Clerkenwell

Clerkenwell, between the City and Islington, is one of London's most rewarding neighbourhoods for food, design and history — packed into a relatively small area that most visitors overlook entirely. St John restaurant (the most influential British restaurant of the past 30 years) is here; so are some of London's best independent architecture and design practices, and a quiet cluster of medieval and Georgian history.

Exmouth Market

The pedestrianised Exmouth Market is Clerkenwell's social spine — a street of independent restaurants, cafes and bars that has maintained quality through decades of neighbourhood change. Moro (Spanish and North African, a benchmark Clerkenwell restaurant since 1997) sits here alongside newer arrivals. Lunchtime is busy with office workers; evenings are calmer and often better for a table.

St John Restaurant

Fergus Henderson's St John on St John Street launched nose-to-tail eating as a serious British culinary philosophy in 1994 — roast bone marrow with parsley salad has become one of the most copied dishes in British restaurant history. Still excellent, still worth a booking, and the bar is accessible without a reservation for simpler dishes. Book well in advance for dinner.

The Charterhouse

A medieval monastery converted into an almshouse in 1611 — one of London's most extraordinary hidden historic buildings, now open for guided tours. The Tudor great hall, the medieval cloisters and the continuing residential almshouse community make it genuinely unlike anywhere else in central London. Tours must be booked in advance.

Design Heritage

Clerkenwell has the highest concentration of architects and designers per square kilometre of any place in the UK — the area around Clerkenwell Road is worth walking slowly for the number of interesting small studios and design-related shops visible at street level.

Getting There

Farringdon (Circle, Metropolitan, Hammersmith & City and Elizabeth lines) is the central station. Angel (Northern line) is also walkable.

Tips

• Book St John well in advance — it's still a pilgrimage destination for serious food lovers.
• The Charterhouse guided tours are unmissable if you're interested in London's medieval history — book ahead.
• Exmouth Market on a weekday lunchtime gives the best atmosphere without the weekend crowds.