St John Bar and Restaurant (Farringdon)

• A local cuisine is formed around what is traditionally available at the local markets combined with that which is locally farmed
• Japan's diverse fresh fish markets are testament to their knowledge of cooking anything weird and wonderful from their oceans
• India's endless spice markets with plenty of goats and chickens to chuck in (cows are spared this treatment)
• Tripe in fact these off cuts and spare parts are where the flavour is hidden
• Every member of star intriguingly knowledgeable about what you are being served and where it has come from
• Foods that come into season at similar times were designed to share a plate
• This reason the menu is constantly changing however there are a few mainstays
• Bone marrow is deliciously warm and served with a slice of toast for you to spread like pate
• The ox tongue was cooked perfectly
• There are many small dishes so it is ideal to go with a small group of you
• It's one of those restaurants where everything on the menu is pretty much guaranteed to be good
• They probably have the best Welsh rarebit melted cheese with Worcestershire sauce Tabasco on bread
• Their bone marrow is also a must
• It's fatty and rich and it comes with their excellent sourdough and a light bitter parsley salad to cut through the fat
• The former bacon smoke house is packed with utilitarian charm
• S always a joy to be handed the single sheet of A4 on arrival and seeing what obscure animal appendages are being cooked up
• Opted for lamb heart with chard and anchovy to begin
• The knife falling through it with ease and the flesh almost melting on the tongue
• A dish which may seem me changing my stance on this (although I will never reconcile myself with pineapple on a pizza)
• Also brought to the table during a relaxing lunchtime sitting were deep fried salt pollack
• I have always associated it with good memories
• This stark simplicity belies the wonderfully thought out dishes which are placed before you
• Ll get from going is this &ndash
• The bar area has seating that is a bit cheaper and relaxed
• The flavour is intense and worth a try
• As starters we had the terrine and the roast bone marrow with parsley salad
• I chose the mallard with roasted beetroot and it was absolutely delightful
• I have to mention that the bread was also really good
• Everything was great and maybe
• The dining room is a large white space
• Some tables for two in the centre were very close together too close I think
• Around the walls were lines of white coat hooks above the tables a nice touch
• Like Henderson's cookbook covers ones impression is white and black as if ornament and colour were superfluous in a room devoted to one thing the food
• The service was excellent knowledgeable
• A complementary sweet wine appeared with our desserts the reason will become apparent
• The menu was interesting and consistent with the (highly) ethical nose to tail approach
• Served simply with lemon and a garlicky aoli
• The coating included a little cayenne so there was a hint of heat from this
• The flavour of the testes was subtle a little like a ball of poached chicken mousse
• Rectangles of lightly grilled squid came in a dressing with shaved fennel and capers
• The nice gamey leg went well with the unctuous jus
• Four pieces of marrow filled bone were served with slabs of sourdough
• Bread and salt was of course delicious but I found it hard to get the right balance of salt to marrow some salt crystals seemed too large to provide a subtle seasoning
• Providing gentle seasoning with an extra umami hit
• An intriguing ice cream flavoured with Ferner branca
• Possibly attempting to use up the bitters which is an acquired taste (at best)
• Peach jelly and peach with cream and shortcake
• This was pleasant but I was disappointed that the jelly had a preserved taste rather than fresh presumably a bottle of preserved peaches was used for its syrup (the jelly) as well as fruit
• This was possibly the best I've had the cake had been crisped on the outside giving extra textural interest
• This was good but I must confess that I thought the filling to the cake was unexpected it seemed to be moist berries rather than more traditional dried fruit
• I think there is also a lot to be said for the less popular parts of the animal
• Those like me who are passionate for offal
• A non pretentious restaurant with some excellent food
• There are some restaurants that are so revered
• Dishes like the devilled kidneys on toast and calf liver on chard are not designed to appeal to the eyes or ears
• The bone marrow served with sourdough and the signature Welsh rarebit
• Teetering on the edge of solid and liquid form and was so pure I thought someone has liquified a cow and served it
• Was comfort with every bite and made this cheese lover's day
• I'm here to tell you it is absolutely not
• The restaurant was highly recommended by several friends that visit it few years back
• The venue look comfortable and with an easy layout
• We started with parsley salad and bone marrows followed by pork chop and grilled Ox heart served wth an amazing horseradish and artichoke sauce
• All reach and tasty just what I was looking for at the end of a great meal
• Restaurant is a bit of a holy grail
• They release the menu an hour or so before each service so you'll never be sure what you'll be offered but I think this is all part of the charm
• It was super bustling with diners in for the long haul
• The all in white wait staff are attentive for the most part but ours was definitely having a bad day no smiles
• It's almost cosy with the lights down low and tables tucked around the walls
• The diners around us who did order them were served vast plates of food
• We started off with the roasted bone marrow and toast with parsley salad
• Eking out the rich and gooey marrow which was perfectly offset by the piquancy of the herbs
• Next to arrive was the brown crabmeat on toast
• St John Bar and Restaurant (Farringdon) is all about the hearty and letting nothing go to waste
• The sweet meat was slathered thickly onto sourdough
• Seasoned and squeezed with lemon and brought to the table
• I instead focused on the octopus salad with a citrus dressing
• The flavours good and proper but I was a little disappointed by our waitress
• Chef Fergus Henderson is best know for his use of offal and other off cuts in harmony with his philosophy of nose to tail cooking
• The restaurant is minimalist and functional with bare wall and very little decor
• I had the iconic roast bone marrow with parsley salad and homemade sourdough bread "
• The main course I had the poached rabbit with summer vegetables and aioli
• Both dishes were exceptional and go far beyond the expectation of a meal
• It's not good that is also art it's authentic and pleasing
• I had the Vension special a very generous and hearty portion served with roasted plums
• I really enjoyed my starter of crispy grouse while the duck for main was way too undercooked for my taste
• The desert of bread pudding was good but again way too sweet for me
• My main point of criticism though is the exclusively French wine list
• We ended up having a bottle of there house claret which was ok but £
• The food here is very well made and delicious the whole offal thing doesn't come off as a gimmick but rather a more varied menu
• Service was casual but professional I think the waiters were also the chefs which was great because you can ask them allergen device directly
• I walked right past St John when I was wandering the back streets of Smithfield
• The lamb faggots (offal meatballs) with smashed peas and a delicious onion gravy
• The walls are dainty white with no adornments
• Surprisingly in contrast to the fact that it is located in an old smokehouse building

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