Harden's says
Name-checked in Oliver Twist by Dickens – and until the 1920s one of the largest courthouses in the UK – this Grade II Clerkenwell pile now incorporates an events space and restaurant on its fourth floor. It’s a 60-seater with a 20-seat terrace and rooftop pool. Planned since 2019 and open from July 2021, it’s run with input from various creative studios, St John co-found Jon Spiteri and well-known artist Jonny Gent. Expect lots of artfully distressed Victorian interiors and Med-inspired food from chef Florence Knight (ex head chef of Polpetto, et al).
Harden's survey result
Summary
“A very special venue”; “hidden behind a nondescript door in Farringdon and accessed by an ancient brass lift, you pass beyond the heavy black curtain to a breathtaking dining room” at this “wonderfully atmospheric” two-year-old. “A historic setting” (mentioned in Dickens’s ‘Oliver Twist’) – its “high ceilings, distressed walls and candle light” come highly recommended for “an illicit date”. Fans of Florence Knight’s “inventive” cuisine say it “holds its own in the space” – is “magical” even – but to others it is “unspectacular” in comparison to the backdrop. “Booking a table requires military advance planning but it’s worth it”.
Summary
“Believe the gushy reviews!” This “stunning” dining room – part of “a glorious Georgian building” in Clerkenwell which features in Dickens’s ‘Oliver Twist’ – is London’s highest profile opening of the year and “worth the hype!”: “it’s a restaurant that has everything!”. “From the moment you start looking for the inconspicuous entrance, to the concierge and the lift, then the big reveal into the dining room upstairs: it’s the perfect place to surprise someone”. And “what an interior!” – like “a faded palazzo” – “there’s something about the high ceilings and the ambient lighting and the rugs on the floor that makes it the ultimate in shabby chic glamour”. Chef Florence Knight “can somehow combine ingredients that appear unpromising and end up with the most delicious, adventurous and unusual dishes”: “delectable small plates for sharing, with some meat but mainly fishy/veggie options”. “It’s just a shame it’s almost impossible to get a table now… it’s so hot!” Top Menu Tip – “the smoked eel and potato sandwich is unmissable, crisp outside and meltingly smoky and fishy within”.
Summary
Name-checked in Oliver Twist by Dickens – and until the 1920s one of the largest courthouses in the UK – this Grade-II listed Clerkenwell pile now incorporates an events space and a restaurant on the fourth floor; a 60-seater with a 20-seat terrace and rooftop pool. Planned since 2019 and open from September 2021, both the lofty, distressed Victorian interior and the Med-inspired food from chef Florence Knight (ex-head chef of Polpetto, et al) have delighted early press reviewers.
For 33 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Sessions Arts Club?
24 Clerkenwell Green, London, EC1R 0NA
Restaurant details
Sessions Arts Club Restaurant Diner Reviews
"A lovely venue, albeit quite noisy. I enjoyed the food - although I am still not a fan of 'shared plates'."
"Amazing venue! Good food. I really enjoyed myself here."
"Breathtaking surroundings - really looks faultless with galleried candlelit dining. If only the food or service came remotely close. In an attempt to be creative the menu choices were largely odd, bland and poorly prepared. Dandelion pasta was overly firm and and bitter, peppers were bizarre looking but almost without taste and the sirlion could inexplicably only be prepared rare or well done (I don't like steak too rare so as a consequence it was tough and tasteless). Left the place feeling hungry and disappointed."
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £27.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Service | 15.00% |
24 Clerkenwell Green, London, EC1R 0NA
Opening hours
| Monday | CLOSED |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10 pm |
| Sunday | CLOSED |
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