The Quality Chop House

The Quality Chop House has stood on Farringdon Road since 1869, and the Victorian dining room behind its mosaic threshold has changed remarkably little: mahogany booths, marble-topped tables, embossed Lincrusta walls and the Grade II-listed benches that regulars have sat on for generations. The original shopfront still reads 'London's Noted Cup of Tea' and 'Progressive Working Class Caterer'. Since reopening in 2012 under the Woodhead Restaurant Group, with Shaun Searley in the kitchen, it has become one of Clerkenwell's most quietly celebrated restaurants.

The cooking is contemporary British, built on produce from farms and suppliers the kitchen has worked with for years; a butcher's shop opened next door for the same reason. The wine list is a serious one, weighted towards Burgundy and the Rhone and unusually generous with older vintages, and there is a cocktail list of house originals alongside the classics.

For private events, the first-floor Private Room seats up to fourteen around a single table, with period features, air conditioning and abundant natural light. A dedicated waiter looks after the room throughout, and the kitchen offers shared feasting menus for the table. It suits an intimate celebration or a private lunch or dinner where the setting does much of the work.