Alchemy & Artistry: Hokus Pokus & Voyage with Adam Simmonds at The Megaro
Voyage with Adam Simmonds
King’s Cross has come a long way since the days of greasy spoon cafés and grey station concourses. Now a hub of art, fashion and glossy regeneration – arguably London’s most frenetically modernised postcode – it’s also home to one of the city’s most intriguing boutique hotels: The Megaro.
Once a fairly unremarkable property catering to overnight commuters, The Megaro has reinvented itself with bold flair and a personality that refuses to be ignored. You’ll know you’ve found it the moment the mural façade comes into view, splashed across its Victorian exterior like a technicolour rebellion against the area’s increasingly polished uniformity. This isn’t a hotel that plays it safe. It paints outside the lines, turns up the volume and dares you to enjoy the unexpected.
Hokus Pokus – Smoke, Spells & Seriously Good Cocktails
Descending into Hokus Pokus, The Megaro’s subterranean cocktail lounge, feels like stepping into a dream conjured by a stylish mad scientist. Part apothecary, part science lab, part Victorian séance, the bar is dimly lit and beautifully eccentric, all copper coils, dark wood and the gentle hiss of something mysterious being infused just out of sight.
From the experimental drinks menu (filed, fittingly, under ‘Prescriptions’), I began with the Lavender Sunset: a potion of Black Tot Caribbean Blend, peach-infused rum, Rin Quin Quin (which sounds like either a rare liqueur or a Regency-era poet), Velvet Falernum, house-made orange potion, Cocchi Americano and house-made lavender oil. Yes, house-made, twice. They’re not simply mixing here; they’re alchemising.
Then came the mint oil jelly, also house-made, naturally, and infused with Cocchi Americano. Served on a porcelain spoon like an eccentric canapé, it brought a cooling herbal note that refreshed both palate and imagination. Whimsical, beautifully made and worth every enchanted penny.
Later, the Coffee & Orange cocktail offered a rich, playful contrast, blurring the line between after-dinner drink and dessert. House-made coffee, orange and white chocolate liqueurs melt together into something silky and layered: bittersweet espresso warmth, a flash of citrus brightness, then creamy decadence in every sip.
And then the twist. A dusting of chocolate popping candy crackles to life the moment it meets your tongue, which is unexpected, mischievous and oddly delightful. It’s a cocktail that knows how to have fun while still looking fabulous.
Theatrical without tipping into gimmick, Hokus Pokus is where serious mixology meets playful imagination. Whether you lean smoky, floral, sharp or sweet, there’s a potion to match your mood, though I’d recommend surrendering to the staff’s intuition at least once. Special mention goes to Greg Chudzio, the group bar manager, whose uncanny knack for selecting just the right poison borders on witchcraft.
Voyage – A Global Tasting Experience with Heart (and Venison)
Upstairs, Voyage, the newly launched fine dining restaurant from Michelin-starred chef Adam Simmonds, trades the bar’s mischief for a more restrained but equally thoughtful atmosphere. The dining room is sleek and softly lit, with a “steampunk-meets-industrial” aesthetic that feels like the quiet, well-dressed sibling of the bar downstairs.
Simmonds, known for his refined touch at institutions like Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, Le Gavroche and The Lanesborough, brings both pedigree and philosophy to the room. This is fine dining that doesn’t need to raise its voice: composed, minimalist and impactful all the same. As he puts it: “Imperfection is accepted as perfect.”
That ethos comes alive across the seven-course tasting menu, which guides you through a spectrum of textures and flavours, starting light and ethereal and ending in comfort and depth. Each course centres on a lead ingredient, treated with care and introduced with just the right amount of storytelling from our waiter.
We missed the opening ‘Oyster’ course due to allergies and began instead with the Mushroom dish from the vegetarian menu, paired with horseradish, watercress and matcha. Subtle yet complex, it was quietly confident and far more memorable than a first course has any right to be.
From there the menu moved into richer territory. The ‘Lobster’, with cockles, squid and a clear kelp broth, was rich in flavour but light on its feet, a pour-over flourish at the table adding a welcome wave of warmth. The ‘Celeriac’ followed, earthy, nutty and slightly smoky with shiitake, black truffle and walnut, tasting like the turn of the season. The ‘Sweetbread’ brought the most richness of the lot, tempered by burnt onion purée, kohlrabi and mustard seed, and proved far more nuanced than indulgent.
Then came the standout. The ‘Venison’ was gamey in the best sense, with a depth that announced itself immediately and a softness that made every mouthful feel unhurried. It was flavourful, with the richness of the meat offset by smoky beetroot and the sweet-tart lift of wild blackberry. Cooked with confidence and deeply balanced, it was the kind of dish that makes conversation stop mid-sentence while you simply savour. The smoky red poured alongside it only deepened the effect, the two leaning into each other rather than competing.
Desserts did the opposite of what you’d expect, starting with a jolt rather than a hug. The ‘Sea Buckthorn’ with carrot and clementine arrived sharp, bright and cleansing, sweeping away everything savoury and resetting the palate with citrusy precision. Only then came the ‘Pearl Barley’ with chocolate ganache, hazelnut and pear: comforting, familiar and yet polished. The barley brought texture and chew, grounding the silky ganache and the richness of the hazelnut. Indulgent, certainly, but a dessert that knew exactly when to stop.
We opted for the wine pairing and, out of curiosity, sampled the non-alcoholic pairing too. Overall, the wine selection was excellent: expressive, well-matched and at times inspired, even if a few pours leaned far too sweet. A zingy white with the lobster lifted the food rather than competing with it, and the smoky red with the venison did the same.
The non-alcoholic pairings were less consistent. There were genuine high points, notably the Wild Idol sparkling rosé and white, but some of the mocktails felt more like stand-ins than true companions. Still, it’s a direction worth refining, and one with real potential.
To close, an unexpected tea ceremony unfolded, with curated blends offered from a wooden caddy, elegant and unhurried. My friend and I each received a gift-wrapped teabag in a handmade envelope, a printed letter from Simmonds himself, and a copy of the evening’s tasting menu, sealed at the table with lilac wax. It’s a quiet, thoughtful gesture that says, “You’ve been on a journey,” and on that parting note we left with a lingering, delicious memory that carried on unfolding long after we’d stepped out the door.
The Verdict
At The Megaro, hospitality is more than a service. It’s a story told in two acts. Begin underground at Hokus Pokus, where cocktails arrive like alchemical spells: creative, surprising and executed with flair.
Then head upstairs to Voyage, where Adam Simmonds takes you somewhere calmer and more contemplative. Here, luxury is subtle, defined by restraint, precision and a reverence for the ingredients. His tasting menu is a lesson in thoughtful simplicity, where even a teabag becomes a keepsake, sealed with lilac wax and intent.
Together, the two spaces form a rare harmony: indulgent and intimate, theatrical and sincere. In a city where fine dining can sometimes feel overly scripted, The Megaro dares to be different. It doesn’t chase trends; it crafts experiences. And in doing so, it reminds you that true luxury isn’t always louder, just more lasting.
The Verdict
At The Megaro, hospitality is more than a service. It’s a story told in two acts. Begin underground at Hokus Pokus, where cocktails arrive like alchemical spells: creative, surprising and executed with flair.
Then head upstairs to Voyage, where Adam Simmonds takes you somewhere calmer and more contemplative. Here, luxury is subtle, defined by restraint, precision and a reverence for the ingredients. His tasting menu is a lesson in thoughtful simplicity, where even a teabag becomes a keepsake, sealed with lilac wax and intent.
Together, the two spaces form a rare harmony: indulgent and intimate, theatrical and sincere. In a city where fine dining can sometimes feel overly scripted, The Megaro dares to be different. It doesn’t chase trends; it crafts experiences. And in doing so, it reminds you that true luxury isn’t always louder, just more lasting.
