Restaurant St Barts

The formidable trio of Johnnie Crowe (executive chef), Luke Wasserman and Toby Neill opened St Barts with a clear vision back in 2022, to celebrate the fantastic produce, growers and suppliers we have right here in the UK. That mission led them to become London’s only restaurant to hold both a Michelin star and a Green Michelin star two years ago, and while the Guide has since announced it will be phasing out its most sustainable award, the team’s commitment to supporting British produce remains as intact as ever.

A meal at St Barts is a tale of two halves. Our evening starts on sheepskin-lined chairs in the Scandi-esque bar area, a soothing curation of wood and stone. The experience is introduced somewhat anachronistically via a wax-sealed menu, which we opt to peruse over a selection of bit-hitting snacks. Like everything at St Barts, each bite is constructed with laser-focused intention, including a sublime savoury ‘Hobnob’ topped with quail liver parfait, fresh blackberry and cured duck hearts. We sit here for the best part of an hour indulging in more delicious small things: smoky beef fat toast with pickled gherkin relish, wafer-thin, house-cured mangalitza, and a fantastic croustade of confit leeks and Yarlington cheese.

Part two is served in the main dining room overlooking the cloisters of London’s oldest church. The scene is muted and calm, and yet every detail tells a rich story, from bespoke tableware made by local ceramicists to shelves lined with jars holding various preserves. What follows are eight distinct courses rooted in precision and ingenuity. One course comes in three parts: a lightly barbecued scallop finished with more of that salty mangalitza cure, crisp seaweed ravioli filled with langoustine mousse, and elderflower-infused buttermilk poured over razor clams and a set oyster cream. By the time we reach a course of lobster noodles flecked with sansho and housemade XO sauce, we feel practically giddy.

The team doesn’t use chocolate as it’s not grown in Britain, but no matter. Instead, a koji and caramel tart bursting with basey, chocolate-adjacent notes is exceedingly more interesting. And while dishes like these require a touch more explanation, staff are on hand to fill in any gaps.

Coupled with a 300-strong wine list championing lesser-known, low-intervention producers, St Barts offers without a doubt one of the richest tasting menu experiences in the capital.

Located in London's Smithfield, Restaurant St Barts comes from the team behind Nest in Hackney and Nest Farmhouse in Norfolk, brought to east London by long-term friends Johnnie, Luke and Toby. More than just a fine-dining restaurant, Restaurant St Barts is currently the only restaurant in London to hold a Michelin Star alongside the coveted Michelin Green Star.

The interiors take inspiration from the buildings in the surrounding area, with stone, wood and soft fabrics used in abundance throughout. Bespoke tableware and ceramics are both made in-house, with the former all hand-carved from wood from London Plane trees in keeping with its sustainable ethos. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the Church of Bartholomew the Great, adding the relaxed ambiance of the space.

Here, you’ll exclusively find a selection of tasting menus designed to take diners on a journey through the British isles via menus that champion only the best small-scale farmers and producers in the UK. Dining at St Barts is an experience, beginning to end, with diners invited to relax with a drink in the bar before being guided to their table for a multi-course feast.

Johnnie Crowe occupies the role of executive head chef, with each of the numerous and varied dishes on his tasting menu featuring only two or three ingredients. The dinner tasting menu is available from Monday to Saturday and offers around five courses alongside a selection of snacks and the option to add a wine pairing. The menus change regularly in line with its hyper-seasonal concept, but examples might include lobster and blackcurrant leaf, veal sweetbread and pumpkin, and cornish bluefin tuna served with a house soy sauce. For those looking for something lighter, a lunch set menu is available, as well as a business lunch hour menu.

Meanwhile, the drinks list offers a selection of classic cocktails, local beers, natural cider, premium spirits and a wine list that revolves around low-intervention bottles from artisanal producers.