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Clerkenwell area guide 2018
Alison Day/flickr

Clerkenwell area guide

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

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Things To Do Editors
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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

Exmouth Market

Exmouth Market

  • 3 out of 5 stars

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

Charles Dickens Museum

Charles Dickens Museum

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

Sadler’s Wells

Sadler’s Wells

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

Restaurants in Clerkenwell

St John

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...

Moro

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...

Sushi Tetsu

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...

Club Gascon

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...

Pubs in Clerkenwell

Jerusalem Tavern

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. 

Slaughtered Lamb

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.

Bars in Clerkenwell

Oriole

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...

Hester’s Hideout

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...

Vinoteca

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...

Hotels in Clerkenwell

Rookery

Rookery

  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • price 3 of 4

A boutique time-warp in the depths of Clerkenwell, full of four-poster beds, antiques and one very proud house cat.

The perfect weekend in Clerkenwell

Eat: Sosharu

Eat: Sosharu

  • 4 out of 5 stars

Indulge at Jason Atherton's take on modern Japanese where every plate is a thing of beauty. 

Explore: Exmouth Market

Explore: Exmouth Market

  • 3 out of 5 stars

Find stalls, cute shops and great food on this small, pedestrianised street. 

Visit: Sadler’s Wells

Visit: Sadler’s Wells

Catch one of the eclectic and often critically acclaimed shows at this dazzling home of dancing talent.