Wildflower, Adrian Martin’s new sustainable fine dining experience
Set to open later this year, Wildflower is a contemporary Camden-based restaurant which brings sustainability together with fine dining sophistication. Share
Wildflower is the first restaurant of acclaimed young chef Adrian Martin, who is widely recognised in his native Ireland as one of the most exciting and creative talents on the culinary scene. The restaurant, which marks the 28-year-old’s first solo venture, is located in Camden’s popular Buck Street eco market and maintains an ethos based upon three ethical attributes: simplicity, service and seasonality.
Martin has attained an outstanding profile in his home country. Originally from the town of Cavan, in Northern Ireland, he appears regularly on Irish television and is the author of two best-selling cookery books, Create Beautiful Food at Home and Fakeaway. Martin’s career thus far has seen him work at some of Ireland’s finest Michelin starred restaurants such as Bon Appetit in Malahide, County Dublin.
Local produce and sustainability underpin Wildflower’s unique culinary character. Martin prizes local, seasonal produce and cooks with an inspirational sensitivity which respects the fresh flavours of top-quality ingredients. Food that can be ‘foraged, fished or grown’ is at the heart of Wildflower’s unassuming menus, with many ingredients grown in Buck Street’s communal Garden Terrace. Martin, moreover, continues Wildflower’s sustainable focus by ensuring that all food waste is composted and used to generate electricity for the market community.
Martin’s team marries remarkable culinary talent with an approach of elegant simplicity. It is the unpretentious refinement of Wildflower’s menus which so appeals; carefully crafted dishes that respect the flavour nuances of the very finest produce. An eight-course tasting menu tours Martin’s Irish roots with offerings such as Jerusalem Artichoke Voluté and Wild Turbot in a flavourful sweet spicy broth. The Vegan tasting menu, likewise, boasts an array of exciting plates: Hay Baked Celeriac and Stuffed Courgette Flowers give but two.
Wildflower’s lunch menu, which can be enjoyed as a two or three course experience, offers a more casual dining affair within the luxury and finesse of a fine dining restaurant. With a select range of dishes including Curried Chicken Spring Rolls and an exquisite White Chocolate Sphere, the menu dazzles with vibrant creations pivoting on a small number of exceptional ingredients.
Presentation, likewise, unifies simplicity with stunning vibrancy and bold experimentation. Ingredients are placed meticulously yet with an organic ease on dappled, granite effect plates and bowls. Muted, earthy tones harmonise with bright dressings and garnishes to create dishes embodying the contemporary, classical vibe so unique to Wildflower. And this, in a restaurant which pairs pristine table settings and impeccable service with market street bustle, guarantees a truly remarkable culinary adventure.
