London Takeaways

88 St John Street Clerkenwell, London, West London, EC1M 4EH

Luca at 88 St John Street in Clerkenwell EC1 is a celebrated Italian restaurant described by Time Out as one of the most romantic restaurants in Clerkenwell. Hardens praises "refined and precise Italian cooking that respects tradition while using excellent British seasonal produce." The menu is built around handmade pasta — tagliatelle with aged Hereford beef ragu, cacio e pepe tortelloni, pappardelle with braised oxtail — alongside wood-roasted meats and fish. The cheese trolley is among London's finest. Luca is connected to The Clove Club, one of Britain's most innovative restaurants. It opened in 2016 on St John Street, which runs from Clerkenwell Green to Smithfield and has developed into one of London's best dining streets. The conservatory at the rear is one of central London's most pleasant outdoor dining spaces in summer.

Available for dine-in at 88 St John Street, Clerkenwell EC1M. Phone 020 3859 3000. Own website: luca.restaurant. Book ahead.

26 St John Street Clerkenwell, London, West London, EC1M 4AY

St John at 26 St John Street in Clerkenwell EC1 is one of the most influential restaurants in Britain. Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver opened it in 1994 in a former smokehouse near Smithfield meat market, and the nose-to-tail philosophy Henderson developed here — using every part of every animal, presented with monastic simplicity on plain white plates — changed British cooking permanently. Time Out names it the best British restaurant in London (2025). Hardens rates it among the finest in the capital. Signature dishes: roast bone marrow and parsley salad on toast, eccles cakes with Lancashire cheese, devilled kidneys, Welsh rarebit. The bakery produces some of London's best bread and the doughnuts are legendary. Henderson was awarded an MBE for services to the culinary arts in 2005.

Available for dine-in at 26 St John Street, Clerkenwell EC1M. Phone 020 7251 0848. Own website: stjohnrestaurant.com. Open Mon-Sat lunch and dinner.