King’s Cross has completely reinvented itself in recent years. Once pretty much solely-known for its two stations (and a fairly gritty atmosphere back in the day), the area has been transformed into a dynamic area of upmarket boutiques, great bars and pubs, excellent gig venues, posh office blocks and trendy eateries.
How we handpick the best restaurants in King’s Cross
Each restaurant on this list has been carefully chosen by a member of our team. Our editors and the Secret London team rely on personal experiences, recommendations, editorial reviews, customer feedback, and thorough research to bring you the finest dining spots in the city. We are constantly on the lookout for new places with delicious food and excellent service. This list is regularly updated as we discover new openings and revisit established favourites.
Speaking of eateries, here’s our rundown of the best restaurants in King’s Cross to really tantalise your tastebuds:
1. Isla at The Standard
It’s safe to say you can have a pretty good time at The Standard, a luxe five-star hotel set right opposite St. Pancras station. You can hop from the hotel’s chic ground floor bar up to their gorgeous rooftop hangout – which opened back in Summer 2021 and from where you can enjoy some of the best panoramic views in the whole of London.
But the cream of the crop we think is Isla. Their restaurant that offers a seasonal menu featuring light proteins and a minimal-intervention wine list. Isla is ideal for dining at any time of day and they have several menus for that – breakfast, lunch and dinner. You can enjoy the lovely garden terrace with a retractable weather-proofed awning perfect for dining through both the summer and winter evenings. Not to forget their, their new pop-up with Ixta Belfrage. This one really hits the spot – a good date-night spot perhaps?
📍You’ll find Isla at The Standard Hotel on 10 Argyle Street, London, WC1H 8EG.
2. Coal Office
Adjacent to Granary Square and Coal Drops Yard, Coal Office is a collaboration between renowned Chef Assaf Granit – owner of the Parisian restaurant Shabourand which won a Michelin-star last year – and British designer Tom Dixon. It has been designed to reflect the unique and engaging traditions found throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean, and the food is just the cherry on top of the cake.
It’s some of the best Middle Eastern food you’ll find anywhere in the city, and encopmasses everything from roasted aubergine with tahini to cured trout with horseradish cream. Other things on the menu include Yemeni pancakes with octopus and truffle harissa sauce, and a beef fillet with sorrel cream and ‘sexy’ cabbage. Not sure what that is? Well you’ll have to go and find out!
📍You’ll find Coal Office at 2 Bagley Walk, London, N1C 4PQ.
3. Hicce
This modern and airy spot in Coal Drops Yard is co-owned by Pip Lacey, winner of the Great British Menu in 2017 who also trained at Michelin-starred Murano, and it has made waves since it first opened its doors back in 2018. It’s all brick-exposed dining room, large vaulted ceilings and industrial-chic vibes – and we’re more than here for it.
As you’d expect, Hicce plays host to some pretty fantastic cuisine, with a seasonally-changing menu making use of the ‘best of British’. Our top pick would be the ‘Hicce Experience’ menu, which features cured salmon with wasabi, halibut tartare with Jerusalem artichokes and a chocolate mousse with almonds and passion fruit among many other goodies. If you enjoyed wining and dining here, then make sure you head to the Hicce Hart up in Angel which does a banging roast and a mean Bloody Mary!
📍You’ll find Hicce at Unit 102, Stable Street, London, N1C 4DQ.
4. Casa Pastor and Plaza Pastor
Next on this list of restaurants in King’s Cross are a twin set of taquerias which bring a slice of Mexico all the way to London Town. Named after the mighty ‘Al Pastor’ – which is the favoured street food snack in Mexico City – these lively joints are excellent for not only tacos but also quesadillas, tostadas, tequila and mezcal. They also have live DJ sets too. We told you this one would be lively…
You can’t really go wrong with the menu here, but the ancho-ajo spiced prawn taco with avocado, salsa verde fresca and caramelised onions is a particular favourite. If you’re a veggie, you can also check out the taco stuffed full of confit mushrooms, crisp Oaxaca-style cheese, pumpkin seeds and chilli de arbol. If you want to dine outside, head to the Plaza Pastor, which is the overed, heated terrace right outside Casa Pastor.
📍You’ll find Casa Pastor and Plaza Pastor at Coal Drops Yard, London, N1C 4DQ.
5. Arabica
Levantine cuisine dominates the menu at our penultimate entry to this list of the best restaurants near King’s Cross, meaning you can expect fab falafel bites, heavenly hummus and tasty tabbouleh should you pop in for a visit. And you damn well should.
Rifling through the menu at Arabica, you’ll find that a smorgasbord of tasty meze goes hand in hand with kofte and shish kebabs, and the ‘Spring Freekeh’ – a smoked green wheat risotto with broad beans, asparagus, lemon, dill and toasted almonds – is well worth a try. Finish up with a vegan baklava and you’re onto a real winner here.
📍You’ll find Arabica at 7 Lewis Cubitt Walk, London, N1C 4DT.
6. Lina Stores
If you’re wanting to find an Italian restaurant in King’s Cross, then look no further than Lina Stores – a restaurant-come-delicatessen that features all the crowd-pleasing classics that you could ever want for an Italian joint.
Pasta dishes such as 30-egg yolk tagliolini with black truffle and Parmigiano Reggiano, or rigatoni with braised lamb, rosemary, pecorino, and gremolata are best mopped up with copious amounts of their freshly-baked focaccia. For dessert, treat yourself to a Sicilian cannoli with ricotta, pistachio and chocolate – go on, you deserve it.
📍You’ll find Lina Stores at 20 Stable Street, London, N1C 4DR.
7. Hoppers
The first entry on our roundup of the best restaurants in King’s Cross is Hoppers, an award-winning Sri Lankan restaurant that now has three branches dotted across the capital. The King’s Cross one is the most recent branch – opening its doors in February 2020 – and its interiors take inspiration from the well-travelled coastal route from the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo, to the historical Dutch town of Galle.
As you’d expect from this beloved spot, the food whipped up here is superb and packed full of flavours and spices. Given the name and the cuisine, the obvious choices here would be the namesake ‘hopper’ – a bowl-shaped pancake made from fermented rice batter and coconut milk – and the ‘dosa’, a thin flat bread made from ground rice and lentils.
Add in swimmer crab curry, dhal and chutney and you’ve got yourself a slap-up meal that ticks all the right boxes.
📍You’ll find Hoppers at Unit 3, 4 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.
8. Barrafina
Ever-popular, Barrafina was once named the ‘best restaurant in Britain’ at the National Restaurant Awards, and it’s also secured itself a Michelin-star. When you get a taste of their tortilla, you’ll understand why. With caramelised onions and an oozing centre so sloppy you could spread it on bread – it’s probably the best pincho you’ll ever eat outside of Spain.
Other melt-in-the-mouth options include cured monkfish, anchovies and baby gem lettuce, squid and rice, as well as a whole host of Spanish cheeses. Add in glasses of cava, sherry and vino tinto and you’ve got a hell of a lot to enjoy here.
📍You’ll find Barrafina at Unit 22-24 Bagley Walk Arches, Coal Drops Yard, King’s Cross, London, N1C 4AB.
9. Flat Iron
Flat Iron is famous for its 12 quid steak – yep, you really can get a steak for 12 quid in London – and they do some pretty banging sides too. The homemade beef dripping chips and creamed spinach are both good choices, but don’t miss out on the roast cauliflower with parsley, mint and lemon too – it’s bloody delicious.
This King’s Cross restaurant also has free (and meaty) popcorn, a smashing wine list, craft lagers, pale ales and cocktails for under a tenner. Trust us when we say that you’re onto a winner here.
📍You’ll find Flat Iron at 47-51 Caledonian Road, London, N1 9BU.
10. Mildred’s
This next addition on this roundup of the best restaurants in King’s Cross is one for the vegans amongst you. At Mildred’s, your plant-based food comes in the guise of lip-smackingly good Sri Lankan curries, halloumi burgers, and even a sticky caramel cheesecake with blackberry coulis and a sprinkling of caramel popcorn.
They’ve recently announced their ‘Springtime Menu’, which features seasonal dishes including pea, spinach & potato fritters, a quinoa and sweetcorn alma bowl, and their famous katsu hot dogs. Whoever said eating clean was boring clearly never ate here…
📍You’ll find Mildred’s at 200 Pentonville Road, London, N1 9JP.
11. Kimchee
With a central location right in the heart of St Pancras Square, Kimchee is a great spot if you’re looking to find some real authentic Korean grub. Chic, sleek and stylish, it’s a solid choice if you’re looking for a lunch or dinner pit-stop, and the food is pretty damn fine.
Whether it’s the eye-catching tofu udon, the fiery, chilli-infused ‘Dwenjang Jjigae’ or the beef rib eye, you’re pampered for choice here, and they’ve got a whole host of small sharing plates to boot too. Some items on the menu you can also grill yourself, so you can cook it exactly how you like. Sounds pretty ideal if you ask us.
📍You’ll find Kimchee at Unit 4, 2 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.
12. Roti King
Ok, so technically Roti King is actually in Euston. But in our defence, it’s less than a ten-minute walk from King’s Cross, which in our mind counts. Plus, the food here is so good that we can’t stop shouting about this place. It’s also BYOB and is bloody cheap too – winner, winner!
It’s a tiny Malaysian spot that often has queues around the corner – which goes to show just how popular this place is. The roti canai is the star attraction here, but there’s much more on offer in this halal-certified spot.
The ‘Nasi Lemak’ – steamed coconut rice served with peanuts, fried anchovies, cucumber, egg, sambal and spiced fried chicken – is pretty much to die for, and there are some excellent noodle dishes too.
📍You’ll find Roti King at 40 Doric Way, London, NW1 1LH.
13. Dishoom
If you’re looking for Indian restaurants in King’s Cross, you really can’t go wrong with Dishoom. They offer a cracking brekkie – which actually features on our list of London breakfasts you must try before you die – with everything from bacon naans to the ‘Big Bombay Breakfast’ – a delicious concoction of akuri (spicy scrambled eggs), char-striped smoked streaky bacon, peppery Shropshire pork bangers, masala baked beans, grilled tomato, mushrooms and buttered pau buns.
If it’s lunch or dinner you’re after, then this place has got it all. Dishes are designed to share, and staff recommend getting a couple of dishes per person. Highlights include the house black daal, the ‘Chole Puri’ (a chickpea curry served with puffy bread), spicy lamb chops and the gunpowder potatoes.
📍You’ll find Dishoom at 5 Stable Street, London, N1C 4AB.
14. Granger & Co.
Aussie spot Granger & Co. are renowned for their epic pancakes – or ‘hotcakes’ as they call them. Blended with oozing ricotta, they’re whipped to peak fluffiness, and are topped with honeycomb butter, sliced bananas, and a generous drizzle of maple syrup. Yum, yum.
But it’s not just about pancakes here – they also do a mean spread for lunch and dinner which includes grilled turmeric salads, celeriac and courgette fritters, shrimp burgers and a parmesan-crumbed chicken schnitzel. Sign us up.
📍You’ll find Granger & Co. at Unit 1, The Stanley building, 7 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.
15. Thenga Cafe
Another restaurant near King’s Cross station that also offers solely vegan food, Thenga Cafe rustles up a menu that curates ‘European and Indian cuisines with a large pinch of Bengal’. Their set menu changes on a daily basis, but always includes a delicious Indian thali platter (a selection of dishes on your plate) served with either rice or lentils.
It’s a complete steal at £6.95, and they’ve also got a selection of cakes, energy balls and snacks on offer, as well as some homemade masala chai tea and healthy smoothies.
You’ll find Thenga Cafe at 120 Cromer Street, London, WC1H 8BS.
16. Caravan
Rounding off this list of the best restaurants in King’s Cross is a firm favourite of the Secret London team. Another great spot for breakfast, Caravan is well-known for its slow baked eggs – a gorgeous concoction of spiced tomato, pepper and chickpea ragu, rose harissa, greek yoghurt, flatbread and parsley.
But there’s more to this industrial-style spot than just brunch. Their all-day menu compliments their ‘well-travelled’ ethos, with an eclectic selection of dishes including sourdough pizza, pan-fried sea bass, dingley dell pork schnitzel and chickpea dahl with a pea and sour onion bhaji.
📍You’ll find Caravan at 1 Granary Square, London, N1C 4AA.
So there you have it – a selection of some of the best restaurants in King’s Cross. Better loosen off that waistband and start making your way through them! We’ll cheers to that.