Here's where to find the best restaurants in Clerkenwell and Farringdon. Between Smithfield and Exmouth markets, there's a lot of promise tucked away in these back streets.
Address: 36-37 Greenhill Rents, Cowcross St, London EC1M 6BN
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Russell Norman, who also created Polpo, founded this restaurant just off Smithfield Market. It takes its influences primarily from Northern Italy with a particular focus on Florence. So you'll find Italian snacks and pasta alongside huge T-Bone steaks. It's also part-bar, with an extensive list of cocktail classics, so very handy if you're looking for a decent bar in the area.
Bouchon Racine sees Henry Harris back with his classic French restaurant, this time above The Three Compasses pub in Farringdon. Here you can expect an 'unashamedly French' menu that changes daily, written only on a blackboard.
If you're searching for old school French cuisine, then look no further than this longstanding restaurant. It's a great spot for a long, liquid lunch but even better for a romantic dinner with all that warm brick and candlelight.
Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver's renowned restaurant has for decades been many critics' favourite place in London. Its focus on "nose to tail" eating makes it a must visit for anyone looking for the very best in modern British cooking.
Address: 11-13 Exmouth Market, Clerkenwell, London EC1R 4QD
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This is the original Caravan, where they built a reputation of creating some of the finest brunches in town. Having their own coffee roastery means the coffees here are second to none.
Moro has long been one of London foodie's favourite restaurants - think of this as Sam and Sam Clark's sibling tapas bar to the original - serving up super small plates with ice-cold glasses of fino.
Address: Bleeding Heart Yard, 19 Greville Street, London EC1N 8SJ
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Bleeding Heart is a London institution. Come here for classic French food with a modern touch and a vast amount of wine supplied by their wine cellar. There's also a wine bar and grill off this historic courtyard for more casual fare.
Mark Jarvis's modern British fine dining restaurant in the heart of Farringdon serves up seasonal, inventive food from a pared back dining room. It, deservedly, won critic plaudits from the get go.
Address: 29 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, London EC1R 0DU
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In a quiet part of Clerkenwell, The Green comes from the same people who also run The Culpeper in Shoreditch. Either take it easy in the pub downstairs or head up to the first floor restaurant and you'll find the pub serving modern British food from an ever changing menu. Also look out for a Sunday lunch where they concentrate on Beef Wellington and one key roast dish.
Address: 46 Exmouth Market, Farringdon, London EC1R 4QE
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This is an offshoot of Josh Katz's Berber & Q, and is something of a cut-down version of the main restaurant. Here you can find a combination of mezze, hummus and plenty from the grill - including the lamb shawarme of course - as well as rotisserie chicken. Make sure to stick around for their desserts.
Address: 38-40 Exmouth Market, Farringdon, London EC1R 4QE
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Macellaio RC have a few sites across London where the main event is the steak, and you'll see plenty of this hanging in the restaurant. It's all Italian-style steak from a female Fassona breed. There is some pasta available too - but you'll really need to be trying as much from the grill as possible to do the place justice.
Back in 1997 when Moro first opened, Exmouth Market was still a scruffy Clerkenwell street and this restaurant with its implausibly good looking bar staff and open kitchen was the second most exciting thing to happen to the area food-wise since The Eagle threw open its doors. Run by the marvellously-monikered Sam and Sam Clark, it's still turning out great food in a room that's packed every day of the week.
The tiny Sushi Tetsu is both one of the best sushi restaurants in town and also one of the hardest to get into. With only half a dozen seats inside, each item served to you will be almost a work of art. This may well ruin other sushi restaurants for you. Note that bookings open on the first and third Monday of every month and go very fast.
The Quality Chop House, which has been open since 1869, at one point looked in danger of disappearing forever before it was lovingly restored. Now it's both a restaurant and wine bar featuring menus that are created in the morning based on what's been delivered. Come for the very best of British cooking. Quality Wines is their corner cafe/restaurant and there's also an adjoining butcher and deli.
Want to be looked after to within an inch of your life? Well, this is the restaurant you come to. Properly old-school French, Otto's has carved out a niche for itself because of a serious bit of kit called the duck press and its fans are legion.
This was street traders-turned restaurateurs Breddos first restaurant. It serves up excellent tacos, tostadas, tortilla-based Mexican pizza tlayudas and more. Don't forget to give their mezcal list a try as well.
This Michelin-starred Clerkenwell restaurant is from the team behind World's 50 Best restaurant The Clove Club. An Italian restaurant using British produce it's split between a more casual cafe at the front and more formal dining in the restaurant at the back.
Address: 159 Farringdon Rd, Farringdon, London EC1R 3AL
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The Eagle in Clerkenwell is often credited as the first modern gastropub - with restaurant-quality food being served inside a pub. Many years down the line, it's still a reliable spot for a good meal, serving up a seasonal menu in a faintly ramshackle pub. The steak sandwiches are some of the best in town.
Address: 27 - 31 Clerkenwell Close, Farringdon, London EC1R 0AT
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This neighbourhood cafe in Clerkenwell is blessed with a hidden courtyard terrace which is a good-to-know alfresco option in this area. As for the food, they serve up ethically-sourced organic produce taking inspiration from both European and Californian cafes with a small regularly changing menu.
Address: 24 Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, London EC1R 0NA
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This restaurant has taken over an old Grade II courthouse in Clerkenwell making it one of the most beautiful dining rooms in London. Its opening heralded the return of Florence Knight to the London restaurant scene, with a menu that is a mix of British, French and Italian cooking.
Run by chef Pascal Aussignac, this Michelin-starred French restaurant (it's now held a star for over 20 years) focuses on the cuisine of the southwest of France, with opulent tasting menus available. Despite the focus on meat, there's real attention too given to their vegetarian and vegan offering.