The Restaurant at St Paul’s

Went here for the cream tea on my birthday weekend trip in London. Made reservation for myself online in advance and they were ready for me. There is a separate entrance for the restaurant, so you don’t need to pay to go into the cathedral, but can still access the gift shop. A nice atmosphere for a pot of tea, scones and the cream and jam. They offer a sandwich tea and champagne tea too, but I kept it simple.

Now I know I’ve only lived in the UK for 2.5 years, but until I went to The Restaurant at St Paul’s I didn’t know you could have afternoon tea without Victoria Sponge cake. Having been unable to find a table for tea at a more desirable location on Easter weekend, I surmised that the ³⁄₅ star rating Time Out gave this place for tea was fine, and I would expect no frills but still leave with a full, satisfied tummy.
The three finger sandwiches were alright — it’s hard to do them wrong really — though I think they were a bit thin. But they give you only one scone and ONE cake — almond cake, which seemed to me more like a muffin — and ONE tiny macaron, the tiniest I have ever seen. The (berry?) jam they give you for the scones was the kind that looks more like Jell-​O. I had Darjeeling as my tea and that, at least, was tasty. But the sparseness of the whole thing left me feeling like I could have easily eaten two of everything, and it was all for £17 (with service). More amazing is the fact that afternoon tea at the Tea Rooms in Stoke Newington costs £15 and is infinitely better and more substantial.
I don’t know when the Time Out reviewers were there to observe people being turned away at the doors, but this fairly small place (located underneath the cathedral in the crypt) was still mostly to half-​empty on a Saturday afternoon. And somehow, the service was still very slow. I’m a tea tourist who is happy to have tea and scones anywhere, but I won’t be returning to the St Paul’s restaurant if I can help it.

Amazing, fresh produce and great service. The very friendly and accommodating Candice Webber (Head Chef) sends out fantastic dishes from the kitchen with the help of her team including Nicholas (General Manager) and Alex (trainee chef). Wonderful ambiance in this historic building. Will definely be going back soon.

The Restaurant at St. Pauls while lacking its own name does not lack in quality. The Qype Sherlock Holmes society got treated to high tea here and it is a must-​visit place for high tea. Where else can you take high tea in a cathedral but here in London.
Served in real silverware which is beautifully mismatched, the high tea treat is a feast of sandwiches, hane made giant scones and delicious cakes. Far too much to finish, this feast is so inexpensive it’s hard to believe that for less than £15 you can have this much of a luxurious high tea.
Everyone should make the restaurant at St Paul’s a stop on their visit to London. If you live in London, make sure you take someone special her for a treat.

Fantastic place for an afternoon tea and full of quirky charm. Loved the mis matched teapots, which made it feel really homely and not so much like a touristy «high tea».
Hadn’t had a cucumber sandwich for years and these were light & refreshing. The scones very tradtional which rich clotted cream and pip free strawberry jam.
Wonderful place to recharge after a your exploration of the crypt & cathedral

Dining with the dead has never been so delicious.
This weekend I was lucky enough to accompany a group of Qypers on a tour of St Pauls followed by afternoon tea in the crypt. Lucky indeed. All the chat about science, art and maths in the domed gorgeousness of St Pauls got my tummy rumbling, but even I couldn’t finish the tiered nom before me. Here’s the tier-​by-​tier action:
Sandwiches:
Sharp cheese with sticky chutney, smoked salmon and of course creamy cheese with slivers of cucumber,
Scones:
The lightest, fluffiest scones with jam that tasted and smelled like real fruit and clotted cream with just the right runnniness
Other cakes:
This is where the eating stopped for me. I just. Couldn’t. Eat. Another. Thing. Though I was intrigued by the worlds heaviest lemon cupcake and people around me oohed and aahed about the fruit cake slice thing.
Other important facts to note, notwithstanding the totally unique (nowhere else in the world) surroundings:
The service is great, the napkins are embroidered, the teapots, spoons and everything else is polished, old-​school silver and the price is a dream. It’s just £15 for the tea, £20 with bubbles.

After working up an appite wondering around St. Paul’s Cathedral, or even just wandering around London the tea at The Restaurant at St Paul’s is the perfect cure for any hunger pains you may have.
The sandwiches, scones and cakes may look innocent enough but when done you may need help moving! The crustless sandwiches were fresh, and as mentioned before the scones are the fluffiest scones around, perfection! If you have room after that the lemon cake is a delightful ending to a perfect tea.
It should be mentioned the service was attentive and friendly without being intrusive, perfect service in my book.
I look forward to bringing many a friend to share in tea at The St. Paul’s Restaurant.
Well I brought 3 of my friends for tea to the Restaurant at St Paul’s and was a bit let down. After raving about the service we were made to wait over 10 minutes out side the restaurant when it was found out we didn’t have a reservation (despite there being numerous open tables).
The staff seemed in a bit of a flap about a group that was on the way. Getting their attention once we sat down was also difficult. The food was just as good and the tea lovely but the staff’s inability to handle a place that was only half full was quite a let down.

What could be more British than spending a rainy London afternoon visiting St Pauls then taking tea in the crypt alongside Nelson and Wellington? Of course, I had to assert my non-​Englishness by ordering a coffee (which lived up to my fussy coffee standards: smooth, flavoursome, not burnt), but I regretted it when the silver teapots, strainers and milk jugs arrived… the only problem with the latte was the lack of shiny playthings associated with it!
The sandwiches, scones and cakes that form the £15 tea were delectable. Between the clotted cream for the scones and the lemon cupcakes, this afternoon snack can easily substitute for a meal. In the charming company of co-​qypers we easily whiled away a few hours. Too many, since we missed out on visiting the whispering gallery. Oh well, guess I’ll just have to go back.
This place is definitely going on my list of ‘places to bring out-​of-​towners’… the best tourist trap I’ve discovered yet, but most certainly not just for tourists.

OK, so the normal get-​up is that you have a tourist attraction where the catering contract gets farmed out to some fella in the know who throws out average food at shockin prices. Jobs for the boys.
This is definitely not the case here… quality grub (15 notes for afternoon tea, 20 with sparking wine incl) makes for a great deal; it ain’t often I can’t finish what’s in front of me but the innocent looking finger food had the makings of a feast.
Throw in antique cutlery (Cutlers to HM The King etc) and the little things add up to a big deal!

I had such an excellent lunch (at a more than reasonable price) at this fine restaurant in the Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral. From the succulent marinated olives served alongside savoury home made Montgomery and rosemary biscuits (all for £3) at the start of my lunch to the final bite of Regent’s Park honey ice and gingerbread sandwich — this was a quality meal. And at two courses for £18 or three for £22, prices were more than reasonable considering not just the scrumminess of the food but also the location. Seriously, this was one of the most impressive dining experiences I’ve had in London in quite awhile (read more ravings in my review for Londonist (
)). Service was a bit wonky (but I think it was a one-​off) but cordial and helpful. Anyway, it won’t prevent me from going back next chance I get!

Slightly disappointing overall since:
— Food here was just okay.
— Service wasn’t too friendly.
— Restaurant was much smaller than I expected (the cathedral is so large!) Still cool eating underneath the cathedral, though.
Food:
— Fresh Bread /​Butter: boo — found a piece of tin foil in the butter!!!)
— 1^st: Pigeon salad
— 2^nd: Roasted pollock
— Runner beans
All a bit too oily for my palette, and the pollock overly drenched in spices.
Price? Only £17 for 2 courses! Not bad. But, I’d rather try out the café adjacent to the restaurant: same ambience, same location, probably cheaper though.

UPDATE: Had the good fortune of having a proper high tea at The Restaurant and it was wonderful. Everything was perfectly prepared and the cakes weren’t too sweet. The scones were buttery, moist and flaky, but not heavy or stodgy. In my view, these were the perfect scones and, at under £15 without bubbly, this is one more reason to come to The Restaurant.
I recently had lunch at The Restaurant at St. Paul’s and I was very happy with it. Unfortunately, my companion and I had a very similar meal to the first reviewer’s, so I won’t be adding much to the food review. But, I will confirm that the starter of Scottish squid with watercress, peas, lemon and mint was excellently prepared, fresh and very tasty. The main of seared sea trout, dill, fennel, lemon, yellow beans and verjuice was delicious with a delectable super crispy skin that could not be left behind. We did not have dessert, but did have excellent coffee (by Union Coffee Roasters who work in Rwanda and are fair trade) that came with lavender shortbreads that burst with flavour.
Other items on the menu included Norfolk chicken, roast pollock, pasta with goat cheese, pine nut and broad beans. The menu is seasonal and changes approximately every two weeks.
The restaurant supports local businesses and suppliers. It even uses local honey: Regent Park Honey from Pure Food.
The interior was very simply and tastefully decorated. As my lunch companion noted, one would never guess to be in a crypt — it was all light and air. The room had tables with banquettes and Scandinavian-​design light wood and wicker chairs (which are probably British, following the ethos of the restaurant). The linen table napkins were beautiful as well. I don’t often notice napkins, but couldn’t help noticing these with their lovely red embroidery.
A three course lunch will set one back £20, while two only £16. This is not a place for an every day lunch, but it’s a great deal for expertly prepared and presented delicious food. We arrived early and were able to secure a table, but it quickly filled up with a mix of clientèle. You’re as likely to sit next to a City worker as you are to a dignified old girl sporting British Red Cross medals and drinking posh cider (as we were). I think the secret is out.

For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly grateful.
You kind of have to say grace — at least internally — when dining at St Paul’s, don’t you? Happily, your enjoyment isn’t just in God’s hands. It’s in the hands of a team that: a) know what they’re doing; and b) do it all at good value.
There is a slightly annoying, somewhat kitsch Britishness to it all, with the insistence that a two course meal costs 16 British Pounds and three will set you back 20 British Pounds. as opposed to what? Florins? Guineas? Tracts of a land and a mule? Seriously, what’s wrong with a £?
Anyway, once my hackles had calmed a little from that, I rapidly realised it’s the only bit of pretension in sight and three courses for 20 QUID is a damn fine deal for this level of cooking and the location. Snacks of olives were excellent, radishes with salt and salad cream were crunchy and refreshing and then the meal itself ranged from fine to very good indeed. There was slight disappointment with the heritage tomato salad — check out The Albion to see how good that sort of simplicity can be — but squid, peas, mint and chilli was a clean, well-​flavouored plate.
For mains, seared sea trout (with yellow bean, fennel and verjuice) delivered gentle flavours, while the English beef fillet was as good a piece of beef as I’ve had anywhere, let alone at this price. Not entirely convinced that the side of runner beans — as great as it was — constitutes its billing as a forgotten vegetable. Runners? Forgotten? Really?
Puds did the same sort of thing as the starter. Lemon Verbena Tart featured exemplary pastry and a delicious poached peach but both lacked oomph and acidity. Why not just lemon tart? Or poached apricot instead of the sweeter peach? No such complaints though with Regent’s Park Honey & Ginger Ice Sandwich: two slices of ginger cake, with a filling of honeyed ice cream, drizzled in a potently gingery glaze. Simplicity itself but the sort of desert you could eat and eat and eat. It’s also one I intend to pass off as my own in due course. There’s good lavender shortbread with a cuppa too.
At the point of my visit, the City Boys hadn’t realised the quality and cost on their doorstep. That can’t last, so it will soon be filled with braying down-​on-​their-​luck idiots. Go now while you can still get a table and hear yourself think. Or indeed enjoy a meal without wanting to kick a man in a tie to death.