Eat & Drink
Originally published on Thursday, 25th November 2010
North Road
Danish chef brings a touch of ‘new Nordic’ to Clerkenwell
69-73 St John Street, EC1M 4AN - 020 3217 0033
www.northroadrestaurant.co.uk
Location
Although this destination stretch of East London (made famous by St John) might have recently lost Bjorn van der Horst’s Eastside Inn it has gained this, Danish-born Christoffer Hruskova’s second venture.
Vibe
Having taken over cosy neighbourhood spot Fig in Islington five years ago, Hruskova has now transferred the more innovative side of his earthy cooking style to the new venue. The menu is all very foragey and au courant,
bringing to mind Copenhagen’s Noma and Bethnal Green’s Viajante and the place has a cool Scandinavian feel.
Flavours
On the night we were there some dishes worked; mutton loin & onions in textures was sweet and rich and Dorset brill with stewed salsify and alexander (a type of sea herb, apparently) described as ‘fabulous’. And some didn’t; veal breast and tail, though nice and pink, was tougher than it should have been and cured native lobster & buttermilk provoked the same divided response as Marmite. The crisp pork, chicken and fish skin served with pickled quail eggs as an hors d’ouevre, however, was no one’s favourite.
Décor
North Road is a great space and they’ve done a nice job with the decor: all creamy walls, elegant chairs, stylish pendulous lighting. There’s a simple, welcoming bar as you walk in and a rustic chef’s table that seats eight but it seems a pity that you can only peer into the kitchen through a window.
Upshot
I’m a big fan of the food Christoffer is now serving at what has become Fig Bistro but even in this nose-to-tail neck of the woods it will be interesting to see how his more adventurous menu goes down, and the place still needs to develop a buzz. Watch this space.
