Hand in hand with the gastropub trend is “nose-to-tail” eating. That’s a polite way to say you’ll be eating various animal body parts, resulting in tastes that are commonplace among English farmers (heart, cockscomb, marrow, whole pigeon) but perhaps daring for most North American tongues. I personally hate it, but it’s always on the foodie dream lists. Most places charge, um, an arm and a leg for this style of high-quality cooking, but you can sample it at this lower-priced offshoot of the influential St John restaurant (still running in Smithfield), which in the 1990s brought back British cooking in a big way. Walls are simple white, chairs are plain wood, the menu is posted afresh daily, and the kitchen staff is serious. Experience dishes like cold lamb with chicory and anchovy, smoked sprat (sardines) with horseradish, venison mince, and lamb’s liver with mash. A meal here can be an adventure (ever eaten dandelion?).