There aren’t many parts of London more hectic than Euston Road outside King’s Cross. Contending with four lanes of traffic, about a million people, and an entrance to the tube station slap bang outside, Voyage with Adam Simmonds has its work cut out to feel anything other than overwhelming. 

Step inside though, and you’d be amazed you weren’t tucked away on some quiet avenue. We can’t imagine how many layers of soundproof glazing are in the huge windows, but the results are more than worth it. Along with the peace and quiet, the interior is tastefully decked out in decor which is half Scandi-chic, half industrial, dominated at one end by an open kitchen with bar seating on three sides, to better observe the meticulously crafted tiny foods.

 

That’s right, it’s a tasting menu, so expect small portions, a lot of variety, and quite a few moments when you aren’t 100% sure what it is you’re eating. Not that it matters when it’s all as delicious as this. Oyster with apples, asparagus and sorrel? You’ll never want an oyster any other way again. Scottish lobster in kelp broth? French-style crustaceans pale in comparison to the light, meaty bite on offer here.

The seven courses are arranged in such a way that they move from the subtle to the deep and rich as the meal goes on. For our money, the best of the bunch is the one slap-bang in the middle: celeriac served three ways, with shiitake, black truffle and walnuts, all surrounded by a celeriac broth. You’ll never look at the humble root veg the same way after knowing what a skilled chef can do with it.

That skill is the thread that ties Voyage with Adam Simmonds together. Some menu items might seem daunting (sweetbreads, anyone?), but it’s a joy to put yourself in the kitchen team’s capable hands and just focus on enjoying what comes your way. The only dish that deserves a warning label is the sea buckthorn sorbet, which is designed as a palate-cleanser but would be equally efficient at waking up someone from a coma. Not to say it isn’t enjoyable, but it’s powerful stuff, especially if (like us) you’ve been lulled into a happy haze from the five courses that precede it.

One thing we would recommend for anyone planning to visit is to go against your gut and order the mixed pairing, rather than the fully alcoholic option. The wine was great, but enjoying an oyster with olive leaf tea, or pairing the sharpness of the buckthorn with a deliciously sweet non-alcoholic strawberry wine was more than just a novelty, and far beyond what most restaurants offer in the realm of soft options. Each of the infusions and teas are just as inventive as the tasting menu itself, and to miss out on them is to miss out on part of what makes Voyage with Adam Simmonds special. As Adam himself said to us at the end of the meal: they aren’t here to reinvent the wheel. Instead, they’ve taken a standard tasting menu format and focused on perfecting everything they can. The results are well worth experiencing for yourself – even if we won’t be forgetting that sea buckthorn sorbet anytime soon.

For more information on Voyage With Adam Simmonds, see here.

 23 Euston Rd., London NW1 2SD