London King's Cross Restaurant Guide

“Authentic, mostly fiery, Sichuan cooking” is showcased at this modern pub-conversion, “conveniently a few minutes’ walk along the canal from King’s Cross”. The menu includes plenty of items that in Britain used to be hidden away behind untranslated Chinese characters – chicken feet, frog legs, pig intestines – and “given the large plates, you need a big group to do it justice”.

At the foot of the King’s Place arts centre – a “lovely space overlooking water” with a glorious canal-side terrace – Green & Fortune’s stylish venue offers a “good selection of small plates and excellent, if pricey, beef and lamb” from its own farm in Northumberland. “The pre-concert set menu is super value, but best of all is the Sunday roast lunch”.

“You really can’t go wrong with Dishoom”. Shamil and Kavi Thakrar’s phenomenal chain remains the most commented-on in our annual diners’ poll and its “bustling and loud, throwback, Bombay-colonial-era atmosphere” and “distinctively superior” menu – such a “novel variation from what you get in a typical curry house” – have given UK diners a welcome jolt as to what can be expected from an Indian meal. This includes their “Asian-inspired alternative to the usual ‘Full English’ breakfast”, which has revolutionised the start of the day for many folks. “Super-friendly staff do all they can to create a great experience”, which – along with the “delectable cocktails” – helps to underpin the “good vibes” that makes their ambience so buoyant. Perhaps inevitably, ratings for its food have slipped a tad in recent times from being exceptional to merely good, but the overall verdict remains that the overall package is “relatively cheap and always really tasty”. The ability to book is restricted at certain times and at certain branches, but “the queue is worth it!” Top Menu Tips – “stupendous black dahl”; “you could have their okra fries by the bucket”; “ruby murray is a must try”; “that bacon naan… with unlimited chai latte = heaven!”.

2021 Review: For the “mind-blowing sound system”, or as “a great place to grab a drink and a bite with your mates”, this “groovy”, music-led four-year-old, near Granary Square has won quite a following. (It was founded by music consultant Paul Noble, who has worked with Monocle and the Beeb; and Canteen founders Patrick Clayton-Malone and Dominic Lake). “The new, handy Festival Hall branch has the same vibe as the King’s Cross original, and here they offer really well-prepared cooking to match the cool sounds, laid-back atmosphere and enthusiastic service... it deserves to thrive.”

“Eating outside overlooking the square is extremely pleasant” at this “large brasserie”, which is particularly well-located in the new developments north of King’s Cross; and wins praise for its “great buzzy atmosphere”. But it suffers from the Ivy Collection’s habitual weakness of “disappointing and unimaginative food – all the classics not done that well”.

“The food is always a delight” at this “consistently high-quality” Levantine specialist “with an emphasis on inventive veg”. Originally a market stall, it graduated to a restaurant inside a Borough railway arch, with a second branch in King’s Cross. Top Menu Tips – “the stand-out cod dish with chunky flakes cooked just perfectly” and “the toasted flatbread that comes hot in rustling bags”.

“A nice pit-stop for pasta lovers” – this expanding chain is now up to its fifth restaurant spin-off from the original Soho deli (with the June 2023 opening of a new 80-seater, overlooking Clapham Common), and fans say it provides an “attractive”, “buzzing” setting for “simple dishes, well cooked”. A meal is “unlikely to live long in the memory though”, and there’s a growing fear that “as they have expanded the quality has dropped”. Top Tip – at the W1 original (est. 1944 originally as a deli) “sitting upstairs or by the bar is lovely, the windowless basement is not particularly comfortable”.

Overlooking the canal at Granary Square behind King’s Cross station, this striking modern gastropub certainly looks the part and packs in the crowds. It avoids harsh critiques, but feedback generally makes it clear that “the location is better than the dining experience”.

“The most original brunches” – with “a good selection of super-tasty, tapas-style dishes” fusing eclectic flavours from the Middle East to the Pacific – are the top feature of these “nicely vibey” haunts, which also boast “great coffee and pastries, plus interesting non-alcoholic drinks (like sodas and kombuchas)”. And they serve “lots for vegans and veggies too”. On the downside, they become “noisy”; staff can be “overstretched” and ratings are dragged down by those who find them “a convenient option, but, in truth, a slightly disappointing one”. Expansion is still on the cards, though, with 2023 seeing a big new opening in Covent Garden, in a workspace on Drury Lane, complete with outside terrace.

“Taking the good bits from Parrillan Coal Drops Yard and improving on it X 2” – the attractive Borough Yards branch of the Hart Bros Hispanic duo has eclipsed its N1 sibling in terms of feedback. At both sites, the parrilla grill is a DIY job if you sit outside (you order para picar, and then chicken, seafood and meat for the BBQ); but at SE1 there’s also a stylish, brick-lined interior section, complete with chefs and a more conventional menu-style service. The younger branch is not beyond criticism though: as in CDY it can seem “a good all-round experience, but overpriced” and the odd reporter finds it all too “hyped”.

2021 Review: One of the first concessions to be announced for the new Seven Dials Market from KERB (opened in late Summer 2019), is a cheese conveyor belt (yes, you read that right!) restaurant, from the owners of Camden’s Cheese Bar. Twenty-five British cheeses will be delivered by the 40-metre conveyor belt.

2022 Review: In March 2020, the team behind Flat Iron Yard in Borough opened a new (if old-school in its theming) street-food hall, bar and live music venue. Stallholders include familiar faces (Breddos Tacos, Temple of Seitan and Duck Truck) and some new ones including New York’s respected Sushi On Jones and Pomelo from the Lupins team.

2023 Review: This NYC sushi sensation, with its 45-minute, 12-course omakase formula, created barely a ripple of interest in our annual diners’ survey. It could be the poor timing of the pandemic relative to its March 2020 debut, or it could be the rather peripheral location, near Google HQ on the edge of King’s Cross’s Pancras Square development.

“One of the best bangs for your buck in town” – this “well-priced” steak chain has a “sensible formula” and has “managed to keep standards up despite constant expansion” (its latest, 11th London site, opened in March 2023 in Kensington). “Surroundings are basic” and “their menu is very simplistic: you choose a cut of meat, sauce and sides – the cuts are cooked to perfection”, “chips are hot, the service is punctual” and “free ice cream at the end ensures happy faces when people leave”.

2022 Review: “Brilliant burgers charmingly served in a student-friendly hang-out” – that’s the deal at this indie four-year-old, which is located at the northern end of the new developments near King’s Cross.

“It’s a great show to watch the chefs at work”, perched on a stool at the counter of the Hart Bros’ “incredibly busy and buzzy” bars – their hyper-successful homage to Barcelona’s Cal Pep. “The tapas is always first rate” with “succulent grilled seafood all prepared in front of your very eyes” a highlight. “Staff are friendly and efficient and take such pride in the dishes and their presentation”. (In April 2023, executive chef Angel Zapata Martin left the group after six years, leaving Antonio Gonzales Milla minding the central Barrafina locations, and Francisco Jose Torrico in charge of Coal Drops Yard and Borough).

Within the arches of ever-so-hip Coal Drops Yard, this Hart Bros spin-off was one of the first tenants of the development. Surprisingly, given the trendy locale and regular queues, feedback in our annual diners’ poll on its mix of tacos, tostadas and sharing plates is thin on the ground and rather lukewarm.

2023 Review: The vintage styling – that of a classic European café – is at odds with ever-more über-sleek Coal Drops Yard. Reports on Anthony Demetre’s all-day operation (named for the vermouth which is a feature of its drink offering) are still few, but suggest its well-sourced tapas, charcuterie and more substantial fare (including steak) can make it a handy refuge, from breakfast onwards (for which there’s a dedicated selection).

“A first-choice Asian restaurant” – say fans of this “friendly, buzzy” chain serving “delicious” Taiwanese filled buns that can constitute “a quick bite for lunch, or a longer meal with friends”. Launched as a street-food stand in 2012 by Erchen Chang, her husband Shing Tat and his sister Wai Ting Chung, the group is now backed by the all-conquering JKS Restaurants and opened its sixth venue in Battersea Power Station in 2023. Top Tip – “beef with black pepper sauce and rice is a must-order at King’s Cross”.

“Loud… buzzy… delicious” – this “original, exciting and cool” venue designed by the neighbouring Tom Dixon studio, by Granary Square, “is a full-on, in-your-face Tel Aviv sort of place”. The “superb Israeli small plates, which you are invited to share” are overseen by executive chef, Assaf Granit: “very flavoursome food with some unusual combinations”. “Tables are very close” inside, which is “noisy”, with “drum and bass in the background” and lots of chatter; “so, it’s best to go for lunch on a sunny day on the terrace and take in the views over the renovated King’s Cross area”. Top Menu Tips – “their signature polenta starter remains strong… a must. Octopus is amazing, tender and tasty. Desserts are also a high point… as is the powerful coffee!”