St John's

Following extensive restoration, St John’s has emerged reborn. Enter through etched-glass doors into the stately Victorian dining room of this immensely popular north London fixture. Tables & spacious booths are overlooked by a host of portraits, mostly the work of the landlord. Thankfully, the well-regarded menu remains largely unchanged, which means plenty of room for manoeuvre, with a choice spanning everything from Irish rock oysters to a pick & mix selection of French & British cheeses. In between, the tempting modern European repertoire might include white gazpacho (with ground almonds, bread & garlic), rabbit & pork terrine, or whole Isle of Wight lobster. Homemade pork scratchings work their humble magic in the bar out front, which also offers a good choice of Old World wines & three regularly changing real ales. Service sometimes comes ‘with a little attitude’.