The 20 best things to do in King’s Cross

Incredibly, the British Library only opened in 1998 (although its genesis was in 1973, when the national library split from the British Museum). Today, the impressive, nautical-inspired modernist building is home to the largest collection in the world, with over 200 million items – not just centuries-worth of books, but everything from the Magna Carta to Egyptian hieroglyphs; stamps, sound recordings, and every British and Irish newspaper since 1840.

The library is free to use, and remains one of London’s great silent study spaces. There are regular talks, events, and exhibitions – and in 2026, £1.1 billion worth of work is set to take place, which will see the building expand with a new library, plus 700,000 sq ft of learning, research, and commercial space.

A good cocktail bar should transport you to another, more glamorous world, and Sweeties – located on the 10th floor of the beautiful, brutalist Standard hotel – does exactly that. Open until 2.30am on weekends, this chic, vibey lounge bar provides a level of opulence that takes you to New York in the 1970s. It’s dark, it’s naughty, and it’s the perfect place to conspire and cackle over one-too-many martinis. The views out across King’s Cross are spectacular; the interiors are glamorous and playful – and the impressive cocktail list is worth a trip up the Standard’s space-age lift alone.

Since it opened in 2024, myriad rants have been inspired by The Yellow Bittern. Largely, these haven’t been about the food, but rather the pretentious-leaning lore around it. To wit; you can only book this lunchtime-only bistro by phone (or a giddily anachronistic postcard), it’s expensive but cash-only, and proudly displays two portraits of Lenin. The food itself has been painted as a sort of spartan, St John-ish take on meat pies, luxe gruel and many, many stews. 

And yet… it’s actually great? We’re charmed by its vintage Cold Comfort Farm aesthetic, the sturdy Irish and French classics on offer, the communist bookshop in the basement, and the keenness with which they top up your glass of wine even though it’s only 1pm. There’s a set four course menu for £50 and lunch lasts at least 2.5 hours. Sack off whatever you had planned for the afternoon. 

A former cinema turned eclectic gig venue, the Scala has been a fixture on this chaotic corner of King’s Cross since it opened in 1920: imposing, grand, iconic. Today, it’s a brilliant jack-of-all-trades – as comfortable holding nu-metal club nights, drag brunches, and intimate after-parties as it is proper gigs by both upcoming artists and legacy acts alike. 

Holding just over 1,000 people split across four levels – with three bars, two dance floors, and a main stage – the Scala maintains its status as London’s premier mid-sized venue, and is still a real treat to visit when your favourite mid-sized band is in town. Expect names as varied as triple-threat Londoner MNEK and online sensation Poppy.

The interwar public house is one of the very best genres of boozer, and the King Charles I – located on a backstreet where the Old London of Caledonian Road meets the contemporary bustle of King’s Cross proper – is one of the capital’s finest examples.

Step into its cosy, wood-panelled interior on a winter’s night and you’ll find a welcoming, warm pub filled with knick-knacks, a rotating cast of ales and stouts, and regular, raucous live music nights. The pub was saved from closure in 2015 by a group of regulars, and in 2021 was listed as an Asset of Community Value, ensuring its status as vital King’s Cross cog for years to come.

Once a lone pioneer in the revival of King’s Cross, Kings Place suddenly finds itself part of the King’s Cross Central cultural hub. Beneath seven office floors and a ground-floor restaurant-bar (with prized seats on the canal basin outside), the 415-seat main hall is a beauty, dominated by wood carved from a single, 500-year-old oak tree and ringed by invisible rubber pads that kill unwanted noise that might interfere with the immaculate acoustics. There’s also a versatile second hall and a number of smaller rooms for workshops and lectures.

The programming is tremendous and includes curated weeks featuring composers as wide-ranging as atonalist Arnold Schoenberg and jazzer Kit Downes. Food and drink are available on site, too!

The UK’s first LGBTQ+ museum, Queer Britain offers a valuable peek into centuries of queer history. This free-to-enter space on Granary Square has welcomed more than 100,000 visitors since opening in 2022. Its collection is a riot of voices, objects and images exploring more than a century of queer life through activism, art, culture and social history. Highlights include the 1957 Wolfenden Report, artwork by Duncan Grant, a bronze statue of Radclyffe Hall, Olly Alexander’s rainbow Glastonbury cape and a letter from Sir Elton John to his younger self. Alongside the permanent collection, temporary exhibitions and a lively programme of talks, walking tours and events ensure there’s always something new to discover.

First, a warning; this Chinese spot is walk-in only and often has long queues - so it’s best to get there as close as possible to opening times (that's 12pm for lunch, then 6pm for dinner). 

Once inside, feast like there’s no tomorrow on plump hargau (prawn dumplings) and huge xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) alongside a delicious array of Cantonese classics, including roast duck, beef ho fun (flat noodles) and charred salty green beans with minced pork. Those queues are there for a reason. 

Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson are good at this by now. Excellent, in fact. Fourth time around with Tamila King’s Cross, the experience is more refined than ever. Like the Clapham edition, this isn’t a desi pub but a curry house for fast, casual dining, with a bright, airy space and a huge interior window directly into the kitchen.

The food is serious: miraculously un-greasy onion bhajis, rich chilli cheese dosa, creamy paneer butter masala and dhal that flashes all sorts of vegetables across your tongue, plus supremely fluffy roti. A bold gunpowder margarita sets the tone, while the green-and-orange interiors add a splash of character to the place. Warm and oh-so-welcoming, Tamila is another winning addition to the group.

Regularly appearing on CAMRA’s list of London’s best pubs, this charming side street boozer is renowned for its ales, ciders, and spirits. It’s not hard to see why: on offer here are a plethora of pilsners, IPAs, stouts, porters and lagers, all regularly changing. It’s a proper Victorian pub – from the beautiful tiled exterior, through to its dark, moody wooden innards – and the kind of place you could happily spend an entire evening in, listening to jazz piano and tucking into a second pork pie.