Eating out in Clerkenwell & Farringdon
12 May 2025
Farringdon station is incredibly well connected for getting out and about, but there is no need to hop on a train to go out for a great meal when there are so many excellent options in the area known as Clerkenwell since medieval times.
Just next to Farringdon station is the popular smart canteen chain Farmer J,
famous for their healthy and appealing field trays and bowls. Select your own ingredients for breakfast, lunch or an early dinner since they close at 8.30pm. As the immediate area surrounding Farringdon station serves local office workers, they do close at weekends.
The main eating heartbeat can be found at Exmouth Market, around an 8 minute walk up Farringdon Road from the station. Here you will find a huge amount of choice every day of the week and late into the night. Our favourites include Santore, a rustic Italian wood fired pizzeria with outside seating. Whilst there is no shortage of pizza restaurants in London (most of them very good), I once walked into Santore to find half the restaurant taken up by a large group of visiting priests from Rome tucking in enthusiastically, giving Santore the (papal) seal of approval.
On the corner of Rosoman Street is the relaxed retro themed Coin Laundry. Open every day, the menu is modern British and European with lots of vegan and vegetarian options. They have a decent drinks menu too with cocktails although we have no idea why it is called Coin Laundry since they prefer card payments and there are no washing machines.
La Macellaio
is located in the middle of Exmouth Market and is well established as a mildly theatrical dining experience for steak lovers or as they call themselves “Teatro della Carne”. The staff provide the contagious enthusiasm and will take you to the raw materials in the display fridge for you to select your choice of cut. Watch out for their signature lard candle that melts into the blowtorched bread and a wine list that tours the whole of Italy. Open every day for lunch and dinner.
Next door is the institution known as Moro, and next door to that is little hermano Morito,
both serving Spanish and North African tapas. Moro’s inventive style includes dishes such seabass ceviche with cumin and pomegranate, chicharrones with cumin and lemon dressing and Malaga raisin ice cream with sherry. The food on your plate will come from each side of the Straits of Gibraltar. The restaurant first opened in 1997 and we have stumbled upon their cookbook in unusual corners including a little café in rural Cornwall. Open for lunch only on Sundays and lunch and dinner the rest of the week.
Exmouth Market’s opposite corner is home to Caravan, a small chain of eateries and coffee roasters. Obsessed with the detail of bean sourcing and preparation, you’d be hard pushed to find a better cup of coffee locally. During the week they serve breakfast, renamed brunch at weekends, and they are open for lunch and dinner every day apart from Sundays. Our favourites include chorizo and potato hash with saffron buttermilk dressing, Korean buttermilk fried chicken with kimchi pancake, fried egg and gochujang ketchup, Dingley Dell port schnitzel with fried egg, mustard dill cream and fries followed by caramelised brioche with miso caramel and ice cream. Treat yourself to a tiramisu martini or one of the many alcohol- free cocktails.
Away from Exmouth Market you may like The Dovetail; a Belgian themed bar serving moules mariniere and beef carbonade (Flemish beef stew). Wash it down with a cold beer from a huge range including the fruit flavoured ones for people who don’t really like the taste of beer. Located on Jerusalem Passage which runs between St Johns Square and Aylesbury Street, it is open until late every day except Sundays.
Mugen on Leather Lane is an established contemporary Japanese restaurant where the food looks far too pretty to eat. Choose from izakaya style sharing plates, fresh sashimi, hot pot or set bento boxes. They also offer take away but like many places, they are closed on Sundays.
Finally, Smiths of Smithfield. Located opposite Smithfield Market on Charterhouse Street, this whole building is a TV chef institution with a bar serving snacks on the ground floor, private dining rooms on the first floor, the Grill on the second floor and a covered rooftop restaurant with south facing views on the top floor. The general rule of thumb is that it gets a bit “posher” (ie more expensive) every time you go up a floor but the Grill still does an 8oz flat iron steak and chips lunchtime special for £25 (subject to change) and the bar does really good smash and plant burgers.
All our apartments in Clerkenwell are fully self catering with kitchens that will allow you to prepare all of your own meals should you wish to, but our guess is that you didn’t come to London to cook. With so many excellent options, why not try one or two on our recommended list.
Journal
Soho is absolutely teeming with places to eat, drink and dance late into the night but when it comes to eating out, how do you know which ones to head for or avoid? Let us help you with our guide of cafes and restaurants that have been tried and tested (sometimes many times) by us. All of them are within a 10 minute walk of our building in 7 Greek St and they are listed in no particular order. Dishoom is a small chain with 8 restaurants in London serving Indian inspired breakfast, lunch and dinner. They always have some walk in tables available although it is best to try to book in advance and despite the food being not entirely authentic, it is just delicious and the cocktails are excellent. Don’t miss their gunpowder potatoes, chicken ruby or house black daal and wash it all down with a mango lassi. Located on Kingly St just behind Carnaby St. Flat Iron on Beak Street has a simple centre piece in its menu: steak. Everything else dances around that including crispy bone marrow garlic mash, chips made from beef dripping and a choice of 5 different sauces. Mouth-watering for carnivores but if you don’t eat beef then this is not for you. Govinda’s vegetarian restaurant has been established since 1979 and is part of the Hare Krishna Temple in London. As one of London’s very first vegetarian restaurants it serves very good value plant based food in unpretentious surroundings (their mot expensive main course with 12 items is the Thali Extravaganza priced at just £15.95). Located on Soho Street just off Oxford Street. Another really good option for cheap eats is Bistro1 at the bottom end of Frith Street. The menu is unfussy but with lots of choice and they offer a 3 course lunch menu for £18.90 which is remarkable. Gilgamesh offers contemporary pan Asian food in dark and opulent surroundings. The range of food covers dim sum, sashimi and tempura as well as signature dishes of beef rendang and ribeye bulgogi and yuzu baby chicken. An express lunch with a choice of 3 courses will cost just £20. Located on Upper St Martin’s Lane which is just on the cusp of Covent Garden. Can you recall the scene in Eat, Pray, Love when Julia Roberts tries pizza in Naples for the first time and cannot believe her mouth? The restaurant she visited was called L’Antica Pizzeria da Michele which has been pizza making since 1906 and has been named “the world’s best pizza”. Luckily for us, they have two restaurants in London including one in Soho on Old Compton Street. The interiors of the restaurant are, if we are honest, a little bizarre with such dark interiors you are left wondering if they have paid the electricity bill but the pizza is quite simply “the nuts” and they are simply huge. Don’t settle for bad pizza. Another good option for pizza with more of a relaxed canteen feel is Ruby’s on Wardour Street. It’s well priced with unusual monthly specials on the menu alongside their good range of classics with vegan options. Lina Stores started off life as a one site deli in Brewer Street which still exists today. They have since expanded to restaurants in several locations, but nothing beats the original deli for fresh pasta and salami as well as Christmas hampers and panettones. They have a café and bar to eat on site but if you wanted to buy some groceries or a meal kit then you could prepare your meal back at the flat. Pie and Mash is a working-class British staple which you simply must try. Sadly, so many of the old institutions serving pie, mash and “liquor” (a parsley sauce, not booze) have since closed down but Mother Mash is here to fill that craving. Choose your pie or sausages, style of mash (including Irish colcannon) and choice of gravy or liquor and tuck in. Finish off with sticky toffee pudding or apple crumble and leave the establishment knowing that you have had yourself a truly British experience. A collection of restaurants particularly famous for their brunch menu, the Daisy Green Collection brings Australian food and coffee culture to London. Soho is home to Scarlett Green offering shakshouka, tandoori salmon, Asian chicken salad, mars bar cheesecake and tiramisu for breakfast right up until 5pm. A different menu takes over for the evening. Order a summer negroni with gooseberry gin and don’t look back. The Breakfast Club also serves its menu all day and has several locations in London including two in Soho (D’Arblay Street and Old Compton Street). Enjoy pancakes, eggs and all manner of other classics with a strawberry matcha or immunity shot. St Moritz on Wardour St was set up in the 70s and appears to still be in the 70s which is just wonderful. With a wood panelled interior reminiscent of a ski lodge you can choose from several fondues, bratwurst, rosti, veal in cream and mushroom sauce and frogs legs and snails from the French side. The wine list is, of course, Swiss. Chotto Matte ; Japanese Peruvian fusion starts here in this lively environment. Stand out menu items include gyoza paired with sea bass ceviche or red prawn truffles with smoked lamb chop. They have live latin music every Thursday evening and a resident DJ on Friday and Saturday. As you would expect, the drinks menu is also super unusual. Really worth a visit for a unique experience where creative things happen with pisco. Cecconi’s pizza bar (yes pizza again) is on Old Compton Street with a range of pizza and pasta choices that you might expect but it is worth nothing that they have a Friday and Saturday late night food menu from 11pm to 1am. Try the chocolate negroni. Bone Daddies on Peter Street is a great place to pop in and have a quick warming bowl of noodles Delicious broths with Korean and Japanese options. The Ivy Soho Brasserie is delightful whether you sit inside or out on Broadwick Street. Famous for their shepherd’s pie where the mash is beautifully piped on top, they have a two course heritage lunch menu for £20.95 and they also do an excellent traditional Sunday roast. It’s a great place for non-speedy dining.
England has had a monarch since the 9th century although it wasn’t until centuries later that it became a London centric administration. The result today is a more modern monarchy that co-exists with some impressive monuments that provide the backdrop to some famous traditions. Whether you're a history buff, a fan of the Crown, or simply looking for iconic sights, you do not have to be a Royalist to appreciate exploring London’s Royal landmarks. We start off with none other than Buckingham Palace , the official residence of the British monarch. The Changing of the Guard ceremony normally takes place from 11am on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays with the most impressive display being Trooping the Colour in the middle Saturday of June to celebrate the monarch’s birthday. During the summer months, it is possible to explore the opulent State Rooms by visiting inside the palace. Afterwards, take a walk through St James’s Park which is arguably the best urban Royal Park (there are 8 in total). Located near Buckingham Palace, The Royal Mews houses the Queen’s collection of historic coaches and carriages, including the dazzling Gold State Coach used for coronations. It’s a fascinating look at the pageantry and tradition behind royal events. More recently, the Royal Family have been basing themselves in semi rural Windsor Castle which is just a short train ride from London. It is the world’s oldest and largest inhabited castle and very much a working palace. The Changing of the Guard here is less crowded than at Buckingham Palace and St George’s Chapel is a sight to behold, also being the venue for many a Royal Wedding including Harry and Meghan and the (then) Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles. It is also the resting place of HM Queen Elizabeth II. In the days of King Henry VIII it was all going on at Hampton Court Palace including his marriage with Anne Boleyn (wife number 2 of 6) and the imprisonment of King Charles I prior to execution after his defeat in the Civil War which led to a temporary republic for 11 years. Visitors get to experience a serious step back in time as much of the building dates back to the Tudor area with a particularly impressive wine cellar and kitchens. The vast riverside gardens and famous maze are a real treat for visitors and it is worth spending the whole day there. They have a summer festival of open air concerts in June. Accessible by train from Waterloo. From the outside, the Tower of London looks like a vast walled fortress with an historic building inside, which indeed it is, but it is only when you step inside that you see it open up as a whole village of activity from the half timbered Queen’s House which temporarily housed Anne Boleyn prior to her execution on the green outside to the Traitor’s Gate where prisoners were brought in by barge via the River Thames and their heads displayed on pikes to deter dissidents to the old enclosures for wild animals which were later moved to the newly established London Zoo. The most famous landmark is the White Tower built by William the Conqueror in 1080. You read that correctly; the building is almost 1000 years old and still standing. Save the best for last and visit the Crown Jewels. The words “breathtaking” and “impressive” can be overused but in the case of this UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is completely justified. Take a selfie before you go with a Yeoman Warders, known as Beefeaters. Afterwards, we strongly recommend Tower Bridge . You can walk across the glass bottomed top of the bridge and a staff member will give you the exact times the bridge is expected to open for passing boats so you can see it from above. Did you know it used to be a battleship grey pre-WW2 to protect it from bomb damage until it was repainted in red, white and blue in 1977 to celebrate the late Queen’s Silver Jubilee. An underrated gem. Westminster Abbey is a magnificent Gothic church that has been the site of every British coronation since 1066 and has hosted numerous royal weddings including William and Kate. Inside, you'll find the final resting places of 17 monarchs and a graves of a somewhat British dead poets' society such as Byron, Blake, TS Eliot, Keats, Milton, WH Auden, Kipling, Shelley, Tennyson and Wordsworth. For more graveside bang for your buck you can also pay your respects to Darwin, Dickens, Handel, Purcell, Newton and the remaining matter of Stephen Hawking providing an extraordinary concentration of famous mortal remains all in one place. For the living, the elaborate architecture and stained glass is a must see. Kensington Palace is basically a posh block of flats as it houses the London residences if the Prince and Princess of Wales and various Dukes and Duchesses making it a unique multi-generational family living space. If you are old enough then you may remember the scenes back in 1997 when millions left flowers outside its gates after the death of Princess Diana since she too resided here. Parts of it are now open to the public with special exhibitions showing gowns and jewels as well as a chance to see state rooms and gardens. It is in the Sunken Garden that Prince Harry and Meghan announced their engagement. Located in Kensington Gardens, the Albert Memorial is a stunning tribute to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s beloved husband. Those two were hit hard by Cupid’s bow. This elaborate, gilded monument is a must-see for anyone interested in royal history. It’s also the perfect spot to relax after exploring the nearby Kensington Palace and is located directly in front of the Royal Albert Hall in Hyde Park. Sadly, St James’s Palace is not open to the public but it is an important ceremonial backdrop. You can view it from the outside and enjoy a visit to the Chapel Royal, a beautiful active church often used for royal weddings and christenings. It is a short walk from Buckingham Palace. Nearby is Clarence House , the official London residence of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. This elegant residence has hosted many royal occasions and is open to the public during the summer. The Palace of Westminster includes the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, St Stephen’s Chapel and Westminster Hall which is 900 years old. St Paul’s Cathedral is Sir Christopher Wren’s masterpiece and a visit will take you across town to the City of London. Site of the ill fated marriage of a certain Charles to Diana and the funeral of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, it is known for his airy architecture and vast capacity for a large crowd. It is on these steps that we were implored to “feed the birds” in Mary Poppins. Explore the whispering gallery sound waves phenomenon by visiting the famous dome. Further east to Greenwich is home to a vast campus of buildings including the Royal Naval College , National Maritime Museum and Royal Observatory Planetarium . Stand on the true anchor of the world’s timeline when you find the copper coloured line that marks Greenwich Mean Time or GMT. The choices are so vast it does feel almost endless and you will find it impossible to tick everything off your list in one visit. For a full list of Royal options, you may find the following link useful: vi.me/PjOaV
