St John

Since October 1994 inspired chef Fergus Henderson's 'nose to tale eating' restaurant (with co-founder Trevor Gulliver) has put offal back on the table, with dishes such as rolled spleen, deep-fried tripe (and chips) and bone marrow and parsley salad dominating a menu that reassuringly also offers 'normal' dishes. Henderson's motto: if you're gonna kill an animal use all of it. The 'nose to tale' ethos — which draws from French and Italian practices and is not, as is thought, quintessentially British — started at the dining room Henderson operated on the first floor of the French House in Soho's Dean St. St John is singluar and exceptional, including the service. Full stop. Food is served in both the main dining area and in the bar. This now-classic institution is located in a white-walled former smokehouse in atmospheric Smithfield, and boasts a smaller but equally visually appealing second outlet – St John Bread & Wine [see entry] – in the east London area Spitalfields, where on Sunday mornings you can drown a hangover with some of London's finest bacon sandwiches. In 2018 Henderson opened a bakery in Neal's Yard in Covent Garden, but the goods have travelled well across town to get there, resulting in bread, doughnuts et al that sadly qualify as 'semi-industrial artistan'. In October 2022 a satellite St John opened in Marylebone (98A Marylebone Lane). Tube station/Elizabeth line: Farringdon.