St. John is an English restaurant on St. John Street in Smithfield, London. It was opened in October 1994 at a former bacon smokehouse location. St. John specializes in "nose to tail eating," which includes offal and other cuts of meat that help reclaim traditional British recipes. Typical dishes include pigs' ears, ducks' hearts, trotters, pigs' tails, bone marrow and squirrel. As a result, St. John has developed a following amongst gastronomic circles: "chefs, foodies, food writers and cooks on sabbatical."



St. John has won numerous awards and accolades, including Best British and Best Overall London Restaurant at the 2001 Moet & Chandon Restaurant Awards. It has also been listed as one of the top 50 restaurants in the world. In 2011, it placed 41st. It was awarded a Michelin star in 2009.



The interior made me feel like I was in a hipster tavern. The menu changes daily and begins with small bites and descends into larger portions.



We started with the complimentary crusty bread and perfectly softened butter.



Roast bone marrow & parsley salad



Halibut, leeks & tartare sauce



Grilled jerusalem artichoke, red onion, olive - this was revelatory. It stands out in my mind because I did not know an artichoke could taste like this. I had never had anything like this before and never have I since it had this perfectly soft and firm texture and a wonderfully savory flavor.



Deep-fried plaice, little gem & aioli



Eccles cake & Lancashire cheese



Ginger loaf, butterscotch sauce, and malt ice cream



One for the books.

Grade: A