there was not too many people there, but I can imagine that it was quite a place to go to. read more

St John Bread and wine features a very unique menu with some very creative dishes. Almost like a cafe style feel to the establishment with a more upscale feel to it. Featuring a wide and great selection of wines. The food was all very delicious along with great service. The space felt a little tight and the tables were a little small. Overall a great place to stop in for some wonderful food with a nice and local charm to the place. read more

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We always enjoy our meals here on our trips to London, I think we prefer it to the original St.John in Smithfield. I used to be a big fan of the owner when he was the chef at French House, many years ago. As a British expat living in the U.S., I love the old school British dishes here; Welsh Rarebit, Bone Marrow etc the fish is always good and on our last visit we had the best razor clams I've ever eaten. Service is good, the surroundings are pleasant, good wines. Highly recommended ! read more

Overall, had a nice dinner here and would recommend trying it if you have a few days in London. The ambience itself is a bit crowded packed with tables upon tables and there seemed to be one main waiter, so the service was a bit slow. The drinks are well-priced and the wine was pretty good, so that made up for it. - Celery salt & quail eggs: hard to maneuver but so worth it. So creamy & delicious - Welsh rarebit: this was the most recommended and was fine. Not the most spectacular fried cheese dish I've had - Snails & oakleaf: I rather enjoyed this but probably wouldn't be that special to everyone. The snail meat was plentiful and tasty - Crispy pig's skin: a nice interval between the other dishes. Well done - Deviled crab: I am inherently opposed to dining experiences that involve digging crab meat out of shells. The meat was well seasoned but the experience of breaking everything apart in the butter was just not worth it. Everyone seemed to have gotten this, so maybe I'm alone in this opinion - Braised mutton: This was good. The portion was larger than I expected and a nice way to end the meal. - Added on peas & trotter as a side-dish. A huge portion of peas but a nice accompaniment to the mains read more

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Solid 4.5 stars Uniquely inventive tasty food that is not fussy. Everything we tried was delicious. Madeleines, Welsh rarebit and Shetland beef and mash were standout. Simple buzzing atmosphere, plain tables and decor. Unfussy but comfortable. Service was hit and miss. Our waitress forgot a few things and had to be asked again which is never nice. We ordered negronis and food at the same. Drinks came out when we were already halfway done with first dish read more

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Excellent. The rarebit is absolutely incredible, as are the smoked cod roe and the madeleines for dessert. The pig skin salad was also excellent, as was the roast saddleback. We were less crazy about the mackerel, which also felt like overkill with how much other (very heavy) food we had already eaten by that point. read more

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Longer review to follow. Definitely lives up to their long term reputation for perfecting simple, brilliant British cuisine. Be sure to get whatever is recommended. Best chicken liver toast I ever eaten, served alongside brandied prune and cornichons. read more

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I'm shocked to read good reviews about this restaurant because our food was extremely unpleasant. I got served the worst food I've tasted in the past 3-4 years. Wait staff is friendly but they can't make up for the atrocities committed by the kitchen. Everything is uniformly salty, no other flavour depths. My partner got beef roast he said it's mid. I got pigeon, lentils and aioli. The meat was so raw it's like catching a live flying pigeon and biting into it. So meat has no flavor, then lentil dressing was extremely salty. Even the anchovy toast is burnt and salty. Seriously they charge 7 GBP for burnt toast. We got 1 app, 2 main, 2 sides, 1 desert. Bill came to 130 pounds, but seriously all dishes we got were unappetizing. read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Pigeon, lentils and aioli - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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I wanted to love this place, I really did. Eating at a St. John establishment has been on my bucket list forever since watching Bourdain do a segment with Fergus Henderson back in the day with bone marrow on toast and black pudding with eggs. I was on business with colleagues and able to score a reservation within walking distance of our billet. It was to be my last (and hopefully best) meal while abroad and I figured I saved the best for last. It is an attractive space nestled next to Spitalfields Market, quite near to some historic Jack the Ripper sights. This means that you are surrounded by a lot of people out to have a good time and spend some money. Walking in, I got the first sense that we might be in for a long night. Initially there was a nice sense of hurriedness in the kitchen and the floor staff were really hustling to get food to the tables. After a few minutes of watching this with no one coming to greet us, it got a little awkward. So we waited and eventually a server told us someone would get to us. It did not appear that there was a dedicated host and I noted about 4 waitstaff, a manager, and a expediter in chef whites all running food out to tables. In between, they often went into the kitchen to try to help put items together and even cleaning dishware at one point. It seemed like they were either people down or the kitchen was really deep in the weeds. I had a great view of the kitchen though and the dedicated cooks seemed to be keeping their cool. It was also very loud. I think it was because it was compact with maybe 50 people dining and the acoustics were terrible. As it got busier, it got so loud every time the servers would come to speak with us, we had to ask them to repeat several times because we simply could not hear them at normal speaking distances and volumes above the background din. I can overlook acoustics since some of that has to do with the old-age design charm of the building. Since it's really about the food, how was it? Good, old-school inventive (meaning it really does use some interesting cuts in a snout to tail kind of way) by dressing things up but salty. My table mates and I love salt and even we thought a few of the items crossed the line. It was great to order some things that one really can't find often such as chicken hearts and pork skin. But some of the fun was removed when the chicken hearts came out on once-crispy toast drowning in jus so it was just a soggy mess. Tasted good but was just a salty, gummy dish. We ate the hearts and left the toast. For my money, the star of the show was the lamb hearts with green sauce and mint. Perfectly seared rare, sliced thin and any gaminess was dealt with by the acidic, herbal sauce. That was a fantastic dish. Here comes the bad part: Our 4 starters and a bottle of wine came out quickly and we polished those off, and then the wait started. About 20 min in, we got 1 of the larger dishes (consider them to be more like mains) and another about 10 min later. About 60 min after that we had not received the other 2 and no one came to even check on us. Food was flying out to other tables and at one point, I did see a billow of smoke come out of an oven and wondered if it was our partridge burning and maybe in need of a do-over. We became so jet-lagged and tired of waiting that at about 75 minutes of waiting with no new food and no one checking on us, I asked them to simply cancel the rest and bring us the bill. The manager came over and told us that the partridge was already being done and would be out shortly and I got the sense that she was pleading with us to stay so we did. I felt bad and did not want them to have to waste a partridge or eat the cost. She asked me if there was anything she could do to make the situation right. I never suggest a discount under these circumstances because I feel bad doing that. I understand they are having a tough night but I wish she would have suggested it or simply just done it. Or done something, anything as a token of compensation. She knew we were not happy and she acknowledged that it was a delay on their end but she did not really make it right. After another 10-15 min, the partridge came out which was ok but forgettable and we canceled the sweetbreads since they had never shown up. They brought our check, charged us full bore, thanked us for coming in and let us leave which was disappointing because I will not make the effort to repeat. There are so many great spots to eat in London and this one seems like it used to be one of them but I'm not so sure any longer and since I don't get to London often, I'm not going to chance it. My disclaimer here is that I don't like to give harsh reviews and I have only been here once. This may have been a very off night for them and judging by most other reviews, that would seem to be the case so I hope this review is simply from the once in a million table that did not enjoy itself here on this particular evening. read more

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The service wasn't the best on our visit but you're not getting these plates and flavours anywhere else. Such a celebration of food. read more

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Excellent service and rustic dishes Came here as a tourist and felt like this was hip place all the locals went to! Our waiter was attentive and helped us pick dishes since we were not totally familiar with everything. I think the dishes were a little too rustic for us. There was a lot of raw cauliflower, the sardines were a little too bony and salty, and the beef tongue was a little too adventurous. Really wanted to like it! read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Beef tongue - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

I'm wowed! We made a reservation and were seated promptly. The style of this place is to order dishes to share, and this is what we did! We got the smoked mackerel, turbot, oxtail, and eccles cake to share amongst two people. The mackerel was mindblowing! The smoked flavor was strong, and the fish was nice and salty. There were tons of small bones, so you have to be careful eating it! The turbot was so tender and flaky, and the butter made it extra tasty. The oxtail was also tender and fell off the bone. The eccles cake (pastry with fruit filling inside) was unique and interesting, especially with the cheese. Overall, I really enjoyed the dinner! read more

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I'm sure my impression is tainted by all the restaurants I've visited all over the world but this food looks and tastes bad. By that I mean there are a lot of dishes in various shades of brown and just bland and greasy. The atmosphere when we went was extremely loud so much that we didn't speak to each other as a couple as we couldnt hear and it was annoying to keep repeating things. Service was brusk but efficient, my only complaint was a visibly sick server coughing into her hands frequently then opening and serving wine and glasses. Maybe it's just my US sensibilities but I didn't like that. read more

Classic British Food While most people think of fish and chips when thinking of British food, it encompasses many more dishes of both baked, cured, and oven-varieties St. John Restaurant is often recommended as representing traditional British fare and their convenient Bread and Wine location at Spitalfields Market is an easy stop after browsing all the great market goods The menu changes daily and we sampled a variety of classics from braised beef and mash to a welsh rarebit and several types of cured fish The prep here is top notch and the flavors are more diverse than the bland British food you might find at a tourist stop: worth a stop to sample real British fare Smoked Cod's Roe, Egg, and Cress £10.80 / Anchovy, Boiled Egg and Mayonnaise £11.10 / Welsh Rarebit (hot cheese sauce over toasted bread) £9 / Smoked Mackerel and Pickled Cucumber £10.10 / Braised Beef and Mash £22.90 / Greens (Cabbage with salt and oil) £5.60 / Bloody Mary £8.50 / Bread and Butter St. John Bread and Wine (London, United Kingdom) St. John accepts credit cards and is indoor dining only. read more

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Long overdue review. This is the place that I used to come when I was staying in London. It's near Spitalfield market. I usually came for lunch and literally enjoyed all the dishes that I ordered. Very delicious menu. All the dishes were cooked in perfect timing. Give it a try then you'll know, it's just great cooking. Make sure to try the pastry, bread was on point too! Overall, I'm still glad that I made it back to this place before COVID, St. John Bread & Wine really lives up to its reputation, hands down. I recommend this place! read more

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I had very high expectations and it lived up to them. As snack I shared an anchovy toast which was perfect to start with. Then, as entrée I had a salad of lamb's offal with chicory and anchovy which was really good and well seasoned. As main I had grilled ox heart that was perfectly cooked, it was really tender. Madeleines are perfect to finish, soft and not too sweet. Service is also good and attentive and wine is great. Given quality and quite good portions, prices are completely fair. read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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The atmosphere and staff were pretty nice. We were 4 people and we went there for lunch. They provided some "nose to tail eating" which was nice but the taste was pretty average. The sea bass was good though. Overall I was a bit disappointed by the not-so-impressive food. I felt it was a little overpriced and overrated as well. read more

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We had planned a trip to St John Bread and Wine for quite a while and we were happy to participate in #EatOuttoHelpOut. The service, ambience, and food were all impeccable. This was quite a delightful experience and we really enjoyed everything that we ordered. From crispy pig skin to the apple and peach cobbler, everything was elegant and delightful. Thank you for such a wonderful experience. Visual review: https://youtu.be/cc-hjyaE2QU read more

On a recent visit to London, we enjoyed St. John's innovative, ingredient-driven approach to British food. Smoked cod roe on toast with egg was very tasty, but slightly overwhelming at the end due to its size and texture. A combination of soft farm cheese and grilled green onions were unique, bitter, and delicious. Cold pork salad was fine but not a standout dish. Of the savoury dishes, the best may have been the simple combination of Welsh rarebit with gloriously buttered peas. I would eat that for dinner every day of the week. You will not regret getting dessert. On the downside, St. John's seems to go out of its way to obscure and complicate. Over half the dishes on the menu were incomprehensible due to the use of rare varietal names for ingredients such as pork and cheese. My preference is that a 15 minute conversation with the server not be necessary just to order. Service was perfectly adequate, but not overly warm or welcoming. The wine and cocktail menu were both wonderful, with many options at all price points. I enjoyed a negroni with a touch of fernet to start the meal, which was unique and delicious. Overall, a fantastic meal. read more

Really great restaurant. Very friendly staff and great food. We just dropped in for drinks and dessert but plan to come back for dinner. The fresh baked madeleines were our favorite. The negronis were amazing drinks. We also really enjoyed our bread and butter pudding with clotted cream and the twice baked chocolate cake. read more

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OK, you must of heard of the gastro-pub revolution which took place a few years ago? Started by uber-chef Fergus Henderson who started the whole nose-to-tail movement highlighting offal meats? Highlighted by Anthony Bourdain who-knows-how-many times? Well, if you can't get a table at Fergus' main restaurant in Smithfield, then you can come here at the sister restaurant , literally across the road from Spitalfield's Market. If you come here around the beginning of lunchtime, you can often get in without a reservation which is exactly what I managed to do. I had spent the earlier part of the morning checking out the Sunday madness that is known as Bricklane vintage shops, food carts and the Sunday Columbia Road Flower market, so I was famished and tired out so I was very happy I got in. I of course had the signature roasted bone marrow and parsley starter, followed up by the mussels and had the treacle pie with Devonshire clotted cream. All of it was fantastic. The bread and butter they offer is amazing. I don't know quite how to put this but the butter really tasted yellow, the way it should be. The vibe here is very casual but make no mistake, everyone eating here is a discerning foodie. I'm definitely coming back the next time I'm in London and mark my words, I'm already planning my return. read more

Delicious, service was nice and quick. Our waiter was nice and really helped us order. Despite the menu being a little vague we ended up ordering amazing dishes! read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Steak special - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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Amazing food. The place was almost empty for lunch, but don't let that fool you because the quality of the food was top notch. I ordered the crispy pig cheeks with radish, roasted shallot, dandelion, and capers. It sounded strange and looked equally strange, but tasted absolutely delicious. I followed it with eccles cakes and Lancashire cheese. A true British item I have been waiting to try from the right place. It was fabulous. The pastry mixed with the spiced currants and the creamy cheese was such a wonderful combination. What I thought was the manager brought a taste of a dessert wine that he insisted I try with it. It was a lovely touch and another wonderful combination. Highly recommend. read more

As humans, we are genetically designed through years of evolution (yes, I believe in evolution), to seek, chase, takedown (for the lack of a better word), and devour our prey. Hands and fingers designed upon high (I believe in the Almighty also. Why can't there be both?) to grip a blade, sling a rock, toss a spear, draw a bow string, and pull a trigger. Somewhere along that time line, we found it easier to domesticate our carnivores pleasures, but even then, the generations who came long before us never wasted...never. The Whole Beast: Nose to Tail Eating -- Fergus Henderson (Raise your hand if you read it? No one? I did.) Mr. Henderson is the owner/executive chef here at St. John (yeah, the one on Bourdain's show) Bread and Wine, and interesting enough? He has no formal training as a chef, nor has he ever worked for another chef. What he has done is make offal popular again. Offal is basically this: the by products of a animal that once were simply discarded. Think: Bone marrow, cheek, intestine, heart, kidneys, lungs, ears, tail and snout...flavor, and it is that. It possibly (most likely) started right here. So when you are enjoying that rich velvety sauce, that spiced marrow (for which you are charged a arm or leg) remember, the chef who created that (most) possibility got it here (but I doubt they know it). I got there early on a damp, crisp, March morning. Walking along I was struck by the fact, that in the early mist (fog), there were no horse drawn carriages (the street really feels that way). I had one meal in mind...the bacon sandwich (bacon is ham in the U.K., and most other places in the world). Exit Barbican Station and head slightly north and then Southwest on West Smithfield. A couple of blocks down you'll see Smithfield Market on the right...walk through it and up St John Street, it's on the right. No one wanted to come here to eat. It was done to placate me. Everyone else ordered the bacon sandwich, so I didn't. I had the Bacon (remember, it's Ham) and sunny eggs on the pan fried bread. And what a treat it was. If you have ever read Hemingway's short "The Battler," you can now go back in time to when Nick Adams stumbles upon Ad Francis and enjoys the ham and egg sandwich that Ad's road buddy Bugs cooks. It's Glouster Old Spot pig, whose meat is smoked to perfection. Two (most definitely, and here's how I know: yoke color is the tell-tale (heart?) sign) organic free range eggs on a slab of dripping soaked, pan fried, house made, brown sourdough. This comes with a side of St. John house made ketchup (tomato, vinegar, apple and spice). I could almost feel old Ad wanting to take a poke at me as I hungeredly gobbled it down. After I had helped with the leftover bacon sandwiches of my comrades, and they had departed to the market. I lingered. I ask if I might see the supper menu and was told it was still in the planning stages. Much like Gandhi, I stayed put...waiting (it was like a sit-in). I had another bloody-mary. Finally, the Chef de Cuisine present me with his working copy as if it were some sacred ancient parchment. I took a pic and returned it. Happy to have gotten my way (it is posted, their menu is often revolving and evolving). I love St. John Bread and Wine (all wines are French), and can't hardly wait to get back for supper. I remember, as a kid, how my friends ridiculed me cause we ate hog jowl, home canned black-eyed peas, and scratch made cornbread while they went with their high maka maka parents to the local Piggly Wiggly (raise your hand if you've ever been to a Piggly Wiggly? Ahhhh, you're showing your age). Now, I scoff. Aloha :) read more

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3.4/5 This restaurant was really out of the way from where we stayed. It was a long walk from the closest subway station. The set up of the restaurant felt like a classroom or cafeteria with an open kitchen and coat rack along the side wall Not a big menu and there are some specials on the front wall. Took awhile to figure what we wanted and finally decided on Quail and Bramley jelly, braised squid, Crispy Tamsworth pork. Out of the 3 I like the tamsworth pork very flavorful kind of like a salad with crispy roasted pork quite delicious. read more

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Great food, love the nose to tail concept! Had the: 1) pigs tongue with dandelion and mustard-y sauce (fantastic, great textures with the crispness of the dandelion next to the softness of the different cuts of tongue, tied together with the dressing and brightness of the acid in it), 2) bone marrow (buttery roasted marrow that you scoop out of the bones and spread on toasted bread, topped with parsley and sea salt - I like this savory preparation opposed to the usual fruit accompaniment. Also got: 3) calf liver (so flavorful! Surprised by how much I liked this. Great texture-not overcooked and grainy, but creamy. Shared with my husband, for one person the portion might be too much liver, but if you like liver, you will love this! 4) roasted grouse (a type of poultry), which was interesting but a bit too gamey for my taste. Great, friendly service (shockingly good for London), so pleasantly surprised there. Love the concept of nose to tail-like how every part of the animal is utilized and nothing is wasted; not the easiest thing to prepare, but St. John's does it best! read more

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I came to St. John's for their famous filled doughnut. The doughnut was fluffy, and they clearly did not skimp on the custard filling. I thought the dough could have been better as it was a little dry. It was a delicious doughnut, but I think I prefer Bread Ahead's doughnuts. They are slightly cheaper than Bread Ahead's doughnuts though. St. John's Bread and Wine also serves savory dishes. Everything on the menu looked really delicious, so next time I want to come back for an actual meal! read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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I hadn't dined here since 2009 and it's simple yet well-executed menu is still as revelatory as it was then. I had the whole plaice with samphire, brown butter and capers. My companion had the faggots with mushy peas. We shared a side of perfectly boiled jersey royal potatoes that were tossed in butter and sprinkled with parsley. It was just the sort of heartwarming British food that we were looking to have. Thank you for your vision and consistent adherence to it! read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

My husband and I were wandering London on foot and stumbled upon this adorable little eatery. It was rainy and lunch wasn't being served for another 15 minutes but the friendly proprietor welcomed us in to dry off and gave us a lovely table. Although the place wasn't quite ready, the folks were extremely friendly and kind. Once the lunch hour rolled around, we were given limited menus with a variety of yummy sounding options. We started off with a nice plate of fresh, crusty bread and butter. Since it was cold and rainy, I opted to warm up with the special starter of the day, a pureed cauliflower soup. This soup turned out to be one of my favorite things I ate in London! My husband ordered the crispy pig's cheek with a light dandelion and mustard salad. Since the items are meant to be shared, we had a blast trying bites of each others' dishes. Next up was the Fennel and Berkswell: I love food and I've eaten local dishes all over the world, but that was something I'd never heard of. My standing foodie tourist policy is that when something is unfamiliar on a menu, I order it. This dish was delicious. It reminded me of my Southern Grandmama's macaroni pie that I used to eat when I was a kid. We passed on dessert but the table next to us had ordered the cheese plate and it looked really beautiful! Maybe next time. All of the portions were fresh, light, and very tasty. Note that this restaurant, like most everywhere else in the city, is not inexpensive. Still, it's a great place to dine if you find yourself in the neighborhood. read more

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There is an old-school vibe at St. John, and the food is old-school incredible! Their menu is full of classics, but the presentation and combinations can be very modern, and it appeals to adventurous eaters of all ages. The Duck Liver and Foie Gras Toast is rich classic, but I've never seen anything like the White Cabbage, Brown Shrimp and Cervil. It's a crisp, garden-fresh sort-of slaw with tiny brown shrimp that pack a lot of sea-foam flavor. The Fennel and Berkswell is absolutely amazing, firm curds-n-wheyish cheese under a sweet shroud of fennel. The mussels in the Mussels, Cider and Dill are small flavor-bursts, and the cider-laced sauce is perfect for dipping sourdough. The Beef Heart in sliced thin and marinated in balsamic to lighten it up. The bobby beans are exceptional, and I love the texture and sweetness of the pickled walnuts. The Deviled Lamb Kidneys are indescribable. The signature game of lamb is not lost, but the commonly rubbery texture is transformed into something tender. The sauce is heavy and dark, but the chili pepper adds a bang. The Treacle Tart is a first for me. I love that it's more salty than sweet. The Madeleines follow, fresh-baked sticks of butter with a sprinkle of batter. Whoever said that the food in London is lacking is an idiot. St. John is living proof that British food can be brilliant, and this place is tied for my favorite food in London. Keep doing what you're doing, St. John, I'm coming back for more kidneys! read more

Came here after seeing Anthony Bourdains London show. My first experience with blood sausage was the best ever. It was worth the trip. The bacon butty was an amazing treat as well. The bread was really good! read more

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What a pleasant night we had at St Johns last night! I'd heard good things from my wife about it being a real foodie destination and upon arrival we were greeted by an enthusiastic waitress who had an incredible knowledge of all the dishes on offer! What St Johns serves is basically gourmet British dishes served in a tapas style where all the dishes are brought out when ready and are perfect for sharing. If the truth be known our table of 6 probably did have eyes bigger than our bellies (which were well stuffed by the end of the night) and we ate a wide variety from sea, farm and ground! My favourite dishes were probably the crab, the artichokes and lamb! I probably wouldn't order the snails again as it was a bit of a case of spot the snail amongst all the lettuce. I think my real fave had to be the Rhubarb Eton Mess which was excellent - 3 of our group ordered it and really couldn't say anything bad about it - yum! Overall, great food in a very relaxed setting. One for fans of traditional British fodder cooked in an authentic and exciting way! read more

St. John Bread & Wine - The menu - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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If I fancy a slightly more special lunch whilst I'm shopping on Brick Lane then I head up the road to St. John Bread & Wine. A British style bakery and wine shop with an eating area, I appreciate their eclectic take on British food and the easy-on-the eye modern interior. The dining area has a composed air about it and the waiting staff are very attentive, yet it still has a less formal dining experience than what the menu may suggest. The seating is arranged on the window side whilst the other half is the partially open kitchen area, this works well as the bare interior is warmed by the presence of the chefs busily at work. The restaurant has set times and vairying for breakfast (from 9am), elevenses, lunch and finally super from 6pm, which is very English way of doing things that I find nice, great for the hobbit in you. Their slightly eccentric take on traditional British food wont appeal to everyones palate, for example at the moment they have 'Pig's Head, Mustard and Kale' on the menu, but I enjoy their adventurous style without the gimmicky element that seems to be so popular in many restaurants at the moment. I recently tried the 'Purple Sprouting Broccoli and Duck Egg' and the 'Quince Jelly Fool', both were gorgeously simple and tasty. Their deserts are a mix of super rich, such as 'Eccles Cake & Lancashire Cheese' and super refreshing with 'Bullace Sorbet & Russian Vodka' one that is great to balance the richer mains with. I have a real weakness for their eccles cakes that are jam packed with currents, teamed with a pot of tea, these make the perfect elevenses. You can take these form the bakery area on the way out so we usually pick up a few as we leave. I've also had the best EVER damson jam here, which I actually re-labeled and passed off as my own one year for the neighbours Christmas present, but we wont mention anymore about that! A real flagship eatery for great British food. read more

We went to this place and was more than half emty. When we asked for a table for 3 we have been told that they are fully booked for 3 people. We felt discriminated. So if you are a family of 3, you should not go out to eat. If you a group of 5 or 7, again, you should be eating at home instead. read more

One of the pioneers of "Nose to Tail" dining, St. John Bread & Wine celebrates all things naturally edible. The menu is exciting and ever-changing. And, if it can be foraged, found, or caught, you will see it pop on St. John's menu with style. This restaurant has other iterations of itself scattered throughout London and all are set-up in a casual, laid-back fashion. Great for both lunch and dinner, it will impress even the snobbiest of your food-worshippers friends! read more

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Ate here with family and friends over Christmas. Yuk. This is not head to tail cuisine, it is head and tail cuisine. There were no prime cuts of meat to be found anywhere on the menu; only the cuts that people were forced to eat 100 years ago, because they had to sell the better parts of the animal in order to survive. Now wealthy people pay top dollar to see how poor people ate. Anyone appreciate the irony here? If you are a fan of this restaurant, probably not. There is a perfectly sustainable way use these heretofore unwanted parts of the animal-dog food. It is not necessary for humans to consume them. To be fair, many of the desserts were excellent. St. John's excels at baked goods and has a lovely, small bakery in Neal's yard which is well worth the visit. Thank goodness that both rich and poor alike had equal access to the basic ingredients necessary to make bread and other bakery items. Otherwise who knows what this hipster hoax of a restaurant would be serving as desert. read more

Unbelievable as always. Great vibe, always full of people having fun. Service always over the top but casual flare to it! The servings we shared between the six of us, the way they serve mains, salads and starters randomly is a exceptional idea. It's a long flight from my Canadian home, but look forward to the next visit! read more

A friend recently told me that St. John Bread & Wine did the best bacon sandwich he had ever had. Now that I have tried it, I can confirm he is correct. It's also probably the most expensive bacon sandwich I've ever had at £6.90, but it's worth every penny. The bread is a soft sourdough, the bacon is thick and plentiful, and it's topped with home made tomato ketchup. I haven't been back here at lunch or dinner time, but if it's anything like the St John near Islington, it would definitely score 5 stars. read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Best bacon sandwich ever - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

Excellent, excellent food. Came here with my friend for our lunch date. The menu is spectacular! So many options, we had trouble just sticking to 4 dishes and not ordering everything. The portions are perfect size so if you can try a lot of options without filling up quickly. They are also perfect for sharing! I wish I had taken a picture of our menu as the menu changes daily and will even differ between lunch and supper. We tried the quail with delicious apple chutney, some asparagus and a salad, a bowl of lentils with leeks I believe and sour cream. To top it all off our dessert was fresh baked madeleines and some ginger ice cream. I absolutely loved the whole meal but dessert was definitely my favourite! It took us about 4 hours to eat and talk and they paid no mind. I'm not a fan of places that rush you to eat and get out, I prefer to relax and enjoy my meal which St. John Bread and Wine definitely does. The staff were especially courteous and welcoming. They provide great recommendations if you can't decide what to get; our waitress drew our attention to the specials of the day including the ginger ice cream and I'm so grateful she did! Wonderful atmosphere, delicious food, lovely staff. Definitely not a cheap lunch but extremely worth it! read more

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This is a place to visit to demonstrate a few things. One, that British food can be damn good. It's crazy to me that people in the USA think that eating in Britain is going to be torture (I had a friend ask me, 'What did you eat in London? I just saw a travel program with Rick Steves and he said there is nothing to eat in London.' Stupid). Anyway, St. John (both locations) makes really, really interesting, challenging and good food. This week I had starters of grilled sardines in a parsley sauce--incredibly fresh, firm, and tasty--and a salad of fresh greens and pig heart (not a typo), and followed that with pork cheeks braised with parsnips (the pork was incredibly tender and tasty, the parsnips were sweet with a porky flavor as both were in a rich, flavorful broth). Oh, so good... Second, this place will not break the bank. It's a bargain for London. Dinner for two with a nice bottle of plonk was less expensive than a lunch of fish and chips with a beer at Harrods food hall. Pretty incredible for a true foodie experience in London. The setting is very casual and yet feels old and authentic, you know you are in London. The food is challenging (I know I have friends who would look at the short menu and see sardines-liver-pork cheek-trotter-pig heart) and say there is nothing they want to eat. But St John is a great, affordable London eating experience. Swing by the pub before or after and you have a great evening! read more