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

One of the best meals ever. In hindsight I wish I'd done a meal of starters rather than 1 starter and 1 entree. We showed up half an hour early and was able to be seated immediately. It was a luxurious meal that lasted nearly 3 hours and we never felt rushed. The staff even comp'd us glasses of wine due to our dessert taking longer than expected ( we didn't even notice it taking a long time but they apologized for the chef burning the dessert & remaking it). Can't wait to go back! read more

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A simple restaurant that provides classic flavors that's executed properly. Items will change with the season, so go with what's in season and fresh. If you have a chance to buy some bread take some home with you. I had the following: 1) Ox Heart, Picked Walnut & Watercress: the heart was a little tough but delivered a good flavor while the watercress was refreshing and cleansing. 2) Devilled Lamb's Kidneys: full of gaminess and you could almost feel what the lamb ate. This can go either way. If you like food to have that gamey essence then you'll really enjoy this dish. If you don't think you'll probably hate it. I enjoyed it while it might have been a tag gamey for my own personal pallet. Service was friendly and helpful. And accommodated with my questions with the unfamiliar menu. read more

Across the road from the Spitafield Markets, the former bank building stills maintains its old school institutional charm with high ceilings and white walls which serves as a bakery and restaurant offering breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Old Spot Bacon sandwich at £6.30 is what dreams are made of - lightly grilled, thick bread made on site, rashers of juicy old spot bacon and a side of tomato relish, it should does hit the spot. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Definitely a must! Service was attentive and discreet. read more

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

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If you are looking for traditional English grub, St John Bread and Wine is the absolute ultimate and perfect for taking your friends to Sunday lunch. You can even order a whole roast suckling pig which will feed up to 16 dinners but the little piggy must be ordered a week in advance and will set you back £320. We did this for a friend's birthday and I have to admit, it is well worth doing if you are looking for a special Sunday lunch. If you like your food you will love it here - don't take anyone who is on a diet or calorie conscious because the grub is here to be enjoyed. The staff are wonderful and the dining area is very quaint and with a pleasant atmosphere. They also do some delicious desserts which should not be resisted! read more

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Despite a meat-heavy menu, there's plenty of stuff for your vegetarian friends. In addition to what's listed on the menu, they can adapt certain dishes to be meat-free. It's a pretty loud space, so not the kind of spot for a romantic dinner or serious talk, but great for a fun night with friends. The wine list is extensive with plenty by the glass. Our waitress didn't let us down with any recommendations - we left the food and wine up to her and were not disappoint. Portion sizes were more than adequate, and we managed to polish off both desserts despite their ample size. (The bread pudding swimming in caramel sauce was too good to leave behind!) Book a table - they are popular. read more

At the top of Anthony Bourdain's list of places to eat before you die! The bone marrow w/ parsley and a lil sea salt on toast was sinful. The Pork cheeks are to die for! Will definitely return on our next trip back to London! read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Bone Marrow w/ parsley on toast! - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

Argh! No bone marrow on the menu. Thats ok, the menu selection was great. Excellent for hanging out with friends, snacking on small plates, and drunk happiness over some really good wine. And yes, I went here because it was featured on Anthony Bourdain (he's my hero). Although I went solo, next time I'm in the UK, I'll squeeze in a return trip packing friends! Quail - simple served plain Foie Gras on toast - Ok Razor Clams - Awesome Blood cake w/bacon - Brilliant! read more

Hate and love are actually personal experiences. Often people place hate or love on an object or individual but hate and love actually are the subject's prerogative rather than an innate ontological quality of the subject in itself. Hate and Love are essentially One's aesthetic experience of the object or individual at large. Morality is a direct binary to food. Not a metaphor but an expression of the same faculties merely at a level lower on the totem. If one does not like a flavor it is akin to one being prejudice against a foreigner's culture or appearance simply because they are inexperienced in that stranger's culture and historically what is foreign or strange is to be assumed to be unsafe or even dangerous. A foreign flavor or texture could be associated to this same kind of evolutionary bias that once disclosed to oneself through introspection and understood to be simply that, a kind of unnecessary primitive prejudice serving no more purpose than ones appendix organ or a keyboard preset after one has become a proficient keyboard player. Distaste and prejudice, at this stage of self awareness should naturally and even enthusiastically be very easily abandoned through intellectual, i.e. moral, curiosity. Morality and ethics are not intuitive to the human animal but are rather learned and appreciated as is an acquired taste. St. John more than any other culinary experience has provoked this kind of introspection long after eating there. Philosophizing about bone marrow is as dilletante-ish as bringing bootleg recordings into the ivory tower to analyze. But what at first is challenging either conceptually and or to the senses becomes a strength once overcome and an urge to express that strength remains as an unforgettable impression. These are the kinds of transformations the heart seeks out deep down. The kind of transfiguration that are the mile markers in life. Not that a meal could compare to marriage, child birth, love or heartbreak but the same faculties are in fact at use and whereas typically great and challenging life moments can evoke this kinds of experiences there are, I believe, smaller versions of them to be found through other more corporeal senses as well. read more

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

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Aaaaaaah where do I start ?!?! Middle white is a muuuuuust. It.s got tons of fatty bits and meats for the ones who prefer that meat portion vs the tendon-ish parts. Duck is excellent...fall off the bone COD fritters are killer, I could eat two plates on my own (keep the tartar sauce for future dishes!) Pigs tale is the best towards the chunkiness thick part because it.s just sooooo fatty like pork belly Ox heart is okay....nothing spectacular, tastes good Bone marrow is soooo rich and delicious I mixed it w some of the cords tartar sauce Rhubarb crumble was tart but topping was great Opt for the dozen Madeleins! W malt ice cream. Toffee pudding is ur classic pudding (like the date ones) read more

St. John Bread & Wine was chosen by a friend as a lunch spot. I had no preconceptions of what to expect but found it to be a very eclectic kind of place. Both in terms of the clientele and the menu. Our waiter, an Australian fella was very friendly and explained a number of the dishes which were not immediately apparent as to what they were or how much food would be on the plate. We had the opportunity to share dishes which was good. The atmosphere was un-rushed and I'm two hours flew by. Water and bread was regularly topped up without asking. The wines on offer were very good but I'm no expert. My taste buds just said yes! I can recommend the sprats with horseradish. The raspberry sorbet with vodka was also very good. It has a fresh, clean, yet rustic appearance. It also has a good vibe. I'd definitely recommend it. read more

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I ate at St John Bread & Wine on August 24th, 2019. This review is a long time coming, but I had to try to put into words about my experience here. I specifically wanted to eat here as a celebration, as it was the 4th anniversary of my kidney transplant. i had booked my table months and months before my trip to the UK, and this date was special. I had advised restaurant that is was just a small thing for me, but they treated me right, and I would go there weekly if I lived in London. For starters, I had a duck liver and foie gras toast. It was rich and creamy and unctuous. I almost couldn't eat anything else. My main course was a salad of bitter greens and crispy pig cheek. We don't have pork that really tastes like that in Canada, unless you are getting it from a specialty meat shop. This was pork turned up to 11. I really thought I had died and went to heaven. the finale of my dinner was a parfait called the Knickerbocker Glory. It was sweet, tangy, sour, and everything else. I honestly don't remember, or care how much this meal cost, because the friendliness and hospitality of the management and staff were second to none. Will be an evening I will not soon forget read more

This was by far the best restaurant we visited while in London. We tried lots of different plates including ox tongue, boiled ham, and cold mutton. Our favorite was the chicken liver on toast. Even our very picky 14 year ate the food. Which is high praise for her. read more

I wouldn't necessarily say that St John's is anti-vegetarian rather, it's pro-meat. A lot of meat! In fact three days later I still feel more pig than lady. Much of this lingering, bloated haze can be attributed to the pig's head and prune terrine my boyfriend and I demolished as our first of four small dishes. So meaty. So dense. So sweet. Delicious! Before we'd finished this our second dish arrived- giant langoustines served with mustard mayonnaise. Yum! While some people might prefer their seafood sliced finely and served at perpendicular angels, I say hand me the beast and let me crack my own way into the good stuff! And good stuff it was, sweet prawny heaven! Time for a third plate to join our already brimming table. Our token veggie option (we didn't want to be getting scurvy after all) was a beautiful salad of Jerusalem artichokes, roasted red onion and rocket. The rocket actually ended up being watercress which was a pleasant surprise although I would have preferred slightly less dressing- this was supposed to be the healthy choice after all. Still, I'm sure both my conscience and my body benefited from the vegetable interval! Finally our mutton and kale arrived to join the party. Essentially this was a really great stew, slow cooked, wholesome and warming. Personally, I could have done with a little more kale to break up the meatiness of it all but as far as complaints go, this is hardly worth mentioning. If you haven't grasped it already, I'm a big fan of this restaurant! St John Bread and Wine is a far less formal than its bigger sister and all the better for it. There was something especially lovely about watching a couple of young children fight for the last scrap of pigs head- beats listening to bankers talk money that's for sure! Hopefully next time I visit I'll have had the foresight to pre-order the suckling pig- you've never known food envy until you see one of these carried past your table! Five paragraphs and I haven't even mentioned the bread or the wine- oh well maybe I'll have to leave something for you to discover yourselves. Take it from me though, this place won't disappoint- well recommended! read more

Mmm.. we do have some issues with the food here. Yes, you will eat some "strange" things. Well, I lived in Asia for a long time, I ate spiders, grasshoppers, boar's ears, dog testicles, therefore a pig head or a pigeon are not that strange for me, I cooked both of them in my house.. I went on a monday night. Went with a friend, the Maître de salle asked for a reservation and then allowed us to sit down: well, in the end no tables were reserved (nobody with a reservation came while we were seated), so why asking to us for it?! You fussy picky man! Let's start with the food: first of all, the foie gras IS NOT foie gras! come on, dear friends, are you crazy!? If I'm asking for foie gras, I DO want to have it, and that's not what I received on the plate. What I received was Pâté of foie gras mixed with cream, not that bad, but it's not what I asked, especially for that price! The dishes alone deserve a 0/5, completely wrong. Lang onglet.. not that bad, I had better lambs but still, everything was fine.... The ox tongue: it's dry!! But that's not a problem of cooking, or a simple error: the dish as it's been thought is completely wrong, if you want to give me a grilled ox tongue it's better for you to give me something to cope with the obvious dryness you will create on the dish! are you crazy?! I mean, did you ever attended a cooking class or what?! The duck leg is probably the best thing caming out from the kitchen to our tables tonight: beautifully cooked, not particularly creative (but nobody was asking for something special), just an awesome piece of meat! Speaking about the wine: first of all, in a place with "wine" in the sign, I don't expect to see just french wines: it's not a matter of nationalism, but come on, why do you need 5 Côtes du Rhône but 0 italian or spanish wines!? We paid 28 £ for a bordeaux 2008 which was probably worth less than 13 £, something you can get from an off-licence store at 2am without any issue, The service is probably the worst one I ever experienced since I am in London. Our waiter was just rude, unpolite and stupid, it mae everything we were asking like it was a permission he granted us, that's not what I want in such a club! In conclusion... stay away from here! with all the restaurants in shoreditch, it's just too easy to find a better place! read more

After reading about St. John proper, it was a pleasure to come across St. John Bread & Wine while walking around the outskirts of Spitalfields Market. Luckily, we were able to procure a table without a reservation on Mother's Day, which is no small task. My girlfriend and I enjoyed a reasonably priced bottle of Viognier with olives, Jerusalem artichoke soup, a light salad, a pasta-esque dish of stacked fennel and cheese, a whole quail with aioli and another salad with pigs skin, sorrel and chicory. Highlights include the artichoke soup and pigs skin salad, but the quail tops my list. The preparation of small birds and game in the UK and continental Europe is an art and the kitchen at St. John has mastered this fine art. Kudos to the kitchen for the simplicity of this memorable dish. The staff is lovely and not forceful at all; they know how to give you enough space to enjoy your meal but not feel forgotten. The design is sleek but not cold, it's actually rather welcoming. Best of all was the caramel treacle with custard to finish the meal, a fantastic British treat. St. John Bread & Wine is must do for any lover of great food and the good life. read more

This review is solely based off breakfast and service. We visited as part of a walking tour and had the bacon breakfast sandwich. It was amazing. The bacon was crisp and thick, the bread was dense, chewy and perfectly salted and the house made ketchup made it even better. We also had an apricot filled donut which was really great too. We liked the outside and texture of the donut but we were surprised that the inside filling wasn't really a jam at all - it was more like a thick compote, large bits of fruit. It is a great bakery for what we had but the service was a little slow and inattentive. Coffee was great. read more

St. John Bread & Wine - #TheFoodieFamily's trips and food travels. - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

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Could be the UK's best restaurant? Certainly one of the most unique dining experiences in the UK. Incredible staff who will help you understand the food and wine and some signature dishes that you'll dream about as your death row meals (yeh I'm talking about the marrowbone and toast, of course). Might look pricey but it's not really - get a couple of dishes to share and you'll leave paying around 25-30 each with a drink or two. Outstanding. read more

It was my first night in London so I was extremely excited to go out and try a restaurant that has such great reviews on this app. But I have NEVER had such a terrible experience at a restaurant in my whole life. The waitress I had was so beyond rude to me. She offended me, basically saying it was embarrassing I couldn't afford to buy more food at the place when I was full, she overcharged us for something she convinced us was free, and lastly she rushed us the whole time. Overall, I have never encountered such bad service. I will never step a foot back into this place and I recommend you don't either if you sit down and see your waitress is a woman with black hair, bangs, and the most unwelcoming face I have ever seen. I wish I got her name. read more

I don't have enough proof to give it 5 stars, so I am giving it 5 stars based on instinct.....because this is a "love at first bite" kind of place. I walked in around 6:30 for an early business dinner, and I just loved how unassuming and simple the place is and that smell of fresh bread just knocked my socks off. Of course I love that they have an ample wine list and then the most interesting of menus. I ordered the mussels in cider for a whopping £6.50 thinking that would be my appetizer, but it was a massive portion--so much that I couldn't even finish it (although I must confess eating a lot of bread, but the bread was just soooo good and both the bread and I were so happy soaking up the delicious cider broth!). I wish I had had room for dessert because they sounded divine. I was definitely drooling over other tables' plates--there was a beet salad that looked divine. This place is definitely on my "A" list--I can't wait to go back with a big group and sample away! read more

St John produces the best bacon sandwich ever. I had one yesterday for breakfast and I can't stop myself from wanting one every morning going forward. If you're smart enough to go for one, you'll find loads of Old Spot English bacon in between heavily buttered sliced of beautifully chewy toasted bread (baked on site, I assume). Served on the side is a very tasty homemade ketchup. I suggest slathering it on your sandwich. I think it is most similar to an American barbeque sauce, tangy with almost a hint of spicy bite. read more

Been to this East-end spot a few times; for a large birthday, for dinner with my lady, and for a weekend meal with friends. This place is best suited for a nice slow weekend meal. In the evenings it gets a bit loud and at the birthday party, we all struggled to have a decent conversation. However, we were so busy stuffing our faces with the tasty food, we barely said a word. Each time I have gone, I have ordered something totally different and the menu changes with the season. My favourite dish has been the saddle of rabbit with some sort of prune sauce. I have had the eccles cakes twice, both times they were crumbly and flavourful, just as they should be. Great wine selection, and some excellent cheaper bottles. The service was a little sluggish and at one point we had waited quite some time for our bill to come. read more

Food = Good, Service = Could be better. Wait time: Disappointing. We ordered 4 starters and i believe we probably waited for about 40 minutes. The starters were not very complicated, especially mine which was essentially a beetroot salad (beetrood, goat cheese, chickweed) - didn't require any kind of cooking unless you consider pickling the few slices of beetroot. Otherwise, we ordered: - Sardines with Green Sauce - this is fish with lots of bones in it - could be cooked a bit longer to make the bones either crunchy or steamed longer to make it soft, but didn't quite make it there. - Foie Gras and Duck Liver Toast - this was very delicious, the toast was thick and the fois gras and duck liver was awesome on top of it. -Potted Hare served with pickled cucumber - This too was pretty good. The hare didn't taste too gamey and went really well with the bread. - Beetroot, Chickweed, (Some kind of Goat Cheese whose name i don't remember anymore :( ) -- I actually ordered this and it was probably the best beetroot salad i've had. (I haven't had many yet, but intend to from now on). FYI, this place is also known for it's bread - which i must say was good - thick, fresh and filling. Long wait, ok service but Great Food. Overall i'd give the Food a rating for 4 stars, but the wait was a bit ridiculous so have dropped it to 3. read more

A new restaurant to add to my list of favorites in London. So far it is a short list just because there are SO MANY places to try and SO LITTLE time. But St John deserves a return trip, or two, or three. To start, the bread and butter is divine. It's fresh and, duh, the place is called St John Bread and Wine. They have to have good bread. Then we move on to a fresh cauliflower, chickpea, and artichoke salad. It came in a light mustardy dressing with some parsley. Loved it. I normally wouldn't go straight for raw cauliflower, but it worked. Then onto the smoked mackerel. Served kind of like tuna in the states, but way better, way butterier, way creamier, a bit fishier, I would just say better. In all respects. Spread on a nice warm piece of toast with some purple cabbage and it's perfect. The dishes just kept getting better. Next was the crispy pig skin with aioli. I can't describe the feeling of elation, delight, and just the teensiest bit of disgust as the fat melts in your mouth. The good kind of disgust if there ever was one. You know it's bad. But it's so good. And you know what? Let's dip it in some fat sauce that we call aioli. Last and BEST was the blood cake with duck egg. I have very little experience with blood cake, black pudding, etc. But this was phenomenal. There's also an element of fat to it, but it's richer and more pervasive through the whole blood cake. It was just amazing. And I want more. And the duck egg was just the duck egg on the blood cake (my new phrase for icing on the cake). It just made it all that much better. read more

I'm not sure what else to say but WOW! This is for adventurous eaters so be prepared!!! I was so excited when a friend suggested this place so already had high expectations and this even exceeded those!! A group of us ordered a bottle of red wine and ordered a bunch of dishes: Quail and crab jelly- the quail was delicious and flavored nicely. The jelly added an interesting element but I think could have done without Crab - amazing! Super fresh and consistency Rabbit - almost like a pate consistency, I really enjoyed it with a little chutney on bread Ox- really liked this dish- filling and flavorful but not too heavy oMGGGGG- the dessert was off the CHAIN- freshly baked madelines -- so delicious, light,fluffy, and luscious. You really need to check out this spot if you're open to trying new and different places! read more

Caveat: I've only ever had breakfast here. Because it's the most delicious. And you should come, too! But if you're looking for dinner recs, well...I WILL ONLY BE RHAPSODIZING ABOUT BACON SANDWICHES IN THIS REVIEW. So, St. John Bread & Wine does a lot right. The menu changes lots, is time-straddled based on when regular supplier deliveries come in, and is *perfect* but not *precious* about it. Breakfast is served 9 - 11. There are four-ish options. Beautiful white toasty bread with honey. Stewed stone fruit with yogurt. Oatmeal. Prunes. Brioche. Delicious hearty goodness, and all worthy in and of themselves. Except. EXCEPT. There's a bacon sandwich on the menu which basically means you should ignore all of the above and...go for it. The bread is white and milky and ever-so-slightly sweet. It's grilled, so has a slight char to it (this ain't yo' Mama's Wonder bread, though it is *wonder*ful). The bacon is from old spot pigs; brined and hung and cooked perfectly so it's soft, not crispy (ideal sandwich-filler). The bread has a coating of REAL BUTTER and the sandwich comes with a house-made ketchup flavoured with apple which gives it a sweet tang. Paired with an americano? Looking out at the world as an early September drizzle threatens? PERFECTO. Service great; totally unobtrusive, but on point. Yelp note: on Saturdays they have donuts for sale at the counter. Get them. Especially if it's a day featuring lemon curd/custard-filled ones (sorry, skinny jeans!) read more

Hard to fault this charming, super social, open plan, open kitchen- restaurant. Relaxed atmosphere, attentive staff who know what they are talking about when it comes to questions about the food or wine served here. I have yet to be disappointed and have eaten at St John's Bread and Wine several times and at the St John's hotel once too. The langoustines were the best I have ever tasted- I even sucked the brain out which I've always been scared to do- but boy does it have flavour! I've had some good chicken liver pate, fabulous beetroot salad and incredible onglet- just a handful of the delicacies they had to offer when I visited. The menu is ever changing so no chance of getting bored. A wonderful very British dining experinece. Go with an empty stomach! read more

Great place with a nice relaxed athmospher. We loved the attentive service, the tasty quail, the duck liver and foie gras bread ( the bread!!!) the mussels, and the fish cream and egg (that perfectly soft booked egg). read more

St. John Bread & Wine - Tasty fish paste and soft boiled egg - Bakeries Near Me - London, XGL

I went here for a nice meal with family who were visiting. The decor is quite mininalist, what you'd expect for a fancy restaurant, but this adds to its charm and the food is amazing. The bread and butter was a great start to the meal - in my opionion you can't beat good quality, freshly baked bread! We had a selection of starters to share, the highlight of which was the foie gras toast - beautifully creamy and melt in the mouth. We all had the Ox Cheek Pie, topped with mash for a main course. The cheeks were so tender they were falling apart, but were also pink in the middle (I'm not sure how they managed that!). The mashed potato was perfectly smooth, although it was ever so slightly too salty for my taste. Overall, this was one of the nicest meals I have had in a restaurant, made all the better by the fact that the food is slightly different to what you'd normally find on the menu. read more

Do not go in summer! The food was great but the service was very slow and the room oppressively hot. The windows don't open and the open kitchen makes the room hot even on a pleasant evening. Save this for winter. read more

St. John Bread and Wine is a great place to share small plates with a friend or a few. It's a little out of the way, but worth it. We ordered four plates for the 2 of us. - brown crabmeat with toasted bread - artisanal cheese plate: 4 delicious cheeses plus bread - purple sprouted broccoli with duck egg - white middle faggot with butternut squash This was definitely more than enough for 2, unless you've got a very hearty appetite. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed everything we had. I wish I lived about 3,900 and some odd miles closer so I could try a few more dishes! read more

Quick glance: + delicious food + unusual ingredients + great selection of wine - pricey - service felt a bit hit and miss St John Bread and Wine is a fun place to dine, whether for lunch or dinner, thanks to its daily changing menus using whatever ingredients the chef get their hands on fresh on that day. It shows how versatile the chefs are when it comes to creating delicious meals. There are always one or two ingredients on the menu that I haven't heard of, and I love learning about new food and ingredients. The restaurant is great for casual business lunches, catch up with friends over dinner, or a dinner date for two foodie without that pretentious ambiance. It's a bit on the pricey side but the food is superb, and there is a good selection of wine. Service was a bit hit and miss at times, like forgetting our request for additional bread, or having one of the dishes come well after everything has been eaten (we were sharing 6 dishes tapas-style amongst four). Service might have felt lackluster at times, but the staff were courteous enough when we were almost the last to leave the door. And the food and wine really make it a good dining experience overall. read more

I love starting my mornings at St. John Bread & Wine when traveling to London. Why? The place is so quiet and relaxed with a friendly staff - always. I love the simple, beautiful decor and the unique history of the building. Okay, so the food... It is so good. The bacon sandwich is heavenly. And really cheap too. The bacon's taste is grilled, meaty and perfect in every single way. Their homemade ketchup is a lovely side too. Finally I find the coffee great too. Simple prepared but in the best way. No fancy cappuccinos, but a strong cup of coffee with a side of warm milk. That's how it should be. read more

On a recent trip to London, my boyfriend and I decided to eat at St. John Bread and Wine before a night out in Shoreditch/Hackney. We were pretty disappointed with all the other food we had eaten in London. This restaurant was a delight because everything was meaty. I am gaga for anything meat. This place was heavenly because there was pork in everything except dessert which was a little disappointing. We tried a pork and endive salad which was pretty amazing. I honestly never had such amazing ham in a salad before. We tried sheep's cheek, lamb stew, and...... Foie gras and duck liver toast is sooooooooooooo fucking delicious. I honestly can't apologize for the profanity because it's the only way I know how express how good it was. It tasted like meat cream cheese. Maybe not the most appetizing way to describe it but it was so good I wanted to cry. I was definitely having one of those close-your-eyes-because-it-tastes-so-good-moments. We finished our meal with chocolate and a golden biscuit. Super YUMMY! If you're in the Shoreditch or Hackney area, swing by for a tasty dinner at St. John's Bread and Wine. read more

We had an impromptu dinner at St. Johns and found that most of what is written here is true - cool minimalist room, friendly service and an affordable wine list. One other comment is that with many things on the menu you are unfamiliar with, and a relatively unstructured menu, it is easy to create a rather oddly-structured meal - which we did. Food is on the simple side, but well-cooked, and always some odd choices available. Also, be warned - menu items disappear quickly as the kitchen runs out so earlier is probably better. read more

Kind of a super important place on the world food map. They are dragging offal back into daylight, highlighting well done British food and challenging you to try things you may have only read about in Dickens novels. When I was there I was told that I couldn't have the mullet until 8:20 because that's when it arrived from the guy who caught it that day and brings it over for dinner service. And like clockwork, there it was a waxy cardboard fish box with hand-wrapped fresh mullet. The dish I will remember is the blood pudding with lightly cooked duck egg sunny-side-up on top. It could be the most decadent thing I've ever had. Going to London and not coming here is a sin. And when you eat here you feel like you're sinning :) read more

Okay Fellow Yelpers if you have a pallet that needs an oomph of sensory delights then St Johns is not the place for you. The restaurant usp is in its carnivorous offerings of all off cuts available on the day. The cooking is very simple and I suppose let's the meat do the talking. My veal was bland and the boiled veg it came with even blander, at £26 for three slices it really didn't do it for me. If you like your food to give you a real sensory delight you may come away dissapointed read more

#Yelp Review of #StJohnBreadandWine Having tried the other outstanding St. John's restaurants, I had yet to get to this one. It was, in the best possible way, predictably delicious though different from the others. While all the St. John restaurants have similar nose to tail style dishes, they are varied so you won't eat off the same menu. SJBW in Spitalfield is for lack of a better word the more relaxed of the group even though none of them are particularly fussy. Maybe its proximity to every increasingly trendy Shoreditch made the clientele a bit more hip or perhaps it was that almost local hangout type feel which gave this spot its own unique vibe. Service was attentive, yet not on top of you, the food was seasonal and the wine list selective while not being pretentious. I opted for the roasted port belly which was like a rich piece of bacon that melted in your mouth as it was so well cooked. The menu it must be said might not be to a pickier eater's liking but it is also not crazy or off putting. Deluxe cooking in a hipster's paradise. read more

St John Bread and Wine is a really amazing place. I went there for lunch a few months ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The whole experience was really nice, from the service, to the food, to the ambience. The place itself has a really minimalistic design, with a strong white paint and polished wood vibe. I really like the open style kitchen as well. The staff were really good and not over bearing at all. They really do use many bits of animals in really creative and delicious ways, and I love the contemporary twist that they give to the traditional food. I didn't realise how cheap it was to have lunch at St. John's, our mains were much less that 10 pounds each. read more

Since I wasn't in London long enough to gather 16 friends to have a whole roast pig at St. John, a friend took me to the Spitalfields location for a meal instead! We ordered a variety of starters, but the one I remembered most was the broad bean and lovage soup. I didn't expect it to be cold, but the flavors and depth of the pureed soup were AMAZING. I would come back to St. John just for this dish alone! The Tomatoes & Pickled Walnut on Toast were also very delicious, despite my first impression of, "Well, it's just tomatoes on toast.. how good can that be?" The speckled face lamb was also fantastic. The meal was finished off with some fresh baked madeleines that were to die for. I'm sad that I'm thousands of miles away from the best food I had in London now. read more