2 stars for service. Waited too long for espresso to be delivered to the table. Then couldn't find server to ask for bill. Then couldn't t find server to pay. Saw her in the kitchen eating. Had to knock on the kitchen door to get her attention. Do better. read more

St John's Tavern - Great Scorch Egg at St. John's Tavern. - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

Not off to a great start with the new hospitality overlords. Stopped in at 1215 for a quiet sup and they had a crew of workmen drilling and hammering during business hours, nearly a month after opening. Not showing a great sensitivity to customers. Hopefully this will improve. read more

While the bar is beautiful and the restaurant room even nicer, we just ordered burgers and I will say they were probably the worst ever nasty ass overpriced sour meat we shouldnt have paid for them burgera for £18 each? WTAF. We are talking Archway. We thought they would be amazing. But no. Processed cheese and wimpy buns. Shame. read more

St John's Tavern - Nice bar but do t order the burgers! - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

1st time to England and went to St John's and food, service and ambience were fantastic. Please visit them if you're here or coming here.

"Gosh, why are there so many beautiful men in this place?", my friend said, when we were sitting down at the bar to drink some wine. And yes, I think she's right: St. John's Tavern is a bright beacon in a still-mostly edgy Archway...here's where the "pretty" society comes to see and be seen. St. John's Tavern is both a place where you can gather with your friends for a beer and a place for good dining. The pub area features a really long bar and plenty of tables of various sizes. (And even free wifi!) Adjacent to the bar is the dining hall and this room actually deserves the room hall with its high ceiling and generally large volume. I've come here several times already, both for lunch and dinner, but also for a beer/wine with friends. Their food is of high quality and the term gastro-pub describes this place very well. (I really like the homemade bread that they serve.) The menu is written on a big chalk board above the fireplace and on the walls you can find some very interesting artwork. I do need to say, however, that I'm always a little bit disappointed with the service here at St John's Tavern. It's not that the staff is unfriendly or dismissive, but I have a feeling that oftentimes they are more concerned with being hip and stylish, rather than friendly and customer-oriented. I yet have to make a real connection with a waiter. read more

Great food. Ordered the veg. Paella and venison stew. We'll maintained and clean, comfortable dining. Attentive service. A convenient stop for lunch after a morning walk through Highgate cemetery. read more

St John's Tavern - Venison, mash, veg - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

St John's Tavern is a High Barnet-branch favourite that, along with The Junction Tavern down the road, has both the food and pedigree to legitimately call itself a gastropub. (Not that it does, of course. Gastropubs, sort of like hipsters, have the property that the most authentic examples are the least likely to use the label on themselves, and the least genuine are most likely to loudly embrace it.) Dinner and Sunday lunch are served in a dining hall that's decorated with competent charcoal and pastel portraits next to photographs of the pub and surrounding area, and it has a very distinguished cracked-and-repainted vaulted ceiling. So if you can, try to make a reservation in the dining room. Table 17 in the corner has a good view of the punters, and there are also big brown leather booths for parties: furniture hybrids of American diner crossed with Gentlemen's club (as in Garrick or Lansdowne, not Stringfellows.) You can also show up and eat in the bar, but it's very hard to get a table there during the 7pm to 9pm after-office-hours crush. I don't think they take reservations for the bar area. Whenever I have visitors they are brought, as a matter of course on their first visit to London, to St John's Tavern. Especially so if they are from the US and have made clever comments demonstrating their prejudice against British cooking. The food is indeed robust and practical, and it definitely follows the meat plus vegetable plus additional vegetable pattern, but is also heaped with modern style and flavour (their influences are on display in a small library of cookbooks at the back of the dining room.) It couldn't be further from a the sort of gravy soaked Dickensian chop house I'm sure most outsiders imagine les rosbifs Brits frequent. Pork chops, sausages and steak are on the menu, but so is olive tapernade, polenta and salsa verde. Also of note: there is always a very good selection of seafood. Cornish rock oysters are a staple, as are the fish and chips -- haddock or coley, rather than cod -- and this was the first restaurant where I had a pea puree, which is more exciting an event than it sounds. Another classic is the mussels with chilli and chorizo, which makes a good light supper on its own if you have it with a side of the house sourdough and two pints of bitter. In both the restaurant and bar you can also get cockles, fresh anchovies, whitebait, and other snacks. Menus are on chalkboards on the walls -- an single enormous one in the dining room -- and are written in a pretty chalk hand. At the back, over the kitchen, is a provenance board listing the kitchen's suppliers and another board listing the pudding menu. You should leave room for a pudding. I would recommend the caramel cheesecake with a glass of PX sherry. Something that went hand-in-hand with the ascent of gastropubs was the giant scotch egg and St John's Tavern is a very good example if you're in the bar. They also have delicious giant pork scratchings. Don't be put off if your only experience of scratchings is of Mr Porky's meat industry by-products. I've been eating and drinking here for over ten years now. Getting home used to take ten minutes on a 134 bus. Then I moved and it meant a cab ride to the other side of Hampstead Heath. For a few years I could only get here by 747, and now it's a cab ride through two boroughs. I hope to always keep coming back to this old friend. read more

St John's Tavern - Grilled octopus with chick peas and aoli. - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

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St Johns forms one of the Trinity of special pubs in the Tufnell Park area and has one of the best bar snack selections I have come across. At night the lighting and seating makes St Johns feel very warm and cosy, especially on a winters night. The pub area is separated from the dining area although you can still eat in the pub area as long as you don't mind the noise. The restaurant area in St Johns is fabulous. You are surrounded by some beautiful pastel paintings that gives the high ceilings and room a feel of being in a gallery. The pub if anything is a feast on your eyes. The pub is very family friendly with couples with very young children amongst the regular visitors. Food in restaurant can be inconsistent with respect to your visit. Unfortunately the chef forgot a key ingredient in my wife's dish and we were surprised by an ingredient that was not mentioned on the menu. The rock oysters were a dissapointed having very little flesh. However the artichoke tart with blue cheese was delicious. My fish and chips was excellent as was my apple crumble. The spotted Dick was not to my liking due to its heavy orange taste. Saying that, this was the first time I ate it. Service in St Johns is very good. The staff were happy to correct their mistake with the main and I complement them for this. However it would be good if there was some quality control in the kitchen so this does not happen in the future. Meals around Tufnell Park are not a cheap eat. There are some establishments that are known for cheap eats but St Johns like other pubs of the trinity is not one of them. I would recommend a visit to St Johns on any night. It is one of my favourite pubs having previously lived in the area. read more

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Had recent refurb. Main bar clean and nice. Lighting needs sorting out, too bright. Lots of kids running around. Selection of ales ok and well kept. Food is excellent in restaurant at the back is very good. Not cheap but worth the extra. Nice 50s style room with golden ceiling. read more

St John's Tavern - Lamb and bass. - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

And yet ANOTHER first rate London gastropub! (boy - London has a lot of these!) Two diners - three courses plus drinks each - and only one whole mis-step in the lot. The rest was pure and unadulterated heaven. A fine run of beers and gins here - with some fine gin brands I have not seen elsewhere. Cider is run of the mill. Starters were a borscht with horseradish - and horseradish is an inspired addition to beet soup. I personally cook a lot of beet soups in both carnivorous and vegetarian forms - and all my life I have relied on lemon juice, sour cream or vinegar to play off the beets. Horseradish gives the soup a whole new dimension and this borscht was excellent. The other starter Grilled Squid with chorizo and salad was really grilled squid spacer whose function was to set off a very impressive British chorizo and the perfectrocket salad to cut the chorizo. The squid had a char and looked pretty - but once the chorizo was in my mouth nothing else mattered about anything. Mains were better still: A knock your socks off gnocchi served in large squares straight up - so the impressive butter and fry taste on the gnocchi could be fully tasted. Also on the plate was a wonderful red pepper ragu (sweet not hot peppers) and a different rocket salad from the appetizer. Keeping the side dishes off the gnocchi was a clutch move and these were superlative gnocchi indeed. The sides made good contrasts. The other main - a swordfish with a complex fennel sweet potato and greens side was also a winner. Swordfish is swordfish although this was a nice piece of merchandise. The vegetable melange was unusual and write-to-your-mother worthy.' Desserts had one superstar and one fall through. The superstar was an apple and quince crumble. After you have combined apple with quince you will never want a plain apple pie again. The quince adds perfect tartness - it would be unbearable without the apple to balance it - and the tartness makes a brown sugar crumble seem irresistible. This dessert got inhaled. The only miss of the night was a fig tart - that didn't taste much of fig or much of anything else. It was accompanied by a large mass of clotted cream. Clotted cream is Britain's answer to "if you are going to have your heart attack anyway - wouldn't a ton of sweet cream be the perfect way to do it?" A ton of clotted cream IS the perfect way to do it - but I would still have something tasty like raspberries underneath to play along. The room is handsome : a large open space much like a Victorian art gallery. Dark tone, high ceilings, an open fire, and a ton of paintings and reproductions. It ain't the Tate Gallery but it ain't the "somebody burn these paintings and shoot the artist or we will all go blind" either. There is some nice stuff on that wall. Overall, this is another fine destination when eating and drinking are what matter. God, this is a great eating town! read more

I had a great meal here. A liver dish that was done perfectly. But service overall was really poor. We had done dinner, plates taken away and asked for desert and coffee. Coffee shows up, desert a record 20 minutes later. This with five tables occupied in the whole place. Bartenders in the pub had really no clue. 15 people in the whole place, they couldn't keep track of who to serve next. Sadly back to the restaurant for the topper. Salt and pepper open in small dishes on each table. I watch server and manager dump each tables servings (after people have had hands in them) back into a bucket to be used again. That and another dipping sauce (thankfully we did not need it) was recycled. Yuck. read more

From the outside it looks like a simple run of the mill pub, but enter and you'll find one of the best gastropubs in London. There is an atmospheric bar at the front and at the back a large dining hall. The lighting (low) and seating arrangements (some sofa's and large table's) give the place a perfect balance between unpretentious relaxed and intimate gastronomic environment. The foods not bad as well: grilled steak with béarnaise sauce, seasonal risottos, fish and chips regularly appear alongside more exotic and unfamiliar dishes. The menu is well thought out and originally structured, which has got me coming back for more. The wine list is equally comprehensive and impressive. For me this is the benchmark for a gastropub, and clearly one of the best places to eat in Archway. Just watch out as it gets busy, so you may be best to book. read more

"We don't have ketchup - we're a gastropub." After reeling from the shock of that statement made by an unassuming waiter, I gave this place another shot because HEY...it's damn good. I also thought the waiter was joking, laughed awkwardly, and got no response after an undeniably long few seconds. Great selection of beers and wines, with handwritten menus on chalkboards (which change daily) and an overall great vibe. I heart St. Johns. The caesar salad was delicious, along with the gigundo bowl of mussels, mushroom risotto, and meatballs with mash. I was dared to ask for a to-go box once and because I was drunk enough...put myself out there as THAT American. They seemed confused, but made an effort and pulled out some tubberware for me to put the rest of my meal in. Needless to say I fell more in love with this place after this incident. There are also some eclectic art pieces puzzled together on one-side of a wall that make for interesting pre-dinner convo. The exterior is currently going through some renovations but don't be alarmed, the inside is still the little charmer it was a few months ago. read more

A return visit rather a disappointment. Fish soup still excellent, but iron-hard croutons and very dull aioli. Rump steak perfectly cooked, very good meat and a large portion, but lukewarm & unseasoned; sauce meagre & underflavoured, and chips very poor, limp & soggy. Service rather surly & offhand though we ate very early and few other customers yet. Didn't bother with puds and probably won't return. read more

The St John's is a large open bar with lots of room for a big group of folk to pile in to. Expect a good mix of beers that are mostly well-poured (my Guinness was a bit too 'heady' to start with - quickly noticed and fixed though) and much better than most of the pubs on Junction Road. They've got an ever changing wine list which has something for everyone - including a nice shiraz the night I was in there. The menu and food look equally as tempting, however I'd just eaten beforehand. I'm definitely going back though. The music is also pretty eclectic, there was lots of John Martyn being played the night I was in which makes a pretty refreshing change as it's a bit off the beaten tracks compared to even amongst cool/slightly trendy bars. It's also the kind of thing that nobody could ever complain about hearing either (and it certainly won't interrupt your conversation if you're just in for a natter). A good pub for a tasty pint. p.s. If you're on a crawl/meander in Archway, check out the nearby The Hideway too, it's great aswell, though much smaller so not really for big groups. read more

Great gastro pub and really the only decent place in Archway for dinner. Food is consistently excellent and the staff are fab too. Dog friendly. read more

In total agreement with Nic below- this place is super cozy. A large drinking area where you can lounge around: fine beers accompanied by a plate of crackling (the real deal) or home made scotch eggs and sausage rolls. The dining room is large, spacious and slightly kooky- with all kinds of artwork gracing one of the walls which can be seen as you enter. A mish mash of furniture adds to the rooms charm. Food here follows the rules of head to toe dining- jellied pigs head is almost always on the menu but equally you can tuck into anything from a plate of fresh fish and chips, with home made mushy peas to langoustines with mayo or partridge with kale. All local, fresh, seasonal produce. A great example of gastro pub dining at its best. If you have the room the desserts are always worth going for too! Highly recommended and very pleased its one of my locals! Long live St Johns! read more

Very nice place, old school pub with fancy food and drink. I've never had anything from their main menu (bit pricey for my wallet) but their bar snacks are something else and worth splashing out for! Supersize saltfish fritters, massive olives, spicey nuts all feature, amongst other things but what I really like about this place is the drinks. They vary by season so in winter you can have the most delicious and warming mulled cider and in the summer a bloody great bloody mary - or a sprizz which is an amazing Venetian cocktail drunk in plastic cups on the street in Padua and Venice which I have never seen in England. I was over the moon when I saw that at St John's! read more

One of my all-time favourite eateries in London and I keep coming back. The pub in the front is totally fine but it's the restaurant at the back that you want - it's a lovely place to have dinner, the food is always fantastic and the staff are great. The home made sourdough and the steak are especially good. Leave room for desert too! read more

Recently refurbished (so recently, there was still scaffolding when I visited) bar not far from Archway. This place is divided into a bar area and a more food orientated area. Personally I will give the food a miss. The foody room is very nicely decorated, with a lot of paintingsbut the food is both too posh and far too fishy for my tastes. I'll take the bar, which serves 3 real ales and I rather like it. It is quite basic and woody..it has a nice feel to it I think. read more

You kind of have to respect a place which rejects ketchup and creates their own special sauce instead! This old fashioned gastro pub just refuses to get on the bandwagon of normal. Between its antique looking furniture and its huge wall of abstract art portraits, it's definitely on the kooky side. However, their straightforward food, which is outlined in chalk on the blackboard, is definitely noteworthy. The menu changes seasonally and is all locally inspired. The fish was one of the better things on the menu, and I don't even really like fish! The mutton pasty wasn't the best but all the others things are quite delicious. Really light tasting food with creative accents. Although if you're into jellied pigheads, then you go for it. The place is bright and bigger than it first appears. There is a huge dining room behind the front bar area. The waiters and the pub staff are really lovely. It does get packed on weekends and at odd hours so do try and book if you aren't looking to take any chances. My tastebuds would say that this atmospheric place is certainly one of the best places to eat in Archway! read more

The atmosphere here is ridiculously cozy. Try the scallops and sails as well as the whole sea bass with salad...aaaaamazing. Also, get the apple tart if your feeling frisky (or happen to have three stomachs). Get there early to sit by the fire. read more

St John's Tavern - comfy digs - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Had heard good things about this pub - and in particular the food - so was a little disappointed when we found ourselves waiting over an hour for starters on a recent visit. The provision for vegetarians is also disappointing, and the decor a little spartan, but it was the service that really let St. John's down for me. When the food eventually turned up it was good quality, and well prepared. As a pub, I'd recommend it a lot more highly. Archway doesn't have many great pubs, so this one's definitely up there in terms of drinking options, and has a great wine list too. Will just remember to eat elsewhere in future. read more

Nice service, good food, beautiful ambient.. Don't ask the menu, you will find it on the blackboard on the wall. read more

I find this place a bit disappointing for the prices. They seem to drench a lot of the food in oil, and although it's nice to have a seasonal menu, I've never been blown away by a meal. read more

This place was always a top spot to bring anyone visiting north London but since they redecorated it has lost its inviting atmosphere. The publicans would have done well if they had only recalled the sagacious adage, if it ain't broke don't fix it. read more

One of the original gastro pubs, St John's has remained a reliable neighbourhood pub serving great food and run by a great team for over 15 years. The menu always reflects seasonal changes and the addition of a bar snack menu with delicious nibbles makes it difficult to go elsewhere for a post work bevvie. The sourdough bread is baked fresh on the premises and staff are always kind enough to let me take a bit home with the decadent butter. Only down side is the occasional stubbornness of the chefs who have refused ketchup to accompany their regular fish/steak & chips dishes. They have relented recently and created their own homemade ketchup which is at least a compromise. read more

Meh. This place is just okay. Nothing too impressive about it, especially the food. I ordered a brownie for dessert, for example, and instead of it just being simple, deliciously made brownie they feel the need to doctor it up with beetroot... totally unnecessary flavour profile for a brownie, in my opinion. read more

Fergus is legend among foodies the world over, a legend burnished by Anthony Bourdain's gushing praise. Alas! this is the end of the complimentary part of my review. The Food: Sprats - passable. Cold, nondescript, a sign of things to come... Rolled pigs spleen & bacon - tasted like the title, which we sure weren't expecting. Unapologetically metallic and offal Lamb fry - highlight of our starters. Well executed all the way Mullet & beans - the preparation was faultless, the flavors were nothing special Hare & Mash - tough & dry, perhaps overdone? Pear trifle - a single layer does not a trifle make, does it? Pears devoid of flavor. Custard & cream indistinguishable The Service: Inattentive, insensitive and oblivious. Will not return. read more

Really nice place with a cosy atmosphere. The food was good, nothing incredible, but fine in termes of value for money. Most things are made in the kitchen, so that "Bistro" vibe shines through. Service was superb, and you'll feel welcome instantly. Overall, a great place and well worthwhile read more

St John's Tavern - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

Found this pub near where we were staying in London for a few days. Good food and good drinks, but here's the rub: way too little food for the price, and the price was very high even if thee food portions were more generous. In fact, the food was good, but not exceptional, which I would have expected for that price. For example, a small snail pizza which would fit in the palm if my hand costs £7.50, or roughly $15 CAD. Pretty outrageous if you ask me. That said, the cider was good and the bar and wait staff are excellent. This review is not to cast aspersions on them, as they were excellent, but to strongly advise the owners that their prices seem exorbitant. Sadly, I probably won't visit this pub again when I'm in London next time. read more

I'd like to know (answers on a postcard) why I need only have a few drinks in this place before I feel totally and thoroughly pished, but that's aside the point. St John's is an institution in these parts, it's been there longer than I can remember and while being the first gastro pub in the area still it holds rank over local alternatives with a loyal crowd and loyal staff to boot. Mildly claustrophobic at the front despite large windows on to the street, the space opens up into a double height dining 'hall' walls laden with paintings and a large black board displaying that day's menu. It's expensive but pure and honest good seasonal food. And for this it is popular. So book if you plan to eat there of an evening otherwise it might be a disappointing plate of beans on toast that lines your stomach at the end of the night. One for your little black book and more than worth a visit should you mistakenly find yourself with rumbling tummies in Archway. read more

St John's Tavern - Gastropubs Near Me - London, XGL

Joint best pub in north london. Equal tie w drapers arms.

Totally great plae to have a drink and eat. Really warm inside and a great atmosphere. The scotch eggs i would really recommend and decent music too. Perhaps not unlike the countless other gastropubs but a sterling example. read more

Great beer and quality service. One of the nicest pubs in London.

So fare just the best place in archway. I would highly recommend it. And above all the best fish and chips of London!

Great food and great selection of wine, polite and friendly staff that always chat. Perfectly decorated too. I always have a good rapport with the staff there, they are really warm and welcoming. Could not fault at all. DEF worth visiting if not just to oggle the bum of the of the delicous Serbian waiter with the dark curly hair and nose piercing mmmmmm yum yum simply divine x read more

Found accidentally by 8 hungry people from Yorkshire. Food was outstanding and the friendly service made for a great finish to a amazing day in our capital. Thank you read more

Brilliant brilliant food! Great selection of sunday roasts, as well as fresh fish dishes. And brilliant homemade giant scotch eggs and pork scratching! read more

Blates. It's the Best Gastro. It's true, the food and decor are excellent and interesting without being poncy.