St. JOHN Marylebone

I agree with the people saying ratings on 3.9 are way off the mark. Went for lunch as we were passing just because we liked the look of it. Was it (relatively) expensive? Yes. But the food was exquisite and the service fantastic. Better than a recent michelin star restaurant we ate at. It will be top of our list next time in London.

First time dining at this new branch. This is based on a daily menu released just before service and sharing plates rather than standard orders and menu. The venue is very traditional, which is what one wants - classic dining with a somewhat ordinary feel. We were seated downstairs, although there were seats outside and upstairs. Service was attentive but not overbearing - very helpful and knowledgeable, too. Essentially, they suggest 5 plates, which differ in size. Meat, fish, and vegetarian options, but I suspect vegans might want to check beforehand. Nose to tail emphasis, and we started with the ox tongue with horseradish that was sublime and took me back to childhood. Opted for deep-fried rarebit, which, as a welshman, was irresistible. Served with the intention of you adding some Worcestershire sauce, which I highly recommend. Next was the cold middle white pork salad. This lacked a little punch for me. We had the lamb with fresh peas and mint, as well as the john dory. Get some bread for the juices here, I would say. Finished off the bread and butter pudding made of everything, but. Croissants mostly. The custard was delicious. Madelines were something they were known for, and these were stunning. Also had a salad, which was perfectly dressed and a hearty core of lettuce. Opted for a smoky and sweet Bretton cider, which was perfect. Wine options are available by the glass, and the bottles can go well up in price here. This is certainly superb, but of course, it comes with a certain amount of expense. That said, it is highly worth it for a meal that will get you reaching for those ideas in your own cooking.

Seeing a 3.9 rating is an absolute disgrace, the people who are bashing at this place have absolutely no clue what they are talking about..the food is outstanding and the service was extremely friendly & knowledgeable. I’m actually writing this review while waiting for our desert. This has definitely been a 5 star experience and I think his name is Jo/Joseph who was amazing. Last but not least the bread and butter pudding was a home run 😊

I was sad at first not to get us a reservation at the original St John, but this new-to-us location did not disappoint. The food, service, and calm ambiance were all up to the usual standards. We loved everything but just mention the surprise favourite, a poached skate coleslaw/ salad, which was incredible and inspired us to try to reproduce it. Bottle of wine was good and waiter was jovial and knowledgeable.

Exquisite food with a changing menu to the seasons. The atmosphere is, relaxed and just the right amount of hubbub for it to be relaxing. The staff are very professional, formal and polite. We had crispy pork skin w/ketchup, pork & prune terrine w/cornichons, bread & butter, ox liver w/chicory & horseradish, lemon sole w/asparagus & wild garlic and roast lamb w/anchovy sauce & roast carrots. For dessert we had freshly baked Madeline's (takes 15mins) that had such a nostalgic taste and looseleaf tea. They serve plant based milk options. Update: The deviled kidneys and mash is AMAZING

Unfortunately I found St JOHN bitterly disappointing and I therefore feel compelled to provide this review. We paid £124 for bread (this was the highlight), 1 langoustine (this minuscule piece of seafood was £7.50), 5 slices of thin pork, a mackerel and a duck leg. None of the dishes were enjoyable - I would even go so far as to say that most of the meal didn’t even taste good. And our side of potatoes consisted of boiled potatoes that were undercooked (raw). Questioning how St John has a Michelin Star. I thought perhaps we ordered poorly? But the menu was extremely limited and when we arrived at 7pm, each of the specials was sold out. We ordered the only two non-vegetarian main courses. Perhaps we just got unlucky with the seasonal menu but if you are planning to book St JOHN for a special dinner (or at all) I would urge you to spend that money elsewhere.

The service here is welcoming and we were greeted warmly. We started with St. John's IPA and champagne, both delicious. The food seemed to be authentic, but was a bit disappointing given the prices. My favorite was the hake, which was peppery and refreshing. The crab was good, but it was just steamed with no seasoning and for 30 euros, I had hoped it would be more special. A few of our orders (lentils, potatoes) never arrived, and unfortunately we could not wait any longer due to a following event, so we had to have them cancelled.

Service was great, the atmosphere too. However the food was a little underwhelming. The caper sauce in my pork roast was very bland. The salt grinder was spewing massive amounts of salt even with a 1/8th of a twist and because the salt grains were massive and not actually grinding at all it basically ruined one of my dishes with salt completely. If the sauce was seasoned properly in the first place I wouldn't have to do it and risk it using one of the salt grinders.