Landmark restaurant Simpson’s in the Strand is one of London’s best-loved culinary institutions and this October, newly appointed Master Cook Adrian Martin has delved into its history books to create the latest ‘Bill of Fare’.
Under Adrian’s culinary guardianship, the restaurant’s next chapter will reflect upon the steadfast dishes of its 190-year history, exploring how our eating habits have changed throughout the decades, and recovering dishes, techniques and ingredients that were once commonplace. With the expert guidance of Susan Scott, The Savoy’s archivist, Adrian has explored the restaurant’s library of historic menus dating back to 1913, when Mock Turtle Soup, Saddle of Mutton, and Madeira Jelly, was the order of the day. With curiosity and respect for the restaurant’s history, the new ‘Bill of Fare’ will revive dishes from these treasured menus, cherry-picking from forgotten flavours and enduring heritage dishes and weaving them into a modern menu that is sympathetic to contemporary tastes, while continuing the legacy of the restaurant.
Examples from the menu include:
- Cream of lobster soup, chervil cream cheese
- Traditional duck and pork terrine pie, pickled vegetables and mustard
- Dressed Dorset crab, celeriac remoulade, melba toast
- Tongue-in-cheek | Salted ox tongue, crispy cured ox cheek, horseradish mash, beetroot relish
- Calf’s liver and bacon, mash, whisky and smoked bacon jam, melted onions, sage
- Roast Yorkshire estate grouse, game croute, bread sauce, game chips, braised red cabbage, game jus
- Spiced apple fool, cinnamon crisp, candied hazelnuts
- Jaffa cake slice, orange and Grand Marnier cake, chocolate mousse, blood orange sorbet
Simpson’s in the Strand is renowned for the theatre of its roasts; during its founding years as a chess club, the roast was silently wheeled to the table on a silver-domed trolley to ensure that the chess player’s concentration was not impeded by the clatter and clamour of service. The dining spectacle continues today; diners watch as the original antique carving trolley is wheeled table-side and the Master Carver slices 28-day dry aged beef or Saddle of Welsh Lamb. Adrian is also reinstating the Cheese Trolley which was once integral to the dining experience at Simpson’s; a selection of English cheeses will be wheeled to the table and served with quince paste, fig and sloe gin loaf, crackers and ploughman’s chutney. In January 2019, Simpson’s in the Strand will launch a ‘Trolley of the Day’, which will feature a changing daily special such as Manchester Hot Pot or Kentish Chicken, Bacon and Mushroom Pie.
Simpson’s in the Strand is a bastion for impeccable British produce and, shifting with the seasons, its modern ‘Bill of Fare’ will emphasise the specific provenance of each ingredient such as Romney Salt Marsh Lamb, Orkney King Scallops, Chalk Farm Salmon and Kentish Cobnuts. Over the forthcoming year, the menu will draw from Adrian’s roots; his personal stories of childhood spent in Kent – memories of fruit picking and the summer months or sprout cutting on the farm during the winter – will meld with the restaurant’s illustrious history.
Fondly praised by its patrons, the restaurant is steeped in countless noteworthy stories: Dickens, Wodehouse and Arthur Conan Doyle all dined at Simpson’s regularly and the Grand Divan crept into their fiction, providing a backdrop to many literary encounters. Dining at Simpson’s in the Strand lends elegance and gravitas to life’s milestones and stories. For 190 years, celebration suppers, business lunches and treasured family gatherings have all been held within Simpson’s historic walls. Simpson’s in the Strand is testament to its illustrious past and a cherished experience for generations to come.