Italian restaurant near Cartwright Gardens, Bloomsburya 3-minute walk to Fiena

Fiena's branded outdoor screens on Judd Street

Cartwright Gardens is a Georgian crescent wrapped around a leafy garden, a short block from Judd Street. If you're staying in one of its hotels, or living in the university halls next door, Fiena, our family-run Italian cafe, bar and restaurant at 4 Medway Court, Judd Street, London WC1H 9QX, is about three minutes away on foot.

In this story
  1. From Burton Crescent to Cartwright Gardens
  2. Famous neighbours
  3. Getting from Cartwright Gardens to Fiena
  4. Breakfast, lunch or dinner

From Burton Crescent to Cartwright Gardens

The houses were built between 1809 and 1811 as part of the Skinners' Company Estate, and named Burton Crescent after their designer and developer, James Burton. The crescent was renamed Cartwright Gardens in 1908, after the political reformer and local resident John Cartwright, who lived at number 37. A bronze statue of him by George Clarke has stood in the garden since 1831.

The garden is enclosed by iron railings, with mature plane trees, lawns and circular walks, and, unusually, several tennis courts for residents of the surrounding buildings and hotels. Numbers 27–43 and 46–63 are Grade II listed. The east side was rebuilt over the twentieth century and is now the University of London's Garden Halls, completed in 2014–2016. Background from Wikipedia's Cartwright Gardens page.

Famous neighbours

The crescent's past residents include the social reformer Edwin Chadwick at number 1 and Rowland Hill, the Post Office reformer, at number 2. It turns up in fiction too: in Anthony Trollope's The Small House at Allington, Burton Crescent is home to John Eames.

Fiena's dining room: olive banquettes, marble tables and the large framed portrait

Getting from Cartwright Gardens to Fiena

It's about 200 metres, roughly a 3-minute walk (walking route from OpenStreetMap), east toward Judd Street. More squares nearby: St George's Gardens, Tavistock Square, Argyle Square and Mecklenburgh Square.

Breakfast, lunch or dinner

Morning: we open at 08:00, and the breakfast menu runs until 14:00 — handy if your hotel breakfast doesn't appeal. See breakfast until 2pm and our English breakfast.

Lunch and dinner: the main menu runs from midday: pizza, pasta, risotto and grills. See pasta, pizza Margherita and dining alone.

Guests often find us almost by accident. Ryan wrote: Me and a friend tried this quiet little restaurant near St Pancras station. (Ryan, Google review) And Celia: A hidden gem not far from Kings Cross or Euston - will definitely be visiting again in the near future. (Celia, Google review)

Visit Fiena

Book a table on Judd Street.

From the crescent to an Italian table in about three minutes. Book a table or just walk in at 4 Medway Court, Judd Street.

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