St John Bread and Wine Reviews Summary

Menu Variety and Dish Selection

Pros:

• "The food quality is always pleasing."
• "Interesting menu - with this menu it was easy."
• "Unique food and interior style, reduced to essentials."
• "A really interesting restaurant to review."
• "Modernized British classics and regional specialties of great taste and quality."
• "It’s one of the most iconic restaurant groups in London."
• "St. John’s Restaurant is often recommended as representing traditional British fare."
• "A concise and beautifully curated menu that is fresh and equal parts exciting and enticing."

Cons:

• "We tried the puddings which were good but nothing extra ordinary."
• "Very interesting and unfamiliar tastes/combinations of nose to tail cooking."
• "A restaurant that somehow manages to be rustic and sophisticated at once."
• "The food wasn’t what I expected and did not taste anywhere near good."
• "The other dishes were average."
• "It was a classic british menu with emphasis on humble- everyday ingredients."
• "The food looked like dog dood and tasted extemely average."
• "We tried about 6 dishes with desert and this was more than enough for us."

Food Quality and Taste

Pros:

• "Try the Welsh Rarebit - it’s a refined cheese on toast and surprisingly good and unique."
• "We had fried pig’s tail - def what it is - a decadent fried pig tail."
• "The mutton with chard and anchovy was a bit of a mixed bag- the mutton was delicious."
• "Everything was refined just enough to properly respect the quality of the ingredients."
• "Really enjoyed my first dinner there and felt quite full-up with four dishes for two people."
• "This London institution serves up delicious British classics with a contemporary flair."
• "We were 4 people sharing 4-5 starters and 4 mains and everything was delicious."
• "One of the best and most memorable meals I have had."

Cons:

• "The big issue, which brought my rating down a lot were the main dishes."
• "The duck however was fairly tough/overdone."
• "The food was good - although it wanted to be for the price."
• "Don’t come here expecting beautiful food… it’s quite rustic and simply plated."
• "The food is excellent and everything is really tasty, but almost every dish on the specials had run out."
• "I was quite disappointed with the food."
• "The sour cherry ice cream and other puddings are I suppose the best thing about this place."
• "The rarebit was extremely average and meat dishes small and not destination weather."

Service Quality

Pros:

• "Overall the service was great."
• "Staff were all lovely and helpful."
• "The server was great and helped us pick some menu items she thought we would enjoy."
• "The atmosphere and staff were pretty nice."
• "Service was very friendly and explained the menu and specials excellently."
• "Staff are lovely and food is fresh and delicious."
• "Great food! Super lunch. We had a selection of 5 dishes and a dessert to share; possibly 4 would have been sufficient."
• "The service was impecable from the moment we walked in until they waved us goodbye."

Cons:

• "Disappointing dinner. We had high hopes for St.John’s « nose to tail cuisine », but the dishes were hit and miss, and the service was very poor."
• "Food was fantastic, ingredients used were very fresh! Restaurant was extremely busy. Staff did not have the capacity to handle customers well."
• "The service however was poor."
• "The waiter changed halfway through the sitting and we were given the wrong dish and subsequently had a long wait for the rest of our food."
• "The staff are friendly and clearly working very hard but we were disappointed with the service."
• "The menu is of course interesting and perhaps only for brave palates. The sour cherry ice cream and other puddings are I suppose the best thing about this place."
• "The service we received here was one of the worst we have experienced."
• "It was a classic british menu with emphasis on humble- everyday ingredients. Their wine list is impressive."

Atmosphere and Decor

Pros:

• "The atmosphere and staff were pretty nice."
• "A really interesting restaurant to review. The basic outfitting of the space allows one to focus on the taste and details on the plate."
• "Visiting from the U.S., 4th time visiting St. John's. A great farm to table restaurant featuring British food of the highest quality."
• "Unique food and interior style, reduced to essentials."
• "This is a storied and historic restaurant - and it doesn’t disappoint."
• "The atmosphere is great: somehow it’s upscale but informal and welcoming."
• "Excellent service management complemented by a talented and experienced kitchen brigade."
• "While in London I had the opportunity to go to Bread and Wine for breakfast."

Cons:

• "The service however was poor."
• "The tables are so close together, I’m all for a ‘shared dining’ experience but each table is separated by around 2cm gap so it is neither separate nor together!"
• "Anthony Bourdain raved about the roasted bone marrow and it was good! The chefs are creative and try to create unique dishes."
• "The atmosphere is great. The decor is rustic and chic."
• "A restaurant that somehow manages to be rustic and sophisticated at once."
• "I can't appreciate a restaurant that is cold and hasn't got comfortable seating."
• "Very hoity toity; only 4 tables available if you don't have a reservation."
• "The food wasn’t what I expected and did not taste anywhere near good."