GNH Bar and Terrace, part of the Great Northern Hotel in King’s Cross, is a modern reinvention of the traditional railway bar. Here, guests, travellers and locals can all mingle over coffee, beer, cocktails or wine. There’s food too, including bar snacks and larger plates, making this a seriously versatile spot. In front of the bar, the terrace offers the perfect spot for people watching over drinks, facing out across Pancras Road towards the station. Inside, meanwhile, things are a little more lavish. Perch on the polished wooden stools at the bar, under the impressive chandeliers, or nab a table for a more relaxed drinking and dining experience.
To drink, there’s a pleasing range of house cocktails, including a ‘flaming’ margarita made with chilli tequila. For those who prefer something a little more elegant, there’s the blue velvet, a blend of Bonatist dry gin, St Germain elderflower liqueur, lemon, Briottet Creme de Violette and egg white. If, however, you want something a little bubblier, try the crown jewel, which mixes Belle de Brillet pear and cognac liqueur, lemon, sugar syrup and Champagne. At the earthier end of the scale, there are a couple of barrel-aged options, including a negroni and Manhattan. There’s a great selection of spirits too, including various gins, whiskeys, rums, vodkas and tequilas.
In the mornings, diners can sample a tasty range of breakfast dishes, including morning pastries, bacon buns, smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels, avocado and tomato bagels or a plum crunch pot with Greek yoghurt. Later in the day, there is plenty of bar food to sample. Quick snacks like marinated olives, truffle and pecorino nuts or rosemary salt fries are ideal with drinks, while there are also more substantial plates like pecorino and leek croquettes, buttermilk fried chicken bites or a meat and cheese platter.