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King’s Cross
King’s Cross is constantly evolving with new eating, drinking and shopping places popping up all the time. We have curated the best for you here.
King’s Cross station and the area around it has changed A LOT over the past decade. A prime example of this is Coal Drops Yard which was a desolate and disused industrial site before it was developed into the hub that it is now. Today, the former Victorian coal store is brimming with restaurants, bars and shops, including the likes of American Vintage, Cubitts, RAINS and Universal Works. Tom Dixon also calls the area home with a huge HQ functioning as a studio and a shop.
Speaking of restaurants, there are some excellent ones to be found in King’s Cross. A lot of them are all-day, brunch spots that are perfect for a quick lunch before hopping on a train. Among those are the likes of Caravan, Morty & Bob’s and Granger & Co – any of which would be a great choice. Plus, there are branches of London favourites such as Dishoom, Mildreds and Spiritland to pick from too.
Aside from eating and drinking, there’s plenty else to get up to in King’s Cross. Head to the canal to browse the floating bookshop, Word On The Water, and maybe even catch a live gig on the roof of the boat while you’re there. Drop by the Everyman for a screening of a hot new release, or spend some time reading at the world-famous British Library. Whatever you’re in the mood for, King’s Cross won’t disappoint.
The London outpost of the US hotel group is housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annex in King’s Cross. The Standard features 266 rooms from snug hideaways to terraced suites with outdoor tubs – imagine the views from there. They’ve also added three storeys to the top of the building, only accessible by their iconic exterior red pill lift, where you’ll find Decimo, a Spanish-inspired restaurant headed by Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias. There are more eating and drinking options on the ground floor with restaurant Isla and bar Double Standard. There’s a real 70’s California vibe going on inside, with lots of mahogany, plush leather and pops of colour. This place is highly Instagrammable and a hot new addition to London.
If you like dim sum and duck, you’re gonna love Dim Sum & Duck. Located in King’s Cross, the simple, small Chinese restaurant serves some of the best dumplings in London – it’s just off the main drag so look out for the queue, which you’ll spot well before the bright blue restaurant. Once seated you can take your pick of fresh translucent dumplings, including the Shanghai pork soup dumplings, which just might be our favourite xiaolongbao in London; the crispy sesame prawn roll, a spin on sesame prawn toast; prawn & chive dumplings; fried duck bao; char siu honey roast pork; and the BBQ roast duck. Then there’s the char siu bao steamed pork bun, custard bun, crunchy tofu skin roll, cheung fun…we could go on and on and that’s before we’ve even mentioned the other Cantonese noodles, soups and rice dishes. It’s BYOB, service is fast and, like the queuing process, it’s also a little manic at times with orders and wrong dishes flying out, but it’s all part of the charm. Absolute gem this one.
Coal Drops Yard isn’t just about the bars and restaurants; the bulk of the units in the former Victorian coal store development are shops, including the likes of American Vintage, Cubitts, RAINS and Universal Works. Tom Dixon also calls the area home with a huge HQ functioning as a studio and a shop. Prepare to want everything.
It took four years to find the space but Queer Britain, the nation’s first LGBTQ+ museum is open in Granary Square. It’s a fully accessible, inclusive and free-entry space that “will be an essential place for all regardless of sexuality or gender identity, to find out about the culture they have been born into, have chosen or seek to understand.”
Hoppers’ latest – and largest – restaurant in King’s Cross has a big, weatherproofed outdoor terrace that faces the Regent’s Canal, making it a great summer spot. The two outdoor bars serve up a menu of cocktails and Sri Lankan snacks, as well as an IPA made exclusively for Hoppers in collaboration with Two Tribes Brewery. Plus, during the summer they host a series of DJ sessions programmed by Two Tribes and Voices Radio. Inside, it’s bright, spacious and vibrant, with the kitchen knocking out all the Hoppers Sri Lankan and South Indian classics such as Swimmer Crab Kari; Bone Marrow Varuval; Lamb Kothu Roti; and of course the signature string and egg hoppers.
The Drop is a cute little wine bar with organic and low-intervention wines and a pretty banging menu of sandwiches. The space is very cute and perfect for a wine bar with exposed brick walls and low arched ceilings due to the building’s heritage as a coal store.
Dishoom sure knows how to do it. All their sites have regular huge queues out the door and it’s not hard to see why. They do Indian food like no other and their bacon and egg naan rolls for breakfast are the stuff of legend. This branch, housed in an old transit shed with nice decorative touches that nod to the railway as well as a basement cocktail bar, also looks amazing. It’s an absolute joy every time.
After becoming a beloved local spot in Brighton and Hove and establishing street food kitchens in both Shoreditch and Croydon Boxparks, Fatto a Mano has opened a proper brick-and-mortar spot in the capital. Fatto Pizza & Beer has set up shop in the Pancras Square development in King’s Cross – they’ve got a small terrace out front, with the pizza oven and bar dominating the ground floor, and more tables up top. In terms of the pizza, they’re all about proper Neapolitan pizzas made using 24-hour proven dough and ingredients sourced from small suppliers. The crust is soft and pillowy and you’ve got all the classic topping combos, like diavola, salsiccia e friarielli, ham & truffle, and aubergine & smoked ricotta to choose from. Don’t miss the calzoncino fritto either – it’s got a doughnut-like dough that’s filled with salami, mozzarella, ricotta and parmesan, and it’s unlike any regular calzone you’ve had before. Fatto has six craft beers on tap, including their own Fatto Bionda Pilsner brewed by Harbour Brewing Co, plus a couple more in the fridge alongside a handful of wines and cocktails. Service is fast and friendly so you could defo treat yourself to pizza on your lunch break if you work nearby.
The St Pancras Renaissance Hotel is one mighty impressive building. Even those who haven’t been inside will have probably seen various parts of the hotel on TV – yes it was the staircase in the Spice Girls ‘Wannabe’ video. It’s grand and decadent with high ceilings and huge corridors, made so for ladies in the olden days who wore massive skirts so that they could walk along them without getting stuck, and the rooms come with plenty of five-star touches. The hotel is also home to the Booking Office restaurant with a 29-metre-long bar and classic English grub.
If you’re a music fan, Spiritland is the cafe/bar for you. Not only is it decked out with a state-of-the-art Living Voice sound system, but there are DJ sets and album playbacks every day, plus there’s a radio station and a shop selling headphones and records. There’s also somehow room for a bar and kitchen, so you can listen to all those excellent tunes whilst tucking into some European-inspired small plates and a few glasses of vino.
Built right next to the canal, The Lighterman has a primo spot on Granary Square, with three floors of views and plenty of outdoor space for al fresco action. The ground floor has more of a pub vibe, but upstairs is a more formal sit-down space where you can tuck into upscale pub grub.
The Coal Drops Yard branch of Barrafina is the biggest one in the group, with gorgeous counter seating plus some small tables if you want a little more privacy. They’ve got a mix of new dishes and Barrafina classics (like their famously oozy tortillas) at this location, but be sure to check out the daily specials as well because these can be magic.
Casa Pastor, sister to Borough Market’s El Pastor, serves up a similar Mexican menu – think dishes like cherrystone clams with lime, lamb barbacoa, soft-shell crab tacos and vegan coconut ceviche tostadas as well as a Mexican brekkie menu too. The (covered and heated) outside terrace, Plaza Pastor, has its own menu of tostadas, tortas and rotisserie chicken and an extended tequila and mezcal drinks list. They also have live music and DJs out there too, making it the perfect place for a fiesta.
Opened by Anthony Demetre, owner of Mayfair’s Wild Honey, Vermuteria Bar & Cafe is (unsurprisingly) inspired by the vermuterias found across Spain and Italy. Vermouth is the star of the show, with at least 50 different types on offer as well as other classic aperitifs, and there’s a casual food menu of pastries, salads and other healthy dishes.
As Coal Office is inside the Tom Dixon HQ at Coal Drops Yard, it understandably looks pretty swish. Thankfully, with Assaf Granit (who’s behind The Palomar and The Barbary) in charge of the menu, the food more than matches up. We’re talking kingfish sashimi, baked bone marrow shawarma, prawn pappardelle with cured lemon butter, beef fillet and black chickpea stew, and chocolate cardamom coffee tart. YUM.
It’s pretty hard to miss the outline of Gasholder Park thanks to the wrought-iron structure of Gasholder No.8 (which was the largest of the gasholders that used to occupy King’s Cross). It’s actually been moved from its original location and now surrounds a small but perfectly formed patch of grass, perfect for catching a few rays.
The King’s Cross outpost of Caravan not only boasts a large industrial dining room but a separate coffee bar and on-site roastery. They take their coffee very seriously, so not only can you buy it freshly poured but you can order a whole range of blends and kit to improve your own coffee game. If you’re after something more substantial than a cup of joe, their all-day menu won’t disappoint, from the bangin’ brunches to the small plates, which are a mash-up of Asian, European and Middle Eastern flavours to the pizzas.
It’s a Frame two-for-one in King’s Cross as there are two standalone studios just around the corner from each other. One has space for barre, pilates, dance and other fitness classes, whereas the other is solely dedicated to yoga, making it THE place to downward dog and de-stress.
This floating bookshop on a 100-year-old Dutch barge actually used to make its way up and down the canal but now it’s moored by Granary Square (so at least you know where to find it). Go for the books – they have a range of second-hand tomes and new releases plus some quirky titles, as you’d expect from a bookshop on a boat – stay for the dog and one of the live music performances on the roof if you’re lucky.
Even if you haven’t physically walked through it, you’ll have seen this tunnel on the ‘gram as that LED art wall just begs to be snapped. And it’s also pretty handy in getting you from the tube and St Pancras outside to the fun stuff on the street.
Art, comedy, spoken word, music; you can enjoy it all at King’s Place. The art space hosts regular festivals and series (examples include Jewish Book Week and Venus Unwrapped on music by women) and it’s also home to both the Pangolin London and Piano Nobile galleries.
There’s a two-acre nature reserve right in the middle of King’s Cross on the banks of Regent’s Canal. A whole host of bird and plant life, as well as a lot of butterflies, call the park home, and there’s a floating viewing platform actually on the canal so you can get right in there for a proper look.
We do love an Everyman – watching a film from a sofa with the drinks and snacks brought right to you never gets old – and the one in King’s Cross doesn’t disappoint. There are three screens (two with over 100 seats) in the main building, with what was the small Everyman On The Corner now functioning as screen four.
Lina Stores, which has been supplying Londoners with the best Italian ingredients for over 75 years, is a Soho institution, has a pasta restaurant on Greek Street just around the corner from the Brewer Street deli, as well as a site in Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross. The restaurant has the same mint green exterior, with counter dining on the ground floor and tables in the basement. Pasta is the star of the show here – it’s all handmade daily in the deli, just like it has been since 1944, and head chef Masha Rener has created a menu that features Lina Stores classics as well as regional Italian specialities. The pici with porcini and Umbrian sausage is a standout with the gnocchi with new season peas and salted ricotta running it a close second though. Thankfully the portion sizes allow for you to try a few and, yes, you will be wanting all of them.
German Gymnasium is a huge restaurant in the Grade-II listed building of what was the first purpose-built gym of its kind in England, built in 1864 for the German Gymnastics Society. Converted by D&D (Pont de la Tour, Angler, Coq d’Argent) it is now a very impressive-looking restaurant and bar, a definite switch in direction from its original use. The all-day Grand Cafe serves up a Mittel-European menu featuring schnitzels, steaks and sausages, with a more sophisticated menu up on the first-floor restaurant. The Meister Bar keeps the glamour going late into the night.
Aussie Bill Granger has made a chain out of his eponymous restaurants, and like the others, the KX branch serves up an eclectic menu that draws influence from around the world. The dinner menu consists of small plates, bowls and grains, big plates, and BBQ – and it’s one of those where you want to order absolutely everything. We find the most winners on the small plates but it’s worth a trip down for brekkie too…those eggs are good and the ricotta hotcakes are legendary.
Isla, the ground-floor restaurant at The Standard in King’s Cross, focuses on simple seasonal dishes. Most plates on the menu contain just two elements – there really aren’t any bells and whistles here, just stripped-back, confident cooking. There’s also an emphasis on seafood. Highlights include big fat oysters dressed with cider and dill, scallops topped with a rich and savoury XO, mussels in a creamy nduja sauce, and a soft and flaky lemon sole drenched in seaweed butter. Although Isla is the more relaxed restaurant at The Standard, compared to Decimo on the top floor, you’ll still end up spending a few quid here – something that comes with the territory of hotel restaurants – but it’s a great place to spend a few hours in King’s Cross, whether you’ve got a train to catch or not.
Two Tribes Brewery was born from a love of celebrating creativity and so they pump up the volume alongside the banging brews. The taproom is equipped with decks and a Funktion One sound system, as well as brewtech, matching a great taste in beer with stellar tunes. After a couple of cans of the full-bodied Electric Circus, you’re ready to throw some shapes. It’s punchy. And did we mention they design their own artwork too? Two Tribes is a beer culture you wanna be a part of.
Founded in Tufnell Park, Ruby Violet’s Kings Cross location is a far nicer affair, located next to Waitrose and close to the canal. This means when the weather’s nice you can grab an ice cream and sit out by the water or even the grassy banks just outside the shop. All of Ruby Violet’s handmade ice creams and frozen desserts are made with organic milk and there are always some interesting flavours to choose from such as fig & honey or greengage ripple.
Mildreds is one of London’s original vegetarian restaurants, having been founded in Soho in 1988. It’s grown to several sites since then, the King’s Cross branch is one of the biggest, with a big industrial-chic room that has long shared tables and an open kitchen. The menu is all veggie and vegan and as you can imagine from a place that’s been around 30 years, they know what they’re doing. There’s everything from curries and burgers to brunch and roasts on the weekend.
Part of the Electric Star Pubs group (who also have Star by Hackney Downs and Star of Bethnal Green amongst others), you know you’re gonna get a decent drink at the Star of Kings. Whether you like a craft beer or a cocktail, are after some good grub (kitchen residents have included Yeah Burger), or wanna be very well entertained with pub quizzes, karaoke, comedy and club night vibes in the basement, you’re in safe hands here.
THE MEETING PLACE
Grand Terrace, St Pancras International, Kings Cross, London N1C 4QP
Often referred to as The Lovers or even just the kissing statue, this nine-metre tall bronze sculpture by Paul Day is on the Grand Terrace inside St Pancras station and is one of the first things you see when you get off the Eurostar.
With a collection that’s over 150 million strong, the British Library is one of the largest libraries in the world. That collection includes books, stamps, maps, newspapers and much, much more, so there is a serious amount of treasure to be found here (we’re talking the Magna Carta, a Leonardo da Vinci notebook, the Times first edition and Beatles manuscripts). You can work in the Reading Rooms or if you’ve got a day off, visit one of their regular exhibitions.
If you’re looking for pizza in King’s Cross, there’s only one place you need to go to and that’s Happy Face. Opened by the team behind Spiritland – yes that does mean the soundtrack is on point, even the toilets have some fancy speakers – Happy Face is a modern take on the classic pizzeria. Decked out in millennial pink and teal, it’s a fun, relaxed restaurant to be in and that’s before you even get to the food. The menu is pleasingly tight: just a handful of starters (definitely get the courgette fritti) and desserts, with nine classic pizzas like funghi, melanzana and pepperoni on offer. They use a 72-hour fermented dough here and it does result in a lighter crust, and there’s chilli oil on the table as standard for all your crust dipping needs. The most expensive pizza comes in at £15 but the majority are a tenner or under. Considering the size and quality, it’s a right bargain, and they’re speedy with the service too. Not only is Happy Face right next to the Everyman (so you can catch a film before dinner), it’s got the retro late-night cocktail bar Supermax in the basement (so you can keep your night going long after the pizzas have been eaten).
Situated in the retail haven that is Coal Drops Yard, BLOMMA Beauty is a one-stop shop for natural beauty cosmetics. BLOMMA Beauty specialises in cruelty-free, vegan and organic beauty brands that all have a sustainable and ethical ethos. As well as shelves stacked with lotions and potions, BLOMMA also has a sample bar, offers express facials, and runs a skincare switch service to help people make conscious beauty swaps.
We’ve been fans of Morty & Bob’s for years. Their grilled cheese sarnies are high on our list when it comes to cheesiest of cheese toastie dreams. Now that they’ve moved from East London to the hot spot hub of Coal Drops Yard in King’s Cross, the menu has evolved and now revolves around three power plays; the grilled cheese (obvs), inventive small plates and global wines. The brunch offering covers both the indulgent and the healthy. The minute rib-eye steak comes with house hash brown – a slab of potato that’s crispy on the outside and light as air on the inside – and a nice runny fried egg. Their green toast, avocado with chilli and lime, kale crisps and radish served on sourdough is a light, healthy option that tastes as good as it looks. And there are a whole load of cakes and sweet treats available too….Morty & Bob’s, not just our cheesy heroes.