London Girl Loves: St John

New year, new me? Nah, I’m taking things back a little, to catch up on some of the best eats of 2018 that have yet to make it to the blog. When I started my new job last year, I told myself that I’d go on a fancy meal once a month. Being a food writer and having this blog, I’m lucky enough to get invited to loads of restaurants, but sometimes you’ve gotta shake things up and head somewhere really impressive. And that’s where St John comes in.

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I realised that Clerkenwell is within walking distance of my office, so dinner at @st.john.restaurant had to be done! Full review coming soon, because it was just too good not to share. But for now, here’s a shot of *those* fresh-out-the-oven Madeleines 👌🏽 #LondonGirlMunches — 💭10/10

A post shared by Anisah 🍴🍸 (@londongirlmunches) on Jul 3, 2018 at 1:03am PDT

A whole six months ago, I grabbed my fellow foodie-loving mate and got down to the Smithfield spot for a catch-up. Taking a seat in the spacious dining room, we watched as the space slowly filled up. By the time we’d leave, the restaurant would be heaving… on a Tuesday… in Clerkenwell. With St John known for its impressive offal, we had meat on the mind. So we cracked open a bottle of wine and made our way through the menu.

Of course, we had to kick things off with the roast bone marrow. Paired with toasted bread and parsley salad, the signature dish was a tasty start. Lamb tongues with celariac and green sauce were good but not quite as delicious as their predecessor. Taking things to a whole new level, was the lamb sweetbread with peas and bacon. Trust me when I say, you’ve never tasted anything like this before. Bursting full of flavour, I still have dreams about this one.

Ending with something a little lighter, we went for smoked eel with samphire and creme fraiche. Another one for the books, the eel was perfectly cooked, with a texture that I’ve yet to come across. I’ve got my eye on the updated version, adding beetroot and horseradish to the smoked eel. If it’s anything like the summer dish, then we’re in for a treat.

Now we couldn’t leave without ordering a batch of Madeleines, could we? Freshly baked and ready in minutes, we inhaled the warm, buttery morsels. With the intimate interiors, incredible meat-centric dishes and attentive service, this was one meal that I was more than happy to pay for. A little pricier than I’m used to, this is one for those times when you’re really looking to impress with a quality meal.

A meaty 9.5/10