Clerkenwell area guide

Find the best things to do and see in Clerkenwell, plus ace attractions, pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants

Wednesday 14 March 2018

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There are plenty of reasons to visit pretty, historic and creative Clerkenwell. Firstly, there are the restaurants, which vary from gastropubs to Michelin-starred marvels. During the week you'll also find streetfood marvels at Exmouth Market as well as nearby Leather Lane. On the drinks front, there are a number of rather special bars and pubs, many of which also offer quality food, too. Plus Clerkenwell in home to numerous museums and attractions worth a trip to. Its historic old buildings play host to a fair few architects and designers - hell, it's even got its own Design Week. And it’s one of the most attrative areas of London to wander around. Sold? Check out our pick of the best things to do in Clerkenwell below.

RECOMMENDED: London by area

Things to do in Clerkenwell

Shopping

Exmouth Market

3 out of 5 stars

A pedestrianised street that hosts a weekday food market and boasts some stellar permanent restaurants and bars.

Museums

Charles Dickens Museum

Discover Dickens's life through displays of his personal belongings, paintings and his writing.

Theatre

Sadler’s Wells

A dazzling complex home to an impressive line-up of local and international dance talent.

Museums

The Postal Museum and Mail Rail

Visit for a trip into the history of the Royal Mail and take a ride on the revamped underground Mail Rail.

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Restaurants in Clerkenwell

Restaurants

St John

5 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4

Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver’s restaurant – now the heart of a mini-empire with branch, bakery and wine dealership – has been praised...

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Restaurants

Moro

5 out of 5 stars

Sam(antha) and Sam Clark’s Exmouth Market restaurant and cookbook set the benchmark for a distinctly British style of Iberian-with-a-North-African-twist...

Restaurants

Sushi Tetsu

4 out of 5 stars

Getting a table at this Clerkenwell sushi-ya has been a challenge ever since it opened in summer 2012. Understandably so, as there are only about half a dozen...

Restaurants

Club Gascon

5 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4

The presence of the three-strong Gascon group (as well as Comptoir Gascon, there’s wine at Le Bar) ensures that a small area of east-central London has a...

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Pubs in Clerkenwell

Bars and pubs

Jerusalem Tavern

5 out of 5 stars
price 2 of 4

A small pub with a lived-in feel, offering premium-strength IPAs and whisky-accented ale.

Music

Slaughtered Lamb

3 out of 5 stars

A popular spot with a large and busy bar, an impressive array of taps and an expansive main room.

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Bars in Clerkenwell

Bars and pubs

Oriole

3 out of 5 stars
price 3 of 4

This is the second time I’ve found myself twitching on the RSPB’s website. But it had to be done because the team behind celebrated City cocktail spot Nightjar...

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Bars and pubs

The Zetter Townhouse Clerkenwell Cocktail Lounge

5 out of 5 stars
price 1 of 4

In décor alone the Zetter Townhouse hotel is exceptional: every surface has something old and lovely on it, like an eccentric collector’s country house. The...

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Bars and pubs

Hester’s Hideout

4 out of 5 stars

If you needed proof that London’s cabaret scene is alive and (positively) kicking, take a trip to Hester’s Hideout under Paesan restaurant at the...

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Bars and pubs

Vinoteca

5 out of 5 stars

The original Vinoteca in Farringdon is full to-heaving most nights, so it’s no surprise they have kept their winning formula for this second branch: it’s a...

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