Since moving to London, more particularly King's Cross - we have realised that there is so much to do and see here! Most of the tourists would probably get off at King's Cross and venture into the more known areas of London like Trafalgar Square, Westminster, Covent Gardens, Camden Town, Soho etc. And you know what? We don't blame them! London has a variety of cool, historical, unique and hipster places but we'd also recommend to include King's Cross onto your itinerary! In this blog post, we'd like to share our favourite restaurants and bars in King's Cross, London. We have been to all of these places, therefore we can highly recommend them to you! We have also included a little paragraph at the end of this blog post explaining you the origin of King's Cross. Enjoy!
1. Supawan Thai Food
38 Caledonian Rd, London N1
Have you ever travelled to Thailand and found yourself indulging in Thai cuisine? Have you then wished to have the same mouth-watering experience in London? What if we told you that you can? On a very first day of our move to London, we somehow came across this hidden gem - "Supawan Thai Food" restaurant that is a 2 minute walk from King's Cross station. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted by a very warm smile from our waiter. Have you every heard anyone referring to Thailand as the land of smiles? Well, even though we were in London, that saying is still very true. After very little deliberation, we decided on our favourite dishes: "Thai Green Curry" and "Prawn Pad Thai". And oh boy we weren't disappointed. In fact, we were shocked how good the food was! Micha concluded that it was one of the most beautifully presented Thai green curries she's ever seen. She then also proceeded to add that it was even more delicious than what she had tasted in Thailand! Now that is a shocker!
2. Dishoom King's Cross
5 Stable St, London N1C 4AB
If you are looking for for something quite unique - check out the restaurant called "Dishoom". It is located within a restored Victorian industrial building — a former railway transit shed, built in 1850. If you're not into history and just want to have a good meal - don't worry - you're in for a treat! This restaurant offers a very interesting, more upmarket yet relaxing experience. One of their signature dishes is "Bacon Naan Roll". It's like a fusion between British and Indian cuisine. We came to this restaurant on a Saturday morning and guess what? Yep, you're right - reservations only OR you can wait for up to an hour to get a table. So what does that tell you? The restaurant has earned itself a very reputable name and due its popularity, you'd better make a reservation before you go. That's exactly what we did - we booked a table for another day to make sure we can get to try their delicious food! So as I've mentioned earlier, people are usually eager to try their staple dish - Bacon Naan Roll. We were no different! Micha ordered a standard bacon naan roll and I (Justina) went for a bacon and egg naan roll. Guess who's made the better choice here? Micha will confirm that it was me! Not gonna lie, it was something that we've never had before! Who would have thought that such simple recipe will attract hundreds of people every day? Oh, did we also mention that you can get unlimited House Chai for only £3.20? We had 3 glasses each and could have gone for more! Did we yet convince you to visit this restaurant? If your answer is NO, please visit the place for yourself and then message us with your THANK YOUs. You're welcome in advance!
3. Caravan King's Cross
1 Granary Square, London N1C 4AA
"Caravan" is located just around the corner from "Dishoom". It offers a great atmosphere with a soft industrial dining room, open kitchen and a take out coffee bar. The reason why this place is quite special is because of its unique menu! Have you ever tried the baked eggs with pepper and chickpea ragu? How about buckwheat, oat milk and banana pancakes? And these are just a few options from the menu! We didn't know at the time that their signature dish is actually corn bread. That just means that we have to go back. Knowing us, you've probably guessed what we went for, right? If you said baked eggs - Ding Ding Ding! Absolutely flavoursome breakfast or brunch option!
4. The Real Food Market & Canopy Market
Outside King's Cross Station & West Handyside Canopy, London N1C 4BH
We got to visit both of these markets on the same day because they are so close to each other! But you don't have to.. if you're up for trying some delicious local goodies, packed with flavour ,then we recommend that you visit these markets on separate occasions..otherwise.. you'll be rolling through London! At The Real Food Market we got to taste two types of foods - savoury and dessert. Micha being very British went for a sausage roll which was stuffed with heaps of meat and the pastry was so flakey and crumbly! She couldn't even say a word because she was literally in so much joy and she even said that it was one of the best sausage rolls she's ever had! I (Justina) just couldn't resist the temptation of the cakes.. So I've gone for an "Oreo" cake which kind of tasted like a brownie with an "Oreo" topping! Nonetheless, it was exactly what I craved for at that moment and even Micha had a few mouthfuls (ok maybe more than a few). After we've circled around the whole market, we then decided to make our way to Canopy Market. This market seemed to be a bit smaller yet still very enticing! Micha went for something that I've never seen before - Mac & Cheese Cheesy Toastie! Wow! Now that's what you call a cheesy situation! It was pretty good but a little bit too pricey for our liking. They also sell some hand-made crafts, jewellery, clothes and other goodies that might be of interest to you.
5. Pizza Union
246-250 Pentonville Rd, London N1 9JY
Now this was one of our favourite founds in King's Cross so far! All of the pizzas are no more than £5.00 - £6.00! As for us, two girls who always try to live on a cheap - it's perfect! Micha went for spicy sausage and I went for my usual - ham & mushroom. Both of our pizzas came on a thin crust and cut into pieces which made the whole experience even more enjoyable! They have a bunch of tables for you to choose from, some of them are facing the street so you can do exactly what we like to do - eat pizza, drink beer and do some people watching! Highly recommend this place!
6. Simmon's at King's Cross
32 Caledonian Rd, London N1 9DT
If you fancy something cozy and even a bit romantic to wash down all of that food, look no further - Simmon's Bar got you covered! We went to this bar just before 5pm on a weekday and it was already pretty full so we'd highly recommend booking it in advance. One thing to note - at the time of the booking online - they ask you to provide them with the 25 pound deposit which will be returned to you if you show up at the bar. Might be annoying, however - once you're at the bar - you forget all about that because you're in for a treat! They have happy hour on a daily basis from 4pm to 9pm and on Sundays it's on for the entire day! Some of our happy hour favourites - 2 cocktails for £10.00, a glass of wine - £3.00, a bottle of beer - £2.50. As you can see - the prices are really good and you can also enjoy a very cozy atmosphere with some music and friendly staff!
History of King's Cross
We've never really question the name of the station but since moving to London, everything has become more intriguing! So, why King's Cross is called King's Cross?
Well, as we've done a little bit of research, we found out that the name derives from a statue-topped structure erected in 1830 on the junction, or crossroads, between the roads now known as Euston Road, Pentonville Road and Grays Inn Road. The statue was of a king – King George IV to be precise – who had died that year. It received much criticism: some people took issue with the statue’s design, while others criticised its practicality, as it limited drivers’ vision on the junction. The much-ridiculed statue of George was removed just 12 years later, but the name ‘the king’s crossroads’ stuck and was naturally abridged to King’s Cross.
Check out our YouTube video which highlights some of these places and some more of the Kings Cross area.
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