Six client-friendly venues near Google’s new King’s Cross HQ
With Google’s new London headquarters opening in King’s Cross and the area getting a revamp, there’s still a decent batch of funky bars and restaurants for PRs to meet and charm clients, lunches and after-work drinks.
King’s Cross has changed beyond recognition over the past two decades. Once known for railway sidings, gritty warehouses and nightlife rather than business, it is now one of London’s fastest-growing media and technology districts. And with the opening of Google’s long-awaited UK headquarters, alongside neighbours including Anthropic and DeepMind, it has only reinforced that reputation.
Here are six bars, restaurants and music rooms that make it a great zone for entertaining clients, while still retaining the landmark's edgy spirit.
Spiritland
This listening bar has become something of an institution among London’s creative industries. Built around high-quality sound systems, vinyl records and conversation rather than background noise, it works equally well for informal meetings, coffee or evening drinks.
Find out more about Spiritland.
Caravan
Located in a restored Victorian grain warehouse overlooking Granary Square, Caravan helped define King’s Cross’s new industrial-chic. Good coffee, reliable food and an all-day menu make it a dependable choice whether you're meeting for breakfast, lunch or an early evening catch-up.
Porte Noire
Coal Drops Yard has come a long way from its industrial past. Today it is home to Porte Noire, a wine bar, restaurant and shop, co-founded by Idris Elba and wine entrepreneur David Farber. Come for champagne and cognac, bistro dishes and a weekday set lunch that works well for client meetings.
Find out more about Porte Noire.
The Cross
King’s Cross has come full circle. Housed in the former Driver building on Wharfdale road, The Cross reimagines one of the area's best-known nightclub names as a six-storey venue. There's a lively ground-floor bar for informal drinks, a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant for client lunches, cocktail lounges and private dining rooms, flexible event space for presentations or networking, and a rooftop terrace for drinks with a view. It offers enough variety to suit everything from a quick coffee to a full evening of entertaining.
Find out more about The Cross.
Hawksmoor Martini Bar
What’s not to love? Hawksmoor’s Martini Bar offers neo-Gothic interiors, classic martinis, delicious bar snacks, and prices that won’t terrify a CFO, amid a relaxed, grand hotel bar setting. If the martinis go down well, the grand staircase, made famous by the Spice Girls’ Wannabe video, makes for a great picture opportunity.
Find out more about Hawksmoor Martini Bar.
Searcys Champagne Bar
Located on the Grand Terrace at St Pancras International, Searcys claims to be Europe’s longest champagne bar, running beneath the station’s vast glass-and-iron roof. Its location makes it an ideal meeting point for clients arriving by train, while the heated terrace, “press for champagne” buzzers and extensive drinks list make it equally suited to celebrating a successful pitch.
Find out more about Searcys Champagne Bar.
Ali Catterall is an award-winning writer, journalist and filmmaker whose writing has featured in the Guardian, Time Out, GQ, Film4, Word magazine and the Big Issue, among many others. Ali is also the writer and director of the 2023 film Scala!!!
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