London Clerkenwell

There’s no shortage of deliciously diverse dining experiences in Clerkenwell, from pitch-black fine dining to cafes focused first and foremost on local and organic fare. Sandwich bars and quick cafes cluster around Farringdon station and along St. John Street for the business lunch hour, while near West Smithfield you’ll find inexpensive snack bars, pubs, and Chinese takeaways. For a proper sit-down meal, your best bet is either Charterhouse Street or Exmouth Market, a pedestrian street north of Clerkenwell Rd. with both eateries and adorable shops. Tucked between fine dining options, Clerkenwell’s pubs are some of London’s oldest, and they afford great options for those in the mood for something less formal than the area’s posh restaurants.

Dans Le Noir, 30-31 Clerkenwell Green (☎020 7253 1100; www.danslenoir.com), Aimed at providing the ultimate sensory experience (and raising awareness about the visually impaired), the name says it all: dine in pitch black darkness while being served by blind waiters. All you know is that your 2- or 3-course menu is either meat, fish, veggie, or a “complete surprise,” so you have only your taste buds to trust. For those who are afraid of the dark, the downstairs bar is lit, but your drink comes with a secret treat. Reserve 1 week in advance for a weekday, 2 weeks in advance for the weekend. 2-course meal £32, 3-course meal £38. Open M-Sa 6:30pm-midnight; 1st sitting 6:45-7:15pm, 2nd sitting 9-9:30pm
The Clerkenwell Kitchen, 31 Clerkenwell Close (☎020 7101 9959; www.theclerkenwellkitchen.co.uk), Farringdon. Hidden in a former warehouse among the twists and turns of the Close, this hip cafe specializes in sustainable food production. Every day the staff prepares 6 dishes, 2 puddings, and a selection of takeaway sanwiches, pastries, and tarts, almost all of which are made with organic and local ingredients. Dishes like spinach, onion, and feta tart and crab and fennel linguini £4.50-11. Open M-W and F 8am-5pm, Th 8am-11pm; breakfast 8-11am, lunch noon-3pm, snacks 3-5pm
Anexo, 61 Turnmill St. (☎020 7250 3401; www.anexo.co.uk), Farringdon. With whimsically indulgent, Gaudí-esque decor and a spirited but laid-back attitude, this Spanish restaurant and bar serves tasty paella (£8.50-11.50), fajitas (£7.50-11.50), and tapas (from £3.25-6.50). The lunch special is hard to beat (£6.50 for 2 courses, £8.50 for 3 courses), and the mixed drinks menu is exhaustive (2 glasses £5-6.50, jug £16-20). Takeaway available. Wheelchair-accessible. Happy hour M-Sa 5-7pm: 2-for-1 on selected beers, wines, and mixed drinks. Open M-F 10am-11pm, Sa 6-11pm, Su 4:30-11pm. Bar open 11am-2am
Little Bay Restaurant, 171 Farringdon Rd. (☎020 278 1234; www.littlebay.co.uk), Farringdon. Part of the Little Bay mini-empire, this small restaurant serves delicious European food in a sumptuous interior filled with enormous gold masks, velvet drapes, and paintings of dancing Greek goddesses. During certain months, the restaurant famously invites you to “pay what you think it’s worth.” Mains like pan fried cod with chorizo stew, grilled lamb with balsamic vegetables, and paupiette of salmon with new potatoes and avocado salsa £5.25 noon-7pm, £7.45 after 7pm. Burgers £5.80. All-you-can-eat buffet with specialty salads (before 6pm) £6 eat in, £5 take-away. Open M-Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-11pm
St. John Restaurant and Bar, 26 St. John St. (☎020 7251 0848; www.stjohnrestaurant.com), Farringdon. Set in a towering former smokehouse, this bright, minimalist restaurant serves up unusual dishes that reward the adventurous eater. Menu changes daily, but standards include starters like roast bone marrow (£6.90) and entrees like pigeon with green beans (£15.90), blood cake and fried eggs (£16.20), or the less adventurous roast lamb and courgettes (£21.80). Bakery at the back of the bar churns out delicious loaves of bread (from £2). More familiar and less intimidating desserts £6.40-7.40. Enormous wine list. Open M-F noon-3pm and 6-11pm, Sa 6-11pm, Su 1-3pm. Bar open M-Sa 11am-11pm, Sa 6-11pm, Su noon-5pm

Cafes And Specialty Shops

Kipferl, 70 Long Ln. (☎ 020 7796 2229; www.kipferl.co.uk), Barbican. London’s only Austrian deli-cafe, the tiny Kipferl serves delicious sandwiches, soups, salads, and platters (£2.80-6.50) made with ...more