Latest reviews for Restaurants in Kings Cross, London, United Kingdom

Konstam - A Favourite by kittylyst

kittylyst — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 17:06:42 +0000

Review by kittylyst

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 020 7833 5040

Website: http://www.konstam.co.uk/

Konstam is a true favourite - it's menu changes wonderfully with the seasons and the produce is amazingly fresh, and sourced (as far as possible) locally.

The fish they serve can be a particular delight - I am amazingly fussy about how fresh my fish needs to be (it develops a flavour I really don't care for if it's more than about 24 hours old) and Konstam is one of the very few places I've ever found which reliably serves it fresh enough.

Away from the seafood, the meat is top-drawer organic produce, and the vegetables are often forgotten English classics - especially the pleasingly unusual salads.

Particular favourites are the belly pork and the lamb.

Wine list has a British bias, but not overwhelmingly so, and is a fine example of how much English wine has come on in recent years - and the Chapel Down sparkler is an absolute gem to the traditional British palate.

The only minor criticism I could make is that the service is occasionally a little slow, but as I am a firm believer that overattentive is much worse than underattentive this is easily accommodated.

Pricewise, it's not a cheap night out, and the wine is slightly over the odds on some bottles (but not massively so) - however with careful selection of choices, it's possible to have an absolutely top-drawer night out (English sparkler, 3 courses with plenty of wine and cheese) for 60-70 pounds a head, which for the quality it represents can be seen as great value.Konstam is a true favourite - it's menu changes wonderfully with the seasons and the produce is amazingly fresh, and sourced (as far as possible) locally.

The fish they serve can be a particular delight - I am amazingly fussy about how fresh my fish needs to be (it develops a flavour I really don't care for if it's more than about 24 hours old) and Konstam is one of the very few places I've ever found which reliably serves it fresh enough.

Away from the seafood, the meat is top-drawer organic produce, and the vegetables are often forgotten English classics - especially the pleasingly unusual salads.

Particular favourites are the belly pork and the lamb.

Wine list has a British bias, but not overwhelmingly so, and is a fine example of how much English wine has come on in recent years - and the Chapel Down sparkler is an absolute gem to the traditional British palate.

The only minor criticism I could make is that the service is occasionally a little slow, but as I am a firm believer that overattentive is much worse than underattentive this is easily accommodated.

Pricewise, it's not a cheap night out, and the wine is slightly over the odds on some bottles (but not massively so) - however with careful selection of choices, it's possible to have an absolutely top-drawer night out (English sparkler, 3 courses with plenty of wine and cheese) for 60-70 pounds a head, which for the quality it represents can be seen as great value.

Kitchin N1 - Get Value by londondiner

londondiner — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 11:58:00 +0000

Review by londondiner

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7713 8777

Website: http://www.kitchin-n1.com/

Tags: italian, indian, thai

Went to Kitchin N1 last Monday after being informed that if you book through their website (kitchin-n1.com) you get 50% off on a Monday. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experince especially paying Â£6.50 each for as much food as we could eat including desserts!Went to Kitchin N1 last Monday after being informed that if you book through their website (kitchin-n1.com) you get 50% off on a Monday. We thoroughly enjoyed the whole experince especially paying Â£6.50 each for as much food as we could eat including desserts!

Mai Sushi - Mai Sushi Kings Cross by linjoshi

linjoshi — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:49:40 +0000

Review by linjoshi

Rating: 5.00

Phone: 0207 3837444

Tags: japanese, good value, family & home feel

Check out their new website: www.maisushi.co.uk
It's a really nice restaurant near Kings Cross- so convenient just to pop by before traveling!

Check out their new website: www.maisushi.co.uk
It's a really nice restaurant near Kings Cross- so convenient just to pop by before traveling!

Dollar Grills & Martinis - Porn Stars welcome! by VickieMac

VickieMac — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:41:30 +0000

Review by VickieMac

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7278 0077

Tags: american, cocktails, expensive

I went here early on a Saturday evening for a special occasion meal and I was overwhelmed. First, it's beautiful inside. The upstairs has gorgeous lighting and the seats were super comfy. The downstairs is very plush and would be a great spot for a cocktail on a date. It has little alcoves that offer the right amount of intimacy for a public place. ;o)

But it wasn't the decor the sold me, it was the cocktails - A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had the pleasure of enjoying (among others) the Porn Star Martini and to this day have not found a drink I enjoyed more than this one. I take great pleasure in telling people that this is my favourite drink!

We also had food and although at the time I thoroughly enjoyed my fish soup thingy, it was only good enough to be remembered as a fish soup thingy. The cocktails simply stole the show.

I would definitely go here again and have but only for drinks. I'll have to try the burgers next time!I went here early on a Saturday evening for a special occasion meal and I was overwhelmed. First, it's beautiful inside. The upstairs has gorgeous lighting and the seats were super comfy. The downstairs is very plush and would be a great spot for a cocktail on a date. It has little alcoves that offer the right amount of intimacy for a public place. ;o)

But it wasn't the decor the sold me, it was the cocktails - A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I had the pleasure of enjoying (among others) the Porn Star Martini and to this day have not found a drink I enjoyed more than this one. I take great pleasure in telling people that this is my favourite drink!

We also had food and although at the time I thoroughly enjoyed my fish soup thingy, it was only good enough to be remembered as a fish soup thingy. The cocktails simply stole the show.

I would definitely go here again and have but only for drinks. I'll have to try the burgers next time!

Kings Cross Tandoori - kings cross tandoooori by jakieahmed

jakieahmed — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 12:10:00 +0000

Review by jakieahmed

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7278 0506

Tags: indian, romantic, expensive

the food was mervolous
but the pricing was difficult
worth the money

was very delicious and spicy

top for business and romanticthe food was mervolous
but the pricing was difficult
worth the money

was very delicious and spicy

top for business and romantic

Acorn House - Mighty Oaks from Little Acorns Grow by Niamheen

Niamheen — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:02:02 +0000

Review by Niamheen

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7812 1842

Website: http://www.acornhouserestaurant.com/

Tags: organic, expensive, crowded

Acorn House in Kingâ¬"s Cross has been on my radar for sometime. As Londonâ¬"s first truly eco-friendly training restaurant, it has had alot of press attention, with the Evening Standardâ¬"s Fay Maschler declaring that â¬All Restaurants should emulateâ¬ it and Giles Coren of The Times saying that itâ¬"s â¬SThe most important restaurant to open in London in the past 200 yearsâ¬. Itâ¬"s also less than 10 minutes from my workplace and has been recommended by colleagues and friends. In the OFM food awards in 2007 it won best newcomer.

Established by chef Arthur Potts Dawson and manager James Grainger-Smith both formerly of Fifteen in Shoreditch, itâ¬"s a social enterprise created by the Shoreditch Trust which delivers hands on training to the local community. The food is centred around health, training, community and the environment. They aim to be the most recyclable restaurant in London, by allowing as much as 80% of its waste to be recycled. In cooperation with the local councils and London Remade it will test out new waste management strategies in a restaurant environment, it offers reusable cutlery and all takeaway containers are eco-sensitive and they offer customers options of serving sizes to allow for differing appetites which creates less food waste. They have their own site for storage of dry recyclables with space for a â¬ÜPIGâ¬" compostor and a wormery providing soil for the restaurant and the roof of the storage area is used to grow herbs (and potentially grow insect attracting plants) in the centre of Kings Cross. Added to all of this, the restaurant and the recycling site act as an educational resource for the public, schools and a new breed of trainee chefs. When it comes to the food itself, the menus are seasonal with ingredients sourced from small independent suppliers, they buy fair trade where possible, locally and never use air freight, they have a strict fish purchasing policy and demand positive animal husbandry.

All that sounds great, truly an inspiration for other restaurants, but, what of the food? Iâ¬"ve availed of their takeway lunch a number of times, usually the half panini and small soup for Â£5, always flavoursome and healthy. So, why didnâ¬"t I eat there properly until this week? I think itâ¬"s one of those situations where itâ¬"s just down the road and I can go anytime (even if I subsequently donâ¬"t) and, ever the procrastinator I put it on the long finger. This week, however, I finally went there for lunch with some colleagues.

I like the interior of Acorn House, itâ¬"s bright and airy with a relaxed elegance. We got a nice round table by the open kitchen at the back and started off with some olives and bread. I started to peruse their January menu. There were two soups on offer: pumpkin, thyme and pancetta & celeriac, chestnut & horseradish. They sounded delicious, but time was short so I decided not to get one - I will definitely be trying them for a take-away lunch soon though. Thereâ¬"s also cured meat selections (including the sublime San Daniele ham) and salads on offer, which, again, look great but I had my eye on the fish dish - chargrilled organic salmon with cardamom and horseradish served with 2 salads. It was a popular dish - most of us had it with others opting for the duck confit, the ravioli with chard, mascarpone & fried sage or the tartine with pumpkin, mascarpone and stilton (changed from the option on the menu which was tartine with pumpkin, ricotta & onion marmalade).

Before I start, I am not sure about the diner choosing the salad accompanying their main course, I wonder if the chef is best placed to do this? It reminds me of create-your-own pizzas which, having once worked in a pizza restaurant, I can testify are often chosen badly. However, it is nice to have the choice, if you can trust yourself. Itâ¬"s January, and, (I am supposed to be) all about health and recuperation, so I decided to go for the beetroot with parsley, as beetroot helps your liver deal with xmas party stresses (I had a few of those!), and for the second one broccoli with almonds.

How was it? The fish was cooked perfectly - tender and moist, the cardamom and horseradish was a really unusual accompaniment and quite nice. The duck confit went down a treat as did the ravioli, but, the tartine was proclaimed too rich. The salads were really great: wholesome and healthy.

So, next for dessert. I opted for the ginger pudding with dark rum and double cream. It was wonderfully light. Other choices were the flourless chocolate cake with cardamom ice cream and Eccles Cake with Vanilla Custard. Everyone was really pleased with their choice, it was a lov end to the meal.

So, what did I think? Very good food but at Â£16 for a fish main course and Â£6.50 for a dessert it needs to be excellent. But it is sustainable, eco-friendly and a friend to the local community, and this, it seems, comes at a price. I think itâ¬"s worth it.Acorn House in Kingâ¬"s Cross has been on my radar for sometime. As Londonâ¬"s first truly eco-friendly training restaurant, it has had alot of press attention, with the Evening Standardâ¬"s Fay Maschler declaring that â¬All Restaurants should emulateâ¬ it and Giles Coren of The Times saying that itâ¬"s â¬SThe most important restaurant to open in London in the past 200 yearsâ¬. Itâ¬"s also less than 10 minutes from my workplace and has been recommended by colleagues and friends. In the OFM food awards in 2007 it won best newcomer.

Established by chef Arthur Potts Dawson and manager James Grainger-Smith both formerly of Fifteen in Shoreditch, itâ¬"s a social enterprise created by the Shoreditch Trust which delivers hands on training to the local community. The food is centred around health, training, community and the environment. They aim to be the most recyclable restaurant in London, by allowing as much as 80% of its waste to be recycled. In cooperation with the local councils and London Remade it will test out new waste management strategies in a restaurant environment, it offers reusable cutlery and all takeaway containers are eco-sensitive and they offer customers options of serving sizes to allow for differing appetites which creates less food waste. They have their own site for storage of dry recyclables with space for a â¬ÜPIGâ¬" compostor and a wormery providing soil for the restaurant and the roof of the storage area is used to grow herbs (and potentially grow insect attracting plants) in the centre of Kings Cross. Added to all of this, the restaurant and the recycling site act as an educational resource for the public, schools and a new breed of trainee chefs. When it comes to the food itself, the menus are seasonal with ingredients sourced from small independent suppliers, they buy fair trade where possible, locally and never use air freight, they have a strict fish purchasing policy and demand positive animal husbandry.

All that sounds great, truly an inspiration for other restaurants, but, what of the food? Iâ¬"ve availed of their takeway lunch a number of times, usually the half panini and small soup for Â£5, always flavoursome and healthy. So, why didnâ¬"t I eat there properly until this week? I think itâ¬"s one of those situations where itâ¬"s just down the road and I can go anytime (even if I subsequently donâ¬"t) and, ever the procrastinator I put it on the long finger. This week, however, I finally went there for lunch with some colleagues.

I like the interior of Acorn House, itâ¬"s bright and airy with a relaxed elegance. We got a nice round table by the open kitchen at the back and started off with some olives and bread. I started to peruse their January menu. There were two soups on offer: pumpkin, thyme and pancetta & celeriac, chestnut & horseradish. They sounded delicious, but time was short so I decided not to get one - I will definitely be trying them for a take-away lunch soon though. Thereâ¬"s also cured meat selections (including the sublime San Daniele ham) and salads on offer, which, again, look great but I had my eye on the fish dish - chargrilled organic salmon with cardamom and horseradish served with 2 salads. It was a popular dish - most of us had it with others opting for the duck confit, the ravioli with chard, mascarpone & fried sage or the tartine with pumpkin, mascarpone and stilton (changed from the option on the menu which was tartine with pumpkin, ricotta & onion marmalade).

Before I start, I am not sure about the diner choosing the salad accompanying their main course, I wonder if the chef is best placed to do this? It reminds me of create-your-own pizzas which, having once worked in a pizza restaurant, I can testify are often chosen badly. However, it is nice to have the choice, if you can trust yourself. Itâ¬"s January, and, (I am supposed to be) all about health and recuperation, so I decided to go for the beetroot with parsley, as beetroot helps your liver deal with xmas party stresses (I had a few of those!), and for the second one broccoli with almonds.

How was it? The fish was cooked perfectly - tender and moist, the cardamom and horseradish was a really unusual accompaniment and quite nice. The duck confit went down a treat as did the ravioli, but, the tartine was proclaimed too rich. The salads were really great: wholesome and healthy.

So, next for dessert. I opted for the ginger pudding with dark rum and double cream. It was wonderfully light. Other choices were the flourless chocolate cake with cardamom ice cream and Eccles Cake with Vanilla Custard. Everyone was really pleased with their choice, it was a lovely end to the meal.

So, what did I think? Very good food but at Â£16 for a fish main course and Â£6.50 for a dessert it needs to be excellent. But it is sustainable, eco-friendly and a friend to the local community, and this, it seems, comes at a price. I think itâ¬"s worth it.

PizzaExpress - Good by me123

me123 — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:04:04 +0000

Review by me123

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7383 7102

Website: http://www.pizzaexpress.co.uk

Tags: pizzeria, air conditioning, takeaway

Pizza Express is bassically a glammed up version of Pizza Hut but a very good one at that. The food is freshly made on the premises and is delicous. The staff are lovely and the restaurant has a posh and modern feel to it. They do not only serve pizza. Pasta and salad is also on the menu. Of which you can find here: http://www.pizzaexpress.com/our-food/starters/. There is a grown up atmosphere in Pizza express. The pizza at pizza express is more rustic and italian than that served at pizza hut. Pizza express is great for birthday parties and hen nights.Pizza Express is bassically a glammed up version of Pizza Hut but a very good one at that. The food is freshly made on the premises and is delicous. The staff are lovely and the restaurant has a posh and modern feel to it. They do not only serve pizza. Pasta and salad is also on the menu. Of which you can find here: http://www.pizzaexpress.com/our-food/starters/. There is a grown up atmosphere in Pizza express. The pizza at pizza express is more rustic and italian than that served at pizza hut. Pizza express is great for birthday parties and hen nights.

Paolina Thai Cafe - just plain awful by jlonners

jlonners — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:49:50 +0000

Review by jlonners

Rating: 1.00

Phone: 020 7278 8176

Tags: thai, friendly, lunch

Ok so as soon as you walk past this place you would normally keep on going, it looks dirty and horrid and awful. I didnâ¬"t have this choice as I was supposed to meet someone here (not suggested by me!) I was led downstairs (even worse) to a small area with tables and benches and plastic table cloths. I thought a drink would help only to be told their was no liquor licence!!! The food was actually ok and I didnâ¬"t die of food poisoning either, I had fully expected to get quite ill! I have no idea why they donâ¬"t tidy/clean this place up after all the business rates must be high so how do they make ends meet! if you are looking online (you must be or you wouldnâ¬"t be reading this!) then donâ¬"t go here, its just not nice. Search for another thai place insteadOk so as soon as you walk past this place you would normally keep on going, it looks dirty and horrid and awful. I didnâ¬"t have this choice as I was supposed to meet someone here (not suggested by me!) I was led downstairs (even worse) to a small area with tables and benches and plastic table cloths. I thought a drink would help only to be told their was no liquor licence!!! The food was actually ok and I didnâ¬"t die of food poisoning either, I had fully expected to get quite ill! I have no idea why they donâ¬"t tidy/clean this place up after all the business rates must be high so how do they make ends meet! if you are looking online (you must be or you wouldnâ¬"t be reading this!) then donâ¬"t go here, its just not nice. Search for another thai place instead

Camino - good watering hole by ricoeurian

ricoeurian — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 16:17:13 +0000

Review by ricoeurian

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7841 7331

Website: http://barcamino.com

Tags: spanish, tapas, good value

Although no one thing about Camino is excellent, the whole package is very good indeed. The setting, in the quiet but elegant inner courts of Kings X, is unusual for London. The tapas is pretty good, with some really nice dishes, like the ham and cheese croquettes (no idea if these are really very Spanish, but they are certainly yummy). Makes for a great lunch meeting venue - seats at a high bar table, a mix of tapas, sherry to start... and you're away. But it really comes alive after the local workers knock off for the day, and descend with a thirst for cava, red wine, lager (elegantly served in jugs and iced mugs) and more. There is plenty of seating, with four semi-separate areas each with a slightly different atmosphere, and the decor is light and mod, with lots of pine and steel, big barrels, a football table, and a wall-sized map of Spain.Although no one thing about Camino is excellent, the whole package is very good indeed. The setting, in the quiet but elegant inner courts of Kings X, is unusual for London. The tapas is pretty good, with some really nice dishes, like the ham and cheese croquettes (no idea if these are really very Spanish, but they are certainly yummy). Makes for a great lunch meeting venue - seats at a high bar table, a mix of tapas, sherry to start... and you're away. But it really comes alive after the local workers knock off for the day, and descend with a thirst for cava, red wine, lager (elegantly served in jugs and iced mugs) and more. There is plenty of seating, with four semi-separate areas each with a slightly different atmosphere, and the decor is light and mod, with lots of pine and steel, big barrels, a football table, and a wall-sized map of Spain.

Royal Thai Restaurant - Great Thai restaurant by Norm

Norm — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 16:12:12 +0000

Review by Norm

Rating: 4.00

Phone: 020 7837 7755

Tags: thai, cheap eat, lively

Yeah this place is great - food is really fresh and tasty and good value for moneyYeah this place is great - food is really fresh and tasty and good value for money

Addis - by canoepolo

canoepolo — Mon, 07 May 2007 10:03:41 +0000

Review by canoepolo

Rating: 3.00

Phone: 020 7278 0679

Tags: relaxed, good value, friendly

Food in general has very good flavour.

The downside is that the portion is way to small, particularly for the dishes such as Dora Wot and the vegetable menus. There is one egg (which seems to be standard) but only ONE little piece of chicken in Dora Wot. Having lived in Ethiopia myself and cooked Dora Wot myself, this is definitely a rip-off in my opinion.

Also, the Injera (the Ethiopian bread) is a bit too thick, nearly twice the thickness the usual injera you would get in Ethiopia or many Ethio restaurants abroad.Food in general has very good flavour.

The downside is that the portion is way to small, particularly for the dishes such as Dora Wot and the vegetable menus. There is one egg (which seems to be standard) but only ONE little piece of chicken in Dora Wot. Having lived in Ethiopia myself and cooked Dora Wot myself, this is definitely a rip-off in my opinion.

Also, the Injera (the Ethiopian bread) is a bit too thick, nearly twice the thickness the usual injera you would get in Ethiopia or many Ethio restaurants abroad.