A London restaurant that is often touted as one of the best in the country is doing something very special to celebrate its 30th anniversary next month.
St John, a one Michelin star eatery that specialises in nose-to-tail cooking, is going to be turning back the clock to 1994 when chef Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver first opened its doors.
The current team will be changing the menu back to the original one from its early days, and the best part is that the prices will also be reverting back to the 90s as well.
Yes, that means you’ll be able to sample some incredible food at the Smithfield restaurant for as little as £3.50! What a bargain!
Customers can enjoy St John’s classic starter, the roast bone marrow and parsley salad for just £4.20 (it usually costs £16), as well as meals such as pheasant and trotter pie for £18, and a plate of apricots on toast for £3.70 instead of the £10.20 they usually cost.
Several other iconic London dishes will also be joining the celebratory line-up including Welsh rarebit for £3.50 and eel with bacon and mash. Items such as these will be available on weekdays between September 9 and September 27.
The restaurant’s menu changes twice daily, so it’s worth noting that these dishes are just examples of what you might find during a visit over the coming weeks.
Those wanting to experience the nostalgia of 1994 at St John will be able to book a seat via OpenTable from 10am on August 22.
Wondering if it’s worth a visit? Online Tripadvisor reviews have hailed the food at the restaurant as some of the ‘best Britain has to offer’, saying St John makes for an ‘incredible evening out’, and claiming it’s a ‘must visit’ whenever you’re in London.
The restaurant also features on The World’s 50 Best Restaurant list by 50 Best Discovery, and its entry in the Michelin guide reads: ‘There’s no standing on ceremony here at St. JOHN; indeed, very little ceremony at all, and that makes eating here such a joyful experience. As one of the foremost proponents of nose-to-tail cooking, this is the place to try new things, whether that’s bone marrow or ox liver.
‘Seasonality is at its core and nothing sums up the philosophy more than the potatoes and greens: they’re always on the menu but the varieties and types change regularly. There are also dishes for two, as well as magnums of wine for real trenchermen. Do order the warm madeleines for the journey home.’
If you do book a table, there are a few things you might want to avoid doing during you visit, as a top chef recently revealed the ‘weird’ things cooks wish customers would stop doing.
Marcus Wareing, has worked in restaurants for 35 years, and until December last year owned and ran his own one Michelin Star eatery in Seven Dials, Marcus. He’s also well known as a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals.
Over the years he’s seen and heard it all, but there are two things he wishes customers would stop doing, and the first is all to do with being on your phone while out for a meal.
This is something many of us will likely be guilty of, especially if you’re eating at somewhere particularly aesthetically pleasing.
‘Stop taking photographs and enjoy your dinner,’ Marcus tells Metro.co.uk. ‘You don’t need to film yourself eating your dish. Just eat dinner and enjoy the company that you’re with.’
The chef went on to say that he finds it ‘weird’ how obsessed we are with scrolling on our phones when we go out.
‘One of the things I see a lot in restaurants is people just glued to their phones. It could be a romantic dinner or just people going out with their mates, but you see them and they’ve just got their heads down looking at their phones. I find it quite weird. You’re supposed to be out for a reason.’
And the other thing Marcus really wishes people would stop doing is complaining after they’ve eaten their dinner.
‘People never complain or bring up any issues when they’re actually in the restaurant, the majority of people just seem to accept their food even if they’re not happy with it,’ he says. ‘They’ll suck it up and eat it and then send an email or go on Tripadvisor and complain.
‘Good restaurants love to make the customer feel happy, so if you say something during the meal, they’ll put the problem or mistake right, or give you something like a glass of champagne to cheer you up.’
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