Vesper – Exmouth Market – Restaurant of the Month

Last Updated on June 19, 2026

Jackson Boxer opens in Exmouth Market

4.8 out of 5.0 stars

In the present climate, where the rate of restaurant closures feels like watching an iceberg melting, it takes a brave restaurateur to buck the trend and open a new eatery. Such is Jackson Boxer, whose Vesper has opened in London’s Exmouth Market.

Restaurants in the UK are closing hand over fist. In the first three months of 2026, three hospitality sites closed every day in the UK. That is a staggering figure. It is not only small eateries like the well-loved Sambal Shiok on Holloway Road that announced their closure a few weeks ago. Of the 112 Michelin-starred restaurants in England and Wales, 24 have shut down. As for pubs, 161 have closed since January, a 26 % increase on the same period in 2025. That is two pubs closing every day. The combined pressures of VAT, food, fuel, rent, and wage costs have cut restaurants’ margins to the bone.  The UK’s 20% VAT rate on hospitality is the highest in Europe by some margin. There is a petition demanding that the government reduce VAT on hospitality to 10 %. It is spearheaded by chef Tom Kerridge and backed by UK Hospitality and can be signed here.

Boxer is a chef- restaurateur with a popular following of diners who appreciate his relaxed yet elegant restaurants with the sort of dishes you want to eat.  He trained as a teenager with Margot Henderson, who co-founded St. John’s and runs the marvellous Rochelle’s Canteen.  By 23, he had opened Brunswick House in an unlikely spot – a roundabout in Vauxhall, premises shared with a salvaged antiques company. Later, the seafood restaurant Orasay in Notting Hill closed and reopened as Dove (our Restaurant of the Month in January 2025). In the meantime, Boxer opened below Stone Nest, a subterranean bar in Soho. Boxer comes from a family steeped in food – his grandmother was Arabella Boxer, a renowned food writer; his brother Frank opened a Campari bar in Peckham; and his father opened a deli, Italo. Boxer has said that his parents loved to entertain, and his happy memories of people gathered for food and conversation inspire the sorts of restaurants he creates.

Vesper is located in London’s Exmouth Market, an area in Clerkenwell, Islington that has been a marketplace since the 1890s, with many buildings dating back to the nineteenth century. During the twentieth century, the area fell into disrepair and developed a seedy reputation. It was regenerated by the arrival of some stellar restaurants in the 1990s.  Sam and Sam Clark’s wonderful Moro is still going strong after almost three decades, while little Morito opened a mere 16 years ago. Nowadays, Exmouth Market is a vibrant area, bustling with craft beer, coffee roasters, cafes, bars, and small restaurants, offering a diverse range of cuisines. The café atmosphere, so lacking in the UK, is created by most outlets having outdoor seating.

As it occupies a corner spot at the end of Exmouth Market, Vesper sports large windows on two sides of the restaurant. It overlooks a square with huge plane trees, and in the summer months, its terrace tables will no doubt be in high demand. Indoors, the walls are whitewashed brick, tables neatly laid with white cloths, good cutlery and glasses, and a taper is lit as guests arrive. A large zinc bar occupies the central space, and there are barstools where drinks can be enjoyed, or perhaps a walk-in spot can be found. Vesper has a casual elegance, much in keeping with its neighbourhood. The staff were dressed in chocolate-brown shirts and trousers, with long white French aprons. I assumed the monastic design relates to the name of the restaurant, but later read that Boxer named Vesper after the Latin and Roman word for the evening star, Venus, rather than the evening prayer service.  

A warm welcome, relaxed ambience and a glance at a creative menu had me settling in for a good time. We began with an aperitif – a Lost & Grounded Keller Pils for my husband and an excellent non-alcoholic cocktail for myself. Sgroppino (prosecco or Noughty Sparkling 0%, watermelon and lemon verbena slushie) was a perfect introduction to the experience at Vesper. A grown-up version of a drink that evokes childlike delight. I had the same feeling about our nibble (although it was a generous portion) of salt and vinegar crisps (homemade) served with a smoked onion cream topped with bright orange trout roe. Playful, tasty and slightly naughty in an  ‘eating crisps before lunch will spoil your appetite’ kind of way.

Other nibbles included a terrific spring onion pancake, raw tuna, and Cantabrian anchovies. It was a marriage between a Gilda and sashimi – and executed beautifully. The pancake had a satisfying crunchiness, supplying heft for its toppings while remaining light. A rectangle of raw tuna was anointed with a round of green olive and a curl of Cantabrian anchovy. Then came a surprise – a burst of chilli. Delicious.

Fougasse was served warm with a large quenelle of salted butter bathing in a small pool of peppery olive oil. The fougasse, which lacked the traditional head of wheat shape, still maintained the requisite crunchy exterior with a light and moist interior. In truth, the nibbles were so good that I would happily return, sit at the bar and work my way through the opening section of the menu.

I am pleased that we went on, though, as the meal galloped along until the end without losing pace. From four starter dishes, we selected one shellfish and one vegetarian option. Grilled Atlantic Prawns, fenugreek and black lime butter were a triumph. Four large prawns were dressed in rust coloured jackets, basking in a pool of black lime butter. These were perfectly cooked – not a minute too long or too little on the grill. They were fabulously charred, so juicy, sweet and salty (a tad too much salt for my taste), so utterly delicious I wanted to dive headfirst into the plate. These were some of the best prawns I have eaten in years. I abandoned all etiquette and got stuck in with fingers and hands. The tablecloth told the tale of a dish enjoyed and then some.

I refreshed my fevered brow with the second starter – robiola ‘stutz’, green beans, hazelnuts and gooseberry tahini. Who could possibly turn down the opportunity of ordering a dish of this description? The robiola hails, I assume, from the Stutz farm in the Langhe area of Italy’s Asti province. This rich and creamy white cheese was concealed at first under a tangled heap of bright green beans studded with brown nuggets of hazelnuts. The green beans were cut into thin slices and mixed with gooseberry tahini to create a thick dressing. Large green herbs added an extra verdant touch. On lifting some of the beans, the robiola emerged – I love a surprise – and all of these ingredients melded into a rich, creamy, crunchy, vegetal loveliness, with the toasted hazelnuts adding their nutty crunch for textural interest and taste. There was a lot going on here, taste-wise, with the gooseberry tahini bringing tart and lightly sour notes to offset the rich, creamy cheese.

With food this good, we knew we were in very safe hands for the main course, ordering both fish and meat. My turbot, white asparagus, Guindilla pepper, was a meditative plate to look at, shades of white and cream with two light green peppers perched above the fish and asparagus, a vision of seasonal harmony. The turbot was perfectly cooked, the white asparagus too, and they were united in their mission to delight with a lightly citrussy sauce, like a thin Hollandaise. The Guindilla pepper added a shot of spiciness, crunch and colour.

When my husband’s veal chop, spinach and Tunworth arrived, I abandoned my pescatarian resolve and ate more than my fair share of this large offering. If this is what a single portion looks like, then the sharing plates must be very generously portioned. This was a T-bone, served rose pink, and dressed with a creamy spinach sauce – leaves left to wilt and mixed with the Tunworth into a dish worth eating on its own. The meat was wonderfully tender and bursting with flavour.

For sides, we ate carbs with carbs – duck fat fries were served with mushroom mayonnaise and had that golden crunch one hopes for. I found them slightly overcooked, having lost a little of the internal fluffiness I personally like. Baked saffron and crab fat rice was probably a dish too far in a sumptuous meal, but I could not resist it. Served in a cast-iron dish, the rice had that burnished quality and unmistakable fragrance that saffron imparts, and the crab fat added layer upon layer of rich crabby unctuousness. A backnote of chilli kept the flavours balanced.

The saucing at Vesper is excellent, each dish arriving at the table in a pool of loveliness. The grilling is top-notch, too. I realise that it is impossible to please every diner when it comes to seasoning, but my only quibble with the dishes we ate is that several were over-salted.  Not that the saltiness prevented us from clearing every morsel from our plates. While the sharing platters are all meat-based, there is plenty on the menu to keep pescatarians and vegetarians happy. While we did not address the wine list on this occasion, I can report that it has a strong focus on French, Italian, and Spanish vintages.

We ordered way beyond what was necessary for the purpose of this review, and on my return visit, I will address the menu more sparingly. However, with a menu this interesting, difficult decisions need to be made. The dessert section raised dilemmas of its own.

If you begin a meal with crisps, you probably should end it with cake. Guinness and Champagne cake, preferably. What a handsome slice this was, like a dress off a fashion shoot.  A visual play of light and dark was mirrored in the eating of it, with the dark brown boozy, moist Guinness cake partnered with a gossamer layer of champagne cream, like a Chantilly foam. The cream was dusted with cocoa, which brought its bittersweet notes to this sophisticated bake. A deeply satisfying, rich yet light, creamy and boozy finale.

Not to be outdone was the English strawberry and baked cream. The bottom layer was a thick whipped baked cream topped with slices of macerated strawberry and a crunchy biscuit hat. Once again, there was a concealed surprise, as on lifting the oaty biscuit, we discovered a small quenelle of strawberry sorbet. The biscuit had a delightful snap, with salty notes cutting through the buttery sweetness.

At 4 pm on a Friday, there was still a hubbub of conversation and laughter from neighbouring tables at Vesper. I was concerned that the staff, well-informed, friendly and helpful, may get no break before the 5.30 start of evening service, as no one seemed keen to leave this convivial space. The afternoon sun threw dappled light onto our table through the plane trees in full leaf, and all felt well in the world, even if the next table was discussing politics. We felt the particular satisfaction that comes from enjoying an excellent long lunch. I am sure that Vesper is going to be very popular, so don’t delay in getting a reservation. It has the feeling of a neighbourhood restaurant as much as the sort of place you would happily cross town to visit. I will certainly be back.

Vesper,
8 – 10 Exmouth Market,
Islington
London
EC1R 4QA

Tel: 020 3897 9609

Other openings that have caught our attention this month:

Latine

The latest opening in Mayfair, Latine, combines French culinary elegance with the bold flavours of Latin America. Set across several levels, the restaurant includes a crudo bar. Located close to the shopping mecca of Bond Street, Latine invites shoppers to relax over a glass of champagne, cocktail or to enjoy the lunch menu.  Upstairs at Latine is La Candela, which transforms at night into a lounge with DJs providing a musical backdrop to the elegant cuisine. Grilled hispi cabbage is served with Peruvian curry sauce and Comté, while grilled squid is marinated in ají panca chilli and served with sweetcorn purée. For dessert, tarte tatin is made with plantain.

Latine, 10-11 Lancashire Court, London W1S 1EY.

Mour

A new addition to the dynamic food scene in Marylebone, Mour (signifying ‘more’) is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant along with martini-led cocktails. It is located in a restored Georgian townhouse on Seymour Street and has a courtyard with a retractable roof, which will be lovely in the summer months. Expect fresh pasta dishes, sharing plates of meat and fish, and seasonal vegetables from this all-day dining restaurant.

Mour, 13 Seymour Street, London W1H 5BT

Chez Rose

Another opening in Mayfair in June, Chez Rose is named after the grandmother of chef Spencer Metzger, who is presenting his first bistro. He will use British seasonal produce to prepare classic French cooking. Metzger is in partnership for this project with restaurateurs Jason and Irha Atherton. From Maldon oysters and Devon crab pain perdu as snacks to scallops, sea bream, steak tartare and ouef mourette for starters, sole, cod, veal t-bone, lamb rump and tournedos au poivre for mains, there are also sharing plates of rib eye and roast chicken. At lunch, there is a set menu at £28 for two courses and £35 for three. Sunday lunch looks rather fabulous and costs £49 for two courses and £59 for three.

Chez Rose, 5 Pollen Street, W1S 1NE