With its strong Nordic influences, highly designed interior and top quality food, Christoffer Hruskova's North Road impresses at every level.

The Venue
North Road is a triumph of high design. It’s simply laid out but makes a big impact with its attention to every design detail. The colour scheme is neutral – whites, creams and blacks – but it's given character by seductive lighting courtesy of low hanging, large lightbulbs and designer up-lighters on the walls. The round tables are immaculate with crisp white tablecloths and black seats complementing the bar, resplendent in white marble with sleek high-backed bar stools. A large mirror covering the furthest wall opens up the space nicely and the open kitchen is a nice touch, overlooking the bar and chef’s table. The minimalism shows off its Scandinavian roots but it doesn’t do so at the expense of offering a comfortable and even cosy dining environment.

The Atmosphere
North Road has a certain elegance that’s hard to put your finger on. The clientele are a mix of business people schmoozing clients, couples and friends looking to celebrate a special occasion (or just enjoy some good food) and those exploring the culinary delights of Clerkenwell. The staff are incredibly knowledgeable about the menu and don’t seem to get annoyed if you ask seemingly unending questions about the food and wine. Impressively, they also offer personal recommendations of what they most enjoy and, yes, they’re spot-on.

The Food
Modern European is the order of the day at North Road but there’s a definite Scandinavian influence that allows you to explore some unusual dishes. A fine example of this is the starter of native Dorset lobster, Nasturtium, redcurrant wine and rose petals. It’s by far the most expensive starter at £12.50 but worth every penny. The lobster is sweet and delicate and, even if you’re not usually a fan of floral flavours then the rose petals will tickle the taste buds, lifting the sweetness of the lobster to new heights, tempered by the tang of the redcurrant wine, which gives an almost earthy depth to the dish. The Nasturtium is similar to watercress and succeeds in making the dish feel light and crisp, with a hint of pepper.

For mains, a stand-out choice is the roe buck deer in burnt hay £22.50. The deer is cooked to absolute perfection and the burnt hay lends a delicate smoky flavour to the meat that works particularly well with the sweetness of the deer. It comes with smoked bone marrow, with has a rich, deep flavour, complemented by the earthiness of the beetroot and leafy, wild sorrel. It’s a real triumph. Alternatively, try the wild Dorset sea trout (£18). This incredibly light main plays with the delicate flavour and meaty texture of the sea trout and mixes it with strong wild garlic, which brings out the flavour of the fish.

If you have room for dessert then they do some unusual options for just £7, like the caramel, liquorice and sea buckthorn or a dessert simply called ‘yoghurt, yoghurt, yoghurt’ with toasted bread, celery and sweet cicely.

The Drink
The wine list at North Road is excellent and, impressively, they do a great selection of wine by the glass, including some of their most expensive bottles (like a Chateauneuf du Pape from Domaine Mathieu for £15), which is a great way of trying a high-end bottle of wine without having to seriously dent the credit card. It seems a shame that they’ve not included more Scandinavian and unusual wines on a list heavily dominated by French bottles, although they do also offer other old and new world wines and the range of grapes and regions is good.

The Last Word
North Road is a great restaurant with a strong identity that showcases some serious skill in the kitchen. Highly recommended.

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