The best restaurants, bars and cafes in King's Cross

King's Cross restaurants and cafes

This Hawksmoor does what the oether do best, great steaks and more, excellent cocktails and a winderful vibe throughout. It also ups the game by being in one of London's most beautiful dining rooms. Plus, there's a separate bar called The Martini Bar which is almost worth the trip alone.

This beautiful restaurant with its double height space proves that Bubala are still at the forefront of serving up great vegetarian food in London. The menu here is inspired by food from across the Middle East, that it happens to be vegetarian is almost an aside. The mezze, in particular, is unmissable.

Everyone raves about Dim Sum Duck, a tiny gem in Kings Cross. It's run by a dim sum chef with more than 30 years in the business and specialises in hand-made dim sum and in-house roasted duck. In recent years its become hugely popular and while the queues are still big, there's now a second location nearby, making it much easier to get a seat.

Coal Office has eye-popping interiors by Tom Dixon and food by Palomar chef and restaurateur Assaf Granit. If you're up at the counter, it's a scene quite familiar from The Palomar - Jerusalem-inspired food served up by a lively kitchen.

This brightly coloured restaurant serves up some of the most delicious and authentic Thai food in London at great prices. Try Phuket cashew nuts or Southern specialities like Pla Tod Naam Pla – crispy seabass with sugar, fish sauce and green apple salad.

Barrafina are considered as being some of the best Spanish restaurants in London and this Kings Cross outpost is no exception, with a particular focus on Catalan cooking. It's primarily counter dining, but they also have a stunning alfresco-only grill restaurant, Parrillan.

The lower end of Caledonian Road has seen an influx of interesting restaurants in recent times and the arrival of OISO is part of that movement. Only open at lunchtime, and as popular for takeaway as it is to sit up at the counter, this family-run Korean cafe serves a winning mix of bibimbab, bulgogi, katsu curries and more.

Tamila is a casual Indian restaurant from the team behind The Tamil Prince (a nearby pub). The food is inspired by executive chef Prince Durairaj’s South Indian heritage and the menu focuses on made-to-order rotis and curries like Thanjavur chicken curry. There's also a Sunday feast available here and a small basement bar (only available if you're dining).

The Yellow Bittern takes a somewhat unusual approach to a restaurant, opening only on weekday lunchtimes (in two sittings) and only accepting payment by cash (and booking by phone only). Closer to a supperclub than a restaurant, the menu is by chef Hugh Corcoran, expect a regularly changing menu with a little bit of Irish influence.

At the top of the Standard hotel in King's Cross is Decimo, which is now led by chef Paola Arenas. Previously looking at Spanish and Mexican cuisine, the restaurant is now firmly Mexican, both high-end and high-rise. It also morphs into a late-night bar at the weekends. The views are breathtaking, and you can enjoy pre-dinner drinks at the super glamorous rooftop bar.

Hoppers offers dishes inspired by the street food of Sri Lanka and South India. This Pancras Square venue has the biggest bar of all its venues. We can’t get enough of the hot butter squid and creamy bone marrow varuval.

The BAO team continue their success with this opening inspired by the western style cafes in Asia. You'll find their signature bao buns alongside inventive western-style dishes like Chicken XO Kiev. As this location is also a bakery, you can take home your very own BAO goodies.

We often daydream about the bacon and egg breakfast naan at Dishoom. Consistently packed and offering a buzzy atmosphere, people keep coming back for its excellent Indian small plates. Its take on Bombay cafe culture ensures long waits and queues at all their restaurants. Be prepared to queue at busier times.

Located inside the YMCA yoga centre, Thenga Café is quirky and inviting, offering a purely vegan menu with European and Indian influences due to the chef's travels and Bengali heritage. The daily set meals are one of London's most affordable eats.

Idris Elba has his very own wine bar in Coal Drops Yard. Wine tasting is available plus a well-thought-out selection of champagne, cocktails and wines by the glass. It’s a sophisticated spot and you never know which A-lister you might bump into!

A hugely impressive-looking venue, this saw them revamping what was literally an old booking office into one of London's most beautiful dining rooms. There's a European menu on offer including oysters to start alongside dishes like smoked corn ribs, buttermilk chicken, steak and their own burger. The cocktails here are very good too.

This all-day restaurant is a Levantine restaurant from the same group as the original London Bridge outpost. Food is consistently delicious, with special cold and hot mezzes, fresh day boat fish, halal steaks and much more.

Flat Iron have an avid following amongst Londoners, with their signature flat iron steaks being one of the best deals in town. This is their King's Cross location where they serve up the usual flat-iron steaks as well as some special cuts. And all for a much cheaper price than you'd normally pay at a steakhouse.

Amazingly popular vegetarian restaurant, serving up all manner of veggie and vegan dishes. Their burgers are very well regarded and the weekend brunch with scrambled tofu and aubergine bacon, among others, is a big hit.

With no bookings and super-fast Roman pizzas, this is a great spot for a quick dinner with friends. The price point is excellent too, with many pizzas all under a tenner. Don’t forget to order dessert.

This used to be the first-ever gym in London - a huge imposing building just outside St Pancras. Expect plenty of German food, humongous sausages and Bavarian beer on the menu. It's brasserie-style downstairs and more of a fine-dining approach upstairs.

The original opened up in Exmouth Market to great reviews and they haven't looked back since. Now in multiple locations across town, this was Caravan's second opening, and one of the first places to open on Granary Square. Coffee remains a big thing, supplied by their nearby roastery. Food-wise, they serve what they call a "food well-travelled" menu all-day and their brunch is one of the most popular in town.

This King's Place restaurant is in a super setting especially during the summer months with a massive terrace opening onto the canal. The menu is modern British, and you'll find all the meat here sourced from the restaurant's own farm in Northumberland.

Bars

The Martini Bar - This is part of Hawksmoor King's Cross and as well as, of course, serving fantastic martinis, they also have a great bar menu. It's a beautiful space too.

Hokus Pokus - Underneath the Megaro Hotel is this self-styled "alchemy lab" where they're creating botanical cocktails in a very bling setting.

Lightroom - This impressive arts venue, a sibling establishment to The Bridge Theatre, features a cafe and bar run by St John that’s open to all. Enjoy freshly made madeleines and top wines in its modernist setting.

The Drop - From the same people as Casa Pastor, this really makes good use of the old coal storage area to evoke the feeling of a wine cellar. The wine list is, obviously, one of the best in the area served expertly by people who know their stuff.

The Lighterman - This has a great location, overlooking the canal. It's said to be one of the most popular places on Granary Square at any time of the year - but it really comes into its own in summer with extensive outside space. Dogs are welcome too.

The Parcel Yard - Parcel Yard is an all-day Fullers pub inside the station, with a seasonal menu inspired by the best of British. Think dishes like lamb’s liver with bubble & squeak and red wine gravy and they also have a great kids menu. It's perfect for a quick drink before you grab a train.

Spiritland - This is a café-by-day/bar-by-night venue with a big focus on music thanks to its state-of-the-art sound system.

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