Sessions Arts Club
Sessions Arts Club review: Florence Knight's restaurant above the old courthouse in Farringdon is a pilgrimage lunch. Natural light, one fish, one fig tart.
Sessions Arts Club sits on the top floor of the former Clerkenwell courthouse, up a staircase you would not find unless you knew. The dining room is double-height, flooded with natural light, hung with contemporary art on long wires. It is the most beautiful dining room in London.
The room
Twenty tables, white linen, dark wooden chairs, brass lamps. The art rotates. In winter the light is best at 13:00.
What to order
Florence Knight cooks a short, seasonal, Italian-inflected menu. Whatever fish is on, order it. The pasta is always worth a plate between four. The fig tart is one of the best puddings in London.
The drinks list
Italian-leaning, with a deep set of Champagnes and a thoughtful set of English sparkling.
What you will pay
Long lunch for two with a shared starter, a fish between two, a pudding, a bottle and service: around £180.
The verdict
A London pilgrimage lunch. Book a month ahead, take the 13:00 slot by the window in December.
Clara Whitfield
Editor and restaurant critic
Clara Whitfield is the editor and lead restaurant critic of Vivi. She has eaten through the London restaurant scene professionally for over a decade, contributing reviews and features to regional and national food publications.
She writes Vivi's weekly restaurant review and the Saturday essay. She prefers early dinners and a table facing the room.
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