King’s Cross pubs

Set in the tangle of unpromising streets behind King’s Cross, the Driver is a stylish gastropub with a ‘vertical garden’ and a decked roof terrace. It’s complemented by three more floors of dining and drinking space, above a street-level bar and restaurant of equally interesting design.

Part of the Geronimo Inn fleet, this gastropub is a well-kept spot for a drink with a few decorative nods made to horse-racing (but not enough to leave you with a nagging feeling). Although a grazing menu may tempt you in, it’s the pub’s outdoor (and covered) terrace that will convince you to stay for another round.

Hidden from the outside world, this homely pub provides rare ales, many whiskies, a roaring fire and the day’s papers to the surprisingly few regulars who frequent it. In fact, if you had to describe what a pub was to someone from Pluto, this would do the job. 

Situated in a brand-new three-floor building in the redeveloped plaza behind King’s Cross station, The Lighterman has that feeling of being fresh out of the box. It’s doing the gastropub thing to a fault, but swish surroundings and attentive staff, plus a terrace overlooking the fountains of Granary Square make it worth a visit. 

This compact Victorian hole-in-the-wall pub with three real-ale pumps and an astutely chosen handful of craft beers on draught is brought to you by the Mother Kelly’s team. With that knowledge, it’s hardly a surprise that the bottled beer selection is just as impressive. It’s usually cosy and blissfully music-free, apart from the odd hipster-trad jazz session around the old piano. 

This small but handsome wood-panelled pub specialises in interesting beers and tap takeovers from breweries around the world. There are around ten draught options and a good few more in the fridge. There’s also a fairly secretive roof terrace. If you arrived fresh off the train, you’d never guess this building was a grotty strip club up until very recently.