Farringdon, British, Traditional Restaurant Guide

“Still love the place…” – Trevor Gulliver and Fergus Henderson’s icon of British cuisine coined the concept of ‘nose-to-tail dining’ and hasn’t missed a beat since it opened in 1994, in a “stark-but-chic” ex-smokehouse, near Smithfield Market. Known for its “sometimes challenging menu (not least for its selection of offal dishes)”, it continues to deliver “totally brilliant”, “straightforward” dishes (“the cuts may be humble, but the results are of the highest grade”) from “good old-fashioned recipes” in its distinctive “white-walled, down-to-earth” setting, whose ultra-utilitarian style is livened up by “entertaining” service that’s “very kind and personable”. Top Menu Tip – “puddings are to die for (I don’t have a sweet tooth but this is the only restaurant where I ALWAYS have a pudding)”.

“So what if the benches aren’t that comfortable!” – the bum-numbing seating at Will Lander and Daniel Morgenthau’s “characterful and closely packed” Clerkenwell institution is part of its proud history as a ‘Progressive Working Class Caterer’, built in 1869 to feed the masses. Nowadays, “as the name suggests”, it mainlines on “butchery and quality of the meat” (“you can pop into their nextdoor butcher’s shop to buy too”). Most reviewers feel it is “a great London venue and long may it continue”, but it can also seem “a slightly odd mix of traditional English food with the tasting plate craze” and “some dishes can fall into the cracks between the price charged and their quality”.

Punters are often drawn to this D&D London operation because of its association with TV show ‘First Dates’, for which it was famously the location. Originally it was conceived by the group as a classic City steakhouse kind of place, but has never really made waves in that department. Still, the odd report says it’s a “useful” option in the area (although, note, if you haven’t visited for a little while, it’s moved – it’s no longer overlooking St Paul’s from Paternoster Square and is now on Ludgate Hill).

2021 Review: “Our local – we’re so lucky!” Near the foodie mecca of Exmouth Market, this “busy” Clerkenwell corner-boozer receives a consistent thumbs-up in reports: “the standard of the food is high”.