North Road

69-73 St John St, London

North Road is the brainchild of Danish head chef Christoffer Hruskova (a self-confessed fan of Noma) and there’s no doubt his Nordic-inspired menu plays homage to the Noma way. There’s a touch of the wild, with foraged English plants and herbs, cured seafood (scallops served with smoked bone marrow) and pickled vegetables. While flavours are delicate, there’s no mistaking their presence – squid and kohlrahbi, a refreshing combination that left me wanting more, and Galloway short rib beef, paired with a slither of milk skin went down a treat. Onto the mains: Dorset cod and cauliflower with sea radish, clams and horseradish mayonnaise was a glistening display of white – the fish was melt-in-the-mouth, even if the whole plate was a little bland. The slow-cooked leg of Gloucester Old Spot in hay, although tasty, was a tad dry. Does hay do that? I’ll ask the horses. Dessert was a delicious, sweet-and-sour experiment of rhubarb and beetroot with yoghurt snow. But you can forgive North Road almost any sin for the wonderful plate of creamy, piped dollops of caramel mousse and ice cream with ‘textures’ provided by liquorice and caramel bits on top. Heaven on a plate.