ST. JOHN MARYLEBONE TO OPEN ON 18TH OCTOBER

On Tuesday 18th October, the team at St. JOHN will open a brand new restaurant, St. JOHN Marylebone, situated in Marylebone Village in Central London.

In what will be their first opening in over a decade, Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver will bring their emblematic, holistic cooking and much-revered wines to 98 Marylebone Lane. The new site will feature an interior and an offering which is both unmistakably St. JOHN and entirely speaks of the needs and rhythms of the area in which it is situated. Early morning coffees with breads and pastries are followed by a daily-changing menu of tempting plates based on the seminal nose-to-tail approach, and a fine selection of French wines including those selected from their very own vineyards in the South.

The space will move with the day; in the morning, diners will find delights from St. JOHN’s own bakery in Bermondsey – bountiful doughnuts, breads and pastries along with coffees or, later, a glass or two of champagne. As lunchtime rears its lovely head, Marylebone will take inspiration from the bar at its older Smithfield sibling as blackboards, chalked with daily small plate specials, are hung on the wall.

In St. JOHN’s first ever wine-led establishment it is the handsome wine list which will help to inform the food offering. Curated by co-founder Trevor Gulliver, the emphasis will not only be on St. JOHN’s lauded own-label selection, but also bottles which reflect the deep and long standing relationships with generations of vignerons, and look to the future with new and exciting winemaker friends.

Dishes are devised by Head Chef Fintan Sharp, in collaboration with Fergus Henderson and Chef Director Jonathan Woolway, and will change daily. Those making the pilgrimage can expect a culinary vernacular which stays loyal to the influential St. JOHN philosophy but sings with its own voice, featuring such delights as Onion Soup, Bone Marrow Toast and Parsley Salad; Deep Fried Welsh Rarebit; and Middle White Chop, Chicory and Sorrel. The beloved St. JOHN pickles, jellies and chutneys will be made on site to accompany the happy selection of British cheeses, which sit alongside a concise and rigorous dessert menu.

The restaurant will be split into two levels; upstairs will be reserved for walk-ins, passers by who can pull up a chair at the bar or take a seat at a white marble table-top in front of the expansive sash windows. Downstairs, the open-plan dining room will be open for reservations small and large, at wooden tables which echo those at St. JOHN Bread and Wine.

Henderson and Gulliver worked on the design of both spaces following their vernacular and sensibilities, working for the first time in partnership with Red Deer Architects. The interiors give a familial nod to Smithfield and Bread and Wine, with a monochrome whitewashed interior softened by wooden tables and the classic bentwood chairs. A black, cast iron staircase is immediately recognisable from St. JOHN Smithfield, the shaker peg coat hooks which line all St. JOHN sites remain an iconic motif, and the striking curved zinc bar creates a focal point which sets luxurious intent. The large arched windows stream daylight onto the ground floor’s round marble tables, a new design departure for St. JOHN, making the perfect spot for a morning coffee or late evening nightcap.

St. JOHN Marylebone will open from 8am to 11pm daily, from Tuesday 18th October.