St John Bakery Room, Maltby Street ★★★★★

Rejoice! You can now get your St. John fix south of the river, with the St. John family gaining a new member on Maltby Street.
The restaurant group is no stranger to these parts. Its popular bakery – responsible for those infamous donuts – has been attracting punters in their droves to neighbouring Druid Street for some time. It made sense, then, to build on this local success and put down more roots.
The result is St John Bakery Room, tucked under the railway arches on Maltby Street. Its a charming spot: the busy kitchen adds to the warm buzz of the restaurant while trains trundle overhead. The menu is straightforward: a blackboard reads the dishes of the day, and the signature focus on meat, fish and market vegetables lets the small kitchen shine.
The new spot boasts a very British menu, with the likes of pressed pig's ear and chicory thrown into the mix along with ox liver served with beetroot and horseradish, or an intriguing offering of pickled tripe accompanied by radishes and watercress.
Open for weekend brunch, and serving the best the bakery has to offer, this little jewel adds a special glimmer to Fergus Henderson’s gastronomic crown.