London King's Cross Restaurant Guide

A “lovely canalside location” at the foot of the Kings Place concert hall (and with a large outside terrace in summer) is the strong suit of this contemporary fixture, which is very well-appointed for an arts centre venue. “Excellent meat” is the top culinary attraction, supplied by the owners’ farm in Matfen, Northumberland.

“You nearly always have to queue for a table – often for at least an hour – but the atmosphere is amazing and the food is worth the wait” at Shamil & Kavi Thakrar’s unbelievably successful chain: again, the most commented-on business in our annual diners’ poll, which has stormed the capital since it first opened in Covent Garden in 2010. Outlets in Canary Wharf and Battersea Power Station opened in late 2024, bringing the total in London to seven, and each branch has its own intriguing character, with the unifying theme being a homage to the Irani cafés of post-war Bombay. “Very much a well-oiled machine, there is little sign of any drop-off in quality as the group expands”, while “for such large places the brilliant service is remarkably friendly and efficient”. Meanwhile, the “deeply flavoursome and satisfying” menu has introduced Londoners to “authentic and delicious dishes that aren’t just another copycat Indian selection”, with such “zingy and exciting flavours”. And morning-time in London will never be the same again, since the advent of their “great Anglo-Indian breakfasts”. All-in-all, “the whole approach is inclusive and exciting”, “it’s always buzzy and fun too”; and “overall and for the price point you can’t go wrong!”. Top Menu Tips: “the black dal is to die for!”; “superb okra fries”; “the roomali roti is sublime”; “the lamb chops are excellent”; “Chicken Ruby is dreamy”. In the mornings, “the unfailing Bacon naan is a thing of poetry”; “chilli cheese toast hits the spot every time”, and “drink the lemon ginger and honey chai”.

A “lovely setting at a very convenient location in King’s Cross” – overlooking the fountains of Granary Square from its large and leafy outside terrace – is sometimes let down by “average and rather overpriced food” at this stylish brasserie – although for the most part it still “seems better than its Ivy Collection cousins” (minus the stained glass, it’s really an Ivy in disguise). On the plus side, there’s a “reasonable fixed-price lunch menu”.

One of the success stories of Borough Market – this Levantine operation with an “interesting mix of Middle Eastern food” started out as a simple stall before trading up to a permanent restaurant that gets “very busy at lunchtime”. It has a similarly well-rated offshoot in King’s Cross.

“We love the pistachio decor and the spacious seating”, say fans of this expanding chain, which had operated as a treasured old deli in Soho for over 75 years before starting to branch out as a pasta-chain in 2018. Impressions of it are something of a mixed bag though. To fans, its stylised outlets are “very convenient” and “can be trusted for a good-value and enjoyable experience with excellent food” (mostly pasta) in “sensible portions”. On the downside, though, are a fair number of diners to whom it’s a good concept whose execution is “perfectly fine but unexciting” (“starters good, pasta average-to-good, but compared with folk who had raved to me about other branches, I was left with a sense of ‘meh?’”). Still, their backers are enthusiastic and this year they added new locations in Greek Street and South Kensington.

A particularly solid choice for brunch – this “buzzy” Kiwi-run chain (with seven branches) fits the bill well, with “interesting small plates” of pan-global fusion food and an emphasis on notably good coffee (which they roast in-house). On the downside, the food is often “passable and no more” and their “lively” interiors (Granary Square in particular) can become “hopelessly crowded”, giving rise to incidents of “slapdash service”. Still, they’re “fun” and “reasonably priced”. (See also Vardo).

“A fun way to share and eat for a small group” – you BBQ your own meal at your table at the Hart Bros’ duo of Hispanic haunts in Borough Yards and Coal Drops Yard, which take their inspiration from the Spanish ‘parrilla’ or grill. You can also eat more conventionally in SE1, allowing the chefs to do the work for you, and since it opened in 2022 this has become the more highly rated branch. In N1, there’s the benefit of a large outside terrace “set under cover outside, but with overhead heaters and heated cushions so you don’t feel cold”. You might feel the chill when the bill arrives though, especially at the N1 original (“the menu looked good and the food was fine, but all I could think of was how expensive it was. £8.40 for two mini croquettes just overshadowed how tasty they were”).

“A limited-choice menu, but one that seems to work” underpins the success of this “no-frills” steakhouse chain created by Charlie Carroll in 2012 and now with just under a dozen London branches (with 2024 seeing its arrival in Victoria and just off Hammersmith Broadway). “You know just what you are going to get” and “the quality/value factor makes it a sound bet”: “decent steaks and a few rustic sides”; and “don’t forget the lovely (free) salted caramel ice cream on the way out!”. “Not a place to linger”, but “it never disappoints”.

“Counter seats are the best” at the Hart Bros’ “magical slice of Spain” – a “joyful” and thriving homage to Barcelona’s famous Cal Pep, which since its 2007 launch has steadily appeared near the top of our annual diners’ poll as one of London’s most popular restaurant groups. Its branches have multiplied, but – to a miraculous extent – the formula has stayed the same. “At the bar, it’s fun to watch the talented staff who were clearly enjoying their jobs, meticulously preparing the outstanding dishes”: “brilliant small plates, with plenty of choice” and “packed with authentic flavours” (“particularly strong on fish and seafood”); plus “an excellent range of sherries” and wines. But, while it’s maintained “impressive consistency over many years”, it can feel “like a bar experience at restaurant prices” nowadays, and its ratings drifted south of their usual peaks this year. There’s also the odd tale of caution in reports: “I’ve been almost every year since it opened. It’s still great fun and pretty good, but the last three visits have fallen below the super-high quality of the past”. Top Menu Tips – “love the Croquetes; the Cos salad with anchovy and crispy pancetta; and perfectly unctuous Tortilla”.

“The tacos are good, the margaritas even better”, say fans of this ‘little sister’ to the Hart Bros’ El Pastor Mexican brand. Much hyped when it opened six years ago, these days it generates limited feedback in our annual survey of diners, but all reports agree it’s at least “serviceable” for a meal in fashionable Coal Drops Yard, near King’s Cross.

“Eat in or take out, these buns are delicious” – the universally agreed take on this Taiwanese street-food operation founded 13 years ago by Shing Tat, his wife Erchen Chang and sister Wai Ting Chung, now with six sites across the capital and part of the JKS Restaurants group. The “good-value” filled steamed buns “really make you want to go back” – “I called in 3 times in the same afternoon!” – while “the noodles are fab, too”. The only real complaint concerns the settings, with some branches “far too cramped” given their popularity.

“It’s busy, it’s buzzy, but the focus is on the high standard of cooking” at this brilliant collab between the Tom Dixon studio and famous Israeli chef Assaf Grannit, by hip Granary Square. “The good vibe and great decor are down to the design and accessories” (Dixon’s London studio is in the adjacent building) but it’s Assaf’s “unique combinations of wonderful flavours” in the Tel Aviv-inspired small plates that have built its reputation: “enough to tickle the most jaded palate: lots of herbs, pomegranate, chilli, with brilliant bread and dips”. That said, the food is “rather simple for the prices charged”: “a bit overpriced if very delicious”. Top Tip – the outdoor terrace comes into its own in summer.

In the “quirky” surroundings of a shop that’s a florist by day, this “vibrant and interesting Thai” is to be found in the no-man’s-land around King’s Cross (“the best place to sit is the section where they sell flowers – it’s beautiful”). “It’s a very busy and bustling restaurant and the food makes it clear why”: chef Wichet Khongphoon’s cooking is “true Thai (not the western version)” and the “good-value” dishes are “authentic, exceptionally tasty and worth continually revisiting”. Top Menu Tip – “the waiter surprisingly suggested pairing the main course of sea bass fillet and tamarind sauce with beef cheek in Massaman curry. I was very glad that I took his advice because the blend was delicious”.

Celeb chef Bill Granger passed away in December 2023, and although the group he founded is still oft-nominated as a brunch favourite it’s perhaps no surprise that these “stylish” Aussie-inspired haunts inspired more mixed reports in this year’s annual diners’ poll. Rather than itemise this year’s ups-and-downs, at this time of change it seems more appropriate to postpone a rating till next year.

“Absolutely delicious Sri Lankan dishes” attract a “noisy, buzzy” crowd to this “squashed” Soho spot, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (and whose owners, JKS Restaurants, have now opened spinoff branches in King’s Cross and Marylebone). “Staff work their socks off to get everyone fed” and the grub – “bone marrow vadhuvai + roti chennai, cabbage, aubergine, hopper etc” – is “tasty, and not shy on spice” (it’s also “particularly good for people on gluten-free or lactose-free diets as they supply separate menu cards”). All this said, the cooking no longer excites the adulation of the early days, with a suspicion in some quarters that it’s now “only slightly different to a ‘normal’ curry”.

“They succeed in making vegan food interesting!” at this successful chain, founded in Soho in 1988 and which is no longer merely veggie but since 2021 fully plant-based. “While packed and buzzy in set-up, it’s nevertheless a good destination for a healthy stopover” according to the many who commented on it in this year’s annual diners’ poll: “as a meat-eater, I was taken under sufferance but impressed!”. In May 2024, they added a new branch near Victoria coach station.

This “beautiful venue”, built in 1865 for the German Gymnastics Society, is let down by a restaurant from D&D London which “fails to deliver” on multiple fronts – it’s “overpriced”, “the food is meh”, and “service is terrible from top to bottom”. The “prime location” near King’s Cross and St Pancras means it’s busy, and on the plus side there can be a “lively atmosphere”, “the German breakfast menu is good”, and the selection of food is “mostly authentic” (wurst, schnitzel, spätzle und so weiter), if “heavy-handed” in execution. For the majority of reporters, though, it just doesn’t cut the mustard – “if you like poor imitations of German pub food in a noisy barn, this is the place for you”.

“Just like a hole-in-the-wall in Hong Kong” – “if you can stand the long wait on grimy King’s Cross Road” and “are prepared to eat sitting on someone else’s lap because there’s no space inside (all part of the charm!)” then you can enjoy some “excellent” dim sum at this cheap eat of contemporary urban legend – “we just wanted to keep ordering and eating everything on the menu!”

“Tucked away” near the canal at the foot of an old, repurposed gas-holder near King’s Cross, this “lovely wine bar and restaurant” showcases Champagnes and wines from movie icon and co-owner Idris Elba’s ‘Porte Noire’ brand. The food menu is “rather limited”, but it’s “nicely realised”; and “the wine list is exceptional”. Service is professional, and it’s a “sleek” looking and “buzzy” venue too (incorporating a handful of nice outside tables in summer).

At Mare Street Market in the King's Cross regeneration zone, a modern take on 'surf and turf' created by two highly regarded chefs. Tom Brown of Pearly Queen and formerly Cornerstone looks after the fish and seafood, which Brad Carter of the late, lamented Carter's of Moseley in Birmingham is in charge of the steakhouse portion of the menu.