In Bloomsbury, London’s literary heart, a new partnership has emerged between the London Book Review (LRB) and nose-to-tail restaurant St. John. Behind the dark green façade of the renowned bookshop at 14-16 Bury Place, the two cultural institutions will open its café, serving warming pastries to accompany morning meanders around Russell Square, to enjoying a glass of wine on the little terrace with a good book.
Bookmark the new St John and the London Book Review café
Trevor Gulliver, co-founder of St. John explains how the collaboration came to be, ‘We were curious when the London Review of Books asked us about their café at the bookshop which was closed, would we come by and take a look? One thing has led to another, the discovery of the hidden square with the little terrace behind the bookstore, the general delight in working with the LRB, its location and the good feeling that an independent bookstore provides to many.’
From 1 October, St John’s new outpost will offer a small changing menu rooted in a shared vision of ‘purpose and simplicity’. The café, which will open at 8am daily, will offer a variety of baked goods, from sourdough bread, croissants, Eccles cakes and doughnuts, accompanied with coffee, teas and hot chocolate.
For lunch, perhaps tuck into savoury tarts, and sandwiches, or enjoy an early afternoon glass of wine. The bookshop and café will close at 6.30pm, however to complement the bookshop’s events programme the café will stay open for wine, cocktails and snacks.
Reneé Doegar, publisher of the LRB, said: ‘As soon as it became clear that St. John would be joining us on Bury Place, it felt like one of those delicious pairings, like bread and wine, madeleines and coffee. In my 14 years with the LRB, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such unanimous delight across the magazine and bookshop teams! Bringing this idea to life with St. John has been a genuine meeting of minds, and I’m thrilled to offer our bookshop community something so rich in both flavour and spirit.’
St. John at the London Review Bookshop will open at 8am on Wednesday 1 October at 14-16 Bury Place, London, WC1A 2JL
-
Woodstock House reinterprets modernist legacy through 21st-century sustainabilityLocally sourced materials and high design ambition merge in the newest residential work by Belgium’s BC Architects & Studies & Materials
-
Archiboo Awards 2025 revealed, including prizes for architecture activism and use of AIArchiboo Awards 2025 are announced, highlighting Narrative Practice as winners of the Activism in architecture category this year, among several other accolades
-
Paul Rudolph's home served as a gigantic 'loom' for an exhibition of Anni Albers textilesItalian textile brand Dedar presented its Weaving Anni Albers collection at the legendary architect’s experimental Modulightor building in New York last week
-
Dining at Motorino: the 'young and playful' London restaurant with all the right ingredientsThe newest restaurant from Stevie Parle and Luke Ahearne is sleek in design and menu, finds Ben McCormack
-
Has London entered a pizza-naissance?Neapolitan roots, New York swagger, London soul
-
Nela is London's new stage for open-fire gastronomyA beloved Amsterdam import brings live-fire elegance to The Whiteley’s grand revival
-
New London restaurant Lagana drizzles Shoreditch with extra olive oilPachamama Group’s latest spot turns the namesake Greek bread into a philosophy, pairing childlike creativity with generous, unfussy cooking
-
Tobi Masa lands at The Chancery RosewoodChef Masa Takayama’s debut London restaurant transforms modernist geometry into a space of ritual calm and culinary purity
-
London’s smash burger obsession goes haute with Supernova MayfairNew York designer Sarita Posada taps into 1970s nostalgia and cinematic restraint for the group’s third outpost in the British capital
-
Peek inside Uchronia’s celadon green suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde ParkThe Paris-based studio teamed up with Pantone to transform a suite at the storied hotel into an aquatic dreamscape. Here’s how to check in
-
The Chancery Rosewood: A new chapter for London’s modernist iconAfter years behind closed doors, London’s most anticipated hotel opening finally arrives, proving that some things are worth waiting for
