St John Restaurant Chinatown: ‘British style Bistronomie’

Chef: Tom Harris

London is definitely the place to be for all new restaurant concepts. Our question and search related to a true British Bistronomie place in bustling London. Food for thought but it exists, the St John Restaurant Chinatown. Also in London the bistronomie wave started to hype. We can see the needle swung from, the refined and well detailed French culinary dishes back to the terroir food.

The chef of Restaurant St John is Tom Harris, formerly @ Nobu. Last year also Michelin rewarded this concept for its no-nonsense “nose to tail” British cooking. The restaurant is located right next to Chinatown at the entrance of bustling Soho. The dining room is small and simplicity rules just like the menu. White walls and wooden chairs dominate a cafeteria look but from the big open kitchen you will get the great hustling & noisy cooking atmosphere.

St John London

The menu is not following the usual starter, main, dessert format; rather they encourage you to pick around few smaller dishes to share. Famous dishes of the house go from several pies, fresh crab, pig skin, puddings and off course the suckling pig. The suckling pig is on pré-order even available entirely for serving around 15 covers.

St John Restaurant

We wanted to start our adventure in the bar upstairs but decided after having felt the disappointing atmosphere over there to have the aperitif in the restaurant itself. The service of our Gin tonics had some delayed timing but upon arrival gave a great start of our meal.

Langoustines & mayonnaise

Langoustines

Devilled pig’s skin & smoked Cod’s Roe

Pig skin

Suckling pig

Suckling pig

Pheasant & trotter pie

Pheasant pie

Queen of puddings

Pudding

Lemon curd doughnuts

Doughnuts

Restaurant St John will not stay as our most memorable London experience but we enjoyed an evening with British ‘feel good food’. Simple food, cooked very well indeed. Ingredients tasting purely and delicious are served in an alive and kicking atmosphere. It felt it bit overrated and maybe too much hyped. Earlier this year and right after our visit the complex, boutique hotel and restaurant, was sold to Unlisted Collection. This group is also behind the Michelin star restaurant Viajante. We are curious for the future…

Be-Gusto