When it comes to post-work drinks and late night cocktails, Kings Cross is unrivalled. From Coal Drops Yard to the canal-side eateries, there’s plenty to choose from before you hop on your train, or Tube, and into the night. And now, creative cocktail bar Hokus Pokus Alchemy Lab has arrived to offer an enchanting array of cocktails that will cure all that ails you.
Newly opened in late October 2021, located in the five-star Megaro Hotel, Hokus Pokus Alchemy Lab draws inspiration from an 1800s physician, Dr James Morison, who believed in using vegetables and their botanical compounds to cure all illnesses. At the Kings Cross bar, the botanical ‘remedies’ are distilled and served on the rocks, and aim to provide the cure to terrible Tuesdays and despondent long days.
At Hokus Pokus, the carefully curated cocktail list comes with a variety of amendable options for each drink, so your cocktail can be made exactly to your taste. Think of it as a restaurant experience, but for drinks! With 41 different ingredients (made from raw materials – more on that in a sec) and 30-something base cocktails, the concoction combinations are almost limitless.
You won’t find a sliced lime in this establishment, but rather a homemade lime extract; the 41 different ingredients are all made and brewed in-house, and mixed together to create unrivalled flavours. From the coffee liqueur (which takes a month to make using the cold brew method) to the orange liqueur (which takes a slightly shorter three weeks), it is all done in a way that makes the most of the natural ingredients. Just one cocktail on the entire menu uses added sugar, and no two batches are exactly the same.
The team at Hokus Pokus aim to be as sustainable as possible when creating the cocktails; they use all parts of the fruit, whether it be for garnishes, syrups, juices, or all three. This results in beautiful, and rather unique, presentation too. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly, encouraging you to ask questions. They will guide you to make the right cocktail choice(s) for you.
It’s not just the bar’s inspiration and cocktail list that’ll transport you back in time; the interiors will do so too. Designed by experiential designer and philosopher, Henry Chebaane, Hokus Pokus’ interiors honour its King Cross location and the heritage of the area. With exposed copper piping, intriguing mood lighting, and visible electrical circuits, the overall effect is a fascinating blend of 19th-century apothecary and steampunk engine room vibes.
The intimate venue has only a 100-person capacity, making it a rather exclusive affair. You can start your evening with a couple of drinks at Hokus Pokus Alchemy Lab, before heading to the Magenta Restaurant upstairs, or instead drop by post-dinner. On some nights, there’ll be a resident DJ, pumping tunes, as well as impromptu guest artists at the striking DJ booth, making it the perfect late-night destination.