St. John Bar Smithfield London bar interior
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St. John Bar

The ground floor bar at Fergus Henderson's Smithfield landmark, all whitewashed walls, French wine, and famous madeleines.

★ 4.5 $$$ Smithfield, London Wine and a snack, pre dinner drinks, a serious bar lunch
Published · Last reviewed · by the barsforKings editorial team
The Pitch

St. John opened in a converted Smithfield smokehouse in 1994, when Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver set out to cook the whole animal and waste nothing. Thirty years on it is a London institution, a former World's 50 Best name with a Michelin star earned in 2009. Most people come for the restaurant. The ground floor bar is the quiet secret, and it is one of the best places in the city for a glass of wine and a snack.

The room is famously plain. Whitewashed walls, bare floorboards, and coat hooks set the tone, and the bar serves the same uncompromising British food in smaller form. The Infatuation calls St. John a London legend for good reason. Come to the bar for the all French wine list, the seasonal snacks, and the madeleines, without needing a table in the dining room.

At a Glance
Address26 St John Street, Smithfield, London EC1M 4AY
NeighbourhoodSmithfield, London
Nearest transitFarringdon (Elizabeth line, Thameslink, Tube), about 5 minutes; Barbican nearby
Price Range$$$
Drinks specialtyAll French wine list, seasonal British bar snacks, madeleines
ReservationsBar is walk-in; book ahead for the restaurant
HoursMon to Sat 11am to 11pm; Sun 11am to 5pm
Best forWine and a snack, pre dinner drinks, a serious bar lunch

Plan Your Visit

St. John sits on St John Street near Smithfield and Farringdon. The ground floor bar is walk-in, so arrive for a glass and a snack before the restaurant fills.

Get Directions Ask Our Team
26 St John Street, Smithfield, London EC1M 4AY

The Room

The bar sits to the right as you enter, under high white walls and good light. There are no soft furnishings and no music, which is the point. Henderson built a room that puts the food and the wine first and strips away everything else.

It works equally for a standing glass on the way somewhere and for a long, unhurried bar lunch. The mezzanine dining room runs above, but the bar holds its own.

The Drinks

The wine list is all French and deliberately so, built to drink rather than to collect, with plenty available by the glass. Ask the bar for a steer and they will pour something honest and well chosen. The kitchen sends seasonal snacks and bar plates, and the famous madeleines come warm, baked to order in roughly fifteen minutes, so order them when you sit.

The signature Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad and a wedge of Welsh rarebit both travel to the bar. Pricing is upper middle for the city, and the value is real given the kitchen and the wine. This is a wine and snack destination, not a cocktail bar.

What to Order

01
A glass from the all French list
The heart of the bar. Ask for a recommendation and drink something honest rather than showy.
02
Madeleines
Order them the moment you sit. They bake to order in about fifteen minutes and arrive warm. A St. John ritual.
03
Welsh rarebit
The bar snack to have with a glass of red. Rich, savoury, and exactly the St. John register.
04
Roast Bone Marrow and Parsley Salad
The signature dish, available at the bar. The clearest taste of what made St. John famous.

The Crowd and Vibe

The bar draws a mix of Farringdon professionals, chefs on their day off, and people who have read about the place for years. Lunch and early evening are the calm windows. It stays open to 11pm Monday to Saturday and closes at 5pm on Sunday.

Reviewers consistently call the food fantastic and the service warm in a plain setting. The bar rewards anyone who wants the St. John experience without committing to a full dinner.

What Regulars Say

Who It Is For

Wine and a serious snack

An all French list and proper British bar plates, no dinner reservation required.

A St. John first taste

The bar is the low commitment way into a 30 year old institution.

Skip if you want buzz

Plain, quiet, and food first. The wrong room for a loud night out.

More across the city in our best wine bars in London guide and our best bars in Clerkenwell roundup. Searching nearby? Try gastropubs near me, or browse the full London Bar Guide and every Wine Bars in London.

Inside the Bar

St. John Bar interior 1 St. John Bar interior 2 St. John Bar interior 3 St. John Bar interior 4
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Sources
The Infatuation (St. John Bar and Restaurant); St. John official site (2026); Time Out London; Yelp reviews (26 St John Street, n=344); Michelin Guide listing.
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Photos via Google Places. The Hiwaymann · Jeremy C · Mark Jervis · Brooks Jones · Gustavo Marquez · Vico Paris · Alexander Legoshin