1Neighborhoods
Clerkenwell has been a centre of skilled trades for centuries — first printing and clockmaking, more recently a dense concentration of architecture and design studios. Exmouth Market's small square of independent restaurants gives it a village feel, while St John restaurant, credited with kick-starting Britain's nose-to-tail dining movement, is a genuine culinary landmark on St John Street.
Remnants of its medieval past survive in St John's Gate and the Charterhouse, a former monastery. It sits conveniently between the City and the West End, making it an easy add-on rather than a destination in its own right.
✨ Reasons to go
- 1St John restaurant on St John Street is credited with starting Britain's nose-to-tail dining movement
- 2St John's Gate and the Charterhouse are surviving remnants of Clerkenwell's medieval monastic past
- 3The area has been a historic centre for printing and clockmaking trades, now home to architecture and design studios
💡 Good to know
- 1Have a meal, or at least a look, at St John on St John Street
- 2browse the independent restaurants around Exmouth Market
- 3combine with a walk to the Barbican Centre nearby.
⏱️ Typical visit
1h15
🕰️ Best time
morning, lunchtime or afternoon
🚶 Walking intensity
Active — lots of walking
Address