Best Restaurants in St. John's
St. John's, the vibrant capital of Newfoundland and Labrador, is not only known for its colourful row houses and rich history, but also for its diverse culinary scene. From fresh seafood to traditional Newfoundland dishes, the city offers a variety of dining experiences that cater to all taste buds. This article will guide you through the best restaurants in St. John's, each offering a unique blend of atmosphere, service, and most importantly, delicious food. Whether you're a local or a tourist, a foodie or a casual diner, prepare to embark on a gastronomic journey that will tantalize your palate and leave you craving for more.
St john bread and wine
4.6
(827)
Rotating menus feature traditional British fare & a diverse wine list in upbeat, white-walled digs.
Reviews:
I remember hearing of this restaurant back when we had cable and Anthony Bourdain was alive and well. So glad that I finally made it to LDN and had a chance to venture and try this, even if it wasn’t the original restaurant. It was just as good, though! Interesting menu - if I had to do it over again I wouldn’t be so adventurous. With this menu it was easy. We had fried pig’s tail - def what it is - a decadent fried pig tail. And some standard English fare like this lamb roast that was excellent. I would come here just for their excellent wine selection and bar service. I had the best martini I had during my entire stay in London and another great cocktail - the owner’s version of an Negroni. Can’t remember the name but it was clever and cute. Ended with gooseberry fool - I feel like you only hear of it in books. 🤓
Natalie Frakes
The St John brand doesn’t really need any new endorsements. It’s one of the most iconic restaurant groups in London. This was my first visit to any of their establishments, and I had high expectations . I started with the smoked eel with pickled cucumber. Probably my favourite dish of the evening. The mutton with chard and anchovy was a bit of a mixed bag- the mutton was delicious but IMO the accompaniments didn’t go very well with the meat. Dessert was bread and butter pudding, oldie but goldie.They have an interesting selection of cocktails and wines too. I tried the Fergroni, but tbh it wasn’t anything special. I did like the other wines by the glass. Servers were all lovely and helpful. Overall verdict: good but I wasn’t blown away.
Sourav Ghosh
This place has been on my list for a long time so it's always a risk you have overhyped it to yourself but that couldn't have been further from the truth. Such an amazing privilege to have quality honest English cuisine. Everything was refined just enough to properly respect the quality of the ingredients but dishes were still very approachable and of course DELICIOUS! Staff were great too. It can be hit and miss as a solo diner on that front but the team were engaging and warm.
Luke Walker
This place was recommended by a local business partner during our visit from the US. The server was great and helped us pick some menu items she thought we would enjoy. The food and atmosphere were great, and we truly enjoyed the meal.
Haven Pope
Rather disappointing.The food was bland. Needed salt. Was essentially a dead bird on a plate. Service was fine - nothing extraordinary. Madeleines were also very bland - tasted like sawdust.
Matt Goodman
94-96 Commercial St, London E1 6LZ, UK
Chao now
4.6
(239)
Vietnamese street dishes such as pho noodle soup and baguettes to take away or eat in a tiny space.
Reviews:
Good place for a quick lunch, the portions are quite big and the coconut curry had a lot of flavour. There is a limited space inside if you wan to it in. The staff was nice even though we vere a few minutes before closing.
Martyna W
No. 1 place to grab a work lunch in the area - outstanding service coupled with delicious food offered at an affordable price. While small, the venue is kept tidy at all times and equipped with everything you need - even power banks to rent. Dozens of returning customers and myself can wholeheartedly recommend this place.
Muyang Shi
Busy and need a quick afforable bite? This place is perfect for takeout on a busy workday. A great mix between healthy and homey.
Daniel Sanchez
It was such a disappointing experience today. Staff tricked me into ordering combo but gave me one choice of meat only. I wanted to order half-half with prawn and pork but was told that if I wanted prawn, I needed to order a combo, which gives me 3 pieces of prawn. So I ordered combo as told and I saw the menu which says a combo gives you 2 choices of meat and 3 pieces of prawn. But the staff didn't ask me for the second choice of meat, and when I asked, she only said because u didn't say, so I gave u more portion of pork already (what!?). At that point, the lunch was packed, and I thought, fine, I'll pay attention next time. But as I was eating, I realised there were only 2 pieces of prawn (omg!). I just couldn't keep it to myself anymore. I took it to the staff and asked and was told I was given more portion of pork so i have one less piece of prawn (come on!). Only until then the staff gave me another portion of meat and small portion of noodles (as compensation?). To be honest, the food wasn't bad. But they just can't treat customers like that! Imagine if i didnt speak up? I don't think I would go again.
ARTHUR NAM
Came here for a Friday lunch. It was not busy so I could take my time understanding the ordering process. I had wanted both bhan mi and pho. The pho is ready on a refrigerator shelf and they add the soup and heat up. It was the perfect serving and I enjoyed both very much!! I wish we had this in my village as I would order it so much! Also my village doesn’t have Vietnamese so coming to London I try a different place for pho (not the chain Pho because they’re not that great tbh)… this place I’ve enjoyed and hope others give them a try! I only have photo of the spicy beef pho as it was what I ate seated in their restaurant. The pork and shrimp bhan mi I ate while walking sites in London my it too was so delicious!
Sam Bam
4 St Andrew's Hill, London EC4V 5BY, UK
Club gascon - french michelin starred restaurant
4.5
(416)
Southwest French menu with all sorts of foie gras dishes in formal, marble-and-wood setting.
Reviews:
First time visitor, had the vegetarian, 6 course menu, which was absolutely amazing. Dish of the meal, was the stuffed courgette flowers.Came with the most amazing smoked bread, and that green sauce! Divine, never had a sauce as smooth as that. Overall the experience was nothing but excellent. Staff were also very nice and talkative, explaining about the food, history of the restaurant and feelings of the chef. No rushing at all, atmosphere was amazing, we were actually the first people in for the evening so the place was completely empty and lovely. There was nice and relaxing background music. Found the portion size to be a overall excellent (just a tinsy bit too much, but we tend to eat less than average) and you definitely will be fed after. As besides the courses there are other little bits and bobs. Will be looking to return, though it is definitely several times above our usual price range for a meal out, the taste and experience was worth it for a very special occasion.
Mike
I found this place while researching London. It’s one Michelin star and certainly deserves it. When we arrived, we were promptly greeted. The place was quiet for our 6:45 pm reservation, but filled up within an hour. We reserved the four course meal for 85.00 EURO each. It was terrific. The food is tasty and well presented. The tulip with quinoa is unusual and presented with thought and care. It’s neat. The other dishes were flavorful and subtle. The desert was great, especially the cheese filled macaroon. The service is exceptional. The waiters and head waitress (a red haired woman who was awesome) are top notch! Overall bill: About 330.00 EURO which includes four glasses of champagne. Try it today!
Ryan Hughes
Simply delicious. We had the A la carte lunch. The menu was a fusion of their old classic dishes and new ones to celebrate their 25th birthday. The duck was the best duck I've ever eaten.
Richard H Harris
My first visit here and highly recommended. Had the eight course tasting menu with wine pairing. Each dish was incredibly creative, beautifully presented and, above all else, tasted wonderful. The staff were attentive, very professional, and really friendly. Not remotely stuffy, as some high-end restaurants can be. It felt like a small, family-run restaurant, albeit with a Michelin star. Expensive, but worth it if you are lucky enough to be able to afford it.
David Simkins
I probably missed out by choosing a 6-course menu rather than the full 8. Specifically the attendant was very considerate. I wanted to avoid lactose although not strictly diary free. So they accommodated by changing certain dishes to vege. In general the vibe is good for chatting and not too formal. tastes is balanced and portion is fitness-friendly. Layout is also quite creative. Truly a feast for both stomach and eyes. Not cheap but worth a treat sometimes.
Cidane CG
57 W Smithfield, London EC1A 9DS, UK
Restaurant st. barts
4.7
(80)
Reviews:
What an incredible restaurant for a slow and delicious lunch. For £60, there was 6-small courses that can be paired with wine at an additional price. The food was stunning and the menu changed regularly. The service was professional and helpful. And I even enjoyed the view of the church courtyard. Very much an English scene. Calm and quaint. Highly recommended.
Poom Settha
Best Michelin one star restaurant I went to so far. Incredible experience. The atmosphere and view is beautiful at the restaurant. The tasting menu is £150 per person and had to pay in advance, but definitely worth it. The quantity of the food is exactly right amount for one person. Starting at the lounge, we were served with 5 snacks from House Cures to seafood cocktail and onion tart. The Onion tart is surprisingly good with dried/fried Spring onions, which makes it taste a bit like seaweed. The seafood cocktail is served in the oyster, which is a unique design. For starters, most dishes are seafood. The cuttlefish noodle soup is my favourite course. The soup is made with cuttlefish heads and Miso. The noodle is actually the cuttlefish legs. Peas & Board beans is very interesting and different to our imagination. The mains are lobster, duck and lamb. The lobster 🦞is so tender and the sauce is beautiful. I definitely loved it. A milk bread is served with the lamb. We ordered one cheese plate as I wasn't a fan of goat cheese, blue cheese or soft cheese. My friend enjoyed the plate very much. One tiny thing is the cracker is very salty, which makes it hard to taste the cheese / cheddar, although I like the idea of having chai seed crackers, which gives it a unique smell and taste. The desserts are beautiful and I really like the way they make the sponge/crust, which I think has custard. The strawberry ice cream is full of flavour, albeit it doesn't look like strawberry ice cream as they were made from fresh and its colour changed. In general, it is definitely worth trying. I would highly recommend it.
Sophie G
Beautiful seasonal produce and an exquisite lunch tasting menu with perfect wine pairings. Knowledgable and welcoming staff in a great setting. The BBQ duck liver porridge and cep courses were highlights. Highly recommended.
Antony Hurley
A lovely setting, great food and delightful service. Every dish had a lot of flavour and was cooked and plated beautifully. The service was wonderfully attentive. Would recommend for a nice lunch!
Kelly W
Came for lunch and didn’t felt like the food and service impressed me as much as their sister restaurant Nest. Prolly Nest had set the bar too high and I expected a lot more from the One Michelin sister restaurant. Order the supplement cured trout and felt it was totally out of place from the rest of the menu.
A
63 Bartholomew Cl, London EC1A 7BF, UK
Assenheims bar and grill
4.5
(289)
Reviews:
Lovely lovely food. Love the portions and chicken is grilled perfectly. Price is insanely good. Been here a couple times and never unimpressed
demid
Amazing chicken place with generous portions. On a good day one chicken box can serve lunch and dinner for me! The chicken is very tender and juicy. It is also seasoned properly, with a mixture of spices, leaving a wonderful aftertaste. Remember to ask for extra green sauce! It is a perfect match with the chicken. You'll never forget the taste once you've had it. For people who like spiciness, the chili sauce goes really well with the green sauce. The sides are less impressive. Vegetables and rice are a bit undercooked to my taste, without much seasoning either. But hey, what more can you ask for after such delicious chicken. Overall very good value for money. The waiters are helpful and friendly.
Joyce Zhou
Big fan of Assenheims here. Ever since some colleagues introduced me to it a while back I’ve even gone out of my way to get lunch from there even when not working in the City. So when a friend was visiting from out of town and wanted to have lunch somewhere they don’t have where he lives, I immediately thought of Assenheims, specifically this location as it looked like it was one where you could sit down and eat at your leisure. At least that’s what I thought. My buddy and I turned up at 1:30pm and within minutes of sitting down were asked to move to a different table because the place was closing. The closing time advertised online and on the menus is 3pm and no explanation was offered for the change in schedule. We went ahead and ordered our food. My friend got the choripan which he was impressed with. I got my usual of chicken with salad, rice and green sauce, and it was delicious as always. I had to wait a little longer for my food - all around us chairs were being stacked and for a while it looked like they had forgotten my order until someone noticed and went to get it from the kitchen - but when it arrived it was hot and tasty and that’s what matters. The waffle fries we got to share were good, but the chorizo bites we ordered never materialised. When we’d finished eating they seemingly couldn’t get us out of there fast enough. We paid and left, my friend’s impression of this London institution being best summed up as “great food; service without a smile”. I’m willing to chalk this one up to opening times not being updated and making us think we had an hour and a half to order and eat at our leisure, but next time I fancy Assenheims famous marinaded & grilled chicken and moreish green sauce I will probably go to one of the smaller branches instead.
Stvn Bdfrd
The chicken was good as usual but the veg was rock hard as were the potatoes. I had this as a take away and had to re boil the veg to make them soft enough to eat.
Shui-Yee Bateman-Wong
The pros: the chicken is reliably good: it’s seasoned well and has a touch of smokiness. The green sauce is also good. It’s a bit like guacamole but liquid. It’s creamy, limey and a bit peppery. The cons: it’s pricey for what you get in that it’s pretty plain. The “salad” has nothing but mixed leaves. No dressing or anything. Also you only can choose 2 bases. For example I chose potato and salad and only received 4 baked baby potatoes and the mixed leaves. It would have been nice to get rice as well. The hot sauce is just regular hot sauce you can buy in a Tesco, so that’s a bummer. I love and miss the ají verde from the Peruvian pollo places I am used to (in the USA) which is quite spicy, so I wish that’s how the green sauce was a bit. TLDR; For £10, you get a lot of chicken but not that much else. Better to split it with someone else as a small meal or snack. The regular is kind of too big for one person bc it’s not that good to want to eat that much.
Arden
12 Smithfield St, London EC1A 9LA, UK
Oslo court restaurant
4.7
(678)
French classics presented in an old-school dining room with pink tablecloths and napkins.
Reviews:
Wonderful restaurant. The food is delicious always. Very generous portions, almost more than you can handle! With crudittes, and Melba toast, with butter curls! Tables with lovely starched table cloths and napkins! The staff are very attentive and friendly. The restaurant is very pretty ,with flowers on all the tables. I highly recommend this jewel of a place to go.
Madeleine Collyer
It was my first time at this wonderful restaurant. The staff were very friendly and attentive. I had the bacon wrapped scallops that were delicious and the veal for a main course, which was accompanied by lots of vegetables, spinach, carrots, courgettes and mashed potatoes. & the birthday cake was yummy too. I'll definitely go back in the near future.
Steven Belucz
Old school and excellent! The bacon-wrapped scallops were lovely, the crispy roast duck was excellent and the apple strudel was the perfect finish.
Duncan Wilkinson
Simply wow the moment we stepped in. Love the pinkish decor, all staffs personnel's uniform were well pressed, clean, they all looked happy, Smiley ☺️ crudites , foods, bread , wine were efficiently served promptly all in tune. Very organised . All Delicious 😋 love they put so much effort in the washrooms too. Standard is high in every areas. Reservation highly recommended 👌
Madam Boisson
Overall not bad, feels like you have walked in 50 years back, service is ok And food is above average Will I go again: Yes Food : 7/10 Service: 6/10 Value for money : 5/10 Prices : £300 for two people
R GH
Charlbert St., London NW8 7EN, UK
St. john restaurant
4.5
(2196)
Whitewashed ex-smokehouse where Fergus Henderson pioneered the resurgent interest in offal dishes.
Reviews:
Amazing experience, the food was incredible and so well thought out, not like anywhere else you can eat in London. For such a high end place, it did not have a snooty atmosphere, it wasn’t bad prices and the staff were so lovely. My husband and I started off with the bone marrow, razor clams and potted beef, all of which were incredible. We then had the crispy pork cheek, which was very rich but tasty, and kid kidneys which were divine. We then finished off with a very generous portion of treacle dessert. Paired with their house red which was delicious! I couldn’t recommend enough, probably the best meal I have ever had!
J Clappy
We arrived on a Tuesday for lunch. It was packed but we had a reservation. We started with some bread and butter and then moved on to the bone marrow with parsley salad. It was very good but beware: you’ll spill food on your clothes! Very tasty ox tongue with beetroot and horseradish. We also had the grilled lamb heart which was amazing and surprising. There was an interesting day special: greens and pig cheeks. St John has a wonderful service. The vibe is great and relaxed, many tables seemed to be having a great time. You can either visit for a serious elegant work meeting, a birthday party or just an unexpected informal lunch.
Archivo de mesas
Best to make a reservation as the restaurant fills up by about 1pm, although you can still sit in the bakery area. The bone marrow is definitely something to order, and the turbot fish is really good too. The rarebit was a little heavy with the rest of the meal but it’s a good one. The pig’s tongue was something many tables ordered and worth a try too.
Teck Boon
Incredible! Wonderful food wonderful service. You're missing out if you don't eat here. The bone marrow was superb, you wouldn't want to miss out on the hare either. The apricot sorbet with vodka worked much better than it sounds.
Salvatore Furino
A perfect meal. Elevated, comforting flavours using great produce treated with care and not overfussed. The brill special of the day was exceptional as well as the date loaf with butterscotch sauce. Staff were helpful and friendly and the vibe of the restaurant is welcoming and tasteful. Highly recommend.
D S
26 St John St, Barbican, London EC1M 4AY, UK