London area of Clerkenwell guide

What to do and where to stay in London's Clerkenwell neighbourhood

Clerkenwell used to be a part of London's industrial heartland. Now, the warehouses are home to design agencies and magazines, the factories have become exclusive bars and restaurants, and the slum housing has been turned into exclusive flats for professional twenty-somethings. As the local population moved out, the pubs fund a new way of making money, and many of London's oldest and best gastropubs are in this area, supplied with top quality ingredients by Exmouth and Smithfield Markets. With few tourists and hotels, Clerkenwell can feel a little deserted at weekends ''“ that is until you stumble across the areas around Farringdon and Smithfields, which have been so popular for so long that they've generated their own local economies of bars, shops and restaurants. In the North, Sadler's Wells is London's flagship venue for contemporary dance.

See our recommended nearby Clerkenwell Hotels, Entertainment, Sights and Attractions, Shopping, Restaurants, Pubs, Nightlife, Leisure, Education, and Meeting Venues.

The Zetter
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
St John's Square 86-88 Clerkenwell Road, EC1M
This boutique hotel in trendy Clerkenwell fits right in with the warehouse chic designer feel of the neighbourhood. Mixing vintage chairs with stark modern prints, there's ... More

 

 

Thistle City Barbican Hotel
London > Hotels > Budget Chain Hotel
Central Street, EC1V
Near to the City, and convenient for the The Barbican arts centre and Moorfields Eye Hospital, this hotel is modern, clean and functional. Equipped with its ... More

 

 

Holiday Inn London Kings Cross - Bloomsbury
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
1 Kings Cross Road, WC1X
Halfway between the City and the west End, the Bloomsbury area is an oasis of calm in the very heart of the capital. It's a lovely ... More

 

 

Hotels in Clerkenwell

 

Sadler's Wells
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
Rosebery Avenue, Islington, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Modern contemporary dance and music performance space. Occupying a site with a long tradition of entertaining Londoners, Sadler's Wells exists to bring the best of national and ... More

 

 

Sadler's Wells Theatre
London > Entertainment > Theatres
Rosebery Avenue, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Modern contemporary dance and music performance space. Occupying a site with a long tradition of entertaining Londoners, Sadler's Wells exists to bring the best of national ... More

 

 

The Old Red Lion Theatre
London > Entertainment > Theatres
418 St John Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
One of London's most famous fringe pub theatres, the Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington was founded in 1979 by Charlie Hanson and is a welcome ... More

 

 

Entertainment in Clerkenwell

 

Museum and Library of the Order of St John
London > Attractions > Museums
St. Johns Gate, 26 St. John's Lane, Clerkenwell, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
This 16th century gatehouse was formerly the southern entrance to the Priory of the Medieval Order of St John and contains furniture, painting, silver, coins and ... More

 

 

Magnum Photos
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
63 Gee Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
The London gallery for renowned photo agency, Magnum. Representing the best in photography, The Magnum Photos selection process for new members is legendary for its toughness. ... More

 

 

Exmouth Market
London > Attractions > Other Attractions
Exmouth Market, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
A rich hunting ground for restaurants and bars, Exmouth Market twinkles under the fairy lights that zig-zag overhead across the scenic pedestrianised street. Hip hang outs ... More

 

 

Sights and Attractions in Clerkenwell

 

Lesley Craze Gallery
London > Shopping > Jewellery
34 Clerkenwell Green, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Lesley Craze houses contemporary pieces of jewellery design in an interesting gallery shop. A range of materials is used, including both precious and semi-precious metals, and ... More

 

 

ec one Exmouth Market
London > Shopping > Jewellery
41 Exmouth Market, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Established in Clerkenwell in 1997, EC One jewellery has built up a glittering reputation for its individual, stylish jewellery. Husband and wife team Jos and Alison ... More

 

 

Farm Collective
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
91 Cowcross Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
Its location opposite Smithfield Market is a very appropriate spot for the Farm Collective to set up shop. Working with select farmers and small producers, this outlet ... More

 

 

Shopping in Clerkenwell

 

The Well
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
180 St John Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
Everything about our meal at this superb gastropub in Clerkenwell was brilliant, from the towering pint'o'prawns ordered to start, to the grins plastered over our faces ... More

 

 

The Peasant
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
240 St John Street, Clerkenwell, , London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
The Peasant is really two different eateries under one roof. Downstairs is a crowded and cheerful gastropub, with a menu of substantial tapas and platters. Upstairs ... More

 

 

Cicada
London > Restaurants > Chinese restaurants
132 - 136 St John Street, Farringdon, , London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
Cicada, the first of the Ricker restaurants, which has been open since 1996, is near to Smithfields Market in the buzzing Clerkenwell area. The restaurant, bar ... More

 

 

Restaurants in Clerkenwell

 

The Well
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
180 St John Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
Everything about our meal at this superb gastropub in Clerkenwell was brilliant, from the towering pint'o'prawns ordered to start, to the grins plastered over our faces ... More

 

 

The Peasant
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
240 St John Street, Clerkenwell, , London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
The Peasant is really two different eateries under one roof. Downstairs is a crowded and cheerful gastropub, with a menu of substantial tapas and platters. Upstairs ... More

 

 

The Hat & Feathers
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
2 Clerkenwell Road, Clerkenwell, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
... More

 

 

Pubs in Clerkenwell

 

Ghost Farringdon
London > Nightlife > 113-117 Farringdon Road, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Most people's gripe about South Ken's graffiti chic venue Ghost INC is that it would be better suited to the edgier East End than the haughty ... More

 

 

Fabric
London > Nightlife > Nightclubs
77a Charterhouse Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
Built on the site of a Victorian meat cellar, Fabric continues to boast the most sensational line-ups in the capital. Its global reputation is founded on ... More

 

 

Vinoteca
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
7 St John Street, London, Clerkenwell, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
Wine bars in the UK were given a bad name in the 1980s but places like this show us how it should be done. Both the ... More

 

 

Nightlife in Clerkenwell

 

Leisure in Clerkenwell

 

London Wine Academy
London > Education > Evening Classes
Garden Floor, 6 Coldbath Square, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
One day workshops, offering a friendly no-nonsense approach to teaching about wine, suitable for everyone from beginners to experts. Courses take place at the following venues: Atlas PH, ... More

 

 

Education in Clerkenwell

 

The Rookery
London > Business > Venue Hire
Peter's Lane, Cowcross Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
... More

 

 

London Symphony Orchestra St Luke's
London > Business > Venue Hire
161 Old Street, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
... More

 

 

Sadler's Wells
London > Business > Venue Hire
Rosebery Avenue, London, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Can accomodate for up to 2070 people.... More

 

 

Meeting Venues in Clerkenwell