Sessions Arts Club is a place you want to get lost in. Housed in the beautifully restored Old Sessions House in London’s Clerkenwell and situated on the fourth floor of the impressive 18th century Grade II listed building, it’s a restaurant that has a private feel, creating a sanctuary to escape from the fast pace of modern life.
Led by artist-cum-entrepreneur Jonny Gent and chef Florence Knight, Sessions Arts Club has been designed as a unique space that’s based on the pillars of art, food and music. Knight, who is known best for her time leading the kitchen at Venetian-inspired Soho restaurant Polpetto, offers a refined, seasonally-led menu inspired by British, French and Italian cooking and her preference for simple food with carefully grown and sourced ingredients at its heart. Accompanying the menu is a wine list curated by Terry Kandylis and Keeling Andrew & Co, suiting both the novice ‘learner’ to the more experienced wine connoisseur.
The 60-seater dining room is flooded with light from a series of magnificent arched windows looking out onto the rooftop. The interior elements and furniture have been sourced from various markets and salvage yards, creating an eclectic yet comfortable aesthetic, which is coupled with a series of green leather banquettes reflecting the courthouse’s past. Meanwhile, a roof terrace seats 20 and leads out to an elegant marble bar and infinity rooftop pool with unrivalled views over the city.
The alluring setting and Knight’s confident cooking have combined to great effect and captured the imagination of London’s dining scene. Getting a reservation can be a challenge, but for diners determined to snag a seat, their perseverance will be rewarded.
