St John

 

This gory Michelin-starred restaurant often slips into those "Best 50 restaurants in the World" lists - and it's not hard to see why. Although picky eaters and the squeamish should best avoid St John: the ever-changing seasonal menu boasts delights such as rolled pig spleen, chitterlings (stewed pig intestines), brains, offal, tongue, bone marrow, and the odd little squiggly bits that even a vet wouldn't recognise. Since Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver opened St John in 1994 it has been credited with the creation of a whole Modern British food movement - of the 'nose to tail' type, using all conceivable parts of the animal. But it's not all that outlandish: classics such as roast middlewhite pig, mallard duck, brill, crumbed veal and braised rabbit still feature at the former smokehouse, situated in a Georgian building around the corner from London's Smithfield Market. For a convivial meal, the best thing to is order in advance from the feasting menu, which gives your whole table a single dish to share, like Whole Roast Suckling Pig, or a huge Pigeon, Beef and Trotter Pie. The advance ordering allows them to time their baking and roasting to perfection. They also do a nice line in foraged food, with leaves, dandelions, and wild mushrooms often available on the specials board, and puddings plucked from hedgerows and woods. In fact, they even have some very decent vegetarian options... so long as you don't mind what your carnivorous neighbours are eating.