The Modern Pantry

Modern European restaurant · Clerkenwell

The Modern Pantry

Modern European restaurant · Clerkenwell

2

47-48 St John's Sq, London EC1V 4JJ, United Kingdom

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The Modern Pantry by null
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The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
The Modern Pantry by null
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Highlights

Casual cafe & upscale dining featuring fusion cuisine  

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47-48 St John's Sq, London EC1V 4JJ, United Kingdom Get directions

themodernpantry.co.uk
@themodernpantry

$$ · Menu

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47-48 St John's Sq, London EC1V 4JJ, United Kingdom Get directions

+44 20 7553 9210
themodernpantry.co.uk
@themodernpantry
𝕏
@TheModernPantry

$$ · Menu

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Last updated

Aug 7, 2025

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On the Grid : The Modern Pantry

"A firm favourite with the studio and our clients, the Modern Pantry is broken into an elegant fine dining restaurant and a smaller casual café both serving up mouth-watering delights using fresh ingredients and honest homemade cooking. Be sure to check out their shop for a selection of handmade jams, relishes and spices." - DesignStudio

https://onthegrid.city/london/barbican-old-street/the-modern-pantry
View Postcard for The Modern Pantry
@onthegrid

"The Modern Pantry, Barbican Old Street. A firm favourite with the studio and our clients, the Modern Pantry is broken into an elegant fine dining restaurant and a smaller casual café both serving up mouth-watering delights using fresh ingredients and honest homemade cooking. Be sure to check out their shop for a selection of handmade jams, relishes and spices."

London
View Postcard for The Modern Pantry

Daniel Tenner

Google
Nice food presentation, though.. I thought it looked a bit dry, but actually it tastes really great. All the dishes were appreciated by our party of 7, who was served promptly over lunch. The vegan dishes that I ate were very tasty for sure. The atmosphere is a bit loud but fun. Toilets are two stairs up. Definitely a good place. Happy we chose to eat there.

luislukas

Google
Great restaurant in between of a casual dining and fine dining. Food greatly prepared, very tasty and perfectly cooked. Deserts were amazing. As starters we went for the aubergine and pig checks - both delicious, very mellow and full of flavours. Mains were steak and lamb and we weren't disappointed. Cooked medium but we were asked if it was ok. Service was great as well.

Ling Lin

Google
Super delicious prawn omelette and chicken. The desserts, on the other hand, were not that impressive. Overall a good brunch place and friendly staff.

Nawar

Google
Beautiful casual neighborhood restaurant in Clerkenwell. The brunch/breakfast here is great - good selection of food. Service is always friendly, and coffee is yummy. While there's lots of small tables/ sharing tables on the ground floor, there's also more seating available upstairs for big groups.

H SC

Google
Really yummy food!! The omelette was the best on the brunch menu. The rose lemonade is very pink (very pretty) and the staff are absolute babe

Boon Seng Pui

Google
Great decor and atmosphere. Very clean look and feel. Slightly cramped but not really an issue. Would recommend booking if you intend to come for brunch on a weekend. Food was good but ricotta pancakes were quite filling. In the vegetarian English breakfast equivalent, the fried halloumi was extremely salty. Overall, good restaurant - nice place for brunch and to catch up with friends.

Gina Lloyd

Google
The Modern Pantry is quality food and quality ingredients. It's your basic brunch dishes with a few inventive ideas thrown in. There are plenty of options for anyone - sweet, savory, vegetarian, etcetera. I usually order the prawn omelette, as I did at brunch today. It's an elegant dish with good flavor, and a tad spicy (but not if you eat spicy curries with ease). Today was a little of a miss; the omelette was runny. If you go for brunch, ORDER THE BRUNCH SPECIAL. You get a sample of everything. It's £19.50 per person, but if another person orders something light it's enough for two. The restaurant itself is nice, bright, and airy. It's a long, narrow room and very packed. I'm not sure if I'd go back on the weekend since it's so packed - if you're sitting away from the window - you'll get bumped into constantly - and that makes a difference. It's not comfortable to sit there. The first picture is part of the brunch special and the second is of the prawn omelette.

I-Jean Khoo

Google
Came here on a sunny day and the outside was quite full, but we got a table inside where it was quieter. We tried the sugar cured prawn omelette, which was excellent (esp with the sambal), and the grilled miso and tamarind steak, which we found a little tough but the flavours were good. Would have loved to try their brunch menu.
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Keli M.

Yelp
No longer here. Walked here specifically for a scone and was told it shut down 2 years ago
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Miko B.

Yelp
The Modern Pantry is one of the more well-known brunch spots in the city. This restaurant, located in Clerkenwell, has quite the pleasant ambiance - bright, clean, and quaint. The staff is friendly and welcoming as well. Although it does get quite busy during peak hours, reservations on OpenTable are not difficult to come by. I would have wanted to give a better rating, but the food was nothing special. // Sugar Cured Prawn Omelette (£9.80) - 3 stars The smoked chili sambal is really what gave this dish a burst of flavor. Although the size of the omelette itself was quite small, it comes with two slices of bread to fill you up. // Tea Smoked Salmon (£10.50) - 2 stars Contrary to the dish's name, the salmon was actually served baked, rather than smoked. I would have preferred the latter on an eggs Benedict, as it turned out to be quite bland. The English muffins also lacked that extra crunch.
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Jasmine H.

Yelp
Came here for breakfast during my solo trip in London and was very pleased with the service. I went at around 11 and was seated promptly. The interior is quite nice. Put my order in and it came out very quickly (under 10 minutes). Everything tasted AMAZING. I've honestly never had better toast at brunch. The tomatoes were flavorful and juicy. The eggs weren't over done. Everything was great. Staff checked in to see if I needed anything a couple times throughout the meal so I definitely didn't feel neglected. Overall a great experience. I would definitely go back during my next trip to London!
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Christina N.

Yelp
Loved this place so much! We came on a Sunday morning right when it opened-- lucky for us, they had one table available before the reservations started flooding in! We ordered the prawn omelette and they were PHENOMENAL. The prawns are seasoned heavily with a rich sweet, salty flavor that went well with the egg and buttered toast. I tried the hot chocolate which was nicely sweet but not overbearing- would recommend! Would definitely come back if I'm ever in the area! Be sure to make a reservation though!!!
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Will B.

Yelp
My immediate impression of the Modern Pantry was that it embodied many of the qualities that provincial Britons mistrust in 'that London': vaguely cosmopolitan, a bit pricey, verging on smug. There's no question this place voted Remain. Moreover, it's located in an attractive building that I walk past regularly, and boasts a more interesting brunch menu than average. All in all, I was excited for my visit here last Sunday. Sadly, I left a little disappointed. I ordered what would usually be called Eggs Benedict, which was let down by its yuzu hollandaise. All the other members of the cast put in strong performances: the English muffins and bacon were both excellent; the poached eggs were perfectly cooked, the hazelnut dukkah a pleasant surprise. But this was rendered moot by the acidic onslaught of the hollandaise. I'm not sure if the error here was in execution or composition, but it brought discord to the dish where there should have been harmony. A crying shame. I'd have been more sympathetic had it not been for the decidedly sluggish service throughout our meal. At £17.40 a head for a brunch dish and a coffee each plus a shared round of toast, it was also at the upper end of reasonable. Maybe the 52% had a point after all.
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Hattie S.

Yelp
The restaurant is right across the way from where I lived when I was abroad! Not an eye-catching restaurant front but will not disappoint if you venture inside. I ordered a Thai (??) espresso which was unique but delicious. It was an espresso shot w/condensed milk and an ice cube. Very small drink but packed a big punch. I'm obsessed with eggs Benedict so ordered that while here. It was a delicious little eggs Benedict with little hazelnuts sprinkled over top. Nothing to complain about but nothing I would pay more than I did for. Cute brunch spot in east London
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Dawn V.

Yelp
The food was easily five stars! I see others disagree so specifically: Pork belly! Crisped on the outside to form it's own thick skin of fresh, mouth-watering, pork rind but soft and juicy meat inside, paired perfectly with sweet purple cabbage! (We also ordered a side of potatoes as two people had the pork) Hake! OMG! Tender, fall apart, pillow soft hake with a large square, (looks like a piece of lasagna!), of baked cabbage. Delicious! Also started with the carrot with creme soup, also delicious! Two fabulous, fruit spiked iced teas, a glass of Italian wine, olive cup starter and then: toffee affogoto and a citron cheesecake with candied kumquats? (The grow the kumquat tree out front, so come on! That's five stars). Desserts were, again, stellar! 112 pounds for all,of that. Worth it! To be fair, I agree that service is a bit sad for such a wonderful food experience. The man up front was wonderful, but waitress indifferent. Never asked after us and we were wanting more wine half way through. Had to flag her down for a check. (This is a small place.... Where is she disappearing to and how does she walk right by an empty wine glass??). So one less star but you should risk it to try the food. Maybe she's not working your day! We found this by accident, having just checked into a nearby hotel and it being our 19th anniversary, decided on a special lunch. I wouldn't have done it differently!
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Schelly Y.

Yelp
Awesome breakfast / brunch spot! Apparently a lot of people here book reservations for breakfast / brunch so keep that in mind if you decide to come. We lucked out and got a table but were told we had to leave by a certain time frame. The food was delicious and the decor was simple and refreshing. They oddly had candles burning during the day when it was really bright but anyways the overall ambiance was nice. They have some unique menu and lots of interesting items we plan on try on our next visit. Sugar cured New Caledonian prawn omelette, green chilli, spring onions, coriander, smoked chilli sambal, toast Two fried, scrambled or poached eggs and toast with Grilled chorizo, caramelised plantain fritters, slow-roast vine ripened tomatoes Fruit Muffin of the Day
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Sanj M.

Yelp
I was ready for this place to be over-hyped but I have to say, I loved it! After a fire alarm had emptied nearby Workshop Coffee out onto the street, my brunch date and I decided to chance it here hoping most people had left the city on a sunny Good Friday. We were in luck and they had a table free, and my guy let me sit by the window so I could happily bask in the sunshine. I liked the unexpected ingredient combinations on the menu - you won't find your standard brunch run down here. I went for the prawn omelette with green chilli and spring onion, having never had prawns in an omelette before, and I have to say it was heavenly mostly thanks to the generous dollop of amazing smoked chilli sambal paste on top. I also got a avocado on the side which they'd seasoned nicely with lemon, and stealing a bit of my guy's halloumi side meant I had all the flavours I could want in a brunch! I also got a mixed berry smoothie which was delish but I was a little disappointed with the small size for £5. That's my only niggle with the place - the popularity's gone to its head and everything's just a few quid more expensive than it should be. We were well looked after by the servers - though I probably wouldn't have noticed otherwise in my vitamin D induced haze. A nice touch was also the pretty card the bill arrived in which I took away with me to write to someone later! A blissful and very Good Friday all round :)
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Chloé B.

Yelp
Delicious diner at The Modern Pantry last night, warm restaurant with really nice waiters. We were supposed to have diner in the other location, but because of a privatisation of the restaurant they changed our diner location, for that they offered us a glass of champagne, such a nice gesture ! Although the dishes are really original and so easy for vegetarian, love that ;) recommend 100% !
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Jing Shyang Y.

Yelp
We had a christmas team lunch here and it was a bit of a mixed bag. Decor was excellent. Food and service was mixed to disappointing. We were here about an hour early due to mix up with the booking, however luckily they were able to accommodate us. We were seated and menus passed around. This is one of those places that tries to fancily list every ingredient to a dish in ways that mean you have no idea what is actually in the actual dish. For instance listing the type of fish or cheese, but conveniently leaving out those words itself. Food wise, I didn't really enjoy the starter, enjoyed the main course and loved the wobbly lime jelly dessert. Service was a mixed bag. The staggering between courses was fine. However when it came to order drinks it was a struggle. After the initial drinks order, the server didn't come by once to ask if we were okay for drinks. Normally I don't mind this no pressure relaxed attitude to not pressuring you for drinks. But as we were here on a work lunch (read: free!) it would have been nice to not work to order every single drink. To be honest I expected the staff to be more personable or friendly. But they were a little stand-offish/in-experienced in practice. The visit was pleasant, but personally I can't find a reason to come back, apart from the lovely dessert, and the really nice outside courtyard area that would be pretty awesome in the summer.
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Lanre K.

Yelp
Usually never leave reviews while still seated in a restaurant. But wasnt impressed with the service here. First I walk in and see 6 tables open at 12:48pm, i ask for a seat and lady at the desk tells me, unless someone cancels, nothing will open until 2pm...no worries seat me outside. As I seat outside, 2 couples are seated. One has a pregnant lady. They seat for 4mins and no one comes to them and they leave. The other couple seats for 3mins and the same server comes to them and says a table is open.... I say to her, pls kindly send a server outside so I may order. She says "one minute".... I wait another 5mins. At 1:06pm, a server comes out to collect the menus from the other tables... and I politely ask to order. Service is important. Almost certainly trumps food. My coffee just arrived, but I doubt I'd recommend here to my American friends. Its 1:10pm on saturday, 7/13
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Heather B.

Yelp
Sadly, I was a bit disappointed with my first visit to Modern pantry, after much hype and excitement. Two friends and I made a Sunday booking for brunch at the new-ish Finsbury square location. The restaurant itself is lovely, very bright and clean, with a friendly welcome from the staff. We did sit around for what felt like a bit too long before anyone approached to take our drink order, but the waitress was friendly and helpful when she did arrive. Menu has some very intriguing dishes, twists on classic brunch favourites, like a veal mince omelette, and poached eggs with tea smoked salmon and hollandaise. I opted for the waffle of sweet corn, spinach, feta and medjool dates with bacon. My portion felt a bit small for the price (around £13) and I wasn't wowed with the flavours overall. Also, my plate was cold so the food cooled quite rapidly. My friend had one of the egg dishes, and her side of halloumi was very unappealing, having been deep fried within an inch of its life and served up greasy and unseasoned. I ordered a soya cappuccino- sadly the first was delivered in a cup with a very clear lipstick mark in it! I asked for a replacement, and was brought a fresh one, but I always find dirty crockery a bit worrying, especially with how obvious it was! Very limited engagement from the staff, and we had to ask a few times for the bill. Overall, the experience was pleasant, but don't feel the service or the food really warranted the high prices.
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Colleen C.

Yelp
All you need to know is "prawn omelette!" Mmmmmmmmm. Yes. Enjoyed a perfectly civilized mid-morning, mid-week breakfast with a colleague, outside in the sunshine. I did make a booking (just in case) but wouldn't have needed one. A good idea though, especially during the weekend as it is booked through most days. For a reason! Besides the omelette of my dreams, I also indulged in multiple lattes and a beautiful fruit plate with lavender drizzle. Delicious. They do it right here at Modern Pantry. I haven't checked it out yet but the afternoon tea is said to be quite nice as well.
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Kevin L.

Yelp
The Modern Pantry seems to have a bit of a case of dissociative disorder going on: every single evening meal I've had here has been staggeringly beautiful; however, weekend brunch was overpriced and mediocre (at best). Does this food all come from the same chef/kitchen? The dinner menu offers colourful and creative options that are are quite novel in my mind. Flaky white fish over a kimchi base held some eye-opening heat whilst an elegantly plated lightly creamy crab salad cooled our palates. For the dairy fiends amongst you, be sure to partake of the cheese plate. I found it quite affordable and nominally pricier than the sweet dessert dishes at under £10. If memory serves, ours featured a gorgeous (yet mild) Stilton, a mouthwatering Pecorino, and a soft Brie-like wedge that all but melted across the plate. If you're considering dining at The Modern Pantry, I'd strongly encourage you to make a booking for dinner. I've never actually seen the place fully occupied, but each visit I've made, they always inquire whether or not we have a reservation, so I imagine they must get rammed at times.
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Nida K.

Yelp
Now this is an awesome brunch spot. It's cute, it's cozy, it's got that weekend brunch vibe that you want, and best of all, the food is actually good. I highly recommend you make reservations or you may get turned away because they don't have enough tables! Our table of 4 had a nice spread of dishes. I ordered the smoked salmon benedict which was pretty tasty and we also got a plate of raspberry and manouri pancakes to share. Everyone's food looked amazing and I don't think you could go wrong with anything on the menu. The passionfruit smoothie was also a great drink to start off with in the morning. Overall, a lovely brunch spot in Farringdon. I can't wait to come back!
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Tim Q.

Yelp
We ordered the oxtail dumplings and the duck main dish. Very nice place and really friendly staff. I thought the oxtail dumplings would be more testimonial Asian dumplings, but it's actually in a potato shell. It still tastes great!
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Linn L.

Yelp
Finally someone have figured out how to make something new and fun out of poached eggs! At The Modern Pantry the eggs are served on a traditional English muffin, but it's in the Hollandaise the fun happens; it is seasoned with miso. Yum. Reasonably priced brunch cocktails (a fiver), and bright, airy seating. Book week(s) in advance. Besides this, a keeper!
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Michelle L.

Yelp
While visiting London, a few friends treated me to a dinner at the Modern Pantry. I was very impressed with the entire meal. Ambiance: 4/5 - it's fairly small and not too loud. Perfect for smaller groups. Food: 5/5 - highly recommend the buratta salad and the ox cheek. Both were phenomenal. Service: 5/5 - attentive staff that had great food suggestions.
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Melizza R.

Yelp
Great decor and vibe. If Anthropologie opened a restaurant it may just look like this one. My friend and I met here to try their afternoon tea. We each got rose lychee bellinis and were pretty pleased by how delicious they were. The sandwiches (smoked salmon, avocado & yuzu mayonnaise sandwichSlow roast tomato, marinated feta, rocket & green pepper relish sandwich) were very different from the usual cucumber fare you get at other tea places. The scones were a bit of a joke. They were the size of a 50P coin and one already came with a scant bit of cream and jam. Don't take away my pleasure of slathering on the clotted cream myself! The nerve. The other scone was a savory Parmesan tarragon one. When I compare this tea experience to Bea's of Bloomsbury's afternoon tea, this place doesn't hold a candle to it. There's no bang for your quid. Go for the atmosphere. Or maybe try the restaurant. Maybe it's more generous with its portions.
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Heath P.

Yelp
I've only eaten here once. But I've been meaning to come back, and now I'm sad that I'm leaving London without having time for another weekend brunch :( The location is central, the interior is nicely decorated, service is friendly, and food is delicious! It wasn't even as expensive as I thought it would be, given its reputation :) Do give this place a try.
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Lily B.

Yelp
Ah, so good. I got the tea-smoked salmon with poached eggs and English muffin, and matcha latte for my birthday breakfast here. The salmon was really tasty; I could definitely taste the tea, and it went well with my latte as well. The space is sleek and modern, and you can see the chefs working behind the counter in the kitchen. There are plenty of enticing-looking beverage options on the menu as well. The pastries, grains, and smoothies all look delicious as well. I also adore the decor of the place; it's very clean-feel, neat, and reminiscent of a farm-to-table dining venue, all complete with a chef's tasting menu (which I do not think they actually provide). If the weather's nice you can also opt to sit outside and soak up the nice quietude in the courtyard away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The innovative and exquisitely prepared foods along with the ambiance definitely make Modern Pantry a good spot to take your out-of-town friends or even a date. I couldn't give a 5-star review though because the server seemed less than enthusiastic, which is an attitude that's always needed to make a fine dining experience whole.
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Magdalena C.

Yelp
Be prepared to wait during lunch hours. It's crawded there. Food relatively good. Could be more service staff.
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Kenny N.

Yelp
Thank goodness The Modern Pantry has food that can distract from 4 crazy women's conversations. Yep, that my group of people. I got TMP's Afternoon Tea this Saturday afternoon. It wasn't by choice, more by default. They assumed based on the 4 women's choices and I went with it. When the food arrived on the three tiered rack, I was doubtful of its filling qualities. I quickly counted the items, mentally divided it among the table's occupants, looked around for waitstaff and gave up. Two small sandwiches, two scones (one sweet, one savory), some chocolate and a mini-cupcake for each person. It was certainly colorful enough and looked good on my camera. Sandwiches consisted of vegetable and tea smoked salmon. Scones were spinach (zucchini maybe?) with butter and jelly and pumpkin (or other squash?) with cream cheese. The tea smoked salmon and pumpkin scone were definitely my winners. Like Jin, I also wish they had explained what we were about to eat. As I was savoring these treats, I also enjoyed a Gen Mai Cha. Overall, the service brings the rating down.
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Matthew P.

Yelp
Why a great breakfast find! Everything was quality including the freshness of the decor, the service, the food, and the coffee. Highly recommended for an early Saturday breakfast
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Jonny Q.

Yelp
I've been here to sit in for breakfast way back (well 6 months ago...) but it's somewhere that I also regularly hit to get takeout and due to the overall awesomeness it's a place I'm not gonna stop going to! Yes - tucked away behind the main restaurant is a secret door that takes you into a world of great artisan food to go, perfect for breakfast and lunch - just tucked away enough so as huge queues don't form. Their coffee first off is great (Flat whites so so smooth), the fruit salad always interesting with random elements thrown in here and there - but the real star of the show is their chia bircher pot with figs! OMG - so so good! Well played MP, don't ever change
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Jenni S.

Yelp
We found this place doing a yelp search. We were told the area it is located is great for food but we made the mistake of going pretty late on a weeknight so there wasn't much open. Then we found this place. A little gem tucked back away from the main streets. The food was tasty, modern and interesting. We had a small issue with my husbands entree coming with sesame seeds after we told the server he was allergic but the server was very apologetic and then comped our desert and my glass of wine. I was sad we were not able to go for brunch as people online raved about it but it was a great romantic dinner.
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Lucinda K.

Yelp
Excellent place for brunch, latte, & tea; really pretty inside with a classy decor. There were groups of fashionable ladies having brunch affairs. Their eggs benedict with bacon was really tasty, except the muffin bottom was very tough. The top half of the muffin was much better. Maybe I'm not used to real English muffins but I had a difficult time cutting through the bottom and chewing it as well. Waffle with bacon was very good as well. Then we shared a strange grapefruit confit dessert with roasted wild/black rice crunchies. It looked WEIRD like sprinkled bugs, but it turned out to be a very refreshing dessert, and the crunchies were delicious!
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Jin C.

Yelp
I came here for an afternoon tea on a weekday and the place was pleasantly quiet. The Modern Pantry has floor to ceiling glass walls, so it lets in a lot of natural light. For 20 pounds, I got a raspberry lychee bellini, an earl grey tea, and a scone/sandwich/cake combination. The cocktail was delicious. I wish I knew exactly what my food was, and I overheard the server explaining to someone else exactly what each component was, and unfortunately I didn't receive that same treatment. From what I deduced, however, there was some kind of cheese sandwich, a salmon sandwich, a foccacia-esque scone, another scone with some chutney, a cube of brownie and a lemon muffin with icing. The food was all quite tasty. The servingware was all very quaint and pretty, and that definitely enhanced my experience. The restaurant itself has multiple floors, and it seems like there are more banquet-esque rooms on the upstairs if you wanted it.
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Courtney G.

Yelp
This is probably my favourite brunch spot; the menu is extensive and varied, with quality classics and their own more creative menu. I've been twice so far, first having the prawn omelette and then the scrambled eggs with spinach, toast and haloumi. Both were excellent and brought the food to the table really quickly. The style of the place is smart but laid back. The restaurant is quiet and airy even though it's always popular. The coffee is great too, but what I have to rave about is the tea! The Earl Grey is my favourite in London, hands down.
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Alex S.

Yelp
Oh, well this is awkward. I told myself, time and again, that I'd try out The Modern Pantry. But then I dismissed it: seemed expensive, seemed busy, no room on the patio, didn't make a booking. Always a reason. I HAVE BEEN AN IDIOT. My vegetarian pal was visiting, and she had bookmarked TMP (acronyms for efficiency) as a place heavy on veggie-forward dishes. We didn't make a booking, but strolled in for a (very) late Friday lunch. The patio was filled, but the light, airy, beautiful indoor space was only partially full. Veggie explorations included: - watermelon gazpacho; nicely peppery, with some refreshing pea shoots atop - smoked burrata; my least favourite of the options, with some over-the-top tangily, vinegared plums and onions - miso and sesame-studded aubergine, with a mix of mushrooms - (the true gem was) coconut laksa; it was phenomenal, served with lemony roasted cauliflower and sweet butternut squash-studded rice parcels, lightly tempura-fried. A beautiful plate, and even better tasting - affogado? Don't mind if I (affoga)DO! Go for the cinder toffee option, it's delicious. It's not the most affordable of lunches, but the plates were generous: the 'small plates' were definitely larger than the tapas-sized 'bites' that I had anticipated. Special call-out to the cocktails. The cocktail of the week was a tangy, slightly bitter, pink grapefruit, prosecco and rosemary delight. YES TO THIS. Yelp note: afternoon tea looks *delightful* and is comparatively really affordable (boozy and non-boozy options available). Shout-out to the adorable party of 6 women celebrating a birthday next to us!
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Jesse M.

Yelp
Got here after a long flight over to the UK, starving for breakfast or brunch. Staff was clearly under pressure and a little terse, didn't ask if if we wanted to wait for a table, just said they were full, so I asked if we could eat at the bar. We ate at the bar, the food was good; a couple unique spins on waffles with a corn salsa and lime crème fraîche and semi-smoked salmon highlighted with bacon. Overall it seems the place runs on a good prep of creme's for meals and mixes for their cocktail arrangements. A more polite staff would go a long way, maybe it was just a busy day.
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Qype User (ErikM…)

Yelp
Have been a few times and found the food really good, highly recommend it. Went recently for the roast brunch and have to say it's probably the best I've had in London so far. The lamb was very tender and the roast vegetable were really delicious. Dessert was a bit on the heavy side for me, quite a large portion to have after the main. It can be a bit on the pricey side and normally gets really full but they have some upstairs seating so it's not too hard to grab a table.
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Qype User (theku…)

Yelp
I'm glad more and more decent cafes are opening up around Clerkenwell, especially since it's very convenient for me. I'm therefore very glad that The Modern Pantry opens its cafe for breakfast Saturday and Sunday offering a decent selection from basics such as toast and porridge, to the more exotic sugar cured prawn omelette or feta and onion waffle. Our group decided to try the ricotta pancakes, grape and stone fruit compote, creme fraiche and one of the classic fry up (with poached eggs instead). The dining room is bright, helped by the large windows that surround two of the large walls. They also have a small bar area that people ended up standing in to avoid the squall-like downpours whilst they waited to be seated. It seemed to get quite busy the closer it seemed to lunchtime. The coffee is reasonable, and with ex-Providores experience, a flat white order was taken without question. When it arrived, it was certainly a decent brew, although looked a bit lacklustre when it arrived. The breakfast menu is reasonably priced, and with high quality tasting ingredients I really couldn't complain. The fry up came with perfectly poached eggs (the white just cooked with the yolk still runny) and flavourful tomatoes, mushrooms and salty streaky bacon crisp and not burnt. The pancakes on the other hand slightly disappointed. They were fluffy and light, yet the stone fruit compote towered over the small golden discs, and upset the delicate balance that should have been presented. With a decent breakfast offering, I'd be interested to see what a proper lunch and dinner menu would look like in the upstairs dining rooms. It's a welcome addition to the area, and a great place to meet up with friends.
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Jennifer Y.

Yelp
Probably my top brunch spot in London. The restaurant is bright and airy, with multiple floors. Service is OK, but the brunch options is good and made well. My favourite is the corn waffles, so good! I have tried the afternoon tea and it was only so-so to me, I think the brunch is much better. Do make reservations, I don't know if they take walk ins, but the restaurant is quite busy at peak times.
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Minerva L.

Yelp
OMG so good, came here for brunch, had the poached eggs with spinach on english muffin and also the blueberry waffle. DELICIOUS! Though the tea took awhile to arrive (ordered two), but it was really good. The tea party starts from 3-5pm by reservation only, darn.
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Elizabeth W.

Yelp
I have been waiting to come here for ages but never in the area. Their brunch menu was top of my list so after a Sunday visit to Museum of London we wandered over. It was about 12pm and fully booked inside! Luckily the weather was lovely and the queue wasn't too long for a seat outside. We waited about 20 minutes and were seated. The building itself is lovely from the outside with a cute area of tables and chairs surrounded by plants with a view over the square. The inside also looked nice with big windows, spacious seating and snazzy toilets! They also have a private dinning area that I peaked at which looked lovely. On to the food! I had the espresso martini which was nice and bf had a coffee which was also tasty. Bf got a croissant to start (we were starving) and I got some toast and home made jams. Rose and cherry and the apricot jam were awesome! Next we both ordered a large main - I went blueberry waffles with yoghurt honey and nuts (YUM) and bf got chorizo eggs etc. It was delicious, a little pricey but I can't wait to go back for dinner!
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Sonia R.

Yelp
I love this place! Only been here once without a reservation and we got a table after 5 minutes. Love the cozy atmosphere where you feel like you're sitting in someone's house. I had poached eggs - really good!
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Yotsuba C.

Yelp
Love the combination of the egg benedict with some weird herb and spices but it works. However, the salmon was a bit too dry and they seem to save on the sauce makes the dish very dry. The rice pudding is such a waste of money. There is nothing special! A disappointment !
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Caroline L.

Yelp
I've heard really good stuff about modern pantry and was really excited to cross one restaurant of my list. The menu looked really promising but the food doesn't deliver. The main problem in my opinion is they try too hard: too much flavours combination, too much ingredients, dishes name too long. Most of the time I wasn't sure what I was eating. The mozzarella starter was a fritter of mozza, butternut, spinach,pea and at least 2 other ingredients I couldn't identify. All the dishes came with a lot of very peppery salad (which I loved) but the taste was so strong it overpowered everything else. The 4 fries served with the beef were floury and dry. Not interesting. Cocktails want to be unique but they just are not that good (bloody mary was not nice - everyone at my table tried and we all agreed it was not a success) Service was ok but we came in late (21:30) and at 22:30 they started to hoover in the kitchen which was right behind. We felt like we had to hurry up. After the starter and main I was quite put off by the desert so I decided to get the simplest thing on the menu: cross bun ice cream sandwich which was good.
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Sandrine L.

Yelp
I've been once to the Modern Pantry, maybe about 5 or 6 years ago during my first year in London, and I was looking forward to finally go back...this occasion came but I was a bit disappointed in the end..maybe this is what happen when you expect to much of a place! First, service was really slow, I don't know if it was just for us as some other tables had time to come in and out while we were still waiting and waiting for our main dish, but we waiting a long long time to have the starter, and then the main. The food was good but nothing exceptional, I was ok with mine, but some other were not that impressed with their main (shrimp omelette)...still I can't say it wasn't good at all, but just missing something...and finally the coffee was not good, I usually have a flat white or latte which usually can hide the taste of bad coffee but it really didn't do the trick there. It's a shame because I really like the decor and atmosphere of the Modern Pantry, it's bright and light, really pleasant, and the outdoor seating is nice for sunny days, but the place is not on the cheap range and I was expecting more...maybe that's the "price to pay" for places which have become really popular. I might give them another try, but this wouldn't be my go to place in Clerkenwell as there are other nice places not far from here.
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Lizzie S.

Yelp
"M'eh, I've had better." It's like the biggest insult you can give a man but as far as brunch/breakfast places in London goes it's pretty much interpreted the same. TMP don't take this personally but really you didn't perform to standard. I little on the pricey side with okay coffee and toast that scratched the roof of my mouth, it was tasty but disappointing. Now the feel to the place is lovely and I can't fault the service but the climax of your cooked breakfast left sausages flaccid and eggs a little undercooked. What more can I say, I held you up with the greats to only be let down. You may damn me as a demanding and fussy woman but hey, I have a right to want more!
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Larissa R.

Yelp
The venue: 4 stars The food: 3 stars The value for money: 2 stars The restaurant occupies an epic three stories in this beautifully decorated building. Everything looked clean and modern. The front door had a sign on it insisting that patrons use the side door (I can only imagine so as to prevent cold air blasting through the dining area, which I very much appreciated at 8am on an unseasonably chilly mid-March morning). For £2, I got a stainless steel tea pot with a tea bag chucked in. For £4.50, I got two (perfectly cooked) soft-boiled eggs in egg cups along with the equivalent of two (quite small) slices of toasted granary bread. Tasty, but uninspired and not exactly worth nearly a fiver. Sure, I could have been more adventurous and ordered one of the posh fry-ups, but I didn't really want to spend £7.80 for the privilege. So, yeah. There you have it. It was a nice experience. Nice food. Not-so nice price. But if I'm looking for breakfast along Clerkenwell Rd in the future, I will most certainly go to J&A Cafe instead. Because they'll give me loose-leaf tea and beautifully seasoned scrambled eggs on big slices of fluffy toast for no more than £5.50.
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Zoe K.

Yelp
Overall, I had a lovely experience at Modern Pantry. We started out with oysters which were just okay. I prefer the small sweet ones. But these were a bit too large and tasted like a mouthful of salt water. So not a great start. However the paired champagne was to my liking. The mains were really tasty. I had the mackerel which was coated with walnuts, sat in a sweet puree and was accompanied by roasted veg. It hit the spot completely. It was filling but not too heavy and I would even venture to say that it tasted pretty healthy. The guys I went with had steak and lamb, both cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. The service was technically good, but at times felt a little cold and detached. When we asked questions about the menu, there wasn't any passion behind the answers, but maybe they were just shy. The space is inviting with its soft greys, whites and lighting. While there is nothing modern about the décor or the food, I supposed it's a modern take on what we would consider a pantry.
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Maura M.

Yelp
The Modern Pantry is the kind of place you'd have to wait an hour+ in line for in NYC... no matter what hour of the day. An absolutely adorable hidden gem. I will be coming here for brunch every chance I get in London. (Minus one star only because our food took ages to arrive). Top 3 favorite things: 1) My waitress looked like Maggie Gyllenhaal. Which added to the entire "we're an adorable restaurant that can be chic if we want to be, but can also just as easily switch into 'hometown favorite' mode when the occasion requires, which makes you love us all day, every day" ambiance. 2) We sat outside in the sun, but upon closer inspection of the interior there really wasn't a bad seat in three-story house. Everything was light and airy. Comfy, but not too crowded; clean, but not too modern; chic, but not expensive. 3) Everything on the menu looked amazing, and judging by the plates being whisked past our table and the smiling faces of the patrons around us, everything is. My bircher muesli was perfectly creamy, and my latte was delicious. I plan to make my way down the menu on what will surely be many more visits.
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Erin H.

Yelp
I have one word for the manager of The Modern Pantry: acoustics. The fact that my husband and I debated whether our ears could take any more of the shrill laughter bouncing off the walls from the table behind us when discussing dessert should tell you something. It was painful...and the noise level was the thing I remember most about my meal at The Modern Pantry. To take things back to the beginning, we chose to take a walk to the Pantry for something a little different. Plus, it has the bonus of being next to The Dovetail, so you can treat yourself to a delicious Belgian beer before dinner. When we walked in, I thought, "hmm...a little posher that I expected for a Friday nosh" but that's what happens when you let your sig other make the booking. We were shown upstairs, which felt a little empty, but was full by the time we left. Our waiter, who reminded me of a young Simon Amstell, helped us choose a wine and we settled into our seats to study the menu. My husband started with the scallop sashimi. His thought was that the taste of the scallop was completely drowned by whatever was on top of it. If you scraped all that off, it was delicious. I don't understand why so many chefs want to go overboard when preparing delicate fish. It's not the time to go nuts. Embrace simplicity. I chose to begin the meal with squid, which was wonderful. All too often, I'm left lusting over what other people at the table order, but this time I was the winner. Ray wing was presented to my husband as his main. It was meaty and tender. I believe the word "yumskers" was used. I ordered the beef fillet with cassava chips. I try to steer clear of beef in restaurants because I prefer a very thick cut. I can eliminate disappointment form my life if I choose the cut I want from the butcher's shop and cook it myself. This night, however, the red wine coaxed me into going for the beef anyway. Thanks, wine! It was an acceptable thickness, perfectly cooked, and the accompanying chips were excellent. Thick, but still with a crispiness. It was hard not to eat them all, but I wanted to save room for pudding. It was about halfway through the mains that the night went downhill - fast. A group of about 8 women came in and were seated in a little nook, which amplified the ear piercing laughs and husky voices. If there was a particularly lour crescendo, heads at all other tables would snap around and give pleading looks to the table. "Please, please be a bit quieter" was what we were all thinking. I know if sounds silly to say a table of 8 ruined my night, but it kind of did. It's hard to walk away from a meal that wasn't cheap and think, "well that wasn't fun." I did have pudding that night and I can't even remember what it was.
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Liam R.

Yelp
Enjoyed a winter afternoon tea here. My wife and I split the afternoon tea. Highlights were the mini turkey sandwich (for me) and the sweet scone (for baby girl). We also enjoyed the goats curd scone. Other things were also very good, except the marshmallow thing which was a bit funky. We would highly recommend this afternoon tea for a couple reasons: 1. It is splittable(no one really ever needs a full afternoon tea) 2. It is cozy and not stuffy 3. It is a slightly different than normal tea at a hotel- really tasty and non traditional bites 3. It is less than half of the price of tea at some of the west end establishments. Overall looking forward to returning for a spring or summer version.
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Grace L.

Yelp
La la la, looking for Exmouth Market on a Saturday (wait it's not even open on the weekends anymore, sigh). Forgot to take a turn and then stumbled to Modern Pantry. I clearly remembered their delicious stall at the Taste of Christmas 2009 and decided to hit it - also caffeine was clearly needed as seen by my dull headache and the shakes. We sat down to some lovely nibbles and legit drip coffee and 3 hours later, the sun was still out and good times were had. Although we only had some bits and pieces, the cassava chips come highly recommended - with some of the best green tomato chilli chutney/sour cream ever. It was one of those o-face moments. My friend didn't seem too blown away by his chocolate cake but from the speed of devour-age it looked mighty fine to me. Great place for outdoor seating on the weekend, and you can do some nice people watching and judge the mixed crowd strolling in to this slightly overpriced establishment.
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Jennifer S.

Yelp
To start off, I want to commend the host yesterday who was very warm and welcoming when I asked for the miso aubergine dish for takeaway. I offered my Tupperware container but he waved it off, noting the kitchen had its own. I was pleasantly surprised- shocked really!- bc almost NO dining establishments I have ever been to in London have their own. He also added no service charge, so yet another point for Pantry. The dish itself was disappointing only on the portion, not taste level. For about £8, it's quite small- a hot aubergine puck really. However, the delicious miso taste and creamy texture made up for it nicely!