The Best Restaurants in Clerkenwell

Read our guide to the very best restaurants in Clerkenwell.

From a small but excellent tapas bar to refined Japanese food and nose-to-tail dining at St John, read our guide to the best restaurants in Clerkenwell.

Bouchon Racine

Chef Henry Harris closed the doors of his much-loved restaurant Racine in Knightsbridge a few years ago, but now Racine is back in a new format.

Henry has joined forces with former Goodman and Rockfish director Dave Strauss with the re-opening of The Three Compasses in Farringdon.

There is a downstairs pub with a bar menu of charcuterie, rillettes and Toulouse sausages, while the upstairs restaurant will focus on French cuisine inspired by the bouchons of Lyon and the bistros of Paris.

Sessions Arts Club

Housed in the beautifully restored Old Sessions House, a restaurant, wine bar and art gallery space in Clerkenwell, Sessions Art Club offers a menu from ex-Polpetto chef Florence Knight in a stunning dining room.

Sessions Arts Club

Trattoria Brutto

From restaurateur Russell Norman comes Trattoria Brutto, an Italian restaurant with a focus on Florentine food.

The menu includes antipasti, pasta, Florentine steaks and excellent cocktails.

Caravan Exmouth Market

Caravan offers one of the best brunches in London on the weekend in a relaxed and effortlessly cool setting on Exmouth Market in Clerkenwell.

When the weather warms up, the door and windows open and diners spill out into the street.

Caravan Exmouth Market

The New Zealand influenced restaurant has its own coffee roaster, so flat whites are very popular too. Caravan also has a second outpost, Caravan King’s Cross.

Morito Tapas

Morito is a small tapas bar right next door to its big sister, Moro, the acclaimed Spanish restaurant on Exmouth Market.

Morito tapas on Exmouth Market

This is one of my favourite tapas bars in London – it’s small, casual and has an excellent selection of authentic and inventive tapas dishes.

Luca

A cool, dimly lit bar with green leather banquettes leads through to a beautiful space with gorgeous dark wood floors and atmospheric lighting.

Luca Restaurant in Clerkenwell

The menu at Luca is described as ‘Britalian’ with some excellent pasta! Garganelli with pork sausage, tomato, anchovy and mint was a joyful bowl of pasta that I would gladly return for every week.

It’s also worth visiting the bars for a cocktail with a portion (or two) of the excellent Parmesan fries. Luca is one of the best new restaurants in Clerkenwell.

Restaurant St Barts

A Michelin starred restaurant with great ambition that really delivers, Restaurant St Barts offers a multi course tasting menu using seasonal British ingredients.

The food at Restaurant St Barts in Clerkenwell
Photo by Steven Joyce

The evening starts in the relaxed bar are where you enjoy a welcome drink and your first 5 snack courses, before moving in to the beautiful dining room that overlooks St Bartholomew the Great, London’s oldest church.

The gorgeous view at Restaurant St Barts in Clerkenwell
Photo by Steven Joyce

St John Restaurant

A guide to Clerkenwell’s restaurant wouldn’t be complete without a mention of St John, the famous ‘nose to tail’ restaurant that uses every possible part of an animal.

St John is a bit of a Mecca for London’s ‘foodies’ and certainly worth a visit to one of the best restaurants in Clerkenwell.

The Quality Chop House

Opened originally in 1869, The Quality Chop House at the top of Farringdon Road near Exmouth Market, re-opened in 2013 as a restaurant, wine bar, butchers and shop, selling  range of British meat and fresh produce.

The Quality Chop House in Farringdon

The menu will feature items such as Fosse Meadows chicken, chicory tart and purple sprouting broccoli or monkfish, brown shrimp, sea purslane, and potato purée – make sure you order a side of the confit potatoes which are divine!

Continue reading our guide to the best restaurants in Clerkenwell…

Granger & Co

Granger & Co is the line of restaurants from the Australian celebrity chef, Bill Granger.

Granger & Co Clerkenwell

With the aim of bringing the Australian easy-going spirit to London, Granger & Co Clerkenwell serves eclectic fare with an Australian flair served in a simple setting with a sophisticated vibe.

Brunches are big, hearty affairs and are hugely popular with locals. Granger & Co has other restaurants in Notting Hill and King’s Cross.

Albion Clerkenwell

Albion opened its fourth and largest site to date on the old Turnmills site in June 2016, next door to Sosharu, the Japanese restaurant mentioned above. With a focus on British food, Albion Clerkenwell features multiple dining areas, retail spaces and take out counters.

Albion Clerkenwell

The menus aim to champion great produce and seasonal ingredients, with a range of dining options for all occasions – from breakfast and brunch, to lunch, supper and late-night cocktails.

Sushi Tetsu

Sushi Tetsu is a traditional Japanese Sushi Bar located on a side street in Clerkenwell.

Specialising in sushi and sashimi that is considered to be some of the best in London, there are only a handful of seats so booking well in advance is highly recommended.

Tip: Sushi Tetsu uses Twitter to announce free seats and cancellations, but they get snapped up quickly.

The Eagle

The Eagle is a corner gastropub serving excellent Mediterranean food from its open kitchen, including its popular steak sandwich.

The Eagle pub in Clerkenwell

Mains are still chalked twice daily above the bar in this relaxed and welcoming pub, where the service is as good as the food.

Club Gascon

Club Gascon is a Michelin-starred French restaurant serving cuisine from the South-west French region of Gascony.

Flavour combinations are bold and cooking techniques flawless. Since opening in 1998, the restaurant has received numerous accolades including one Michelin star since 2002.

The Best Restaurants in Clerkenwell

If you need a strong coffee after visiting all the restaurants and bars, try Workshop Coffee Co, which features on our guide to the best coffee shops in London.

The Bon Vivant Restaurant Guides

If you liked this guide, you may like to read some of our other restaurant guides including the best restaurants in Soho and the best restaurants in Covent Garden.

Subscribe to The Bon Vivant Journal here.

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