Harden's survey result
Summary
“Great sharing Mediterranean dishes”, many of them cooked over wood, is the USP at this Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, venue – the first solo outing from Pip Lacey, former head chef at Angela Hartnett’s Murano. Most reporters enjoyed the food, and ratings would almost certainly have been higher had one or two reporters not continued to gripe at the portion size (“plates were so tiny the staff asked us to double our order)”.
Summary
“In revitalised Coal Drops Yard” – Angela Hartnett protégée Pip Lacey’s late-2018 opening is generally credited as “an excellent addition to the new development”. But while just about everyone loves its “beautifully designed and buzzy” interior, when it comes to her “interesting dishes, cooked over wood, mainly for sharing”, then opinions are more divided. “Some truly unusual combinations” make it a brand-new-favourite for some diners, but even fans sometimes note that “the ratio of tiny portion size to high cost is a problem”, and for others the cooking is “just not memorable enough”: “confused and far too expensive for what was delivered”. Top Tip – it’s pronounced ‘ee-chay’.
Summary
“In revitalised Coal Drops Yard” – Angela Hartnett protégée Pip Lacey’s late-2018 opening is generally credited as “an excellent addition to the new development”. But while just about everyone loves its “beautifully designed and buzzy” interior, when it comes to her “interesting dishes, cooked over wood, mainly for sharing”, then opinions are more divided. “Some truly unusual combinations” make it a brand-new-favourite for some diners, but even fans sometimes note that “the ratio of tiny portion size to high cost is a problem”, and for others the cooking is “just not memorable enough”: “confused and far too expensive for what was delivered”. Top Tip – it’s pronounced ‘ee-chay’.
Summary
Ramsay protégée and former head chef at Angela Hartnett’s Murano, Pip Lacey will open her first restaurant, in King’s Cross’s hip Coal Drops Yard development, in late October 2018, with friend and business partner (who will be front-of-house) Gordy McIntyre; apparently they have been talking about running a restaurant together for 17 years! The focus will be on traditional techniques (marinating, curing and pickling) and there will (of course) be an open wood fire for cooking. Hicce is pronounced ee-che, by the way.
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Hicce?
Restaurant details
Hicce Restaurant Diner Reviews

"Interesting menu and well cooked food, although portion sizing seemed odd for the price points, and the waiter struggled to communicate the concept behind different parts of the menu clearly. Nice location on an early summer's evening. "

"We sat on stools at the pass looking into the kitchen, chefs full of advice when asked of what to order - the divine charred pineapple and breads with cured salmon. Definitely returning hopefully they'll shed the wretched app menu and return to card ones you can look back at. "

"Yet another tapas/small plates restaurant. Problem knowing what to order and what is good for sharing"

"The overpriced plates are so tiny that the staff ask you to double your order. Yet it is the wine that really lets them down, stale overpriced bag in a box stuff for the price of a decent bottle elsewhere. We sent our wine back as it was so poor and got a very rude response from the management."
Prices
![]() |
|
---|---|
Wine per bottle | £26.00 |
Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
![]() |
|
---|---|
Bread | £2.75 |
Service | 10.00% |
Coal Drops Yard, London, N1C 4AB
Opening hours
Monday | CLOSED |
Tuesday | 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
Wednesday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
Thursday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
Friday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
Saturday | 12 pm‑11 pm |
Sunday | 11 am‑4 pm |
Best British, Modern restaurants nearby
British, Modern restaurant in King's Cross
British, Modern restaurant in King's Cross
British, Modern restaurant in King's Cross
Best similarly priced restaurants nearby
Spanish restaurant in King’s Cross
Mediterranean restaurant in King's Cross
German restaurant in King's Cross