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.

Clerkenwell Hotels

in or near Clerkenwell
Crowne Plaza Kings Cross
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
 
 
 
Rosewood London
London > Hotels > Luxury Chain Hotel
252 High Holborn, WC1V
Located in High Holborn, Rosewood London is the most luxurious hotel in the area and is nearby to the capital's main business district and a number ... More
 
 
 
Holiday Inn London Bloomsbury
London > Hotels > Mid-Range Chain Hotel
Coram Street, WC1N
This is a smart, modern hotel located in one of the Capital's oldest and most beautiful areas. Bloomsbury is a great place to stay since it's ... More
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Entertainment

in or near Clerkenwell
PICK
Theatre Delicatessen
London > Entertainment > Theatres
Guardian House, 119 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Taking over the old Guardian building in Farringdon and filling it with rehearsal rooms and performance spaces, Theatre Delicatessen not only takes an entrepreneurial approach to ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Theatre Delicatessen
London > Entertainment > Theatres
Guardian House, 119 Farringdon Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Taking over the old Guardian building in Farringdon and filling it with rehearsal rooms and performance spaces, Theatre Delicatessen not only takes an entrepreneurial approach to ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Sadler's Wells
London > Entertainment > Classical Music
Rosebery Avenue, Islington, 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
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Sights and Attractions

The best museums, galleries, attractions in or near Clerkenwell
PICK
The Werkstatt
London > Attractions > Art Galleries
7-9 Woodbridge Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
The Werkstatt - meaning workshop in German - is a workshop for international designers and architects to meet, be inspired, play and create. A showcase for ... More
 
 
 
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House of Detention
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
Sans Walk, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
The House of Detention gets its name from its former purpose - as a prison - and there has been a prison on this site since ... More
 
 
 
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Crypt On The Green, St James'
London > Attractions > Historic Buildings
Clerkenwell Close, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
The Crypt on the Green, underneath St James Church in Clerkenwell, is on the site of the first nunnery to be built in London dating back ... More
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Shopping

The best shops and markets in or near London's Clerkenwell
PICK
ec one Exmouth Market
London > Shopping > Jewellery
41 Exmouth Market, 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
 
 
 
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International Magic Shop
London > Shopping > Specialists
89 Clerkenwell Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Superb family-run magic shop, offering props, books and videos for magicians of all abilities. Pick a deck of cards, any deck of cards, from their mysterious ... More
 
 
 
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Farm Collective
London > Shopping > Food and Drink Shops
91 Cowcross Street, 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
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Restaurants

What are the best dining options in or near Clerkenwell London?
PICK
The Peasant
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
240 St John Street, Clerkenwell, 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
 
 
 
PICK
The Well
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
180 St John Street, 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
 
 
 
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The Clerkenwell Kitchen
London > Restaurants > Cafes and Delis
31 Clerkenwell Close, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Canteen-styled daytime cafe which emphasises fresh ingredients from local producers, fair trade, and organic methods. The daily changing menu reflects the available ingredients. Soups, tarts, pasta, ... More
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Pubs

The best pubs in or near London Clerkenwell.
PICK
The Peasant
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
240 St John Street, Clerkenwell, 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
 
 
 
PICK
The Well
London > Restaurants > Gastropub
180 St John Street, 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
 
 
 
PICK
Crown Tavern
London > Nightlife > Pubs
43 Clerkenwell Green, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
Hideaway snugs where Stalin and Lenin held secret meetings and real ales make the Crown Tavern a popular ... More
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Nightlife

Clerkenwell clubs, bars, cabaret nights, casinos and interesting nightlife.
PICK
Ghost Farringdon
London > Nightlife > 113-117 Farringdon Road, 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
 
 
 
PICK
The Longroom
London > Nightlife > Bars
18-20 St. John Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
Situated in the heart of Clerkenwell, next door to St John and Smithfield Market, The Longroom specialises in craft beers, salt beef and gourmet sandwiches. Described ... More
 
 
 
PICK
Vinoteca
London > Nightlife > Wine Bars
7 St John Street, Clerkenwell, 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
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Leisure

Clerkenwell gyms, sporting activities, health & beauty and fitness.
PICK
Spa Fields Park
London > Leisure > Parks and Gardens
Northampton Road, Clerkenwell, London EC1R
A busy park in Islington beside the Three Corners Centre youth centre and Adventure Playground, the 2.02 acre Spa Fields include a children's playground, tarmac ... More
 
 
 
PICK
London Dance Academy
London > Leisure > The Basement, 49-51 Central Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
London Dance Academy is a dance studio in the middle of the City, five minutes' walk from Old Street and Barbican, which offers dance classes and ... More
 
 
 
PICK
London Fencing Club
London > Leisure > Sports Facilities
Norman Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
Excellent fencing courses for beginners with highly trained coaches, good facilities and years of experience teaching this ancient, noble sport. Fencing is very good fun and ... More
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Education

in or near Clerkenwell
PICK
London Wine Academy
London > Education > Evening Classes
Garden Floor, 6 Coldbath Square, 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
 
 
 
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LSO St Luke's
London > Education > Professional Training
161 Old Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1V
This gorgeous 18th century Grade I listed Hawksmoor church is one of a number of London churches which has, in recent years, been converted into a ... More
 
 
 
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City Journalism
London > Education > Professional Training
106 Bunhill Row, Clerkenwell, London EC1Y
City’s Print Journalism course is recognised as the best in London. Although places like Goldsmith’s are trendier, City is respected in the industry thanks to a ... More
 
 
 

Clerkenwell Meeting Venues

Where to have your meeting, conference, exhibition, private dining or training course in or near Clerkenwell.
PICK
Museum of the Order of St John
London > Business > Venue Hire
St. Johns Gate, 26 St. John's Lane, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
The Museum of the Order of St John tells the story of the St John's Ambulance from within a 16th century gatehouse which was formerly the ... More
 
 
 
PICK
The Rookery
London > Business > Venue Hire
Peter's Lane, Cowcross Street, Clerkenwell, London EC1M
... More
 
 
 
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Bleeding Heart Yard
London > Business > Venue Hire
Bleeding Heart Yard, off Greville Street, Farringdon, Clerkenwell, London EC1N
... More
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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