St. John

Marrow, Parsley, Salt

4.5 of 5

Plain white walls. Plain white plates. A bone cut lengthwise and a pile of parsley beside it. St. John has spent decades proving that you do not need decoration when the animal is good and the cook is honest. The supper menu runs from small plates at five pounds to mains at around thirty-four, and nothing on it is dressed up to impress anyone.

Start with the roasted bone marrow and parsley salad. Spoon the marrow onto toast, add a little salad for the bite, and understand in one mouthful why this place became a pilgrimage. Then go braver. The braised rabbit with barley and mushroom is quiet and deep. The grilled ox heart with parsnip and horseradish is the dish that separates the curious from the squeamish, and it tastes like a very good steak that decided to stay modest.

Chefs around the world cook this way now and credit it to a corner of Smithfield. The restaurant describes itself as part of a family of three restaurants, a bakery, a winery and a wine company, which tells you how far the idea travelled. It is still worth the trip to the source. Book a table, eat the parts others leave behind, and leave the fuss at the door.

Order this: Roasted bone marrow with parsley salad, Braised rabbit with barley and mushroom, Grilled ox heart with parsnip and horseradish
The damage: $$$
Go: Lunch, when the light comes through the white room
Find it: 26 St. John Street, London EC1M 4AY