The best King’s Cross bars

Sweeties’s theme is ‘new wave glamour meets glorious misbehaviour’ – and while we’re not entirely sure what that means, there’s certainly something to be said about the sheer naughtiness this place radiates. Another drink, even though you said you’d only stay for one? Go on. A cheeky smile at the guy across the room? Don’t mind if I do. The snappy drinks menu is pretty much spot-on. Enjoy floor-to-ceiling glass, with 10th floor views that make King’s Cross somehow look glamorous.

This spot is one for thirsty music obsessives; a ‘listening bar’ and recording studio near Granary Square with a focus on sound quality as well as quality music. It may seem pretentious, but it’s actually a down-to-earth bar where you can get your groove on while you work your way through a modern list of drinks – beers served as schooners, cocktails named after killer LPs and a skin contact section on the wine list.

Adjoining the fancy – and delicious – Midland Grand Dining Room, the Gothic Bar is less Sisters of Mercy (though its high ceilings would certainly accommodate a gigantic backcombed 1980s bouffant) and more Florence and the Machine’s walk-in wardrobe. Drinks too are a step up from every goth’s favourite of snakebite and black, with eau de vie-addled Martinis the signature sip.

Supermax embraces good, old-fashioned, cheesy fun. You'll find it underneath Happy Face pizza, and it serves up tasty vermouth-led cocktails. It is also home to one hell of a happy hour; get a cocktail and a plate of Italian tapas for £9 a pop, including a rhubarb and pink pepper-spiked Negroni Sbagliato.

A wine bar brought to you by the team behind Barrafina, the Drop has a gentler Spanish vibe to it, a cute oyster cart at the door setting the tone. Pick from one of three brick-filled arches in which to sit and sip. Rather than focus on Spanish vino, the bar champions low-intervention vineyards around the world, with emphasis on emerging regions – so select wine from the likes of Greece, Tenerife and Georgia and pair with comforting pies, tarts, pâté and cheese.

No, you haven’t stepped into the Transport Museum. This bar and its seeminly 1970s TfL-inspired interior is at London’s Standard Hotel and it’s one of London’s finest drinking hangouts – although the menu is all-American. IPAs abound and all the cocktails come across seriously NYC.

For cocktails and a bit of high-flying in the area, The Booking Office 1869 wins. Another part of the vast St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, it’s a tall-ceilinged place to drink, with dark wood and soaring arches – and yes, it used to be the station’s booking office, but now it feels more like a hardboiled 1940s Los Angeles detective’s office after-hours. 

Take things Continental in King’s Cross. Vermuteria is an all-day café-bar with a focus on vermouth (in case the name didn’t already give the game up). Rows of Italian, French and more obscure bottles of the fortified and aromatised wine line up behind the bar, or you can drink the stuff on tap. Small plates are also a little taste of the Med – we suggest making a trip on a warm day and enjoying it all on a cute Coal Drop’s Yard-facing terrace.

Wooden flooring, royal blue walls, feature tiles and a log-burning stove make this a seriously cosy drinking spot, but it also suits summer with a neat terrace at the rear. House cocktails are classics, some with a gentle twist.

The Big Chill House has been going for years and is an icon of the area, even if it’s possibly had its heyday. Housed in a large, difficult building, it can feel a little tumbleweedy on quiet nights; it’s best to head here when DJs are spinning on Fridays and Saturdays. Food includes on-trend tacos and an upstairs patio which comes into its own in the summer.

A studenty crowd is drawn to Simmons, with its eye-catching design and retro music. But in truth, it’s probably the insane happy hour that reels them in, when most prices drop to just £2.50 a drink. Oof. 

This King’s Cross gem is tucked away on an admirably obscure industrial estate. Home to the Two Tribes brewery – as well as creative space Tileyard Studios – it serves an ever-changing menu, live music and top-tier DJs in a spacious taproom and outdoor event space dubbed Campfire.

Don’t let fatuous claims about this being the longest bar in Europe spoil what is a lovely pre-travel experience: glass of champagne in hand and tickets at the ready. Underneath William Barlow’s vast curving roof, a wonder of the Victorian age, Searcy’s serves a vast and laudable list of over 100 wines. Perfect for pre-Eurostar sipping.